Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, June 23 - The Economic Reference Daily published an article on June 23 by reporters Yuan Xiaokang and Liu Yichun titled "Observing Consumer Trends and Exploring Industrial Layouts | Multi-Industry Resonance Drives Diverse Layouts of Listed Companies through Event Economy." The article states that data from Qunar Travel shows that with the support of "Northeast Super," Dalian, Shenyang, and Harbin have all become popular cities in the TOP 20 for summer flight and hotel bookings. Data from Tongcheng Travel indicates that the Dragon Boat Festival holiday has given rise to new consumption scenarios of "cultural tourism and event integration," with "Su Super" and "Northeast Super" driving the increasing popularity of hotel bookings in the event locations.

From the ticket stubs that leverage diverse consumption to the increasingly rich sponsor billboards at the event venues, and the proactive layouts of listed companies, the event economy is evolving from a celebration for sports fans into a "new battlefield" for the capital market. Events are no longer limited to individual competitions and tickets but have become a new engine for listed companies' brand marketing, capital layout, and industrial collaboration.

According to a research report by Bank of China Securities, by 2030, the total scale of the sports industry is expected to exceed 7 trillion yuan, with event activities playing a core leverage role within it. Companies whose core business is event operations are transforming the popularity of events into substantial performance growth.

"The spillover effect of the event economy is further strengthening. Last year, our sports event operating revenue drove overall revenue growth at a high rate, and this year, we expect related businesses to continue to improve. In the first quarter of 2026, after deducting the impact of share-based payments, the net profit attributable to the parent company increased by 14.43% year-on-year," said Ma Xiao, director, deputy general manager, and board secretary of LSTY (Shanghai) Sports Technology Co., Ltd. "In the past, events were more understood as a competition or a ticket; now it has shifted to a comprehensive consumption scenario of 'event IP + city cultural tourism + commercial consumption + brand marketing + public participation.'"

The continuous growth of event consumption data has significantly benefited the stock prices of related listed companies. The research report from Bank of China Securities shows that during the peak of the first "Su Super" event, the stock prices of Jinling Sport (local sports equipment supplier) and CCG (local artificial turf supplier) increased by over 100%.

"Although stock prices of various companies have retreated after the events, the events themselves are periodic, and it is normal for stock prices to fluctuate periodically. Moreover, the increased attention brought by the popularity of events is long-term. Based on the stock performance of past large events, companies related to sports media marketing and IP derivatives have high elasticity, and domestic provincial leagues have opened up new models, with cultural and sports tourism targets expected to benefit," said Bank of China Securities analyst Li Xiaomin.

The benefits are not limited to the secondary market. Data from IT Juzi shows that as of the end of May this year, the number of investments in the sports sector in 2026 has reached 14, compared to 23 for the entire year of 2025 and 20 for 2024, indicating further growth potential.

"The continued warming of the event economy is also driving related companies to shift sports marketing from short-term exposure to long-term strategy," Li Xiaomin believes. More non-sports listed companies are leveraging the communication power and traffic effects of events to achieve brand exposure, customer acquisition in scenarios, and industrial collaboration Consumer goods companies are taking the lead. A relevant person in charge of Tsingtao Brewery stated that Tsingtao Brewery has been deeply involved in football marketing for many years, with layouts from professional leagues to provincial events such as "Su Super," "Meng Super," and "Chu Super," and will launch football-themed products in 2026. Carlsberg China is also accelerating its layout, further expanding its football event scenarios in 2026 after collaborating with "Yu Super," "Dian Super," and the Guangdong Super League in 2025. Its Urumqi Beer has become the official strategic partner of the Xinjiang Football Super League, while Xixia Beer has become the official supplier of the Ningxia Football Super League.

"Brands can leverage massive exposure through event linkage, empowering brand youthfulness, internationalization, and fashionability, enhancing brand reputation and influence," said the relevant person in charge of Tsingtao Brewery.

More companies are testing the waters of the event economy. Zhao Wenjun, co-founder and chief marketing officer of October Rice Field Group Co., Ltd., stated that relying on the linkage of products, scenarios, content, and experiences, the company collaborates with "Northeast Super" to extend the heat of the competition to everyday dining tables, deeply rooting itself in Northeast China and empowering regional culture.

"Sports events inherently possess emotional value, social value, and urban communication value, which are very scarce resources in today's consumer market. Local governments, sponsoring brands, partner companies, and cultural tourism departments are also paying more attention to the crowd communication, content traffic, brand exposure, user retention, and consumption conversion brought by events," said Ma Xiao.

With policy support, consumption upgrades, and the enhancement of corporate professional capabilities, sports events are expected to become an important force in driving service consumption, promoting cultural tourism integration, and advancing the high-quality development of the sports industry. From the continuous warming of the consumer end to the resonance of the capital market, the transmission chain of the event economy is gradually becoming clearer, completing a reconstruction of value transmission. (End)