Event Visitors Research Articles

The Urban Museum as a Creative Tourism Attraction: London Museum Lates Visitor Motivation

The urban museum has become a multi-functional institution that transcends the functional display of artifacts. The museum has become, in cities, a hybrid institution that keeps its doors open late to support a wide variety of special events. This study explored London’s “Museum Lates” programs and event characteristics, theoretical views of museums as cultural and creative tourism attractions. Furthermore, the study applied the contextual model of learning to understand visitor attendance motivations. The authors employed an interpretive approach using interviews with two types of participants: event visitors and event coordinators. The findings suggest that attendees possess personal, physical, and socio-cultural motivations for participating in “Museum Lates” events. The characteristics of late events—extraordinary quality and evening-time atmosphere—produce different effects from those of current museum exhibitions held during regular operating hours. “Museum Lates” events can contribute to achieving cultural sustainability, adding a cultural construct to the traditional three pillars of sustainability.

Visitor Flows at a Large-Scale Cultural Event: GPS Tracking at Dutch Design Week

Large-scale cultural events bring many economic, social, and cultural benefits to the hosting cities. Although event producers aim to satisfy the visitors’ needs, they do not usually receive feedback on visitors’ experiences. Moreover, lack of spatial dispersal of visitors might result in less visibility for some activities and locations. An understanding of visitors’ spatial and temporal behavior and the factors influencing visitors’ intra-event destination choices is key to efficient and successful event management and future planning. In this article, we examine the relationship between visitors’ spatial and temporal behavior, the spatial structure of the host city, and visitor characteristics. In order to do this, data are collected from 281 event visitors by means of GPS tracking and paper surveys at the Dutch Design Week (DDW) 2017 event in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Data are used to understand the area of interest locations, visitor flows, visitor clusters and area of interest choices by applying data processing, network analysis, cluster analysis and bivariate analysis. The results show that one of the three dedicated event areas was considerably less popular by the DDW visitors. Moreover, the choice of intra-event destination locations and areas depended mainly on temporal constraints of the visitors. The findings of this study can inform future event planning and management policies in hosting cities.

Intermittent and persistent movement patterns of dance event visitors in large sporting venues

There has been a number of reports showing evidence that human movement behaviour follows patterns resembling Lévy walks. These studies focus on the foraging patterns of rural humans and human hunter-gatherers. Here, we investigate motion patterns of visitors of a large dance event in the Johan Cruijff ArenA football stadium in Amsterdam. We find intermittent, persistent motion patterns. Using a path segmentation algorithm, we measure displacements (step lengths), and movement durations. We explore an alternative approach in the analysis of the movement tracks to overcome the limitations set by the bounded, concentric space of the building. Displacement distributions resulting from our alternative model deviate from the exponential and are best fit by a stretched exponential distribution. To further investigate the motion, we look at the mean-square displacement and autocorrelation of the turning angles. Although we find no evidence of Lévy walks, individuals move with directional persistence and superdiffusively up to a scale set by the size of the stadium.

Promoting ear plugs at music events: evaluation of the Celebrate Safe approach

Objective The Celebrate Safe approach is a collaboration between public health organisations and music event/venue organisers to encourage health promotion interventions in nightlife settings and at music events. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Celebrate Safe approach with regard to its impact on use of ear plugs among visitors of music events. Design A pre-registered cluster-randomised controlled trial conducted at music events throughout the Netherlands (k = 15). In the experimental condition, event organisers were asked to share an online pre-event message about ear plugs, clearly indicate where visitors could buy ear plugs, and sell ear plugs at busy locations on the premises. Visitors were encouraged to wear ear plugs by means of an ‘ear check’ at the beginning of the event. Study sample : Observations to assess whether event visitors wear ear plugs (N = 3836). Results A multilevel model, taking into account nesting of visitors within events, revealed that use of ear plugs at music events in the experimental condition was higher in comparison to events in the control condition (23% vs. 14%, OR = 1.9, 95%CI 1.2–3.0, p = 0.004). Conclusions The Celebrate Safe approach has a positive impact on use of ear plugs among visitors of music events.

