By: Eline Andersen, Sport Event Denmark / Photo: Sport Event Denmark

It is not rocket science to act as the good host. It’s all about common sense. We all know how it is to be a guest. Sport Event Denmark was a guest at VIBES - The Event Conference in Copenhagen at the very same time as Denmark was staging the largest world championships ever on home ground, the UCI Road World Championships. This week Sport Event Denmark thus both played the role of being a host of these championships in collaboration with the Danish Cycling Federation, Wonderful Copenhagen and others - - -  and Sport Event Denmark was a guest at VIBES - The Event Conference.

On home ground we are good hosts. We make sure that all the necessary and basic needs of our guests are being taken care of. VIBES created a good and creative atmosphere for the guests at the conference and provided exciting speakers. 

In regards to the UCI Road World Championships Denmark also made a setting with a good and creative atmosphere. When staging major, international sports events it is important, that we as host nation make sure, that we can provide a perfect event set up that adds to the compulsory championships disciplines such as accreditation, judges, venues etc etc. As an example The Municipality of Copenhagen set up festive cycling days in the heart of Copenhagen during the week of world class cycling.

The discipline HOSTING is unavoidable – because it is within the meeting between guests and host that we can promote Denmark with unforgettable experiences.

Input from the speakers on day 2 of the conference were all very clear in this conclusion: Make a set up where guests will feel at home – and more importantly come back – whether it is at a sports event, a music festival or a conference. 

And this is also the recipe of the staging of international sports events in Denmark: Make the guests – that is athletes, officials, spectators and guests want to come back – and make them ambassadors – so they can spread the word about Denmark as a good and creative sports event nation.

A reflection that was repeated in many ways at the conference was that it is a much better investment to play an excellent host than to spend money on expensive advertising budgets. The best advertisement is happy guests.

Compliments from guests are therefore much appreciated as they express to which extend we succeed in the role of hosts. So turning our eyes again at the most significant, spectacular and immense event staged in the same week, the Road World Championships – the statements from our guests were all clear and very positive. 

The president of the International Cycling Federation, Pat McQuaid, said just after the final race: 

“These were one of most successful championships we have had in recent years. The crowds today were evidence of that: 250.000 spectators on a beautiful day. We had a beautiful race with unpredictably last five or six laps. A beautiful race with a beautiful winner.”

Also Sport Event Denmark only had positive concluding remarks on the championships: “These Road World Championships were by far the largest world championships on Danish soil ever. It was a great success in terms of spectator attention and the first feed backs from riders, officials and media are very, very positive. The world of cycling complimented the Danish organisers for the professional staging of the event and the courageous decision to stage the Time Trials in the heart of our capital,” said Lars Lundov, CEO of Sport Event Denmark.  

As event organisers we actually do know these things already about hosting events and welcoming guests. But it is always good to hear other event organisers repeat these points of views and it is good to get feed back from your guests and actually see that your guests take up the role of ambassador of your event, city, country or/and sport.

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