Experiences Of Attendees Research Articles

AI Frontier: Envisioning the Future Landscape of Artificial Intelligence in Events and Festivals

Amidst rapid growth and increasing complexity, the events and festivals industry is undergoing a significant transformation through the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. This paper investigates the impact of AI on the events landscape, examining its current applications, emerging trends, and future implications. The research questions address AI's current use in events, emerging trends, and potential future transformations. The study highlights AI's potential to improve attendee experiences, streamline event management, and enhance safety measures, offering deep insights into its substantial industry impact. Using a comprehensive research methodology, this paper explores the complex relationship between AI and events/festivals using empirical research, industry analysis, and case studies. It employs frameworks like AI-driven engagement tools, predictive analytics, and immersive experiences to assess AI's impact on the events landscape. Key findings highlight AI's ability to personalize experiences, optimize logistics, and enhance safety and sustainability. The paper also addresses challenges like data privacy, algorithmic bias, and ethical considerations, emphasizing the need for responsible AI deployment and risk mitigation. By offering best practices and ethical guidelines, this research aims to guide industry stakeholders in integrating AI effectively, steering the events and festivals industry towards greater innovation and efficiency.

Evaluating Technology (Social Media and Apps) And Blockchain for Cost- Savings and Efficiencies in Event Management

This literature review investigates the transformative impact of technology, particularly social media, event-mobile apps, and blockchain on the event management industry. This exploration of technology's influence on the industry reveals a profound shift in how events are planned, marketed, and executed. It addresses two key research questions: the influence of apps and social media on cost savings in event marketing and how blockchain technology enhances efficiencies, specifically in ticketing and data security. Social media is shown to be a cost-effective marketing tool that reduces expenses, though it comes with its own set of challenges, such as data management and maintaining visibility in a crowded digital landscape. Event-mobile apps are highlighted for their ability to reduce costs, streamline logistics, and improve attendee experiences, but they face obstacles related to user adoption and potential obsolescence. This review also delves into how blockchain technology revolutionizes the industry by addressing issues like ticket fraud and manipulation through transparent and immutable transaction records. However, it introduces concerns about data privacy and visibility. In summary, technology is reshaping the event management landscape, offering cost reduction and operational efficiency, while simultaneously presenting ongoing challenges and opportunities for innovation.

Sacred Meets Synthetic: A Multi-Method Study on the First AI Church Service

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming society, including religious practices and experiences of religious communities. The first large-scale AI church service took place in 2023 in Germany as a Protestant Christian worship event within a biannual religious celebration. Studying this religious service illustrates how AI was developed as a religious agent and provides insights into the experiences of attendees. This research note presents data from a quantitative survey and two qualitative questionnaires of participants conducted at the AI worship service. Findings show diversity of opinion and a range of attendee experiences. By presenting the results of qualitative and quantitative analysis, this research note highlights the possibilities and limitations of incorporating AI into the religious sphere. While most of the responses were skeptical, participants also reported having spiritual experiences. Nevertheless, attendees also reported conflicting feelings regarding experiences of community within an artificial setting. The main concerns were technological limitations, fear of replacing humans, biases in the theology of the underlying large language model, and lack of personality and emotion. Age-based differences include younger attendees finding the AI service more attractive while older attendees found the AI service more stimulating. Implications are drawn for practical theology and AI implementation within religious settings.

Group Dynamics in the Metaverse: A Conceptual Framework and First Empirical Insights

The metaverse offers new technological possibilities for conducting 3D immersive meetings with head-mounted displays that can enrich virtual teamwork. To conceptualize this new interaction space, we synthesize interdisciplinary findings from human-computer interaction literature, group research, and meeting science. We develop a conceptual framework of 3D immersive group meetings that integrates technological design characteristics, subjective attendee experiences, mediating mechanisms, and meeting outcomes. As a first empirical glimpse into this framework, we include a pilot study of group member’s self-reported experiences and observed group dynamics in the metaverse. Building on our framework and first empirical insights, we discuss implications for future investigations of group dynamics in the metaverse.

Implementation of Project ECHO in a university health network: contrasting and comparing experiences across health conditions through a qualitative approach in a Canadian tertiary care centre

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to compare and contrast the experiences of interdisciplinary attendees (spokes) and experts (hub members) from three Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) programmes: hepatitis...

