Nature sport events, particularly orienteering, present unique sustainability challenges that require coordinated action from diverse private stakeholders, as successful sustainable events depend on proactive dialogue, transparent communication, and long-term relationship building with all private stakeholders involved in event organization.

The following stakeholders need to be taken into consideration when organizing a sustainable orienteering event (IOF, 2025) :

1. Landowners: Gatekeepers of Terrain Access
Landowners represent the most critical private stakeholder group, controlling access to the natural terrain essential for orienteering. IOF guidelines emphasize that organizers must understand varying access rights across jurisdictions and engage landowners through individualized contact or via forestry and farmers’ associations. Effective landowner engagement involves several key practices:

Education and Transparency: Landowners often lack familiarity with orienteering. Organizers should explain the sport’s dispersed nature, emphasizing minimal crowd concentration and waste generation. Demonstrating the value of detailed terrain mapping can appeal to landowners’ interests. Inviting landowners to observe events fosters understanding and positive relationships.
Permission and Planning: Even where public access rights exist, formal permission remains necessary, particularly for high-concentration areas like arenas, parking, and start/finish zones. Organizers must identify recently harvested areas and newly planted zones (30-100 cm saplings) to mark as inaccessible, respecting landowners’ economic interests.
Sustainable Forest Management: Investigating whether forests hold certifications under frameworks like FSC or PEFC demonstrates commitment to sustainability. These systems often consider social welfare and public access, providing common ground for dialogue.
Gratitude and Long-term Relationships: Post-event appreciation—through thank-you letters, prize-giving ceremony invitations, or gifting detailed maps—builds goodwill essential for future events. Conducting post-event surveys with landowners to assess trampling or disturbance, with follow-up monitoring after six or twelve months, demonstrates accountability. Any damage to private property must be repaired or compensated promptly.

2. Hunters: Balancing Safety and Wildlife Management
Hunting represents both an economic interest for landowners and a safety concern for events. IOF guidelines recommend avoiding hunting seasons entirely or negotiating agreements with local hunters’ associations. Private hunting groups can contribute to sustainability through:
Game-Friendly Course Design: Collaborating with hunters to create “refugia”—areas free of controls and athlete routes—provides undisturbed zones for wildlife. Avoiding opposing athlete directions prevents confusing or frightening animals (Bratu et al., 2025).
Wildlife Monitoring: Hunters possess valuable knowledge about local wildlife populations and sensitive habitats. Their involvement in pre-event planning and post-event reporting on wildlife incidents enhances environmental protection.

3. Equipment Suppliers and Sponsors
Equipment suppliers and sponsors enable event operations while influencing sustainability outcomes. Their responsibilities include:
Sustainable Procurement: Providing eco-friendly materials, reusable equipment, and products with minimal packaging. Ahmad et al. (2013) recommend utilizing energy-efficient products and eco-procurement of local, seasonal, and organic materials.
Waste Minimization: Suppliers can reduce environmental impact through recycling programs, reduced print materials, and take-back schemes for equipment.
Financial Support for Green Initiatives: Sponsors can direct funding toward carbon offsetting, habitat restoration, or environmental education programs. Research on the Olympus Marathon examined voluntary carbon offsetting behavioral intentions, suggesting sponsors could facilitate such programs (Triantafyllidis et al., 2022).

4. Local Businesses, Accommodation, and Transport Providers
These stakeholders shape the broader event footprint through their operational practices:
Accommodation Providers: Can implement water conservation, energy efficiency, and waste reduction measures. Offering incentives for guests using public transportation amplifies sustainability efforts.
Transport Companies: Should provide sustainable options including shuttle services, electric vehicles, and optimized routing to minimize emissions. Given that travel represents a significant portion of event carbon footprints, transport providers play a crucial role (Scrucca et al., 2016).
Local Businesses: Restaurants and retailers can source local, seasonal products, minimize single-use plastics, and educate visitors about regional environmental values.

References

Ahmad, N. L., Rashid, W. E. W., Razak, N. A., Yusof, A. N. M., & Shah, N. S. M. (2013). Green event management and initiatives for sustainable business growth. International Journal of Trade, Economics and Finance, 4(5), 331-335. https://doi.org/10.7763/IJTEF.2013.V4.311

Bratu, A., Munteanu, D., & Petrea, Ș. (2025). Sports in natural forests: A systematic review of environmental impact and compatibility for readability. Sports, 13(8), 250. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13080250

IOF, (2025). Dialogue and Cooperation- Private Stakeholders-Guidelines for Organizers. https://orienteering.sport/iof/environment-and-sustainability/

Scrucca, F., Severi, C., Galvan, N., & Brunori, A. (2016). A new method to assess the sustainability performance of events: Application to the 2014 World Orienteering Championship. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 56, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.EIAR.2015.08.002

Triantafyllidis, S., Ries, R. J., & Kaplanidou, K. (2022). Environmental protection in nature-based sport events: The case of Olympus Marathon. Case Studies in Sport Management, 11(1), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1123/cssm.2022-0001