Sant’Anna School of Advanced Stuidies highlights circular city concepts from the sports point of view at a conference in Cambridge
Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies (SSSA) unveiled an insightful study on fans’ behaviour in selecting green accommodations at the 7th International Conference on Business, Management and Finance, which took place in Cambridge, UK, from the 7th to the 9th of June 2024.
The presentation, delivered by SSSA’s Annamaria Pesci, emphasised the role of sports in achieving Circular City concepts and the study generated considerable interest, particularly on the perspective used to investigate the topic. Interest was shown not only for the study itself but also for the entire project, that is the connection between sports and cities or regions in promoting environmentally-friendly strategies and practices.
The 7th International Conference on Business, Management and Finance, organised by Acavent – a worldwide organiser of scientific conferences, workshops, and exhibitions based in Vilnius, Lithuania, with nine years of experience in events industry – took place at the Møller Institute at Churchill College, University of Cambridge.
The Conference programme featured oral and poster presentations, virtual presentations, as well as a walking city tour. Also, numerous networking opportunities were encouraged throughout the event.
After the Conference check-in and a welcome coffee accompanying the poster presentations, the first in-person session started and almost all the 23 speakers, joined by their colleagues, took their seats. The morning session primarily focused on communication issues across various levels (e.g., public service media, social media, communication between different cultures, etc.). Post-lunch discussions shifted to financial analysis and market dynamics, as well as global trade and economic development. Within this session, after a brief networking and refreshment break, ACCESS project was presented offering an overview of the study on “Fans’ behaviour in the selection of green accommodations”. Finally, the day concluded with presentations on workplace dynamics and human resources.
ACCESS presentation on “Fans’ behaviour in the selection of green accommodations” was notable as the only one centred on sport management, and among the few addressing sustainability. It began with an overview of ACCESS project and then delved into the specific study. The presentation covered the scientific basis of the study, its aim, and the research questions addressed. Data collection was briefly explained, and the main results were shown. Finally, conclusions were drawn within the framework of the Theory of Planned Behaviour identifying an intention-behaviour gap among fans when selecting their accommodation for sporting events.
Key findings indicated that while fans generally hold positive attitudes towards green behaviours and can be positively inspired by peers and influential figures/groups, the availability of information and cost significantly impact their decision to choose green accommodations. Event organisers and policymakers are encouraged to support this shift through educational activities, incentives, and increased visibility of green practices, especially on booking platforms and through environmental certifications. Additionally, academic contributions can support the adoption of green behaviours by fans through, for example, the inclusion of additional variables and/or different methodologies, or the examination of different policy interventions and incentives, thus enhancing the generalisability and applicability of findings.
Concluding her intervention and contribution to the Conference, Annamaria added:
“Sport has great potential to drive the development of environmentally-friendly cities. However, concerted efforts from organisations, policymakers, and academics are crucial to transform intentions into actionable behaviours and to promote a sustainability mindset. Today, we took a step forward by sharing our beliefs and fostering interest across diverse cultures and geographical contexts”
The full study with detailed results and conclusions will be published by the end of the month.