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A new Danish cross-municipality report from the “6-city-collaboration” (“6-by-samarbejdet”) highlights the significant value that culture and leisure activities create for both the economy and wellbeing. The report’s conclusions emphasise that every hour spent in sports halls and activity centres makes a difference.
Still, many municipalities lack a clear overview of how much their facilities are actually used – risking the loss of valuable hours. HallMonitor turns this insight into a concrete tool that frees up hidden capacity and ensures that existing square metres generate as much value as possible.
Culture and leisure are not just socially valuable – they also contribute significantly to the economy and employment. According to the latest report from the Danish 6-city collaboration (“6-by-samarbejdet”), the sector generated DKK 55 billion (approx. €7.4 billion) in gross value added and DKK 20 billion (approx. €2.7 billion) in tax revenue in 2022, while directly employing over 80,000 people. These figures underline how valuable every single hour in halls and activity spaces really is.
When facilities sit empty, it’s not just activity that is lost – it also means missed value for both citizens and society. The report notes that 79–83% of citizens rate their wellbeing as good or very good, and up to 47% highlight culture and leisure activities as a key factor in this. The better we utilise the hours and spaces we already have, the greater the impact we can create for local communities.
Even in municipalities with many square metres available, associations and self-organised groups face waiting lists and rejections. The issue is rarely a lack of space in absolute terms – it’s a lack of overview. Evening slots are often fully booked, while daytime and holiday weeks sit empty. In addition, block bookings lock in time slots that aren’t fully utilised. When booking data is spread across multiple systems, email threads and spreadsheets, it becomes nearly impossible to see where space is actually available.
The result is that associations are turned away – even when space does exist. This makes it difficult for administrations to plan and use existing resources in the best possible way.
HallMonitor combines anonymised sensor data with booking calendars to provide a clear picture of how sports halls and rooms are actually being used. It quickly reveals which time slots are empty and how many people actually show up to activities. This transparency enables municipalities to release unused slots, adjust allocation policies, and ensure a fairer distribution of facilities.
The solution offers more than just an overview – it provides a solid decision-making foundation for cultural and leisure administrations. With HallMonitor, administrators can easily document usage patterns, attendance and capacity needs when prioritising activities and investments. The system makes it easier to plan based on real needs and ensure that every square metre is used in the most value-creating way.
Municipalities that have implemented HallMonitor see significant improvements within the first year.
Utilisation rates increase by 10–25% as inactive hours become visible and can be redistributed to other associations or activities. Waiting lists are reduced, and pressure on construction budgets decreases because more activity can take place in existing facilities. Results vary, but the trend is clear: data-driven transparency creates space for more activity.
When a municipality can open just one additional hour in a facility, it might enable a new children’s class, a family activity session, or a self-organised community group. This is exactly where the report’s insights into wellbeing become concrete: every extra hour means more children, young people and seniors becoming part of a community and improving their quality of life.
By optimising operations in existing facilities before investing in new ones, municipalities can gain both the hard economic effects (value added, taxes, jobs) and the soft benefits (wellbeing, community, attractiveness) – without raising the capital expenditure ceiling.
HallMonitor can easily integrate with your municipality’s existing booking systems and be tailored to your needs. A no-obligation walkthrough of HallMonitor will show how you can identify hidden hours, make space for more activity, and create a fairer foundation for allocating rooms and facilities.
Get in touch today for a presentation of how HallMonitor can help you make the most of the square metres you already have.
The full report from the 6-city collaboration (“6-by-samarbejdet”), which provides insight into the economic and social value of culture and leisure, can be found here (In Danish). It offers a strong foundation for understanding the potential of better utilisation of existing facilities.
Understand how HallMonitor detects activity and optimises facilities – fully anonymously and in real time.
See how HallMonitor can support you and your facilities – from sports halls to parks.
Explore insights from municipalities and facilities already using HallMonitor in their daily operations.