Exploring the spiritual well-being experiences of transnational religious festival attendees: A grounded theory approach

This study aimed to examine the spiritual well-being outcomes that encompass eudemonic well-being elements within transnational religious festivals. Employing a constructivist grounded theory method, the study focused on two UNESCO inscribed transnational religious festivals attended by an Ethiopian diaspora community. Through this research, six dimensions of spirituality were identified: attachment to God, spiritual reward, spiritual growth, self-transcendence, religious knowledge, and sense of meaning. Each of these dimensions contributed to various domains of well-being, such as personal growth, environmental mastery, engagement, and positive relationships. The study also discovered that the experience of spirituality is influenced by individuals' roles and levels of engagement within the festivals. Key activities such as prayer, attending mass services, baptism, participating in religious programs, singing, and volunteering, are instrumental in yielding spiritual well-being outcomes. The findings offer valuable insights for event organizers and destination managers seeking effective strategies for marketing and managing religious-themed migrant festivals.

Music festival geographies: Place‐creation and attendee experience

AbstractWe examine how design features influence the experiences of attendees at New Zealand music festivals. Drawing on interviews with festival organisers and attendees, we argue that organisers configure particular atmospheres to provoke affective dispositions. By interrogating how festivals engage in this affective engineering, we argue that festivals are ephemeral spaces where design plays a central role in influencing the thoughts, feelings, behaviours and, ultimately, the place‐experience of attendees.

2025 HASTI Conference: Embracing the Future Together

2025 HASTI Conference Chairman Craig Williams gives an update on the theme and plans for the next HASTI Conference. This communication announces the theme of the 2025 conference, and answers three questions: Why are we focusing on the future, how will we do it, and how will having the conference at Noblesville High School provide a superior experience for attendees?

EventPro – Application for Events

Abstract: In recent years, the event management landscape has undergone a profound transformation, driven by the emergence of event apps that have played a pivotal role in this evolution. This abstract delves into the concept of event apps, shedding light on their transformative impact and their potential to revolutionize the entire event lifecycle, encompassing planning, execution, and the overall event experience. Event apps are specialized software applications tailored to streamline the comprehensive event management process. Leveraging the widespread adoption of smartphones and the connectivity of the internet, these digital tools provide a seamless, enhanced event experience for attendees, organizers, and stakeholders. A prominent advantage of event apps is their capacity to simplify the event registration and ticketing process. Attendees can swiftly and conveniently register for events, select sessions, and make payments, effectively reducing the administrative workload for event organizers. Furthermore, event apps offer an array of features, including personalized schedules, interactive maps, and real-time notifications, ensuring attendees can effortlessly navigate events and stay informed about the latest updates. Beyond convenience, event apps foster valuable networking interactions among participants. They facilitate connections, meeting scheduling, and the exchange of contact information, opportunities that might have been challenging to achieve in a traditional event setting. They track attendee engagement, preferences, and behaviors, equipping organizers with insights to tailor future events for maximum impact. Additionally, event apps enable real-time communication, simplifying logistics management and responses to unexpected changes or challenges. As technology continues to advance, the potential for event apps to further revolutionize event planning, execution, and overall experiences is virtually limitless.

Evaluating the impact of a UK recovery college on mental well-being: pre- and post-intervention study.

Recovery colleges provide personalised educational mental health support for people who self-refer. The research evidence supporting them is growing, with key components and the positive experiences of attendees reported. However, the quantitative outcome evidence and impact on economic outcomes is limited. To evaluate the impact of attending a UK recovery college for students who receive a full educational intervention. This is a pre- and post-intervention study, with predominantly quantitative methods. Participants recruited over an 18-month period (01.2020-07.2021) completed self-reported well-being (Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS)) and recovery (Process of Recovery (QPR)) surveys, and provided details and evidence of employment and educational status. Descriptive statistics for baseline data and Shapiro-Wilk, Wilcoxon signed-rank and paired t-tests were used to compare pre- and post-intervention scores, with Hedges' g-statistic as a measure of effect size. Medical records were reviewed and a brief qualitative assessment of changes reported by students was conducted. Of 101 student research participants, 84 completed the intervention. Well-being (mean SWEMWBS scores 17.3 and 21.9; n = 80) and recovery (mean QPR scores 27.2 and 38.8; n = 75) improved significantly (P < 0.001; Hedges' g of 1.08 and 1.03). The number of economically inactive students reduced from 53 (69%) to 19 (24.4%). No research participants were referred for specialist mental health support while students. 'Within-self' and 'practical' changes were described by students following the intervention. Findings detail the largest self-reported pre-post data-set for students attending a recovery college, and the first data detailing outcomes of remote delivery of a recovery college.

