Curated arts events have emerged as site-responsive strategies for engaging rural communities, promoting local identity, and addressing sociocultural challenges in the wake of rural decline. However, despite their growing prominence, existing studies remain fragmented and lack a systematic understanding of their multifaceted roles and challenges. Conducting this review is therefore crucial for consolidating current knowledge and identifying patterns across diverse cases. This systematic review synthesizes 25 studies to assess how these events contribute to rural development while facing persistent constraints. Analysis reveals nine themes across two dimensions: functional contributions, including community engagement, cultural revitalization, economic impact, spatial renewal, and social innovation, and structural constraints, such as limited community agency, overreliance on external resources, overtourism, and cultural dissonance. Findings underscore the importance of inclusive curatorial governance, co-decision-making processes, and fostering a sense of place attachment among visitors and residents. These insights can inform the planning and sustainability of future cultural events in rural areas, offering implications for event managers, community stakeholders, and policy designers.
Evaluating the benefits of conferences is an essential process for assessing the value produced by the activities of the conference. However, current evaluation tools in the sector remain underdeveloped, often focusing narrowly on delegate satisfaction and tourism outcomes, metrics that overlook the deeper, transformative potential of conferences. This article addresses this gap by introducing a set of empirically grounded constructs that define and categorize broader conference benefits. Drawing on 15 years of international research, the article identifies constructs relevant to three key communities—scientific, destination, and global—and offers a foundation for developing qualitative and quantitative research instruments. Each construct is derived from empirical evidence and grouped according to its primary beneficiary. The constructs presented serve as initial reference points that reflect current knowledge and aim to guide future research and practice in evaluating the broader value of conferences.
This study reviews Event Management publications from a region that has traditionally received limited academic focus: the Global South. To date, 83 articles with a Global South focus—or 10% of total publications—have been published in Event Management and we can witness a slow but steady upward trend over time. The BRICS countries have received by far the most research attention while voices from the most marginalized regions remain underrepresented. In over 70% of articles, local contributors feature as part of the research team but methodological diversity and innovation are lacking. We argue that more can and should be done to address structural imbalances in knowledge production as well as issues related to “internal colonialism,” and to develop event management into a genuinely global and equitable field that speaks to the realities of diverse societies, cultures, economies, and communities.
While the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) event integrates legacy building into its planning,research on its long-term cultural and social impact in host regions remains limited. This studyexamines the legacy formation process of Leeuwarden-Friesland (LF2018), which dedicated a plan,budget, and program to legacy. We reviewed final reports, analyzed official websites and printedmaterials, conducted semistructured interviews with stakeholders, and analyzed a questionnaire tothe legacy organization. A hypothetical chronological legacy formation diagram was used as an elicitationtool during interviews. Findings show that legacy formation began in the pre-bid phase, withbroad citizen participation, and continued after the title year. The study distinguishes between intentionallydesigned cultural legacies and emergent social legacies, highlighting their interdependencewith economic and political impacts. It also shows the role of the legacy organization. Finally, it callsfor robust monitoring systems to capture intangible, long-term social effects and strengthen linksbetween cultural programs.
While research has begun to examine running event experience, existing approaches remain insufficient to capture its complexity. This theoretical analysis examines the role of service design (SD) tools in analyzing participant experience in running events. Drawing on multilevel service design (MSD), service blueprinting, customer journey mapping (CJM), and process chain network (PCN) analysis, the article demonstrates how SD tools enable the analysis of participant experience through participant journeys and touchpoints, digital service interactions, and multistakeholder service relationships. Specifically, MSD addresses service system structuring, service blueprinting clarifies operational processes, CJM captures experiential dynamics across the event journey, and PCN analysis highlights stakeholder interdependencies. This analysis expands the application of SD within sports events and provides insights for event organizers that can support the orchestration of service touchpoints, and participant-focused design decisions. By doing so, the article contributes a conceptual perspective that frames running events as designed service experiences rather than solely managed activities.
