From emissions and accessibility to financial prudence and social legacy, major events are rapidly evolving into platforms for broader societal change. The shift is industry-wide, structural and irreversible.

Sustainability Moves to the Centre

Summarising the themes of the conference, Selina Donald, Director of Sustainability at Trivandi, remarked: “Every panel so far has mentioned sustainability, and we’re actually now going to talk about sustainability.”

This shift has been years in the making, but only now has sustainability become embedded across C-suite decision-making, commercial models, venue operations and, crucially, the expectations of fans.

This move beyond lip service was reinforced by Nasser Majali, Secretary General of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Association, who stated: “Sustainability… it’s the new scoreboard. People will judge events not by the opening ceremony, but how it was produced and delivered and what it left behind as a legacy.”

For venues, that shift is already delivering tangible benefits.

John Langford, Executive Vice President of Venues International at AEG, captured the commercial reality: “We want to do what’s right for the environment… but it’s also good for business. Our sustainability commitments now save us seven figures annually in energy costs.”

AEG’s London Lido Festival, which powered its main stage entirely by battery for the first time ever, demonstrated that sustainable innovation can drive both efficiency and brand value.

Across the industry, sustainability is no longer a ‘nice to have’. It is a commercial, reputational and operational imperative.

Technology, Data and the Future of Event Delivery

Perhaps no one articulated the digital revolution more forcefully than David Grevemberg CBE, Games Delivery Executive for LA28 at Deloitte. Reflecting on Paris 2024, Grevemberg highlighted the scale of engagement: “Eighty-four percent of the world’s population engage with the Games, predominantly through data and technology. Money makes the world go round; technology brings the Games to life.”

Deloitte’s D.TEC programme for LA28 is integrating cyber security, telecoms and systems across the Games, ensuring seamless delivery while protecting millions of data points. Sustainability in digital infrastructure, Grevemberg argued, is not only about managing risk—it also unlocks new, enduring connections with fans.

Return on Investment Is Being Redefined

One of the clearest messages from Glasgow was that legacy, not revenue, is now the dominant measure of ROI.

Professor Gayle McPherson’s 10-year evaluation of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games revealed compelling long-term benefits:

• Over 70% of residents said the Games were “really good for Glasgow”.
• 70% said the event improved national pride across Scotland.

This shift, from economic output to public value, is reshaping expectations placed on hosts and organisers.

Rebecca Edser, Head of EventScotland, captured this evolution succinctly: “No one understands communities better than the cities themselves. When organisers listen, when priorities align, that’s when we see real, positive change.”

Edser pointed to Aberdeen’s Tall Ships Festival and Glasgow’s focus on gymnastics as examples where events translated into increased participation, skills development and civic pride.

Host City Preparation: Houston’s Approach to Mega-Event Readiness

Looking ahead to the FIFA World Cup 2026, Martye Kendrick, CEO and Executive Director of the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation, explained how Houston is preparing to host seven fixtures. “We’re definitely poised to be ready to host one of the largest events in the world,” she said. “From expanding the pitch to installing new moisture-control technology under the field, every part of our 350-acre complex is being readied for operational excellence.”

Kendrick emphasised that the World Cup will be experienced across the entire city, with watch parties, activations and community spaces ensuring fans feel part of the moment, even if they can’t attend matches.

Innovation: Expanding Reach While Protecting Core Identity

Traditional sports are experimenting with new formats to reach larger and more diverse audiences.

As Max Cobb, Secretary General of the International Biathlon Union explained, staging a biathlon event in Munich’s Olympic Park was a significant departure from tradition. Biathlon is normally staged in remote mountain venues, on snow, in deep winter conditions, far from major urban populations. By transforming the Olympic Park into a temporary biathlon arena, complete with roller skis in place of snow and a full shooting range built out over the lake, the IBU brought a winter sport to the heart of a major European city, and crucially, in the middle of October, long before the usual start of the season.

This approach made the sport dramatically more accessible. It allowed thousands of new fans to experience biathlon up close, without travelling to isolated alpine locations. Cobb noted that while the change initially met resistance from athletes and coaches concerned about disrupting Olympic preparations, the outcome spoke for itself:
“We had 50,000 people in attendance… we created a Tour de France-type atmosphere, with fans five deep around the course.”

Innovation, however, is not limited to sport formats.

Bonnie May, CEO of Global Infusion Group, reminded delegates that the lived experience of athletes and staff is central to sustainability and innovation: “From an athlete’s point of view, they all know what they want to eat. Innovation is tricky. So much comes down to cultural understanding, nutritional needs, and consistency.”

Feeding 24,000 athletes daily across diverse cultures is an enormous task—and one that demands resilient, localised and ethical supply chains.

Learning from the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025

Sarah Massey, Managing Director of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, highlighted how inclusion and accessibility drove a tournament that exceeded expectations on every metric.

“We wanted to deliver a generational moment for women’s rugby and a global celebration,” she said. The tournament sold 444,465 tickets, reached 5.6 million viewers on the BBC for the final, and achieved an exceptional Net Performance Score of 84.

Massey emphasised the importance of creating a welcoming environment: dedicated baby-change zones, quiet rooms, sensory packs, hundreds of additional women’s toilets, and flexible host city engagement, from Dragon Boat racing in Exeter to knitted decorations by the Women’s Institute in Northampton.

Crucially, players felt valued: “We made sure teams had upgraded facilities, celebrated arrivals, and authentic cultural welcomes. The environment we created allowed players to be their authentic selves—and that came through in every moment.”

Major Events as Catalysts for Behaviour Change and Long Tem Vision

Beyond venues and formats, the greatest opportunity lies in influencing how fans travel to and engage with events.

Chris Thompson, CEO of You. Smart. Thing. stressed that fan travel remains the single largest source of emissions, a challenge often underestimated by organisers. Dynamic travel planning tools, he said, can meaningfully reduce emissions and transform visitor experience. Thompson noted: “Sustainable events require behavioural change as much as operational transformation.”

Discussing the Tour de France Grand Départ 2027, Paul Bush, Managing Director of the the event, emphasised the scale and ambition of what is coming: “We are going to create a moment for the nation, not just a sporting event. Dream big. Have a vision.”

The event will span three countries, six stages, and, historically, for the first time, host the men’s and women’s races in the same nation.

Leadership and Purpose: The Foundation of Sustainable Events

A consistent theme across all sessions was leadership.

As James Bulley, CEO of Trivandi, explained: “You need a clear understanding of what the event is for, who it is for, and why you are investing. Purpose is the foundation of a sustainable business case.”

This clarity is crucial as the sector moves towards new financial models, private investment mechanisms and more sophisticated impact measurement.

Conclusion: A New Era for Global Events

The discussions at Host City 2025 reveal an industry undergoing structural transformation. Sustainability is no longer a side theme; it is the organising principle shaping the future of global sport and events.

And as Phil Batty, CEO of Glasgow 2026, reminded delegates: “We are reshaping what a global event can be. The future isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing better. Sustainable first, community-centred, and built to last.”

Major events are no longer simply moments in time—they are catalysts for long-term social, environmental and economic change.