An experience-attachment-loyalty model for exhibition attendees: the mediation effect of exhibition attachment

Abstract

Exhibition attachment is a burgeoning yet still under-examined concept. However, the internal mechanism of the black box of whether and how attendees' on-site experience influences exhibition loyalty through exhibition attachment remains unexplored. Specifically, this study divides the attendees' experience into on-site activity and on-site service. Based on stimuli-organism-response (SOR) theory, the dynamics between on-site experience, exhibition attachment, and exhibition loyalty are examined. Data were collected at a major annual exhibition in China. The results show that: 1) on-site activity and on-site service are positively correlated; 2) on-site activity positively influences both exhibition dependence and exhibition identity, with a greater effect on exhibition identity than exhibition dependence; 3) on-site service positively influences exhibition dependence but not exhibition identity; 4) exhibition dependence positively influences exhibition identity; 5) both exhibition dependence and exhibition identity positively influence exhibition loyalty, while exhibition identity has a greater effect. Finally, theoretical and practical implications are discussed.