Measuring continuing medical education conference impact and attendee experience: a scoping review.

The aim was to comprehensively identify published research evaluating continuing medical education conferences, to search for validated tools and perform a content analysis to identify the relevant domains for conference evaluation. We used scoping review methodology and searched MEDLINE® for relevant English or French literature published between 2008 and 2022 (last search June 3, 2022). Original research (including randomized controlled trials, non-randomized studies, cohort, mixed-methods, qualitative studies, and editorial pieces) where investigators described impact, experience, or motivations related to conference attendance were eligible. Citations were assessed in triplicate, and data extracted in duplicate. Eighty-three studies were included, 69 (83%) of which were surveys or interview based, with the majority conducted at the end of or following conference conclusion. Of the 74 tools identified, only one was validated and was narrowly focused on a specific conference component. A total of 620 items were extracted and categorized into 4 a priori suggested domains (engagement-networking, education-learning, impact, scholarship), and an additional 4 identified through content analysis (value-satisfaction, logistics, equity-diversity-inclusivity, career influences). Time trends were evident, including the absence of items related to equity-diversity-inclusivity prior to 2019, and a focus on logistics, particularly technology and virtual conferences, since 2020. This study identified 8 major domains relevant for continuing medical education conference evaluation. This work is of immediate value to individuals and organizations seeking to either design or evaluate a conference and represents a critical step in the development of a standardized tool for conference evaluation.

Festivalization of business events: exploring a new strategy for designing more engaging conference experiences

PurposeThis study aims to explore a potential conference experience design strategy, namely, festivalization. It investigates the potential festivalization effects on conference attendees in two formats of business conferences: virtual and in-person.Design/methodology/approachA series of two scenario-based experimental studies were conducted. A series of one-way analysis of covariance and PROCESS procedures (Model 6) were performed for data analysis.FindingsThe inclusion of festivalization elements significantly enhances positive responses of attendees, especially for in-person conferences. This effect is further explained by a serial mediation effect, where enhanced perceived values and conference engagement play key roles in improving attendees’ conference experience.Practical implicationsBy incorporating festivalization elements, conference organizers can create a more engaging and satisfying event experience for attendees. This can lead to greater satisfaction, positive word-of-mouth and increased registrations.Originality/valueThis study represents a pioneering effort in revealing the underlining mechanisms that explain how festivalization affects attendee engagement and subsequent behaviors in business event management in both face-to-face and virtual settings.

Shadow Program Committee: Designing for Diversity and Equity within Academic Communities

The development of early career researchers (ECRs) and their induction into academia has traditionally been a process that is at best obscure, and at worst, cronyism laden. Arguably this is especially true for cross-disciplinary fields like HCI, where relatively fragmented specialisms co-exist. With COVID-19 and its negative impacts on ECRs as the backdrop, we explored the design of a 5-month virtual training program for ECRs worldwide (with particular emphasis on the Global South). Through an action research approach, the program was executed in collaboration with the organizers of a cross-disciplinary conference. Eighty-one participants from 26 countries took part. The program created a collaborative learning experience for attendees and provided opportunities for networking and learning the nuances of the peer-review process. This article details our experiences and provides reflections on design opportunities to (1) develop professional development spaces for underserved researchers, and (2) leverage ECRs’ unique capacity for contributing to inclusive conference spaces.

