As public scrutiny of public investment grows, sporting events are increasingly being asked to demonstrate the value they create beyond the field of play. The question is no longer simply how many visitors attended or how much money was spent. It is increasingly about what lasting benefits events leave behind for communities, participants and society as a whole.

According to Lars Lundov, Director of Sport Event Denmark, this is exactly the conversation the sports industry should be having.

“When Denmark spends money, time and volunteers on major international sporting events, we must be able to answer what society gets in return.”

For Lundov, that return extends well beyond tourism revenue or television audiences. It includes community engagement, education, accessibility, inclusion and the long-term social value that events can create long after the medals have been awarded.

His argument reflects a broader shift taking place across international sport. Governments, funders and host cities increasingly expect sporting events to deliver meaningful public value alongside economic benefits.

One Size Does Not Fit All

While expectations around social sustainability continue to grow, Lundov is equally clear that not every event should be judged by the same criteria.

A major cycling race, a world championship in sailing and a regional bowling championship all operate under different conditions, with different audiences, budgets and opportunities. Applying identical expectations to every event risks creating unrealistic demands and ultimately undermining delivery.

“We should work with clear ambitions that fit the event’s size, finances, public support, the host city’s goals and the local context,” he explains.

The point is particularly relevant in Denmark’s packed sporting calendar. During 2026 alone, the country will host events ranging from the Copenhagen Sprint cycling race and the World Athletics Road Running Championships to international sailing and bowling championships.

Each event has different capabilities and different opportunities to contribute to society.

Rather than imposing a universal framework, Lundov argues for tailored objectives that reflect the scale and context of each event while still delivering measurable public value.

Choosing Impact Over Box-Ticking

As sporting events are increasingly expected to contribute to wider social goals, organisers face growing pressure to address an expanding list of priorities.

Can events improve health outcomes? Increase participation? Support social inclusion? Strengthen volunteer networks? Contribute to urban development? Drive environmental change?

The answer is often yes. But attempting to achieve everything at once can create significant challenges.

“Expectations without prioritisation do not necessarily create better sporting events,” says Lundov. “They can create bureaucracy, tokenism and unrealistic demands on temporary organisations that are already working under great time pressure.”

The challenge, therefore, is not to do everything.

“No sporting event can do everything. But everyone can consider whether they can do something that goes beyond match days.”

It is a simple philosophy, but one that reflects a growing maturity within sport sustainability. Meaningful impact is often achieved through a small number of focused, well-designed initiatives rather than an extensive list of disconnected commitments.

Turning Social Sustainability into Action

One of the strongest examples cited by Sport Event Denmark emerged during the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Herning.

Rather than treating social sustainability as a communications exercise, organisers integrated it directly into event delivery.

The educational initiative Grib Pucken provided learning materials, free tickets and club engagement opportunities for more than 5,000 schoolchildren. More than 800 special education pupils attended matches, while almost 2,000 children were introduced to ice hockey through local clubs.

Local residents were invited into fan zones and matchday activities, while children from local daycare centres were provided with safe and welcoming experiences within the event environment.

Veteran soldiers were brought into the wider event community and volunteers with physical and mental disabilities were given adapted opportunities to participate in event operations.

Perhaps most notably, nearly 300 changing booths used during the tournament were produced through workshops at Møltrup Optagelseshjem, a social enterprise supporting homeless men. The initiative provided meaningful work, responsibility and skills development while simultaneously meeting a practical event requirement.

“People on the edge of the community become part of the value chain and contribute something that the event actually needs,” Lundov explains.

Rather than creating parallel social programmes, the project embedded social impact directly into the event supply chain itself.

Learning From What Doesn’t Work

For Lundov, genuine progress also requires honesty about what does not go according to plan.

Not every initiative implemented during the Ice Hockey World Championship achieved its intended outcome. Plans to introduce audio commentary services for visually impaired spectators were explored but could not be delivered within the available timeframe.

Rather than viewing this as a failure, Lundov sees it as an important learning opportunity.

“If we only share glossy images, we learn too slowly.”

The experience highlighted the importance of early planning, stakeholder engagement and resource allocation. By documenting both successes and shortcomings, future organisers can build on previous experiences and avoid repeating the same challenges.

In a sector that often focuses on success stories, this commitment to transparency represents an important step forward.

A Strategic Opportunity for Sport

For Global Sustainable Sport, Lundov’s observations highlight one of the defining challenges facing modern sport.

As sporting organisations increasingly seek to demonstrate purpose and impact, social sustainability cannot remain an afterthought. It must be embedded from the earliest stages of event planning, incorporated into bidding processes, host city discussions and delivery strategies.

Public value is about far more than economics.

It is about children discovering a new sport. It is about volunteers gaining confidence and skills. It is about creating opportunities for underrepresented groups. It is about strengthening communities and ensuring sporting events leave something meaningful behind when the crowds have gone home.

As Lundov concludes:

“No sporting event can do everything. But everyone can do something.”

Ultimately, the most successful sporting events of the future may not simply be remembered for what happened on the field of play, but for the impact they created beyond it.