Consumer Perceptions of Special Events: A Multi-Stimulus Validation

Abstract

Confusion seems to exist among consumers and marketers about the nature and identification of special events. This study sought to address this deficiency from a consumer perspective, by consulting a randomly selected sample of 500 adults to identify the attributes or characteristics of special events that they believe are important. This study explored consumer perspectives on special events using four separate techniques, viz., elicitation, direct event rating, attribute rating and conjoint analysis. Despite concerns identified in other studies that the various techniques measure different constructs, quite strong convergence was found between the different techniques. The study found the key attributes of a special event to be the number of attendees, the international attention due to the event, the improvement to the image and pride of the host region as a result of hosting the event, and the exciting experience associated with the event. Respondent ratings of named events were factor analysed to identify key underlyin dimensions or themes that were suggested as the basis for a schema that could be used to categorise special events from a consumer perspective.

Key Words:

• Special event attributes
• consumer perspective
• convergent validation