ABSTRACT
Why people attend events is the main subject of this chapter, starting with an illustration of six stages that cover antecedents, barriers and constraints, decision-making, event experiences and meanings, evaluation and feedback, involvement, and event travel careers. Each stage is explained before marketing and communications fundamentals are addressed. The discussion covers a range of antecedents, or underlying variables that affect the consumer decision-making process, including personality, values, attitudes, and culture. Event attendees and event tourists must overcome, or negotiate, a range of structural, personal, and interpersonal barriers or constraints. The decision-making process then takes into account information and possible substitutes. This stage is clearly influenced by marketing and communications. The actual experience is instrumental in terms of leading to future behaviours, such as loyalty versus novelty-seeking, and the possible formation of travel careers or involvement in pursuits that might lead to event loyalty. New and social media are featured, and evaluation issues are covered in the final sections. An expert opinion by Barbara Mazza discusses trends in event communications.
