THE FEASIBILITY STUDY OF A WTA TOURNAMENT IN GÖTEBORG A STAKEHOLDER APPROACH TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF EVENTS

Abstract

Events constitute one of the most exciting and fastest growing forms of leisure, business, and tourism related phenomena. The tourist organization Göteborg & Co is continuously looking for new exciting events that would attract tourists, enhance quality of life for its residents and stimulate business opportunities. Göteborg & Co and the Swedish Tennis Association are both interested in bringing a women’s professional tennis tournament to Göteborg but are uncertain about the consequences such an event can have. The purpose of this study is to determine if it is feasible to host a Tier 2 or 3 event in Göteborg. The thesis measures the support of the various stakeholders crucial for the feasibility, determines if the city and the involved organizations have the venues, financial resources to acquire such event and assesses whether a suitable timing can be found. Since there are different Tiers or characteristics of the event the thesis also aims at identifying if one Tier can be feasible while another cannot. The thesis found that all the necessary support for a Tier 2 event existed except that limitations regarding a venue made a Tier 2 tournament unrealistic. Therefore, the only Tier identified to presently be feasible is a Tier 3 event. A Tier 3 event is only deemed to be feasible by using “appearance money” in order to attract big name players, which would trigger support for stakeholders such as media and sponsors who otherwise may not support the event.