Enhancing the Attendee Experience: The Power of Event Sponsorship

Sponsorship has evolved to become a major component of corporate strategic plans. While there is an abundance of research on the benefits sponsorship provides brands, a significant gap exists in the literature understanding the impact sponsorship has on event attendees’ experience. Framed with the Consumer-Centric Sponsorship-Linked Marketing Communication Model, the current paper utilizes two studies to assess the impact of event sponsorship to enhance attendees’ experience and how that enhancement impacts attendee outcomes. Results of Study 1 indicated sponsor’s enhancement of attendees’ experience significantly predicted attendees WOM and purchase intention directed towards the sponsor. Study 2 findings suggested that sponsors’ enhancement of attendees’ experience also significantly impacted attendees event satisfaction and future attendance at the festival. The paper contributes to the sponsorship and events literature by exploring the bidirectional nature of event sponsorship in creating value for a variety of stakeholders.

Application and Effectiveness Evaluation of Augmented Reality Technology in History Museum Exhibitions

Abstract In the context of the rapid evolution of science and technology, the integration of reality technologies has become indispensable for the evolution of history museum exhibitions towards digitization, connectivity, and intelligence. This study details the development of a visual-inertial guidance system, leveraging both the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) technologies. To construct a mixed reality tour guide system, the Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) feature extraction algorithm and tracking registration technology were employed to enhance the system’s exhibit recognition accuracy and tracking capabilities. Additionally, parallel processing techniques were implemented to accelerate the system’s performance, thereby improving operational efficiency while maintaining accuracy and maximizing the potential of augmented reality interactive functions within the history museum setting. The effectiveness of the system was empirically validated through participant evaluations across three dimensions: task completion, design recognition, and knowledge conveyance. Results indicate that all average scores exceeded 9, with 85% of participants acknowledging the enhanced convenience in knowledge acquisition provided by the technology. Furthermore, the coefficients for the guided tour abstract symbol verification were recorded at -0.007, 0.009, and 0.081, respectively. These findings corroborate that the deployment of an augmented reality interactive system and a mixed reality tour system can significantly expand the public service functions and historical-cultural education offerings of history museum exhibitions while also enriching the sensory experiences of attendees.

Enhancing Event Reputations: Insights and Recommendations for Secure and Engaging Experiences

This research report presents evidence-based recommendations derived from focus group research to enhance the reputable value of events for practitioners in the industry. The study highlights the increasing pressure on event planners to prioritize attendee safety amidst external threats such as terrorism, pandemics, and ongoing conflicts. The findings emphasize the significant impact of these challenges on attendee behavior and perceptions, necessitating a balance between ensuring safety and delivering enjoyable event experiences. Key recommendations include the development of online reputation management protocols and the integration of semiotic analysis to align event messaging with audience expectations. These interventions seek to equip event practitioners with strategies to navigate digital feedback effectively and improve public perception. Additionally, the report highlights the importance of active social media engagement and comprehensive pre-event information to enhance attendee experiences and promote inclusivity. Ultimately, this study advocates practical insights for event organizers in managing reputational value and delivering successful, secure, and engaging events in today's dynamic event landscape.

Exploring the subjective experience of rave party participants in Israel who consume psychedelic drugs: a qualitative inquiry

BackgroundRave music parties (RMP) are a world-wide socio-cultural phenomenon, where people listen to rave music while frequently consuming psychedelic drugs. Epidemiological studies have emphasized the hazardous consequences following the consumption of psychedelic drugs at RMP, and qualitative studies have shown social and psycho-spiritual experiences. Yet, phenomenological inquiry into subjective experiences of attendees is scant. This study aimed to examine physical, emotional, perceptual and social experiences of RMP participants in Israel, and their view on Israel’s policy toward rave events. In addition, the study aimed to contribute useful information for policymakers and society on rave music and psychedelic drugs experiences at RMP.MethodInterpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyze transcriptions of semi-structured interviews with 27 individuals attending RMP regularly and consume psychedelic drugs.ResultsAnalysis revealed four significant themes: the first theme, the impact of Israel’s drug policy on participants’ sense of safety, relates to participants’ sense of insecurity and anxiety at Israeli RMP due to government drug ban policy. The second theme, the stigma on rave culture, relates to participants’ perception regarding the stigma on rave culture in law enforcement agencies and in society in general. The third theme, negative experiences, describes short-term experiences after consuming psychedelics at RMP, including hallucinations and disorientation. The fourth theme, positive experiences, describes positive sensory, emotional and self/world attitudinal aspects after consuming psychedelics at RMP. Sensory experiences included intensified auditory, visual and tactile experiences; emotional experiences included positive feelings toward others, reduced stress and ability to vent difficult emotions; self/world attitudinal aspects included self-acceptance, higher appreciation of life and connectedness to nature.ConclusionsThe study highlights RMP participants’ sense of insecurity due to Israel’s strict drug policy and absence of harm reduction strategies at rave scenes. The study also notes participants’ experience of stigmatization as drug addicts by society and law enforcement agencies. Reducing police presence and adopting harm reduction policies at rave scenes in Israel may increase participants’ sense of security, reduce stigmatization and decrease overdose risk. Hence, the findings may contribute to new knowledge useful for policymakers and society concerning RMP and the use of psychedelics.

