This paper applies the Event Experiences Scale (EES) to seven cultural events in different countries with the aim of identifying generic dimensions of event experience. Exploratory factor analysis indicated the presence of four experience dimensions: cognitive engagement, affective engagement, physical engagement and novelty. These broadly reflect the four dimensions found in the original EES study [de Geus, S., Richards, G., & Toepoel, V. (2016). Conceptualisation and operationalisation of event and festival experiences: Creation of an event experience scale. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 16(3), 274–296]. In the cultural events analysed here, the cognitive dimension is strongest, followed by affective engagement, novelty and finally physical engagement. The experience dimensions are shown to vary significantly between visitor groups (particularly in terms of age) and by event location or context. Analysis of social media use shows that experiences also vary significantly through the stages of the ‘event journey’, with affective engagement being particularly prominent during and after the event.
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This chapter reviews the field of event experience research, identifying major trends and setting out research directions for the future. Experiences are often viewed as the core of events and are therefore a key concern for event management and design. Much research has therefore focused on the way in which experiences are produced and consumed within events, which are often viewed as a special setting outside of everyday life. Recent research has extended to the complete visitor journey, considering what happens before and after the event as well. Future directions for event experience research suggested here include the development of improved measurement tools, examining the linkages between different elements of the event experience, the co-creation of value through event experiences, the development of event careers among visitors and the application of new technologies to event experience research.
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Abstract: Experiences are becoming increasingly important in events and festivals, which are prime manifestations of the experience economy. However, research on event experiences has generally been concerned with economic impacts and visitor motivations [Gursoy, D., Kim, K., & Uysal, M. (2004). Perceived impacts of festivals and special events by organizers: An extension and validation. Tourism Management, 25(2), 171–181. doi:10.1016/s0261-5177(03)00092-x]. Few studies have attempted to operationalise and quantitatively analyse experiences, and there is no consensual definition regarding the essence of experiences [Walls, A. R., Okumus, F., Wang, Y., & Kwun, D. J.-W. (2011). An epistemological view of consumer experiences. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 30(1), 10–21. doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2010.03.008]. This article develops an Event Experience Scale (EES) for event experiences. In this exploratory study the item generation and selection for this scale are presented in three phases: specifying the domain of construct and generation of items, item selection, and scale purification. An 18-item scale, comprising four dimensions – affective engagement, cognitive engagement, physical engagement, and experiencing newness – with satisfactory values for Cronbach's alphas (.83,.86,.86, and.87), emerged. Implications for theoretical and practical research are discussed.
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This study aimed to evaluate outcomes and support use in 12- to 25-year-old visitors of the @ease mental health walk-in centres, a Dutch initiative offering free counselling by trained and supervised peers.
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For the Dam tot damloop, a running event with 36,757 participants and 115,000 visitors, both an economic impact analysis (IEA) and a social cost benefit analysis (SCBA) are made to study the (broader) economic effects. Three overlapping geographical regions are studied and two new estimates of non-market goods are used. For the hosting cities the net social gain from the SCBA is at least three times the EIA’s economic impact. The larger the geographical area studied, the larger the differences between EIA and SCBA, because the EIA outcome falls and the SCBA outcome increases. A lower multiplier than 1 lowers the EIA much more than it lowers the SCBA. This study shows that an EIA is not suited for evaluating the welfare effects of public support for a sport event. The difference in outcome between EIA and SCBA is substantial. Valuing non-market effects is done infrequently but is crucial for understanding the welfare effects of policies supporting sport events. Organizing an event for social and city marketing benefits can be a better reason than organizing for the direct economic gains.
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Urban tourism increasingly focuses on the role of hospitality in cities, evolving from a means to strengthen tourism as a ‘product’, towards a focus on tourism as an opportunity for revitalization and transformation of destinations. In this context, cities are considered dynamic communities in which ‘hosts’ (entrepreneurs, residents, municipalities) and ‘guests’ (visitors, tourists) co-habitate and co-create multisensorial experiences. This shift in focus comes hand in hand with increasing awareness of competitiveness and sustainability of destinations, expressed by a harmonious relationship between city residents and visitors and a balanced usage of the city as a shared resource. This is of great importance, given the intense usage of urban spaces – the city center of Amsterdam being an illustrative example – and the multiple purposes that these spaces represent for different stakeholders. This paper presents the outcome of a review study into city hospitality experience indicators. We integrate these indicators as a basis for the development of a new scale for measuring the effectiveness of hospitality interventions in relation to outcome variables such as satisfaction and net promotor score (NPS). We thereby provide an important means for scholars and practitioners to develop sustainable tourism actions inclusive of local community interests, in support of efforts toward more balanced city experiences among all stakeholders.
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Leisure constraints affecting participation can be divided into intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural constraints. Only a few studies in the event industry have investigated the role of leisure constraints. These studies show different effects of leisure constraints on participation. The purpose of this article is to examine the influence of leisure constraints on revisit intention regarding music festivals. This study is of quantitative nature and utilizes survey research. A sample of 1,063 respondents was used within the analyses, measuring the influence of perceived constraints on revisit intention. The results show that intrapersonal constraints (a lack of importance and interest) and structural constraints (travel time, a lack of time, costs, and a lack of satisfaction with the festival area) significantly influence revisit intention. In line with results from other leisure industries, intrapersonal constraints show the strongest effects. Interpersonal constraints do not affect revisit intentions. Music festivals should ideally maintain a high level of engagement with the visitors throughout the year to ensure continuous involvement.
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This paper provides an introduction to Special Issue on ‘Event Experiences: Measurement and Meaning’. It reviews the research conducted by the ATLAS Event Group over the past decade, and highlights the interplay between qualititative and quantitative research on events during this period. Major research themes related to the event experience are analysed, including the social dimension of events, event design, visitor engagement, eventful cities and event networks and platforms. The different quantative and qualitative contributions to the issue are introduced and compared.
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Evaluation and monitoring have become major issues for cultural events. On the one hand, more detailed information is needed to satisfy event sponsors, on the other hand, the nature of events is increasingly developing towards inclusive concepts (from consumer-oriented delivery to more experiential and social values). The focus on visitor experience presents event organizers with a need to go beyond traditional measurement instruments to evaluate their events. Qualitative approaches are therefore increasingly valued for the insight they provide into visitor experience. The use of visitor journeys and thematic analysis for evaluating, monitoring and improving cultural events will be discussed on the basis of research in cooperation with ‘Rotterdam Festivals’, an umbrella organization for festivals in the city of Rotterdam. On the basis of these results, the visitor journey method allows for better insight into consumer experiences. Apart from contributing to knowledge about the event experience, the method has also proven to be a powerful tool for event design (i.e. developing new strategies and concepts), and thus it can bridge the gap identified in the literature between event evaluation and design. This paper will serve three goals: to present the outcomes of the visitor journey approach, to discuss strengths and weaknesses when compared to other evaluation approaches, and discuss the value of visitor journeys for evaluation and event design.
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This research concerning the experience and future of zoos was carried out from 2011-2012 and takes regional ideas concerning Zoo Emmen as well as global visions into account. The research focuses partly on Zoo Emmen, its present attractions and visitors while also comparing and contrasting visions on the future in relationship to other international zoos in the world. In this way, remarkable experiences and ideas will be identified and in the light of them, it can serve as inspiration for stakeholders of zoos at large. The main research subject is a look at the future zoos in view of: The Zoo Experience – an international experience benchmark; The Zoo of the Future – a Scenario Planning approach towards the future; The virtual zoo - zoo’s in the internet domain.
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