Stadium visitors' smartphone usage and digital resource integration

PurposeSmartphones have become ubiquitous devices that enable individuals to integrate digital resources in virtually all value co-creation processes, including visiting sport events. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to understand smartphone-enabled digital resource integration in the context of sport events from an individual intra-perspective. It thereby connects the perspectives of Service Dominant Logic and Experiential Computing.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual model was developed and empirically tested utilizing a survey of 707 visitors of eight first and second league soccer, handball and basketball matches in Germany. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was applied to test the proposed hypotheses.FindingsThe results reveal that stadium visitors integrate sport event-related and unrelated digital resources to co-create value at sport events. While event-unrelated digital resources generally have more influence on visitors' perceived value, their importance is decreasing with higher team identification. Digital resources in the form of sports betting opportunities are only relevant in some specific contexts. Hence, both individual and contextual characteristics determine digital resource integration.Originality/valueThis study integrates the perspectives of value co-creation at sport events and experiential computing and proposes a conceptual model exploring how sport event visitors enrich their experience through the integration of sport event-related and unrelated smartphone-enabled digital resources. By illuminating the intra-level perspective of sport event visitors' resource integration, it provides the basis for future studies on digital resource integration on higher levels of aggregation including engagement platforms and entire sport event ecosystems.

Business events at a spa destination: an insight into senior participant motivation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the motivation of the attendees of the Annual Meeting of the Serbian Association of Seniors. The research aims to segment the senior participants according to their push and pull motivations for attending association meetings, by using cluster analysis to understand the role of destination personality in the segmentation process. Design/methodology/approach The questionnaire, based on a seven-point Likert scale, was distributed among representatives and members of the Association of Pensioners of Serbia. The data collected were assessed with the use of SPSS 21 statistical software. Findings The results of the study reveal the most important push and pull motives that drive senior citizens to take part in this type of event. It has also provided a better understanding of senior business event participants in relation to destination personality. Research limitations/implications The data were collected from 124 questionnaires. In order to provide a more detailed insight into the senior citizens’ motivation to participate in events, a larger sample would be required. Practical implications The research findings provide valuable information about senior business event visitor behaviour, which is of high importance for destination marketers and managers. Originality/value Nowadays, business events motivation research is generally focussed on middle-aged and young attendees, so insight into the perception of senior citizens related to business event motivation provides a further understanding of this specific consumer segment. Additionally, gaining insight into seniors’ perspectives related to participation in association meetings after retiring from work assists in comprehending the complex nature of their motivation to participate in these types of business events, as well as underlining the fact that senior business event attendees have been, up until this point, largely neglected as a group in terms of similar research.

Who Buys the Amsterdam Dance Event?

The purpose of the research was to examine the profile of the national Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) visitor. It explored the demographic profile, the buying behavior, the communication activity, and the motivators behind visiting ADE. A quantitative methodology was employed using a convenience sampling method. The research applied an online survey and research literature methodology. Dutch ADE visitors received an active link to the online survey. It was designed in https://surveyplanet. com and distributed via Facebook. The researchers set a 95% confidence level and a margin of error of 10%. Thus, the sample size was calculated as 96 respondents out of 285,000 Dutch ADE visitors for 2016. A total number of 104 (male n = 53, female n = 51) fully completed surveys were returned. Overall, the profile of the ADE visitors of ADE were young people (aged 22–29), predominantly single or in a relationship who attended ADE more than once. They were active communicators on social media before, during, and after the ADE. The ADE visitors' main reasons to attend the festival were the opportunities to experience electronic music in the company of friends, to meet like-minded people, and express themselves. They were primarily students or working people with a medium level of disposable income. They were price sensitive both on tickets and on-site spending. The primary limitation researchers faced was the lack of funding. It affected the research strategy, access to up-to-date industry reports, and the representativeness of the research. However, the study is the first to try to explore the buyer person of the Amsterdam Dance Event.

