Marketing of sports events: analysis of key characteristics and typical marketing functions

The article deals with the specific characteristics of modern sports events that affect their competitiveness. Sporting event is the central component of the sports industry, since it is a spectacle, unpredictable, bright and emotional, which draws the attention of numerous fans and spectators. The author defines two typical marketing functions of sports events. First, the function of the event as an independent marketing product that can bring income to the organizers. These include sports events offered to fans as leisure and entertainment products, business and educational events (professional sports events, thematic exhibitions, festivals, seminars, conferences, etc.). Secondly, the function of the event as a platform for marketing communications. Such events are a communication marketing tool and are offered to legal and physical persons interested in promoting their brands through sports or other centers of attraction for audiences. Presentations, press conferences, commercial exhibitions - all these marketing events are used as events of the second type. The author also suggests analyzing sports events based on an analysis of his attributes: goals, place, time, participants and actions. Correct work with them optimizes the process of building a competitive event, facilitates control over its condition and timely adaptation to market changes. Such approaches allow increasing the effectiveness of creating competitive advantages of sports events.