Despite the growing body of research on implementing innovative and sustainable practices at festivals, few studies in event management have explored how festivals can be organized to accelerate innovation and transition both within and beyond the event. This research addresses this gap by examining how festivals can be conceptualized and organized as “living labs” for testing and developing sustainable innovations that can contribute to societal transitions. A living lab is a real-world open innovation ecosystem where diverse stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, municipalities, researchers, and end-users, cocreate innovations. This study uses a qualitative approach to analyze festivals, organizations, and practitioners in the Dutch events industry that employ a living-lab approach to innovate events. The findings contribute to festival and event management by demonstrating that festivals can serve as powerful platforms for engaging diverse stakeholders, changing behavior, and fostering broader social and ecological change through event-based innovation that extends beyond the event itself.
Amid growing public skepticism toward hosting mega-sports events, this study investigates whichattributes influence the perceived fit of cohosting partnerships. Using a choice-based conjoint analysis,this work tests key factors that shape perceptions of cohosting partnerships. Based on survey datafrom 419 participants, the findings reveal that the political relations between cohosting countries arethe most influential determinant of perceived partner fit, with particularly negative effects observedin scenarios involving strained political ties. Additionally, sports venues, event hosting experience,and geographical proximity also have an impact on the perceived partner fit, while a latent classanalysis further uncovers preference heterogeneity among population subgroups and attributes. Thisstudy contributes to the literature on strategic alliances in sports event management and providesvaluable implications for event stakeholders. By aligning cohosting strategies more closely withresidents’ preferences, decision-makers can enhance legitimacy of, and public support for, megasportsevents.
Green exhibitions comply with the requirements of a low-carbon economy and are important forsustainable development. This study examines the determinants of exhibitors’ willingness to adoptgreen exhibitions based on the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework using fuzzyset qualitative comparative and necessary condition analyses. Ten antecedent conditions at the technological,organizational, and environmental levels are selected. Through asymmetric analysis of381 valid questionnaires collected, this study identifies three configuration paths that increase exhibitors’willingness to adopt green exhibitions: green technology empowerment, organizational resourceassistance, and multiple pressure driving. The conclusions elucidate the configurational mechanismthat drives exhibitors to adopt green exhibitions and offer practical implications for enhancing exhibitors’green behavior.
This qualitative Delphi study explores the lived experiences of women in the events sector and theirperceptions regarding their routes into entrepreneurial careers. It focuses on the interplay of an adverseworkplace culture and persistent, negative gender regimes within the events sector that create barriers tocareer development that consequently motivate women to enter entrepreneurship. The findings revealthat women often perceive their entrepreneurial journey through a negative lens, viewing themselves asnecessity rather than opportunity entrepreneurs due to their past experiences in a sector where the patriarchypersists in practice. This research contributes to the understanding of how personal perceptionsand negative work environments shape women’s entrepreneurial identities and motivations, ultimatelycalling for further research into the dynamics of gender and entrepreneurship in the events sector.
To verify the long-term impact and mechanism of public health emergency risk perception on people’s psychology and behaviour, this research used a longitudinal design (2022, 2023, 2025) with 783 valid samples and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to model festival visitors’ decision-making. Quantitative results reveal that though explicit fear diminished over time, the subconscious risk imprint (S-PHERP) plateaued, forming a persistent 'risk memory residue'. Crucially, S-PHERP negatively moderates the effect of festival attractiveness on engagement intention. Qualitative findings further demonstrate how environment trigger this subconscious perception. Overall, this research finds that S-PHERP reduces engagement intention by weakening the influence of key TPB antecedents, thereby advancing the understanding of post-pandemic behavioral inertia. It establishes a complex decision-making landscape for post-pandemic festival-going and extends the TPB framework and offers a trigger-context perspective for designing resilient festival experiences.
