Festival Management Research Articles

Negotiating Indigenous participation and heritage at a multicultural festival

This article investigates how Indigenous participation and heritage are negotiated at a multicultural festival in Norway. While such festivals respond to the call for meeting places that foster inclusion and belonging in society, researchers have warned against promoting superficial understandings and essentialism. Based on fieldwork and semi-structured interviews with festival management and Greenlandic participants, we found that Indigenous participation and heritage were negotiated along three lines. First, participants shared enthusiasm for the festival and its inclusive vision. Second, they showed in different ways the imperative of understanding the complexity of Indigeneity as a diverse and multifaceted experience. Third, in response to the festival management’s call for participation, one acted as a curator while others became silent consultants. We argue that the experience of both festival management and Greenlanders could have been significantly deepened by a more profound and shared knowledge of the nature of Indigeneity.

Optimization of Banyuwangi Festival Management through ERP-Tourism Using Dashboard

Tourism is an economic sector that has an important role in regional economic growth, including in Banyuwangi Regency. Banyuwangi Festival, as one of the main attractions, faces various challenges in its management, ranging from event coordination to performance monitoring. This research aims to optimize the management of Banyuwangi Festival through the implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)-Tourism supported by the use of interactive dashboards. This research utilizes the Rapid Application Development (RAD) method, which involves various stakeholders in the system development process. The research findings show that the implementation of ERP-Tourism and interactive dashboards is able to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of festival management. The theoretical implications of this research include the development of literature related to the use of ERP technology in the tourism sector and its contribution to event management. Practically, the results of this study can be used as a guide for festival managers in improving the quality and efficiency of their events. Recommendations for future research include expanding the application of the ERP-Tourism system to other tourism events in Banyuwangi and other regions, as well as further developing dashboard features to meet the specific needs of different types of events. Thus, it is expected that this system can provide wider and sustainable benefits to the tourism sector and regional economy

A Conceptual Discussion Related to Festival Events in Malaysia

This study explores the rapidly growing subject of festival event management in Malaysia's travel and tourist industry, emphasizing the cultural, social, and economic effects of festivals. The project aims to improve festival management efficiency by identifying stakeholder concerns and investigating best practices. Through a conceptual analysis of 24 papers from Emerald, Science Direct, and Scopus, the study emphasizes the significance of continuous innovation, management frameworks such as EMBOK, and strategic planning. The findings suggest that addressing gaps in administrative practices and specialized education can significantly improve the effectiveness and sustainability of Malaysia’s festival events.

A queer feast of memories: using archives in festival research

ABSTRACT Founded in 1997 by arts and community workers, the Feast Festival in Adelaide is one of the major LGBTQIA+ festivals held in Australia. 2022 marked the 25th year of the Feast Festival and, as such, was an opportunity to reflect upon the importance of community-driven festivals, especially those that explicitly services and advocates for social and cultural minorities. Researching this queer history required multimodal strategies. We interviewed past participants, organizers and performers, which resulted in a short documentary film that was exhibited as part of Feast’s 25th programme. This project has also been supported by extensive archival research. We investigated the role that archives play in research and in documenting the history of a community arts festival, and how archives can actively contribute to the research process at various stages of data collection and creative artefact creation. Further, we explored the festival organizers’ careful engagement with both open-access and curatorial approaches to festival management, including engaging with the South Australian LGBTQIA+ community to encourage participation and develop special events for the programme.

‘We’re not all into death and doom … it’s more an appreciation of the macabre.’ Exploring brand success at dark tourism festivals

ABSTRACT Festivals with dark and Gothic themes and their implications for local economies, cultural appropriation and consumer experience have attracted increased attention in recent years. Dark tourism festivals are popular with festival goers, economically and culturally valuable, and often represent important shoulder-season assets. However, the role of festival goers in the marketing mix is currently poorly understood. This paper focuses on the role festival goers play in experiential marketing at dark tourism festivals. This paper utilises a comparative case study approach, examining two examples of dark tourism festivals with a gothic and dark focus: the Whitby Goth Weekend (UK) and the Bram Stoker Festival (Ireland). The paper adopts an inductive approach, and qualitative methodology, drawing on semi-structured interviews’ primary data. Thematic analysis is used to analyse data. Interviewees (n = 30) include festival management, festival marketers and festival participants. Our findings propose a model for dark tourism festival marketing, positing that a co-created approach, with high levels of participant engagement, is required for brand success. This paper presents implications for the practical promotion of niche festivals, including practical tips for marketing, societal need/ attraction to ‘unusual’ festivals, economic impacts and creating a more resilient festival design.

