This summer ‎I spent almost two weeks in France following Northern Ireland at the Euros. Qualification for ‘our wee country’ has been a long time coming and has made many great memories for the ‘Green and White army’.

But what can sporting events learn ‎from the Euros?

Below I have highlighted a number of areas that every sporting event should consider;

– Focus on the fans. Each host city had dedicated fans zones that provided daily entertainment and ‎the chance to watch games on the big screen

– Focus on transportation. Buses shuttled the fans to and from the stadium during match days. This included specific drop off points and hundreds of buses to ensure quick exit during Match days. In some ways, very similar to the transportation experience you get at Disney.

– Focus on the local businesses. During my trip it was obvious the tournament had engaged the local business community to ensure they maximized revenue during our stay. This included plenty of taxis, restaurants ‎showing the matches, hotel accommodation etc

– Focus on fans experience inside the stadium. Before each match, fans were treated to a spectacular ceremony ‎before kick off as well as a range of fans engagement activities. This also included sponsor activation such as face painting etc.

Geoff runs his own Sports Consultancy, working with clients such as FIFA across the world. He is also on the board of Tourism Northern Ireland. You can follow Geoff on twitter @geoffwnjwilson or connect on Linkedin at http://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffwnjwilson