Use-Value of Music Event Experiences: A “Triple Ex” Model Explaining Direct and Indirect Use-Value of Events

Abstract

To describe the value of event experiences remains a challenge for event research. Recently, use-value has been successfully applied to event valuation, drawing on extensive research and a validated methodology from environmental and culture economics. The objectives of this study are first to define direct and indirect use-value in an event context, second to suggest an explanatory model for direct and indirect use-value and third to test this model against data from 714 visitors to a three-day music festival. The results show that the concepts can be defined, measured and validated. The “Triple Ex” model gives a good fit to data and reveals significant influences from the three ex: experiences, extent of the visit and expenditure for the visit. Socio-economic variables are not significant. The model is suggested as a first step towards a better understanding of how use-value is created and more detailed studies of time and space dimensions of the three factors are proposed for further research.