An exploration of the techniques, outputs and outcomes of circulation management at exhibitions

Purpose – To establish how and why exhibition managers manage circulation, this study explores the techniques (specific activities used to influence circulation), outputs (tangible enhancements in the performance of the exhibition resulting from changes in circulation dynamics), and outcomes (benefits of those enhancements to exhibitors, attendees and the exhibition organiser) of circulation management. Design/methodology/approach – In face-to-face interviews, ten exhibition managers were asked how and why they manage attendee circulation, which also involved a card-sorting exercise to elicit tacit circulation management knowledge. Four different experienced exhibitions managers from three continents were asked to validate the findings. Findings – Four types of techniques were identified: magnet, layout, curiosity & playfulness and guiding techniques, with these implemented to achieve five outputs: greater footfall, better exposure to exhibits, enhanced navigation, greater buzz, and managing congestion levels. The results further show that circulation was managed to achieve a variety of organiser-, exhibitor- and attendee-related outcomes. The study uncovered a large range of factors influencing the employment of circulation management techniques. Conflicts in outputs resulting from several techniques are highlighted, requiring the exhibition manager to establish which outputs and resulting outcomes take priority over others. Originality/value – This exploratory study is the first study to propose a circulation management model for the exhibition context, equipping exhibition managers with knowledge to strategically manage attendee circulation

An evaluation of the factors influencing the adoption of e-commerce in the purchasing of leisure travel by the residents of Cascais, Portugal

The emergence of the Internet has enabled the development of e-commerce, which is defined as the process of buying and selling or exchanging products, services and information via computer networks (Turban et al, 2002). Since the early stages of the development of the Internet there were claims that travel had the potential to become one of the most sold e-commerce products (Buhalis, 1998; Turban et al, 2002). The reality, however, is that in the first years of the twenty first century only a minority of travel purchasing is conducted over the Internet. By 2002 only 3.6 percent of worldwide travel sales were made over the Internet in 2002, with this figure expected to increase to 7.4% by 2006 (Marcussen, 2003). Moreover, although the trend in overall online market size in Western Europe is positive, the annual growth rates have decreased in recent years. This research arose from an interest in obtaining an insight into the reasons for the lower than anticipated rate of adoption of electronic commerce in the purchasing of leisure travel. The main aim of the research was to evaluate those factors influencing the adoption of e-commerce in the purchasing of leisure travel. The study was developed based on the adoption of innovations paradigm because e-commerce can be regarded as an innovative practice. The research attempted to explicitly develop and test the concept of innovation interdependence. The assumption underlying innovation interdependence is that some innovations are developed upon other innovations and hence the adoption of certain innovations tend to be connected. Following on from this rationale, besides the factors related to the adoption of purchasing leisure travel over the Internet, factors related to the adoption of computers and of the Internet were also included as component parts of the conceptual framework. In addition, the conceptual framework also outlined product-category behaviour as an important factor influencing the adoption of e-commerce in the purchase of that product-category. In order to achieve the research aim, a representative sample of residents in the Borough of Cascais (Lisbon, Portugal) was surveyed. The analysis and discussion of the results was centred on the practical significance of the descriptive data and on the results of the hypothesis testing, based on the following definition of three stages in the e-commerce adoption path: individuals who had never used the Internet (stage 1), individuals who used the Internet but had never purchased by the means of e-commerce (stage 2), and individuals who purchased a product/service over the Internet (stage 3). Those in stage three of the e-commerce adoption path were further divided into two subgroups: those who had never purchased travel over the Internet and those who had purchased. The findings of this research indicate that the factors influencing the adoption of e-commerce in the purchasing of leisure travel vary according to the stage in the e-commerce adoption path. They demonstrate that there is, indeed, a positive relationship between the adoption of computers and the Internet and the adoption of e-commerce in the purchasing of leisure travel. However,the results suggest that the adoption of computers and the Internet play a secondary role and might serve as a facilitator rather than motivator. Rather, the travel and purchasing behaviour of the individual may be the more important influence in their decision to use e-commerce in the purchasing of leisure travel. The study discusses both the theoretical and practical implications and provides some future areas of research in the field of consumer adoption of e-commerce in the purchasing of leisure travel

A taxonomy of event participants based on risk and security perceptions

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to create a taxonomy of event participants based on risk and security perceptions. Design/methodology/approach: Two focus groups were established with British mothers, one with five mothers and the other with six, recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. A tree diagram was employed to uncover the taxonomic structure underlying risk and security perceptions. In creating the taxonomy, two critical issues were found to best categorise participants: the extent to which risks were considered before attending an event and whether or not participants showed an interest in knowing about security measures in advance of the event. Findings: Six taxonomy categories were created, based on the unique combination of attitude and reactions: overthinker, investigator, naïve, ignorer, survivalist and optimiser. Similarities and differences between the types of participants were examined across 12 typical traits and reactions to risk and security. Practical implications: The results provide event organisers with an understanding of whether they need to communicate their risk management strategy, and if so how they can best achieve this. Originality/value: Existing taxonomies have tended to identify customer types based on risk perceptions alone. This research expands such work by considering attitudes towards both risk and security and how these affect event attendance. Hence, the descriptive taxonomy developed in the paper provides empirical evidence of the diverse risk and security perceptions at public events