Exploring the effects of value co-creation strategies in event services on attendees’ citizenship behaviors: The roles of customer empowerment and psychological ownership

Event attendees' citizenship behaviors play a vital role in shaping their experiences. This research explored the effects of value co-creation strategies in events on attendees' citizenship behaviors by examining the mediating roles of attendees' senses of empowerment and psychological ownership. The results indicated that events' value co-creation strategies positively influence attendees’ sense of empowerment, which, in turn, predicts their citizenship behaviors through their psychological ownership of the event. Additionally, the study confirmed that the effects of value co-creation strategies varied between first-time and repeat attendees. These findings can help businesses optimize their events to foster positive attendee experiences and behaviors.

A111Undergraduate nursing programme entry: Encouraging offer holders to select their university offer, based on an informed overview of programme content

Choosing the right university and programme is crucial for aspiring nursing students and their families. With so many options available, it can be challenging to make an informed decision [1-3]. The aim of this initiative was to provide student nurse offer-holders and their parents/partners with an overview of the undergraduate nursing programme’s content, in an effort to encourage them to select the right university. The initiative was developed and conducted over six months (Dec 2022 - May 2023). It consisted of five Saturday morning sessions, each included taster lectures, clinical skills sessions, and simulations with actor role players. Offer-holders attended one rotation, while the parents/partners of offer-holders attended another rotation. The facilitated simulations were collaboratively designed by the University branch specialists and the education provider, and involved actor role players. In order to cover child, adult and mental health branches, for aspiring students, the scenario content was broad based and applicable to all. Scenario 1: Communication with relatives of a baby failing to thrive Scenario 2: Communication with an adult patient and her husband Both simulations were conducted as forum theatre and aligned with NHS values. Evaluation forms completed by potential nursing students and their parents/partners were overwhelmingly positive. Attendees reported that the sessions were informative and enjoyable, with the simulations being a particular highlight. The use of actor role players helped to make the simulations more realistic and engaging. Attendees felt that the sessions assisted them to better understand what to expect from the nursing programme, which would aid them in making a more informed decision about which university to choose. Offer holders and their families need to make an informed decision when choosing a nursing programme. The study showed that providing a comprehensive overview of the programme’s content through taster lectures, clinical skills sessions, and simulations can be an effective way to encourage students to select the right university. The use of actor role players in the simulations helped to create a realistic and engaging learning experience for attendees. Overall, this initiative highlights the importance of providing potential nursing students with the necessary information to make a decision about their education. By making an informed decision, the fit is likely to be right and the chances of attrition reduced. Further studies will be conducted by the university admissions teams to establish if these tasters assist with retention. Authors confirm that all relevant ethical standards for research conduct and dissemination have been met. The submitting author confirms that relevant ethical approval was granted, if applicable.

The biofilm community resurfaces: new findings and post-pandemic progress.

The ninth American Society for Microbiology Conference on Biofilms was convened in-person on 13-17 November 2022 in Charlotte, NC. As the first of these conferences since prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the energy among the participants of the conference was clear, and the meeting was a tremendous success. The mixture of >330 oral and poster presentations resoundingly embodied the vitality of biofilm research across a wide range of topics and multiple scientific disciplines. Special activities, including a pre-conference symposium for early career researchers, further enhanced the attendee experience. As a general theme, the conference was deliberately structured to provide high levels of participation and engagement among early career scientists.