Why small actions matter: observations of micro leveraging and event service operations during the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine how smaller operational actions and decisions contribute to the effective leveraging of the sport event resource. It is an empirical paper, with a strong applied focus, using a mixed data collection methodology. Observational and interview data was collected on event day service delivery in a mix of stadiums, fan zones and town environments, during the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. The contribution of this paper to events related research is that it shows that whilst leveraging must be planned for at the strategic and tactical level, it is vital that the leveraging paradigm is used at the micro-operational level of event delivery. The findings illustrate how multiple smaller leveraging actions, by multiple stakeholders, help to achieve outputs and can build a foundation for achieving legacy outcomes, such as how positive visitor emotional experiences can become future leveraging fulcrum points.