Editorial

Citation

(2013), "Editorial", International Journal of Event and Festival Management, Vol. 4 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijefm.2013.43404baa.001

Editorial

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: International Journal of Event and Festival Management, Volume 4, Issue 2.

The reasons that people become involved in events, either as attendees, organisers or active participants are manifold and complex. Knowledge of the different perceptions of event experiences across the range of event types from sporting competitions to music festivals to commemorative ceremonial occasions and the associated levels of satisfaction with those experiences is explored in this issue. Involvement and support at the community and destination level is of great import to event organisers and this is also covered in this issue.

The propagation and dissemination of event knowledge is the subject of the paper by Stadler, Reid and Fullagar who use an ethnographic approach to investigate knowledge management within a Queensland music festival organisation. Building knowledge into the organisational culture of events and festivals that are recurring but have few permanent staff and a high number of volunteers presents a major challenge. However, this can be addressed through immersion in the organisation and reflection upon the narratives solicited through personal interviews and observation.

The specific reasons for, and constraints to participation in events are investigated by Santos-Lewis and Moital. The Leisure Participation model was used to segment participants in a Salsa Dancing Festival and structural, intra- and interpersonal constraints identified. They find that levels of skill explain participation in such events, with more specialised participants considering the event as more central to their lives. Furthermore, levels of specialisation explain the types of event attended, travel patterns and constraints to event participation and there is interaction between these themes.

The importance of sporting events in city planning and urban tourism has long been recognised in the literature and has significant economic, social and environmental implications. Presenza and Sheehan examine the specific social implications of the hosting of events through analysis of community attitudes towards a portfolio of sporting events. Clustered responses identified a range of community responses towards the development of tourism and sporting events that highlight the need for community education and engagement when identifying strategies and resources that support long-term destination competitiveness.

Commitment to the management of mega-events as a member of an Organising Committee, with a limited life span and career trajectory is the subject of research by Odio, Walker and Kim. There is also a range of individual stressors associated with these positions, both work- and non-work-related, including workload, time pressure, roles, job insecurity and family-work conflict. Coping strategies to respond to specific stressors through taking action to reduce stress or addressing the emotional effects of stress are also identified. This paper sheds new light on the unique set of challenges faced by event organisers and the range of actions and responses that can be taken by those seeking a career in event management.

Finally, Gues, Richards and Toepoel bring the focus of this issue back to event participants in examining the event experience and effect on both motivation and satisfaction. Using Self-Determination Theory as the frame for their research, the links between motivation and satisfaction in an event context are explored. Intrinsic motivations relate to the satisfaction gained from participation in an event and extrinsic motivations relate to achieving specific outcomes and as such are considered as opposite ends of a continuum. A number of hypotheses were tested and the moderating and deterministic effects of different motivations on satisfaction confirmed a strong and positive relationship, but with some variation between motivation types.

As the journal prepares to farewell its Founding Editor, Professor Leo Jago and welcome Dr Judith Mair as Co-Editor, it is appropriate to reflect upon the great progress that IJEFM has made. In the four years since Emerald proposed the formation of IJEFM, the journal has become a key research journal in the field of events and festivals. This achievement is due to the increasing quality of research papers submitted by the research community, the generous contributions of reviewers, the guidance provided by the journal's Editorial Advisory Board and Emerald's support all of which are greatly appreciated by the Editors. With your continued support, the journal will cement its international standing as a leading event and festival management journal.