Effects of sport mega-events on city brand awareness and image: using the 2009 world games in Kaohsiung as an example

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of holding sport mega-events on city brand awareness and city brand image, using the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung and the people of Taiwan as the research subjects. Convenience sampling was used for distribution of the questionnaire, and 1,272 valid samples were obtained. SPSS 12.0 statistical software was used for structural analysis of the samples, and LISREL 8.20 statistical software was used to conduct confirmatory factor analysis on the various dimensions of the questionnaire. Finally, the structural equation model (SEM) was used to analyze the model and confirm that it had a good fit. This study made a number of important findings. The hosting of sport mega-events has a significant effect on city brand awareness. City brand awareness has a significant effect on city brand image. Sport mega-events have an indirect effect on city brand image, and city brand awareness has a mediating effect. These research results could be used as a reference for cities that actively seek to establish city branding.