The hotels in the region were completely full and Oviedo and Gijón had occupancy figures close to 85%
The media impact leaves more than 185,000 reproductions of content related to the event, a figure that more than doubles the numbers of 2023
The XXIII edition of the Villa de Avilés Grand Event International Tournament has once again reflected the potential of the event and its economic as well as media impact. In the first section, the numbers allow nearly 9,000 people to pass through the city, which translates into just over one and a half million euros. “We have grown by 150 judokas, which multiplied by companions puts us at around 9,000. The data we have collected reflects a hotel occupancy between 98% and 100%, with greater influx on Saturday, around 4-5%,” noted organizer Carlos Fernández. Although what draws the most attention this year is the behavior in Castrillón with locations such as the Hotel Román, the Marqués de la Moral complex or Las Gaviotas, among others, full three weeks before the event. “We as an organization tried to reserve rooms for judokas and it was impossible,” he said. The event was also noticed in accommodations in Gijón or Oviedo with occupancy figures of 85%. Added to this are the restaurants and shops in Avilés that have also noticed the impact: “There have been many businesses that have tripled shifts and some businesses have modified their usual hours to serve visitors.”
In the second section, the figures speak for themselves with more than 185,000 views of content linked to the tournament on the social networks of Judo Club Avilés. Numbers that far exceed the figures for 2023 with 74,000 reproductions. The broadcast of the event on YouTube also receives a boost with more than 56,000 views, 30,000 more than in the last edition of the Villa.
On Facebook, posts exceed 3,000 likes and the content has been shared 350 times with the consequent impact, while on Instagram there have been nearly 4,000 interactions and more than 6,600 accounts have been reached. The quote also captures the attention of new audiences and more than 31% of the public that consumes the content does not do so on a regular basis. Regarding the audiences, more than 47% are female audiences with the majority between 18 and 24 years old (26%) followed by the age groups 35-44 and 45-54 with 23%. The profile of Judo Club Avilés has been visited 4,000 times and there have been more than 5,000 interactions, which leaves a growth in followers internationally with Pakistan, Portugal and Brazil as the countries that follow Spain.
Fernández has pointed out that “being a double Super Cup and Grand Event makes us sell the product better because it is something exclusive that Avilés and Alicante have. We are ahead of cities like Madrid, Barcelona or Vigo, but that also causes spending to increase.” For this reason, he did not want to forget the Avilés City Council: “We have found a growth in municipal subsidy and we are grateful because otherwise it would not be possible.”
Now we will have to wait until the end of the season to find out if the Spanish Federation renews the classification of ‘Big Event’, although Fernández has advanced that, after the first meetings held this week in Madrid, “satisfaction is general on both sides. We have not had any errors and absolutely all schedules have been met. We trust that the qualification will be maintained for next season.”
Intangible impact
The organization also wanted to highlight other aspects such as sustainability or social action. The agreement signed with Aguas de Avilés has allowed the implementation of local water consumption with several fountains arranged in the pavilion and accreditations have also been eliminated. “We have tried to avoid the consumption of paper and plastics and have opted for digital formats. These are aspects that do not yet count for the federation, but we have already conveyed the convenience that they should be taken into account,” argued Fernández.
In the section of social action, the “pull” of the tournament itself has been taken advantage of to launch projects such as ‘Ayúdame’ which will be supported by Villa de Avilés itself or the ‘Valores JCA Pérez Fernández’ scholarships: “It is a Villa 2.0 in every sense and has taken a very important step forward.”
Lastly, the area of networking which will debut in 2024. “It is a field that will generate mutually beneficial impacts for companies, clubs and athletes. “It has been a test and we are happy, but for future editions we are going to professionalize it with the aim of generating a meeting space between all parties.”
