From rags to riches: How Australian Open prize money has skyrocketed through the years

Glorious sunshine, bumper crowds, and an unmistakably Australian laid-back atmosphere has seen the Aussie Open unofficially dubbed the “Happy Slam”. But perhaps the greatest reason behind the smiles on players’ faces at Melbourne Park is thanks to the eye-watering prize money on offer.

Click here to read the story at espn.com.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is a mega event?
2. What is the Australian Open?
3. Why is prize money important to the Australian Open?
4. What is event management?
5. What is event marketing?
6. Why is event marketing important to the Australian Open?
7. What are some things that organizers of the Australian Open must consider when hosting the event?
8. According to this story, why has the prize money for the Australian Open increased over the years? What factors contributed to the increase?
9. From an event management perspective, what is a venue?
10. How has the venue made an impact on the success of the Australian Open?
11. What is positioning?
12. How did an effective positioning strategy help to boost the popularity of the Australian Open?
13. How might that represent an example of event marketing?