The 18th European Association of Sports Management (EASM) conference, titled "Bridging Sports Management Across Europe," was held in Prague for academics, athletes and researchers from Europe, USA, Australia, Canada, Japan, China, and Iran. It also attracted publishers interested in publishing the successful studies.
They gathered to learn and exchange experiences as the conference introduced and highlighted different methods to develop sports and promote physical activity.
A study from Australia, written by Professor Tracy Taylor from the University of Technology, pointed out that after the 9/11 and 7/7 bombings in New York and London respectively, security and safety measurements people have been put off from going to stadiums.
In another study, Georgia Yfantidou from the Democritus University of Thrace in Greece showed that there are still a lot of tourists who would travel to attend sports events, whether they are competing or spectating.
The same study also noted that people in this category are still tourists who would be interested in learning about the food, culture and lifestyle of the town they are visiting and could positively affect the tourism income in that particular country if their needs are met.
Grilo Rute from the Faculade de Matricidade Humana in Portugal said a comparison between surfers and fitness individuals revealed that the former tended to have more interest in enjoying and taking care of nature, while the later was more skeptical.
Yet Professor Mike Weed from the Canterbury Christ Church University in the United Kingdom believes it is the other way around and that people with an interest in the environment tend to be more physically active because it resonates with their personal values, even if it is small activities such as gardening.
The sessions also covered areas including managing sports in upcoming economic conditions, research for management and marketing, new trends in management and marketing and sports policy, among others.
The next conference will take place in September next year in Madrid, Spain.