With the rapid expansion of music festivals, several previous research gaps remain. Prior research has tended to focus on satisfaction and individual-level experiences, leaving the role of festivalgoers’ happiness and its influence on behavioral intentions underexplored, as well as overlooking the relational and communal nature of music festival experience. This study aims to explain how music flow experience and social experience influence festivalgoers’ happiness, festival revisit intention, and willingness to pay a premium ticket price. Survey data from 251 festivalgoers at three major Indonesian music festivals were analyzed using PLS-SEM. Findings show that music flow and social experience positively influence happiness, which in turn influences behavioral outcomes. These findings theoretically advance happiness as a primary emotional driver connecting music flow and social experience to behavioral intentions and practically highlight the importance of music festival that delivers immersive musical enjoyment, meaningful social connections, and communal experiences to enhance happiness and support sustainability.
This research explored the accessibility of food festivals to older adults through the lens of journey experience, value chain, and universal design. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with 26 attendees of the Macao Food Festival were conducted. The results showed that in the pre-festival, consideration and embarking stages, equitable and accessible dissemination of information was important for the older attendees. In the consumption stage, accessible services and facilities, safety, and flexible food options were desired. In the post-festival phase, some follow-up services would help older attendees to recall their good memories at the festival and develop a feeling of social inclusivity. This study highlights the crucial roles of seamless integration of universally designed services and facilities at the various festival phases to ensure that older attendees’ festival journey experience is enhanced while fostering a more inclusive society. Practical implications were suggested.
Despite concern over missed legacy opportunities, and calls for stronger leveraging, little is known about how stakeholders plan strategic approaches for non-mega-sporting events. This case study explores preevent leveraging strategies aimed at creating a sports participation legacy for the Orkney 2025 Island Games. Semistructured interviews with seven purposively selected individuals, drawn from three stakeholder groups embedded in the Games and local community, provided the data. Reflexive Thematic Analysis identified six themes: infrastructural development; coach and official development; community and school engagement; multistakeholder collaboration; funding and sponsorship; and sustainability and planning. Interviewees believed in the event’s legacy potential, but also acknowledged barriers, particularly limited funding from sponsors and government agencies, along with shortages of coaches and volunteers. While the study did not evaluate strategy success, the findings suggest that continued collaboration, and efforts to address barriers, are viewed as essential to supporting a sports participation legacy through leveraging strategies.
This study investigates how facial recognition technology (FRT) shapes socially responsible behavioral intentions at mega-sport events. Integrating the Technology Acceptance Model and the Theory of Planned Behavior, it examines how perceived usefulness, perceived surveillance, attitudes, subjective norms, and behavioral control influence ethical conduct. Survey data from Australian event attendees were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results show that perceived usefulness significantly predicts both favorable attitudes and responsible intentions. While perceived surveillance does not directly affect attitudes, it positively shapes subjective norms and behavioral control. These findings suggest that FRT can support prosocial behavior when presented as beneficial and empowering. Organizers should prioritize not only system efficiency but also how surveillance is communicated and perceived. Normative messaging, staff modeling, and opt-in options can enhance agency and foster alignment with shared expectations. FRT should be positioned as part of a broader behavioral strategy, not solely as a security upgrade.
At the outset, the Brisbane 2032 Olympics were contractually obliged to be delivered as “climate positive” Games, raising questions about event organizers’ ability to mitigate the carbon footprint of global sport events. In addressing this issue, our study aims to a) estimate the carbon footprint of the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and b) examine to what extent and how sport event organizers can control or influence its carbon footprint. Based on the IOC Carbon Footprint Methodology, we estimate the total Brisbane 2032 Olympics carbon footprint to be 3,948 kt CO2 under a business-as-usual scenario. With 46% of the carbon footprint stemming from Construction, 32% from Operations and 22% from national and international spectator travel, bolder mitigation initiatives across the structure, scope and design of the event concept are needed to truly achieve climate positive Games. In the context of the Circles of Influence framework, we critically discuss implications and offer recommendations for sport event managers and policy makers.
