Doing Events Research

From Theory to Practice

Dorothy Fox, Mary Beth Gouthro, Yeganeh Morakabati, John Brackstone

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2014
• ISBN:
  9781317806486
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Hospitality, Travel & Tourism Industry
• Index: Business

Events Management is a rapidly expanding discipline with growing student numbers however currently there are no specifically focused Research Methods texts available to serve this growing cohort. Fulfilling the need for a relevant book which reflects the unique characteristics of research in the field this title provides students with innovative ideas and inspiration to undertake their own research work and informs them of the wide diversity of research strategies and contexts that are available.

Content is written from a researcher's point of view and provides a step by step guide to accomplishing a project or dissertation in the field of events. The reader is guided right from the beginning in selecting a topic for research, identifying aims, objectives and questions and then determining which research methods are the most appropriate and practical. They are then shown how to analyze and interpret their data as well as writing up the project.

Whilst many current texts are skewed either towards qualitative or quantitative methods, Doing Events Research provides a balanced coverage of both. It incorporates not only traditional research methods, but also contemporary techniques such as using social networking websites and Google analytics. Specific research case studies are integrated to make applications accessible to events students and show the unique characteristics of researching in this field. A range of useful learning aids spur critical thinking and further students' knowledge.

This book is visually accessible and whilst written in an engaging style nonetheless maintains academic rigor grounded in research and scholarship. This is essential reading for all events students.

PART I

The context of research

Chapter 1

Introduction

‘Beginning at the end’

Chapter learning outcomes

In this chapter we:

● Introduce the contents of the book

● Identify the outputs and outcomes of research

● Outline the role of research in events management.

Introduction: ‘beginning at the end’

Paradise is a small island in the South Pacific. The government wants to enhance the economic benefits of tourism, by encouraging events and festivals that international visitors will want to attend. The team in the Department for Economic Development begins to draft details of a tender to engage a research consultancy company to undertake research on the island and in those overseas countries that form its main international tourism markets. However, as they do so, they realise that they are unsure as to what exactly they want the researchers to find out for them. So they begin by exploring the events and festivals which they know about already. The members of the Department agree that there are some very good existing events because they have attended them, including sporting events and some cultural festivals organised by the indigenous population. However, they have no idea of the full extent of the island's events nor could they describe them.

Nonetheless, their local knowledge also confirms that there are several good venues for events, including an excellent conference facility, but they are aware that the venues are not close to the island's hotels. There has been some research carried out by the University of Paradise Tourism Faculty. Their survey found for example, that tourists thought the islanders to be very friendly, but that there are not enough taxi cabs. Perhaps, the team realise, the distance to the hotels coupled with the shortage of cabs could explain why the Paradise Convention Centre cannot attract large international conferences. The former colonial power also has some data, but it is very out of date now, yet there is some interesting current material that they could use from the Paradise Island blog. The Department has been instructed to increase tourism spending, but they cannot predict what the impact will be on the local population and the natural environment. The latter is very special because part of the island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In fact, as they continue, they recognise that there is a lot that they will need to know, with very little existing data to draw on.

Introduction

Special events have been a part of human society ever since there have been people to get together for a short time to do something different. More formally, Getz (2012: 40) defines ‘planned events’ as ‘live, social events created to achieve specific outcomes, including those related to business, the economy, culture, society and environment’. He goes on to suggest that ‘event planning involves the design and implementation of themes, settings, consumables, services and programmes that suggest, facilitate or constrain experiences for participants, guests, spectators and other stakeholders’. These stakeholders may be other individuals such as volunteers and event employees, or at an organisational level, include community groups or corporate organisations such as sponsors (Hede 2007). We believe that every aspect that Getz refers to cannot be planned without prior knowledge and that comes from either the perceptions of the organisers from their previous experience or the experiences of others, from whom they have obtained information. This we believe is at the core of events research, recognising what one already knows and drawing on the expertise of others. That expertise may be from previous research but can also be from the stakeholders. For example, only the attendees can tell you what the reasons were for them going to the event. We propose that this process not only needs to be systematic but also, like many endeavours, should conform to societal norms – in this instance of the events industry and/or academia, if its value is to be acknowledged. We set out in this book to provide practical guidance for students and industry practitioners in undertaking research in the field of events management that can contribute to enhancing the experience of event stakeholders.

