Mike delivers keynote on "Major Events as Drivers for Social Change" at the European Association for Sport Management (EASM) Conference in Innsbruck, Austria

I discussed how, as scholars and practitioners in the field, major events act as bridge, platform and driver of social change. I outline why this is important as governments and funders increasingly invest in events but particularly major events as a key economic growth strategy and to tackle endemic social challenges at the host level. I first provide an appreciative account of how events can achieve such change and how we can evaluate this, and then I outline the challenges blocking this and the contemporary social challenges facing major events.