CEF's Podcast: 'Inside Events'
Episodes
ATMOSPHERE IS A SOCIAL CONTRACT: WHY ORGANISERS, FANS, AND CITIES MUST CO-CREATE IT TOGETHER
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
An electric event atmosphere can’t be manufactured—it emerges organically from rituals, participation, and shared emotion. Yet too often, organ...
THE OTHER WORLD CUP: WHERE DISPUTED NATIONS FIGHT FOR RECOGNITION
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For millions living in unrecognised or contested regions, football offers more than sport—it’s a powerful tool to assert identity, belonging, an...
DRIVING REAL SOCIAL IMPACT BY CO-CREATING A THEORY OF CHANGE
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Despite growing expectations for events to deliver lasting legacies, most organisers still rely on economic metrics while overlooking the harder-t...
THE SUSTAINABILITY “SIGNALS” EVENT SPECTATORS ACTUALLY NOTICE—AND WHAT THEY MISS ENTIRELY
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sustainability has become a central promise of many events, yet new research reveals that spectators often overlook or misinterpret organisers’ ...
Authenticity Over Spectacle: Why the Island Games Matter
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Island Games tell a remarkable story of community, identity, and resilience in global sport. In this episode, Dr. Michael Duignan speaks with ...
HOW TO MAKE EVENTS CATALYSTS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE: REFLECTING ON A DECADE OF SPIRIT OF 2012’S WORK
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Too many events promise social impact but fail to plan, measure, or deliver it in meaningful ways. In this episode, we explore what it truly takes...
THE OLYMPIC GAMES AND ESPORTS: HOPELESS MARRIAGE OR OBVIOUS PAIRING?
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Esports has exploded into a $2 billion global industry, attracting over 500 million spectators worldwide and offering the International Olympic Co...
From Scandal to Reform: Is FIFA Changing?
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar wasn’t just about football—it became a global lightning rod for debates on corruption, governance, and ethics...
DESIGNING HUMAN-CENTERED SPORT EVENTS TO ENRICH LIVES—LESSONS FROM ARCHERY GB
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Dr. Michael Duignan speaks with Mark Briegal, Chair of Archery GB, to explore how archery events go far beyond competition to del...
The Science of Crowds: Decoding Human Movement at Scale
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Dr. Michael Duignan speaks with Dr. Bachar “Bash” Kabalan, an expert in crowd dynamics, to unpack the science behind how people ...
Rebranding a Nation: Lessons from South Africa’s 2010 FIFA World Cup
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Dr. Michael Duignan speaks with Dr. Brendan Knott to unpack the transformative power of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in reshaping South ...
How Events Can Make Better Decisions Under Risk and Uncertainty
19 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'm joined by Dr Claire Drakeley from the University of Northampton, whose work is reshaping how we understand decision-making in...
Mega Sports Events Get Millions, Cultural Festivals Gets Scraps Yet Delivers Regeneration At the Heart Of Communities —It's Time To Flip The Model
19 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why do the events that truly change lives, foster inclusion, and rebuild divided communities struggle hardest to survive? From the Edinburgh Festival ...
How academics can utilise the media to transform research into valuable resources for industry
19 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The global events and festivals sector shapes public space, cultural identity, and social change—but academic voices often remain unheard outside un...
When Cities Fight Back: Why Communities Are Resisting The Olympic Games Like Never Before
19 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Resistance to mega-events is no longer fringe — it is an organised, global movement reshaping how cities engage with the Olympic Games. Based on ext...
The Hard Edge Of Soft Power: What Mega Events Really Leave Behind
19 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Beneath the spectacle of fireworks, opening ceremonies, and global fanfare lies a harder truth—mega-events reshape cities, but often at the expense ...
The Wellbeing Power of Pilgrimages
19 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore how pilgrimage events can offer more than just spiritual fulfilment—they can support physical, social, and emotional wel...
What Did the Berlin 1936 Olympics Teach Us About Sport and Soft Power?
19 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The 1936 Berlin Olympics provided the world’s first systematic blueprint for using global sporting events as instruments of soft power, propaganda, ...
The Trickle-Down Illusion: Why Major Events Often Miss Grassroots Sport Participation Targets
19 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Does elite sport truly inspire everyday people to get more active? In this episode, Dr Mike Duignan speaks with Dr Georgia Teare, Dr Girish Ramchandan...
Sport or Spectacle? Exposing the Olympic Industry's Dark Side
19 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Behind the glittering spectacle of the Olympic Games lies a complex and troubling reality. In this episode, Professor Helen Jefferson Lenskyj, a leadi...
AI, Avatars, and the Uncanny Valley of Live Music
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Trudy Barber joins Dr. Michael Duignan to explore the provocative future of live music in an era of avatars, AI, and virtual performance. From ABB...
How Nazi Germany Used the Berlin 1936 Olympics as a Propaganda Machine
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this gripping episode, Dr. Gjoko Muratovski joins Dr. Michael Duignan to explore how the 1936 Berlin Olympics became one of the most powerful exerc...
Will Brisbane 2032 Get Legacy Right for Local People?
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Olympics promise legacy—but who actually benefits? In this compelling episode, Dr. Judith Mair joins Dr. Michael Duignan to explore the complex ...
HOW FAN TRAVEL BECAME SPORT’S CLIMATE BLIND SPOT — AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Dr. Brian McCullough unpacks the environmental blind spots of major sports tournaments, using March Madness as a case in point. With ...
HOW EVENTS CAN MAKE BETTER DECISIONS UNDER RISK AND UNCERTAINTY
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What really happens when things go wrong at a live event—and how do professionals decide what to do next? In this episode, Dr. Claire Drakeley revea...
The Legacy Gap: Why Marginal Communities Often Lose Out
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How can major sporting events genuinely serve the communities that need them most? In this powerful episode, Dr Mike Duignan is joined by Dr Shushu Ch...
WHAT DID LONDON 2012 MEAN FOR THE PARALYMPICS AND THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
London 2012 promised to be a game-changer for disability rights. But over a decade on, how much really changed? In this episode, Dr Mike Duignan is jo...
“Cooperative Crowding”: Mitigating Disasters and Saving Lives at Events
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What turns a vibrant crowd into a deadly one—and how can we stop it from happening again? In this episode, Dr Mike Duignan speaks with crowd safety ...
Why Mega Events Aren’t Always the Panacea for People with Disabilities
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Paralympics are often praised for inspiring a generation, but does watching elite athletes with disabilities actually get more people moving? In t...
THE GROWTH AND POWER OF RURAL PRIDE EVENTS IN SMALL-TOWN AMERICA
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When most people think of Pride, they picture city parades, big-name sponsors, and rainbow-soaked streets. But a quieter revolution is unfolding acros...
Glastonbury and the Future of Climate-Ready Events
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Glastonbury is famous for its iconic music, mud-soaked fields, and festival spirit—but could it also be a blueprint for surviving the climate crisis...