Affective engagement as a contextual dimension for predicting intentions to revisit and recommend events – a multinational comparison

ABSTRACT Within the current experience economy, the emotive and affective dimensions of event visitors’ engagement are becoming increasingly important. This study uses the well-established Event Experience Scale (EES) developed by the Association for Tourism and Leisure Education and Research (ATLAS) event experience project, to explore attendees’ affective engagement in a multinational context and across various types of events (N = 852). The associations between visitors’ affective engagement in event experiences and their propensity to visit the destination and recommend the event to others are also explored and verified. The results highlight the importance of affective engagement in shaping attendees’ future behavioural intentions. Excitement was the most powerful predictor of intentions to recommend and revisit an event. The results also indicate the heterogeneity of perceptions of the different dimensions of affective engagement at different types of events. We suggest new possibilities for event organisers to plan and design different types of events that will generate higher levels of affective engagement and increase loyalty.

Disorganised host community touristic-event spaces: revealing Rio’s fault lines at the 2016 Olympic Games

ABSTRACTWe investigate the live staging spatial-organisational requirements of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, exploring the extent to which the project sequestrated, territorialised and commodified public space. Relatedly, we examine the role of new legal, regulatory and securitised event conditions in affording an effective and efficient ‘Olympic takeover’. We do this by drawing on i) official Rio 2016 planning documents, ii) observations of the live Olympic-city spatial effects, and iii) interviews with key informants. Findings reveal that Rio’s specially created Olympic event zones sought to transform visitor flows and circulations across the city, appropriating and regulating public space in-line with a desired tourist aesthetic. Rio’s public civic space became reimagined and controlled for commercial exploitation by Olympic sponsors, supporters and suppliers– facilitated by the creation of areas of exclusivity. And yet, we also reveal how the Rio Olympic city simultaneously emerged disorganised, open and fluid in places– a (temporary) break in the (neoliberal) economic logic we have come to expect. We argue that localised conditions affecting Rio afforded closer connectivity between event visitor economies and host communities. While these gains remain marginal and largely symbolic, they demonstrate that with effective planning, the Olympic host city need not only serve corporate interests.

Does sport event satisfaction remain stable over time?

AbstractVery little scholarly research analyzes sports event visitors' satisfaction using longitudinal study designs. Thus, this study investigates whether or not satisfaction with event services and products among sports event visitors is constant over time. Data were collected during the 2017 Crankworx Mountain Bike Festival staged in Innsbruck (Austria) and 6 months later, on an individual level (n = 161). The analyses showed no significant differences in satisfaction with the majority of event aspects during and after the festival. It is hoped that this research note will fuel the discussion within the sports tourism community with respect to satisfaction gained from sports events.

Steering Clear: A 3-E Typology of Motorcycle Event Visitors

Africa Bike Week, considered South Africa's premier biking event, attracts large numbers of bikers, especially Harley-Davidson bikers, and bike enthusiasts from across the country. However, the relocation of the event to another host city and province could influence the profile, needs, and motives of the motorcycle riders attracted to the event, implying that the event could attract a different market. This research attempted to determine the extent to which the relocation influenced the market by conducting a visitor survey at the event in 2017. Respondents were segmented, based on their motives to attend the event, which provided a 3-E typology of the market, namely Enthusiasts, Escapists, and Entourages. The typology is descriptive of the characteristics that resemble each segment, which should guide marketing campaigns to expand the event. Additionally, the research identified for the first time the attributes that the motorcycle market in South Africa regards as important when selecting routes. This information is valuable, not only for events such as the Africa Bike Week but also for destination managers and marketers who want to expand motorcycle routes and tourism in the country. Moreover, this research provides guidelines to event organizers and marketers on how to efficiently manage the relocation of an event.

Determinants of Marathoners’ event expenditures: an in-depth exploration of past experience

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the determinants of Marathon event spending by estimated expenditure models.Design/methodology/approachThis study analyzes the impact of socio-demographic and travel-context factors on aggregated and disaggregated expenditures by event visitors who participated in the Fargo Marathon in Fargo, North Dakota.FindingsThe results indicate that event satisfaction does not have an influence on any types of expenditure. As the planning time increases, however, there is a positive effect on total expenditure. First-time visitors are shown to spend more money, especially on food and beverage, lodging and total expenditure. Conversely, the number of past experiences of the event had a negative influence on these expenditure types.Originality/valueIn addition to travel-related factors and socio-demographic variables, researchers had not examined the influence of repeat visits on travelers’ spending. The originality of this study lies in revealing that repeat visits decrease spending in specific categories, especially in the case of a Marathon event.

