In recent months, several top competitions have settled in counties and districts in Zhejiang. For example, the 2024 National Hot Air Balloon Open (Wuyi Station, Zhejiang) attracted multiple teams from across the country to compete in the air; Shaoxing Shangyu witnessed the exciting moments of the 9th World Cup Woodball Championship in 2024; At the 2024 Ninghai Off road Challenge, nearly 5000 off-road enthusiasts from around the world challenged their limits in nature. The hosting locations for emerging sports events have shifted from first - and second tier cities to county towns, and hosting big competitions in small cities is becoming a new trend from the past. Why does the competition favor small towns? From the perspective of the organizers, hosting a competition in a small town not only has cost advantages, but also "emotional bonus points". On the one hand, the "cost-effectiveness" of small towns is higher. With the increasing equalization of basic public services, the gap between urban and rural areas in China is gradually narrowing. For example, the encryption of the high-speed railway network has transformed many small towns from the periphery to the forefront, and 70% of the county towns in some eastern provinces have already been connected to high-speed railways. At the same time, with the support of information technology, although there is a spatial difference between big and small cities, they enjoy the benefits of "wind, moon, and sky" in many aspects of production and life, and the information gap between big and small cities is increasingly narrowing. Based on this background, small cities have more significant cost advantages in terms of material and human resources. On the other hand, the small town has a stronger human touch. Small cities tend to be more local and pyrotechnic, and most of them are connected to metropolises at one end and small mountain villages at the other. You can take a step to visit the bustling "urban forest", and once you turn around, you can "see mountains, see water, and remember nostalgia". This feature of "cool and cute" not only makes the town present a variety of charm, but also adds emotional and cultural value to different types of events. Why does a small town yearn for a competition? From the perspective of the organizers, the competition can bring more popularity and traffic to the small town. The 'smallness' of a small city may appear to be due to its small size and population, but from an economic perspective, it is due to its relatively limited market and consumer demand. In the past period, small cities have formed relatively stable market relationships and development models due to their inherent endowments such as resource conditions and location factors. Without new external stimuli, it would be difficult for them to break out of the conventional development path of the past. The vastness of the competition reflects the enormous market potential and broad development prospects behind the event economy. As a new industry, new format, and new business model, the sports economy has its unique advantages in empowering and driving consumption. It not only helps small cities connect to more open markets, but also enables them to fully tap into characteristic resources, stimulate new consumer demands, and usher in new development opportunities. The small town competition has ushered in new opportunities for development, accompanied by new challenges such as urban operation. In the face of the competition, the small town should have firm confidence, be brave to innovate, enhance its supply and service capabilities, fight a prepared battle, turn the traffic of the competition into an increment of development, enhance the city's operational capabilities through repeated tests, and gather the wisdom and strength of urban development. A small town cannot be satisfied with just hosting an event. It should also work together to promote the integration of events and industries, strengthen the "events+manufacturing industry", expand the "events+service industry", deepen the "events+rural revitalization", and refine the "events+cultural tourism". Let the competition become an important lever and opportunity to stimulate the development vitality of the county, and ultimately benefit the local people. (New Society)