To go or not to go? Exhibition attendees’ risk perception of COVID-19: Evidence from three Asian regions

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacts the exhibition industry. It alters the travel behavior of potential exhibition attendees, whose risk perceptions of COVID-19 have become a central issue swaying the “to go or not to go.” Applying Elaboration Likelihood Model, this study investigated the relationship between SNS information quality and source credibility, exhibition attendees’ satisfaction, and behavioral intention. Moreover, the moderating role of the perceived risk of COVID-19 between satisfaction and behavioral intention was examined. Drawing upon 334 respondents from three Asian exhibition destinations (i.e., Mainland China, Macau, S.A.R., and Malaysia), this study found that the risk perception of COVID-19 positively moderates the relationship between satisfaction and behavioral intention. The results of this study provide theoretical and practical implications to the academics and practitioners of the exhibition industry.

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)
• exhibition industry
• risk perception
• travel behavior

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Prof. Rob Law for his expertise and assistance throughout all aspects of our study. Also, thank Prof. Iris Yuan and Prof. Cheris Chow for their advice and comments. The authors, however, bear full responsibility for the paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).