The importance of understanding the connection between the characteristics and motivation of visitors

The purpose of this paper is to examine the characteristics and motivations of event visitors. The goals are to systematically identify socio-demographic characteristics of visitors to tourist events and identify key motivation for visiting tourist events. In addition, the research aims to investigate the correlation between the socio-demographic characteristics of visitors and their motivations for visiting a tourist event. The research was conducted among the visitors of a tourist event (103 respondents), using the survey method and a pre-designed structured questionnaire. The survey was conducted in April 2017, during the duration of an event which is held every year in the city of Zagreb in the Republic of Croatia. The results of the conducted research have shown significant differences between the different socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents and their motivations. Thus, women are more highly motivated by a desire for cultural experiences (34%), while men are motivated the most by curiosity/desire for new experiences (45%). Furthermore, correlation analysis has led to the conclusion that there is a significant correlation between motivation domains and the socio-demographic characteristics of respondents (gender, age and education). Understanding the visitors’ characteristics and event motivations could serve as a useful tool for event managers. It could help them to develop and manage events, with the aim of improving the event offering to meet the needs and demands of different visitors. Given the growing importance of events as an enrichment element of the tourism offering, this research can contribute to the advancement of knowledge in this field.

Childhood Experiences and Sporting Event Visitors' Preference for Unhealthy versus Healthy Foods: Priming the Route to Obesity?

To date, there is little knowledge about how experiences in childhood frame adults’ food and drink consumption patterns in the context of attending sporting events as spectators. Therefore, the goal of this study was to explore the childhood memories of adults when they visited sporting events and find out whether and why this particular setting makes individuals indulge in unhealthy food. The study comprises two components: Study 1 and Study 2. In Study 1, 30 individuals recalled their childhood experiences of sport stadium visits at the age of ten years or younger. Inductive coding of the stories revealed that on-site enjoyment is an important factor that may lead to unhealthy food consumption. In Study 2 (n = 240), the effect of enjoyment on the intentions to eat unhealthy versus healthy food at sporting events was tested empirically and contrasted with two other leisure-time activities. The results of the experiment revealed that it is not enjoyment, but the visit to sporting or music events (versus a flea market) that increased the preference for unhealthy versus healthy foods. Implications to decrease (increase) the preference for unhealthy (healthy) food in these particular settings against the background of childhood experiences can be drawn.

MICE 공유가치창출(CSV)인식이 브랜드자산 및 브랜드충성도에 미치는 영향

Recently, Interest in sustainable development is spreading to governments, society, and diverse industry. MICE industry has also begun to recognize the need of Creating Shared Value, a sustainable development paradigm, and is promoting activities and strategies for CSV. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the importance of CSV in MICE industry and investigate the relationship between Brand Equity and Brand Loyalty by the CSV in MICE industry. Data for this study was collected from Global MICE event visitors at the C-FESTIVAL via direct survey for 12days in COEX in Seoul. Total 280 useable data was analyzed and the results of this study is as follows. Firstly, CSV in MICE industry was classified social value. economic value, cooperative networking value and regional environmental development value. Brand equity was divided into 3 factors. Brand image, Brand awareness, perceived quality. Secondly, 4 factors of CSV except economic value had affected Brand image, Brand awareness and Perceived quality partially. Lastly, 3 factors of Brand equity had influences Brand loyalty as a whole. The results of this study are expected to provide theoretical and practical implications for researchers and managers who are interested in the Creating Shared Value of MICE industry.

Sport events, space and the ‘Live City’

Specially-designed, temporary festive spaces designed to accommodate spectators and visitors have become commonplace when hosting major and mega sporting events but to date they have received very little academic attention in the urban policy or planning fields. In this paper I explore the development of a ‘Live City’ concept that organisers in Glasgow operationalised during the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Empirically, I draw on fieldwork undertaken before, during and after the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, including documentary analysis, semi-structured interviews, and observation of the four managed Live Zones operational during the event.Findings suggest that the concept of the Live City operationalised at G2014 represents a subtle, yet effective, means of further embedding capital accumulation processes in the urban setting. The Live City concept is reflective of a trend toward the staging of atmospheres as an urban policy tool. In effect, event visitors are welcomed to a fantasy city that only ever exists temporarily, staged for the benefit of others' consumption. The Live City is managed and assembled to prioritise affective atmospheres, reimagining the entire city centre as a venue to be experienced, mediated and replicated in the future when other major spectacles are attracted.

