Case Study:
AFL Gather Round

First introduced in 2023, Gather Round is an annual event in the Australian Football League (AFL) held during the regular season, where all matches take place in and around a single location. The inaugural event was hosted in Adelaide, South Australia. Each year, IER conducts the economic evaluation for the AFL.

IER’s research employs a custom fan survey to analyse the visitor profile, comparing day-trip attendees with those staying overnight, and estimating the number of event-related visitor nights. This data allows IER to assess both direct and incremental spending associated with the event and evaluate its overall economic impact on South Australia. The economic analysis uses an input-output methodology to track the ripple effects across the state and measure the full-time equivalent jobs generated by the event.

In 2024, the research revealed that Gather Round generated a total economic contribution of $91.6 million, eclipsing the $83.5 million contributed in 2023. The study also showed that Gather Round was responsible for 191,696 visitor nights in South Australia, with interstate visitors staying an average of 4.5 nights in the state.

The research conducted for Gather Round plays a crucial role in the AFL’s collaboration with the South Australian Government, helping to measure the positive economic and social impacts the event brings to the state.