Event sponsorship by alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks businesses in India

Purpose – This paper aims to examine event sponsorship decision making by the Indian drinks industry, comparing the non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks sectors. Design/methodology/approach – Data regarding event sponsorship activity, perceptions of event sponsorship, motives to sponsor, form of investment and structure of sponsorship was obtained from a sample of 61 drinks producers in India through a questionnaire. Mann-Whitney and logistic regression were employed to compare the alcoholic and the non-alcoholic sectors. Findings – The results suggest that the alcohol and non-alcohol drinks sectors sponsored a similar level of events, but in investment volume terms, sponsorship from the non-alcoholic sector is far greater than that of the alcoholic sector. While the two sectors are similar in many ways, the emphasis placed on certain motives for sponsoring events was different, with alcoholic drinks businesses placing greater importance on reaching niche audiences and increasing media coverage than non-alcoholic ones. Research limitations/implications – A limited number of areas of the sponsorship decision-making were covered, yet the study provides insights into the decision making of one of the key sponsoring industries: the drinks industry. Practical implications – Securing sponsorship is becoming more difficult and complex. By understanding how sponsors make decisions, including potential variations between companies within an industry, event organisers will be in a better position to tailor sponsorship proposals, enhancing the likelihood of obtaining the desired sponsorship contracts. Originality/value – Most sponsor decision-making research focuses on how sponsorship decisions can be improved so that they work better for the sponsor. This paper, in contrast, emphasises that by understanding how clients make decisions (i.e. sponsors), sellers (i.e. the sponsored) will be in a better position to win over competition and secure the desired sponsorship deals

Young Professionals’ Conspicuous Consumption of Clothing.

PURPOSE: This paper examines the relationship between conspicuous consumption and public self-consciousness, materialism and domain-specific self-esteem, demographics and shopping behaviour. METHODOLOGY: Focusing on clothing, public self-consciousness, materialism and domain-specific self-esteem are examined in relation to two characteristics of clothing: expensive and fashionable. Using a sample of 261 UK young professionals, the paper compares the five factors across three levels of clothing conspicuous consumption (low, medium and high). FINDINGS: Findings indicate that while the five factors were associated to different levels of conspicuous consumption, the relationship was not always evident. Expensive clothing was more related to conspicuousness than fashionable clothing and differences between low and medium/high conspicuousness individuals appear to be larger than the difference between medium and high conspicuousness groups. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Price appears to be a more powerful influence on conspicuous consumption than the fashionable element and therefore a strategy focused on expensive prices is essential in attracting conspicuous consumers. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The study provides an insight into conspicuous consumption in the context of clothing and its relationship with public self-consciousness, materialism and self-esteem as they relate to the expensive and fashionable dimensions

Using scenarios to investigate stakeholders’ views on the future of a sporting event

The aim of this research was to identify if the continuation of a sporting event was supported by its stakeholders and what their objectives were for its future. Using a methodology adapted from scenario planning [Shoemaker, P.J.H. (1995). Scenario planning: a tool for strategic thinking. Sloan Management Review, 6(2), 25-40], the research investigated if the stakeholders desired the event to grow, and if so, in which areas and to what level. The finding was that the stakeholders supported its growth. They viewed the sporting event as being a small scale to medium scale event and saw it growing to become a medium to large scale event. A key finding was that the stakeholders had conflicting views about its future features and this was due to their varying backgrounds and objectives set for the event. The results of this research emphasise the need for both researchers and practitioners to be more fully aware of the similarities and differences in stakeholder objectives in a dynamic rather than static environment

Peer influence strategies in collectively consumed products: (Events and Festivals): An exploratory study among university students.

PURPOSE: The paper examines peer influence in the context of purchasing collectively consumed products. The particular focus of the paper is on strategies used by university students for persuasion and resistance when attending events & festivals. METHODOLOGY: Five females and three males studying for a degree in the UK were interviewed. Independent analysis of the interview transcripts was undertaken in order to identify persuasion and resistance strategies, as well as the factors influencing a strategy's success. FINDINGS: A number of persuasion and resistance strategies are used and certain strategies use specific language techniques. Some of these strategies are only applicable to reference groups who have a history of consuming products together, as they resort to past experiences as a means of producing a persuasion or resistance argument. The extent to which the influence is successful is also discussed as being very subjective and dependent on the particular context of the persuasion exercise. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This is the first study to exclusively examine peer influence in the context of collectively consumed products, notably influence and resistance strategies, and the conditions which can make these effective. The study illustrates the types of strategies peers use when attending events, in particular those used by people who live in a fairly close social system (university study) and where there is no formal hierarchy (in contrast with parent-children influence). The context can influence the types of strategies used, for example the nature of the relationship between students, which is based on high levels of trust, makes it inappropriate to use certain strategies