Effects of Destination Image on Meeting Participation Intentions: Empirical Findings from a Professional Association and its Annual Convention

Abstract

Understanding association members' evaluations of site attributes helps prospective meeting destinations to target associations and thus improve their chances of acceptance. Further, associations may need their members' insights into which attributes are more or less important, so they can select a meeting destination based on preferred attributes. With the purpose of helping both associations and meeting destinations achieve their common goal, which is to maximise meeting attendance, this study investigated the role of destination image in association meeting participation, using the intention-based structural model. In addition, destination attributes were comprehensively analysed and their relative influences on image formation were explored. The results of structural model evaluation revealed that destination image is closely linked to expected performance based on destination attributes, and the destination image positively affects association members' intentions to attend the meeting.

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