Culturally attuned Sensoryscape frameworks are critical for delivering sustainable spectator engagement as Australia prepares for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games. This study conducts a systematic literature review of Sensoryscape research (2010–2024), combining bibliometric analysis with the Theory, Context, Characteristics, Methodology (TCCM) framework and PRISMA protocols to map theoretical foundations, geographic and cultural coverage, key variables, and methodological approaches. The review reveals strong growth in multisensory event scholarship but a dominant Western, consumer-centric bias, limited empirical attention to Australian sport, and weak integration of Indigenous and multicultural perspectives. Drawing on secondary and gray literature, the article identifies how Australian spectatorship, rooted in communal rituals, Indigenous custodianship, and multicultural practices, challenges prevailing individualized models of sensory engagement. On this basis, it develops a culturally adaptive Sensoryscape framework that positions cultural context as the central mediator of sensory experience, links physical and digital sensory design to outcomes such as sense of home, nostalgia, and team loyalty, and highlights pathways from sensory design to sustainable legacy. Practically, the article provides a roadmap for policymakers, event organizers, and venue designers to cocreate Indigenous- and community-led sensory environments for Brisbane 2032 and outlines future research priorities to embed culturally grounded methods and longitudinal evaluation in Sensoryscape scholarship.
Crowding is a powerful factor that overwhelms human beings. For the exhibition industry, minimizing psychological congestion under the condition that the established visitors cannot be reduced is the core concern. Based on stimulus overload theory and arousal attribution theory, we established a 2 (exhibition environment: outdoors vs. indoors) × 2 (the order of visit: orderliness vs. disorderliness) between-subject scenario experimental design in a high-tech exhibition scenario to investigate the effect of exhibition conditions on tourists’ crowding perceptions. Several novel findings were obtained: 1) the exhibition environment and exhibition order affect individual perception of crowding; 2) crowding perception fully mediates only the relationship between the exhibition environment and emotion; 3) personality (introversion vs. extroversion) moderates visitors’ perceptions of crowding; and 4) visitors’ emotions fully mediate the relationship between perceived crowding and perceived value. This article provides a systematic theoretical analytical framework for understanding the phenomenon of crowding from a social and environmental psychology perspective and has practical implications for crowding management and visitor experience value optimization in the exhibition sector.
The study explores the concept of event evangelism and investigates how event experience influences event evangelism, mediated by event commitment. A survey-based questionnaire collected 721 responses from devotees who attended the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025. Through literature review and exploratory factor analysis (EFA), the study identifies eight key antecedents of event experience. Further, hypotheses and mediation effects were tested using PLS-SEM. Findings reveal that digital historical storytelling, spiritual motivation, service quality, and safety significantly influence event experience. Additionally, event commitment partially mediates the relationship between event experience and event evangelism. This research makes a significant theoretical contribution by applying the SOR model in the underexplored context of religious mega-events and by introducing two novel constructs: event evangelism and digital historical storytelling. On the practical front, the study provides actionable insights through importanceâ–“performance map analysis (IPMA), identifying high-impact areas such as safety and service quality that event organizers can prioritize to enhance attendees’ evangelism.
This article analyzes the live Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) event to explore how contemporary sport spectacles are governed through affective and communicative forms of control. Drawing on Blackshaw and Coetzee’s concept of performative governmentality and Debord’s theory of the spectacle, it examines how spontaneity and participation are choreographed within a commercial event ecology. Based on ethnographic research conducted between 2016 and 2023, the study conceptualizes a system of decentered control in which fans are both empowered and regulated. Building on Harper’s idea of communicative ontology, it argues that fans’ chants, costumes, songs, and humor constitute the event’s affective texture while serving the aims of the PDC and media broadcasters. The analysis reveals that control operates through atmosphere rather than authority, transforming spectators into cocreators of value. The article concludes by highlighting implications for event managers seeking to design participatory yet ethically governed live experiences.
