Edinburgh Napier University

  The study captures ex ante (pre event) local stakeholder perceptions of resources for social leverage of the FIFA 2022 World Cup-Qatar for the promotion of green and active living. It does so by capturing lifestyle change related policies and activity and FIFA 2022 world cup expectations in the mega event host of Qatar. The study also explores perceptions held ex ante, of challenges to promoting lifestyle changes by this event. The research engaged stakeholders in the event industry, professionals charged with promoting physical activity and promotion of environmentally friendly behavior as well as officials in related government departments, academics and students in related courses.
Resources for social leveraging the mega event for lifestyle change targets include host country policies, practices and knowledge/skills as perceived by stakeholder in 2014-2015, seven years before the event is due to be hosted. Some challenges are identified as linked to the future host country and others are event specific.
The findings suggest extensive social leveraging potential in the communities of event managers and physical activity and environmental lifestyle promotion professionals that is made up of the presence of numerous policies for lifestyle changes, increasing practices adopted by the future host and burgeoning knowledge and skill base among event managers and professionals charged with lifestyle change promotion.
Event liminality whereby expectations are raised and possibilities are explored because of event anticipation is also present in the findings and the critical step is for the leveragable resources present at the buildup period to be capitalized upon as the event date approaches. The numerous challenges identified by stakeholders during the event preceding years that include perceptions on current host practices, cultural and political practices and host country/event specific systemic weaknesses in the promotion of green and active living need to be addressed for leveraging potential to be fulfilled. The challenges that relate to FIFA as the event owner may be beyond the control of Qatar as event host and this also has implications on the leveragable potential of the event for the promotion of green and active living.