Rally Director Urmo Aava took part in a U.S. Department of State program focused on the organisation of sports events
2026 December, Rally Estonia Director Urmo Aava participated in a study trip organised under a U.S. Department of State program. The aim was to introduce U.S. models for organising sports and major events, methods for assessing economic impact, and best practices in public-private cooperation. Spanning several states, the program offered valuable insights also in the context of Estonia and the Delfi Rally Estonia event.
In the United States, the state’s role in sport is clearly defined
Meetings held in Washington as part of the program - including a visit to the U.S. Department of State - provided an overview of the key principles behind sports governance in the U.S. The United States does not have a central ministry of sport or culture, and in the case of major events, the federal government primarily supports through transportation and security arrangements, while the main responsibility lies with the private sector, states, cities, and local communities.
A sports event as a complete experience - sport as entertainment
During the three-week program, several NBA and NFL games were visited, clearly highlighting the U.S. approach to sport as top-tier entertainment. Game day is not just about athletic performance, but a carefully designed whole: spectators are offered food and beverage solutions, an active fan experience, strong visual production, and continuous audience engagement. This underscores the importance of an experience-driven approach also for international sporting events.
Measuring economic impact and tourism
Meetings with local tourism and development organisations showed how systematically the economic impact of sports and major events is assessed in the U.S. Regional organisations fund events through taxes collected from accommodation providers and support hundreds of events each year. Economic impact assessments use ticketing statistics and specialised analysis models that help justify investments and develop regional tourism.
Experience in organising major competitions
Key elements of the program included meetings with organising teams for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games in Miami, Kansas City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The visit introduced extensive volunteer engagement systems, multi-year preparation work, and cooperation between city, state, and federal levels. For major competitions, the U.S. federal government covers costs related to security and emergency response services, which form a significant share of the overall organisational workload.
Sports infrastructure as a community asset
The trip also included visits to some of the world’s leading sports facility designers, whose focus is on long-term usability and community impact. Stadiums are seen as the region’s “living room” - spaces that must function beyond major competitions and create added value for local residents and businesses.
Data-driven marketing and broad visibility across channels as the key to success
The U.S. experience clearly showed that the impact of major events does not happen by chance - it is the result of precisely managed, data-driven marketing. In San Francisco, for example, the visitor profile of events is mapped in detail - from age, income level, and family status to accessibility needs - allowing messages and channels to be tailored with clear intent. An important role is also played by so-called earned media, meaning the involvement of leading local and international figures, athletes, and opinion leaders whose organic social media reach often works as a more effective promoter than traditional advertising.
Marketing activities are carried out in parallel across multiple channels - newsletters, social media, dedicated landing pages, media partnerships, and on-site activations. In this, the city and tourism organisations act as active advocates for the event throughout the entire preparation period. This approach confirmed that a major event is not merely a few-day highlight, but a long-term communications project that increases destination awareness, brings visitors back even after the event, and strengthens the region’s international reputation - a mindset that is extremely important for the continued development of Delfi Rally Estonia.
Key takeaways from Rally Estonia’s perspective
Although the scale of the United States and Estonia - as well as their markets - is vastly different, the U.S. visit offered several valuable parallels:
- Major sports and cultural events are an important economic engine;
- The completeness of the experience is critically important;
- Public-private cooperation determines the sustainable success of events.
The U.S. visit confirmed that even for a small country like Estonia, it is important to think big and rely on international experience when developing our events. At the same time, Estonia’s scale gives us clear advantages: flexibility and fast responsiveness, and the ability of the state and organising teams to deliver world-class work even on very large projects. Our strength lies in the consistent use of innovation and digitalisation, which allows processes to be made more efficient and helps avoid setting artificial limits simply because of an event’s scale. As a result, we have the capability to organise even the largest international events at the highest level in the world.