How Commercialized Festivals Affect the Transmission of Traditional Religious Rituals: A Case Study of the Gion Matsuri in Kyoto

The Gion Matsuri, a historic and culturally significant festival held annually in Kyoto, Japan, has undergone substantial commercialization in recent decades. This paper explores the impact of commercialization on the transmission of traditional religious rituals within the festival. Through a detailed case study approach, this research examines the historical evolution of the Gion Matsuri, the factors driving its commercialization, and the resultant changes in ritual practices. The study draws on data collected through participant observation, interviews with stakeholders, and analysis of secondary sources. The findings reveal a complex interplay between the economic benefits of commercialization and the preservation of cultural integrity. While commercialization has ensured the financial sustainability and global visibility of the festival, it has also introduced alterations that challenge the traditional and spiritual essence of its rituals. The paper discusses the perspectives of different stakeholders, including traditionalists, commercial entities, and tourists, and highlights the importance of balancing commercial interests with cultural preservation. The implications for cultural policy and festival management are considered, offering insights into best practices for maintaining the cultural authenticity of traditional festivals in a modern, globalized context.

Local Food Culture Festival Management Model in Papua

This research is a continuation of research and service as well as articles presented in international seminars and Bapenas FGDs. Research, PkM, International Seminars and FGDs from BAPENAS that have been carried out provide an illustration that Papua has great potential in local food, especially those made from sago. This is supported by the availability of sago forests and people who are starting to understand the preservation of sago forests and people who are creative in processing sago food in various preparations. However, the community has not yet found the right form to promote local food well and have a big impact. Conditions like this provide an opportunity for the government and academics to play a role in formulating the right strategy and realizing it in a major activity that can be known by many people nationally and internationally. One of the activities that can support the condition of people who are in this position is the government implementing a Local Food Culture Festival which is held on a scheduled schedule every year. This research aims to create a management model for local food culture festivals which is carried out in 2 (two) stages, namely Phase I (2023) sharing knowledge of the research team with festival management experts at UNY as well as concocting a suitable or appropriate form for festival management in Merauke Regency, as well as Benchmarking at several Cultural Festivals organized by the Yogyakarta Special Region Government (DIY) in September 2023, and Phase II (2024) the research team will carry out education and FGDs for 3 days for the Tourism and Culture Offices of Merauke Regency and South Papua Province as well as the candidates festival participants from the local food business community. The results of this research found that organizing a festival requires high synergy from the organizing team itself and from the government and sponsors. The most important thing is that it is necessary to carry out a survey or initial analysis of the festival theme which can describe the vision of the activities, potential and targets to be achieved by the festival. The budget and activity plan must be determined well in advance so that it can be included in the annual expenditure of sponsors or local governments. The selection of the organizing team must also be a professional team or a combination of a professional team and the sponsor, so that the implementation can go according to plan. Apart from that, the community must also be involved or empowered to participate. What is different about festivals held in the Papua region is the very dominant role of local communities involved in helping to improve the economy of the local population and promoting existing Papuan culture, apart from that there is still a lack of third parties who are willing to sponsor festival activities in Papua, especially Papuan cultural and local food festival.

Factors affecting food waste at food festivals: the moderating effect of “Camera Eats First”

Food festivals play a significant role in driving economic growth and facilitating cultural exploration. However, they also present challenges to sustainability, particularly concerning food waste, which is further exacerbated by the pervasive "Camera Eats First" (CEF) phenomenon. Despite its importance, academic literature has given limited attention to this issue. This study bridges this gap by applying an extended value-attitude-behavior theory to explore food waste behaviors at food festivals, focusing on the moderating role of CEF. Employing partial least squares structural equation modeling and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, it develops the Food Festival Consumption Values (FFCVs) model, incorporating factors like food taste, healthiness, appearance, peer influence, and festival atmosphere, tested with data from 452 consumers at the 22nd Macau Food Festival. Findings reveal direct influences of factors such as food taste, healthiness, and festival atmosphere on food waste behavior. However, the mediating and moderating effects of attitudes toward food waste and CEF exhibit mixed results. These results underscore the need for targeted waste reduction strategies, contributing to sustainable food festival management and aligning with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, enhancing policy and stakeholder efforts toward sustainability.

