Climate vulnerability as a catalyst for early stadium replacement

PurposeSevere hazards associated with climate change are threatening human settlements, thereby requiring global cities to implement comprehensive climate adaptation strategies. For sports organizations, adaptive measures may include designing and constructing new stadiums. In this study, the authors explore climate change as a vehicle for urban transformation, particularly as it relates to the replacement of existing stadiums with new, more sustainable and resilient venues.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employed a collective case study approach focusing on three recent cases of stadium replacement: Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas; Oakland Ballpark in Oakland, California; and Marlins Park in Miami, Florida. These cases were selected because an official representative of each team made explicit references to some form of climate adaptation, though each ballpark faces a distinctive climate-related threat.FindingsEach of the cases illustrates the various ways in which climate vulnerability may be deployed by teams and policymakers to replace professional sports stadiums. Although all three examples involved the replacement of an existing ballpark, only in the Texas case was climate adaptation openly cited as the primary reason for stadium replacement. Still, ballpark replacement plans in Oakland and Miami included significant and costly design features to protect the stadiums from extreme weather events.Originality/valueThis study applies the concept of climate vulnerability to illustrate a potential strategy to justify stadium replacement. As cities and metropolitan regions continue to grapple with the grand challenge of climate change, the associated vulnerability of large public assembly facilities such as major sports stadiums – particularly those prominently situated in urban centers – can no longer be ignored.

When Sport Event Work Stopped: Exposure of Sport Event Labor Precarity by the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 has exposed major weaknesses in economic, governmental, and social structures that many have taken for granted in everyday life. The sport industry, which has gained unprecedented popularity in recent decades, is no exception. Decisions, driven in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, to suspend play in major sports leagues across the globe have exposed the precarious nature of the work situation that hourly event workers find themselves in. As the games stopped, so did the earnings of workers who impact essential aspects of the sport spectators’ experience. These workers include the part-time front of house staff for public assembly facilities, including ushers, concessions workers, ticket takers, and security personnel. This essay, drawing on ideas from C.W. Mills, Arne Kalleberg, and Guy Standing, will examine the impact of the pandemic on the employment of these workers by looking at the state of labor associated with sport and sports events. Furthermore, the essay will explore the challenges facing a class of workers who depend on numerous part-time or seasonal sports event jobs to scrape together an existence when sport suddenly stops. Finally, the essay will address the potential aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic on sport labor and consider how sport work could change as a result. This scholarly commentary lays the groundwork for further study and analysis of an important, yet rarely remarked on, aspect of employment morality and sport labor studies.

Determinants of managerial engagement in environmental responsibility in the public assembly facility sector

Purpose While cost savings and perceptual benefits have been discussed in the literature as catalysts for promoting environmental responsibility (ER) and green management among public assembly facilities (PAFs), researchers have yet to determine if and how ER in this particular sector differs by facility characteristics. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative study on ER and green management, which utilized questionnaire data from a sample of PAF managers obtained from the International Association of Venue Managers. Findings Probit modeling results illustrate that implementation of green practices (e.g. general ER, green teams, and retrofitting) differ by ownership and management structure, market size where the facility is located, and facility type. These results are set against a backdrop of managerial strategy that seemingly enabled the effects. Practical implications PAFs are significant physical and social spaces in communities around the world and afford millions of patrons the opportunity to witness many forms of live entertainment. This level of usage, however, requires substantial resource investments in energy, water, waste removal, and other items necessary to maintain a functional, clean, and efficient facility. Given their visible and marquee status in both urban and rural regions, it is not surprising that facility management decisions have been underpinned by ER concerns. The results of this research provide useful information to PAF managers regarding how facility profiles are associated with ER adoption. Originality/value The contribution of this research lies in showing how memetic constraints have seemingly encumbered strategic decision making for ER initiatives, and suggestions for PAF managers are couched in the adoption of smart norms.