Kyriaki Kaplanidou
Dr. Kyriaki “Kiki” Kaplanidou, PhD, is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Sport Management at the University of Florida.
She has led significant research on the social, economic, and health impacts of major sport events for over 25 years. Dr. Kaplanidou is also the Director of the Graduate Sport Event Management certificate, offered through the University of Florida. Her scholarly work—evidenced by over 10,000 Google Scholar citations—has mapped how hosting and participating in events mobilizes community capitals to spur sport participation, tourism, urban revitalization, and quality‑of‑life gains.
Author of 83 high‑impact journal papers and over 100 conference presentations as well as the key catalyst behind her book on Sport Events and Community Development (Routledge 2024), Dr. Kaplanidou has received national honors including a 2023 fellowship with the National Academy of Kinesiology, the 2018 North American Society of Sport Management Research Fellow and twice the University of Florida Research Foundation Professorship Award for continuous impactful research productivity. Dr. Kaplanidou has received 18 research grants as PI or Co-Pi and has advised and graduated 7 doctoral students. She is currently the associate editor for Sport Management review and the Event Management Journal.
Dr. Kaplanidou will deliver the keynote presentation at this year’s conference, drawing on her extensive expertise to illuminate the contemporary role of sport in community transformation.