The Mechanism of Stimulating Resident tourists’ Place Attachment via Festivals

ABSTRACT In this research, the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) paradigm is employed to empirically investigate the connections between cultural motivation, involvement, authenticity, and place attachment in festivals from the perspective of resident tourists. We collect data through a questionnaire survey (N = 382) during the festival Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries. Subsequently, the model is assessed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling with AMOS 26.0. The outcomes reveal that both cultural motivation and involvement positively affect authenticity, which in turn enhances place attachment. These findings have significant strategic and practical implications for festival organizers and service providers involved in festival management.

HISTORY OF THE FORMATION OF CONCERT AND FESTIVAL MANAGEMENT

The article examines the history of the formation of concert and festival management. Characteristics of key con- cepts associated with this topic are given. The continuity in the development of the festival movement in different countries is determined.

Multidimensionality of nostalgic festival experiences: The Art Deco Festival case

Heritage festivals are interactive spaces imbued with stimuli to evoke feelings of nostalgia. This qualitative study draws on the narratives of attendees to the Art Deco Festival in Napier, New Zealand, to examine the nostalgia experience. Through in-depth interviews and thematic analysis of festival visitors, event organisers, and local businesses, the findings reveal four distinct types of nostalgia within the festival context: historical, personal, collective, and virtual. These different types of festival nostalgia and their characteristics can be grouped into four-by-two classification: place-based and time-based nostalgia, object-based and experience-based nostalgia, individual-based and collective-based nostalgia, and direct-based and indirect-based nostalgia. This classification contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the conceptualisation and operationalisation of nostalgia which have important implications for researchers and festival management of nostalgic destinations.

How to be a true institution? Understanding festival organization's role in urban festival management from the stakeholder analysis

This study uses a practical case to show that festival organizations could be true institutions in the context of China's urban festivals. Utilizing social network analysis, this study proposes a quantitative method for classifying festival stakeholders into key, primary, and secondary stakeholders. Based on expert snowball sampling and questionnaire surveys, 27 relevant stakeholders were identified and their respective attributes regarding power, legitimacy, and emergency were evaluated, and the categories were classified. With sufficient resources and political support, as well as encompassing various powerful and resourceful stakeholders, festival organization could be a true institution. This study contributes a new perspective and methodological approach for understanding the complex and highly cooperative nature of festival management.

Pasar Wadai Ramadhan (Cake Fair) Banjarmasin: Fading Local Food Festival

This research is tended to explore the cause of declining interest in the annual food festival in Banjarmasin, Pasar Wadai Ramadhan (Ramadhan Cake Fair). This festival has been running for 38 years and only during the month of Ramadhan. It originally sells traditional delicacies and as time goes by some local spectacles are shown during the festival to attract more visitors. The aim of this research is to provide a contribution to the image strengthening of Banjaresse culture as well as economic sustainability for the people in South Kalimantan. SWOT analysis was used to conduct obtain the result of this research. The use of SWOT analysis to conduct this research is to bring out the result by conducting interviews, observation, and documentation. Based on the steps done, the result showed the cause of a lesser audience of this festival is due to the changes of occurring place for the event. To keep this annual festival sustainable, support from local authorities and locals is crucial in implementing a sustainable festival management strategy.

Governance of flagship events in Surakarta City case studies of Solo International Performing Arts (SIPA), Solo Batik Carnival (SBC), and Solo Keroncong Festival (SKF)

The implementation of cultural events or festivals is part of efforts to revitalize the tourism sector in Surakarta City. The cultural event has succeeded in becoming a means of tourism development. The possibilities are present and have given birth to a performance program. The most significant event activities include Solo International Performing Arts (SIPA), Solo Batik Carnival (SBC), and Solo Keroncong Festival (SKF). This research aims to know the governance principles for organizing a good festival or cultural event. Hopefully, understanding the principles of governance to make SIPA, SBC, and SKF become the flagship event in Surakarta city will serve as managerial knowledge useful in developing festivals and cultural events. It is important to study the management of SIPA, SBC, and SKF to find out the characteristics of leading event management so that they are included in the leading criteria. Research produces theoretical solutions, so that festival management has an adaptive and applicable management system for organizing events. The findings will be useful as a reference for other cultural events in the city of Solo. The research uses explanatory methods to find and create concepts that clarify SIPA, SBC, and SKF into three flagship events. Implementing this event is successful because it uses the combined governance between modern management and traditional management. For this reason, the results of this study have significant meaning because they can at least serve as a model in the organization of festivals and cultural events in other places