Factors affecting international event visitors’ behavioral intentions: the moderating role of attachment avoidance

ABSTRACT This study developed and tested a theoretical framework of event quality, motivation, value, and destination image in order to investigate visitors’ behavioral intentions to revisit an international event, along with the moderating role of attachment avoidance. Results revealed that the relationships among event quality, motivation, value, image, and behavioral intentions were highly significant. Attachment avoidance was additionally found to moderate the relationships between quality and value, motivation and value, value and destination image, and value and behavioral intentions. Findings further provide specific implications for both theoretical insight and marketing practice in the context of annual and international events.

Perspectives of event leveraging by restaurants and city officials

PurposeHosting events can attract visitors to an area and provide an opportunity for local businesses in the host community to benefit economically. Restaurants, in particular, have an opportunity to benefit as food is a necessary expenditure. However, previous research suggests that the intentional attraction of event visitors by local businesses has been minimal. The purpose of this paper is to explore perspectives of event leveraging held by restaurant owners/managers and a destination marketing organization (DMO).Design/methodology/approachData were collected through semi-structured interviews with owners/managers of 16 local restaurants and from three DMO executives in one medium-sized city in Ontario, Canada. Data were analyzed using initial and axial coding.FindingsFindings indicate that restaurants did not engage in event leveraging. Three common reasons emerged to explain their lack of engagement in leveraging, including: a lack of a belief in benefits from leveraging, inconvenient proximity to event venue, and not being prepared for event leveraging opportunities. The DMO had a desire to assist local business in leveraging, but their ability to do so was negatively impacted by a lack of awareness of events being hosted, disengagement by local businesses, and limited resources.Originality/valueFindings suggest that there is a need for DMOs and local businesses to create stronger and more supportive working relationships that address financial and human resources constraints preventing the adoption and success of event leveraging. As part of this approach there is a need for cities to make stronger financial investments in supportive agencies such as a DMO.

Primena strategije marketinga iz zasede

Ambush marketing is an attempt by a company to obtain benefits from the popularity and reputation of a particular public event by attracting the attention of the event's visitors, while not investing in event sponsorship. This practice is commonly called 'stealing the effects of someone else's sponsorship'. Ambush marketing has become a global phenomenon in the past thirty years. As this topic has not been widely researched in domestic scientific literature, the aim of this paper is to present the causes, types and effects of the ambush marketing. Ambush marketing is mainly associated with major sporting events, which present a great marketing opportunity because of a large number of attendees, but many cases of it are not related to sports. This practice includes various activities that can significantly undermine the effects of the official event sponsors. However, one of the problems is that the law does not recognize the term 'ambush marketing', and most of its activities do not really violate the law, but represent the free market competition.

Profile, patterns of spending and economic impact of event visitors: evidence from Warnemünder Woche in Germany

ABSTRACTIn recent years, many coastal cities in Scandinavia and the Baltic region have invested heavily in hosting sailing events as a means to spark local development and as a tool to attract tourists. However, scant research has examined visitors to those events, particularly in terms of their profile characteristics and expenditure patterns. Against this backdrop, this study aims to shed more light on the characteristics of visitors to such events and their spending patterns by using primary data from 1011 attendees to the German sailing event Warnemünder Woche held in Rostock in summer 2013. Insights offered by this research are important from both an economic and a marketing standpoint. Regarding the first point, the study delivers key evidence on visitors’ origin, primary motivation, and average spending, which constitute crucial input variables for future ex ante economic impact assessments of comparable events (e.g. Tall Ships’ Races and other sailing events hosted along the coast in Scandinavia and Baltic countries). Regarding the second, by providing a clear-cut picture of event visitors’ profile and spending patterns, this research offers a fertile agenda for further marketing inquiries and practical endeavors for Warnemünder Woche’s organizers and marketers. Accordingly, several cases for action are highlighted.