£23 million generated by Manchester World Sport 08

Thursday, 28th May 2009

Recently completed research has confirmed that the biggest year of international sport ever in Manchester, which included four events supported by UK Sport's World Class Events Programme, attracted over 317,000 visitors to the City and generated £23 million of net economic impact to the Manchester area, along with providing social and participatory benefits for community and youth groups across the city and the Northwest.  

Manchester City Council and its major sports events partners commissioned Ipsos MORI North, in conjunction with Experian, to undertake a research study to assess the economic benefits associated with each of the Manchester World Sport 08 events, along with the collective impacts across the city’s biggest series of sporting events ever and the most significant year of world sport for Manchester since the XVII Commonwealth Games in 2002.  

The study, which included primary research with spectators, revealed that the events supported a total of 499 full-time equivalent jobs in the Manchester area and that for almost all of the attendees across all of the events, the sport was the only or one of the main reasons for coming to Manchester.  11% of attendees were first time visitors to Manchester and of those, 85% enjoyed their experience of the city so much, they are likely to return within the next three years.  The 9th FINA World Swimming Championships 2008 and the UEFA Cup Final 2008 contributed £7million and £11million of net impact across Manchester, respectively.  

Several of the Manchester World Sport 08 events were key to the preparation of Team GB’s Olympians and Paralympians ahead of success at the 2008 Bejing Games. Rebecca Adlington, Sir Chris Hoy and David Weir all won gold in Manchester last year before going on to further glory at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Simon Morton, Senior Events Consultant at UK Sport, said: "UK Sport brings strategically important international sporting events to the UK in order to boost the performance of our athletes. The events hosted in Manchester last year played a significant role in preparing British athletes for success at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, as seen in Beijing last summer.
 
"The city of Manchester will continue to play a key role in our World Class Events Programme throughout the coming years, as we prepare British athletes, volunteers, and officials for our home Games in London in 2012."

“The hugely positive impacts of Manchester World Sport 08 demonstrate the Council’s commitment to delivering social benefits to residents by maximising opportunities for inclusion and participation, while harnessing the considerable contribution that major sports events can make to the local economy.”

Manchester won the accolade of world’s top Sport City at the SportBusiness Sports Event Management Awards in November 2008, ahead of Melbourne, Berlin, Doha, Moscow and New York. Many of the individual MWS08 events were acknowledged as being groundbreaking and won awards for excellence, including the 9th FINA World Swimming Championships 2008 (25m) which saw two temporary swimming pools constructed in the MEN Arena and the sport itself being presented in a more theatrical manner.  

Events are a key component of Manchester City Council’s Marketing Strategy. The MWS08 series was also closely aligned to the strategies of the other MWS08 key stakeholders and partners: NWDA; UK Sport; Marketing Manchester; and MEN Media, part of GMG Regional Media - with major sport events having a wider role in ensuring that Manchester’s burgeoning reputation as a global sports city is maintained, particularly in the run-up to London 2012.

The Manchester World Sport 08 events were:
UCI Track Cycling World Championships*: 26 – 30 March
9th FINA World Swimming Championships 2008 (25m)*: 9 – 13 April
Paralympic World Cup*: 7 – 11 May
UEFA Cup Final 2008: 14 May
BUPA Great Manchester Run: 18 May
Hi-Tec World Squash Championships Manchester 2008*: 11 – 19 October

*supported by UK Sport's World Class Events Programme