EXAMINING THE MEGA-EVENT SPACE–PERCEPTION NEXUS: AN ADVANCED EPICENTER EFFECT PERSPECTIVE

Previous research emphasizes that residents living within an event’s epicenter (i.e., host city) will exhibit the greatest positive and negative event legacy perceptions. However, given that mega‐events often include multiple event spaces to operationalize hosting (e.g., satellite cities), a single epicenter perspective is challenged. We examined residents’ social legacy perceptions of a mega‐event with multiple event sites to test an epicenter effect within this event ecosystem. Data were collected via surveys from 1,901 residents living within four event spaces: Host City, Satellite, Provincial, and National. Statistical analyses revealed event space significantly influenced residents’ social legacy perceptions but not linearly as previously theorized. Rather, Satellite residents perceived the highest positive legacies, not Host City residents. This evidence advances epicenter effect theorizing by highlighting how various event spaces can amplify or diminish residents’ perceptions. Event managers should leverage multiple event spaces to maximize positive legacy perceptions while minimizing negative legacy perceptions.