Ett stort evenemang - En liten stad : Synen på Vätternrundan genom fem representanter

Sammanfattning: Vätternrundan is an annual sporting event that takes place in the Swedish town Motala since 1966. It is one of the world largest recreational bicycle rides and attracts over 20 000 participants each year. This study focuses on event effects and how an event can be of value within the principles of place marketing. Within this study five representatives were interviewed with semi-structured interviews. The results show that the representatives describe Vätternrundan as a positive event which mostly generates positive effects for the city itself and for the people living and working there. The effects consist of the events ability to create awareness of the place, the possibility to extend the tourism season and several social effects like solidarity and interaction. The result also shows that Vätternrundan is a well-known brand and because of this it can be used as an advantage in place marketing. The event also provides the place with an activity and a reason to travel there. The combination of the long sporting history in Motala and the sporting event Vätternrundan also provide Motala with a chance to differentiate themselves in relation to other places where sport is a unique part of the city.