Mahusay! (Beautiful!): Assessing a community-based festival management in the antecedent and subsequent COVID-19 pandemic – the case of Daramsiyao Festival in Daram, Samar, Philippines

This analysis of festival management before and during the COVID-19 pandemic focused on the Daramsiyao Festival, a local event in Daram, Samar, Philippines. Utilizing a qualitative phenomenological approach, the study identified the role and impact of the festival on its stakeholders and how management processes changed during the pandemic. To gather data, a content analysis of written festival documentation and Hybrid Focus Group Discussion (HFGD) with twelve (n = 12) Daram stakeholders were conducted, utilizing tabular reconnaissance and a semi-structured aide-mémoire. The information was assessed through a Repertory Grid and Thematic Network Analysis. Upon analyzing the stakeholders’ collective and individual experiences, the findings suggested themes that explored the implications of the changing management practices, leading to the development of the SAYAW Framework on Sustainable Community-based Festival Management. The proposed intervention program titled: “Tayo’y MagSAYAW! (Let’s Dance!)” was conceptualized to develop the festival management for future celebrations of the Daramsiyao Festival. The framework introduces five (5) main themes: Substratum, Adaptation, Yare Governance, Acclimation, and Workmanship. Through the comprehensive analysis of the festival subject, primary and secondary stakeholders could adapt to improve the related projects and activities. It also leads to strengthening collaboration and partnership between stakeholders.

Perceptions of safety and experiences of gender-based violence at UK music festivals

Crime and safety at UK music festivals is a subject of growing concern for festival management, police and festival-goers, bolstered by increasing media coverage of incidents of sexual harassment and sexual assault. To date, however, there has been limited evidence regarding festival-goers’ experiences and perspectives concerning safety, particularly in relation to gender-based violence at music festivals. Using data from a mixed methods pilot study, this article presents the findings of a self-selecting survey of 450 festival-goers which asked respondents about their perceptions of safety and experiences of different crime and harms including gender-based violence at UK music festivals. The findings reveal that most respondents report feeling safe at festivals, but various personal, social and environmental factors may increase or reduce these feelings of safety, and these are gendered. Similarly, although experiences of acquisitive crime, hate crime and stalking were low and broadly similar for women and men, a third of women experienced sexual harassment and 8% experienced sexual assault – significantly higher than the reported levels among male respondents. We argue that festivals must work proactively with key stakeholders and agencies, as well as artists and patrons, to develop clear policies and initiatives to prevent sexual violence.

The Management of a Government-Hosted Festival from Stakeholders’ Perspectives: International Manisa Mesir Paste Festival

The purpose of this study is to determine how a local government hosts and manages a large-scale festival from the perspectives of stakeholders, including the organizing committee members, government entities, academics, businesses, tourists, and residents. The study investigates the way International Manisa Mesir Paste Festival (hereafter Mesir Festival) is managed and detects how different entities explain the reasons of the success or failure of the public festival as well as providing recommendations to increase success. The research applies a qualitative method to explore the determinants of the success of this festival organization. In this study, researchers conducted 22 semi-structured interviews with different stakeholders. The findings reveal that public administration is prevalent and dominant in deciding the content and administration of the Mesir Festival. Three significant main themes were determined: shortcomings, benefits or contributions, and recommendations. The results indicate that the festival did not achieve any notable economic, social, or cultural gains, thus, shortcomings of the festival exceed its benefits. This research provides valuable insights into the study of festival management by extending our understandings of government-hosted and managed festivals.

Place image, quality of life, and behavioral intention of residents during the Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage in Taiwan

ABSTRACT Rationale/purpose: This study examines the perceptions of festival host residents of the Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage using the proposed model to evaluate the antecedent and outcome variables of place image. Design/methodology/approach: Using quantitative methods, this study proposes a model to determine host residents’ perceptions based on fit, place image, quality of life, and behavioral intention. Findings: The findings showed that place image is vital in establishing a supportive perception toward the festival host city. Quality of life not only mediates the perceptions of residents’ image and their residency but also independently contributes to the development of residents’ behavioral intentions. The perceptions of place image or the quality of life of residents, especially place image, are significant predictors of residents’ behavioral intentions. Practical implications: This study extends the concepts of fit and place image by taking a psychological perspective to provide strategies for festival management. To evaluate residents’ quality of life and gain their intention to support for the festival, the present study suggests that event organizers and the local government take action on the characteristics of the festival and the host city represents. Providing entertainment activities combine with Mazu culture at nighttime is one of the suggestions. Research contributions: The exploratory model we proposed herein to explain host residents’ viewpoints showed sufficient predictive power. The results underline the importance of fit, which can predict and explain place image. Furthermore, the present study contributes to existing research by applying the concept of fit in the festival context.

Disaster risk reduction: Integrating sustainable development goals and occupational safety and health in festival and event management.

The purpose of this article is to develop a theoretical disaster risk reduction model, creating a virtuous cycle of knowledge and action across the festival and events industry, based on occupational safety and health (OSH) strategic objectives, as informed by a systematic literature review. The main constructs of this conceptual article are explored through a systematic literature review. Sources include publications of key stakeholders in the festival and event industry, applicable global directives, strategic documents of relevant governmental and non-governmental organisations and academic publications. From the data gathered in the systematic literature review it can be surmised that sustainable development goals (SDGs) related research in tourism, festivals, events and OSH is lacking in quantity and there is room for these aspects to be addressed in future research to ensure that these fields of study make a more substantial contribution to disaster risk reduction in festival and event management. This article is limited to secondary data collected through a systematic literature review, supported by additional literature to inform a theoretical framework incorporating SDGs, disaster risk reduction and OSH strategic objectives for festivals and events. Sustainable development goals are aimed at achieving a sustainable future for all. The detrimental effect of OSH incidents can be counterproductive to achieving such goals and should therefore be closely monitored and managed. Festival and event managers should thus take cognisance of the importance of OSH through a plan of action, benchmarked against best practice, to allow for enhanced disaster risk management. This article investigates the concepts of sustainability, disaster risk reduction, OSH, events and festival management and combines the concepts in a unique manner.

STRATEGI PEMASARAN TERBAIK DESTINASI WISATA THEME PARK JUNGLE FESTIVAL

Tourist destinations with the theme park concept are one form of amusement park destinations that can be one of the financial resources, driving the economy and contributing to the sustainability of goals in many fields, including investment in infrastructure, job creation, tax revenue, tourism income, donations, and community support. The Bogor Jungle Festival is one of the tourist destinations with a theme park concept that has great potential to increase the local revenue of the city of Bogor. Decreasing the number of tourists that occur will lead to reduced competitiveness and loss of potential to maximize the original goal. Therefore the right marketing strategy is needed in an effort to increase the number of tourist visits. The purpose of this study was to design the best marketing strategy based on the proposed results of discussions with several experts related to research in an effort to increase the visit of Bogor JungleFest tourists.
 The research design in this study used a descriptive qualitative method with a combination of mathematical calculations using Expert Choice 11 software and MS Excel as a primary data analysis tool. The analytical method used is AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) involving 5 appropriate expert respondents, who have sufficient knowledge, experience and insights to assess the problems under study and SAST (Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing) to be the method chosen to determine assumptions the basis that must be considered in determining the marketing strategy of the Bogor JungleFest park.
 The results showed that the highest weighting value for each level in the Hierarchy Model in this study was JungleFest Management on Actor criteria of 0.588, for sub criteria factors namely Institutional was assessed by respondents as the most influential factor in determining JungleFest Bogor's best marketing strategy with the value of the weight is 0.354. In terms of sub-criteria of activities, Capacity Building Managers are the most important activities in terms of implementing the JungleFest Bogor marketing strategy with a weight value of 0.355 while for the best strategy chosen with a value of 0.364 is Digital Marketing.
 The conclusion of this study is the superior strategy chosen for the best marketing of JungleFest Bogor is the Digital Marketing strategy, while the results of identification of assumptions that support the success of the marketing strategy of JungleFest Bogor are Support facilities and infrastructure, Commitment to management of Jungle Festival management and Product Diversification.