Imagine if a city sought to develop an events strategy with the aim of enhancing the lives of the people who live and work there. What research do you think they would need to carry out to develop a successful, sustainable plan? There are obviously many aspects that they would need to consider, and using Rudyard Kipling's ‘six honest serving men’ of what, where, when, how, why and who could prompt some initial questions:

● What events already take place in the city?

● Where are there suitable venues for events?

● When would be the best time of the year to have events?

● How could the events be marketed?

● Why does the city want to have an events strategy?

● Who would attend the events?

Perth and Kinross Council developed an events strategy and action plan for 2006–2011 (Perth and Kinross Council c.2003) as part of their ‘vision to become one of Scotland's most successful event destinations by 2015’.

Their research evaluated the following aspects and found:

● The market: 91 per cent of total trips are made by UK residents, of which 64 per cent are Scottish. They are mainly ‘empty nesters’ (i.e. couples aged 45+ whose children have left home) and are predominantly on short breaks.

● Current events: there are a range of over 700 international, national and regional events each year.

● Economic impact: calculated through economic impact assessments.

● Forthcoming major events: the opportunity to bid for major events, such as the 2014 Ryder Cup golf tournament at Gleneagles.

Consider how the authors of the report obtained this information: would it already have been collated, and if not, how could the data be obtained? Who would have the expertise, what methods would need to be used and how could the data be analysed? It is questions like these to which this book aims to provide answers.

This chapter introduces the contents of the book. It encourages you to consider from the start of your research what outputs you want from a research project and to appreciate the role that research plays in the events industry. The title of the book is Doing Events Research: From Theory to Practice, because we hope you will use this book to apply the theory that you learn in lectures and from other sources to real-life research projects. Whilst the principal audience for this text is undergraduate events management students, we hope that it will also help event practitioners, whether professionals in the events industry or volunteers in the charitable sector, who are undertaking research to enhance their events.

Perhaps one of the most daunting tasks as an undergraduate student is when for the first time you are required to produce a significant piece of independent work as a project or dissertation. This may well be something you have not done in the past and whilst the training you receive during your course will always help, the prospect of undertaking an independent piece of research is challenging and can be quite demanding. You may find that you have to select a topic or an approach to a topic, your research aim and objectives and the type of research methodology you are going to use. Your decision on these matters will affect everything you do in your project or dissertation from the very start!

When we first began thinking about writing a textbook, we asked our students what sort of books they liked and what they would want to see in this one. They told us that they didn't like page after page of text, but did like boxes containing information, such as definitions. So for example:

Definition box

Whilst there is no consensus on a precise definition of research, it is usually agreed that it is:

A process of enquiry and investigation
It is systematic and methodical; and
Research increases knowledge.

(Wilson 2010: 2)

We will discuss this further in the next chapter.

The students were concerned that there is so much information available now, that they didn't have time to read it all and wanted us to provide a few shortcuts. So we are going to give you further reading and links to the internet sources that we think are the most useful. They told us too that they sometimes thought that they were the only one who had problems with their research project – so we provide you with numerous examples from not only industry and academic experts, but also from events management students to help give you confidence when you are doing your own research. Some of our students at Bournemouth University have kindly written about their own experiences of doing research for dissertations. They tell you what they got right as well as some of the things that didn't go quite to plan (or even disastrously wrong) so that you can learn from their mistakes. We will also give you tips from our experiences, as we too were, of course, once novices. Finally, our students suggested that having examples to kick start their thinking about research would be useful, so we begin each chapter with one.

Identifying the output and outcome of the research

This chapter is called ‘Beginning at the end’, which may sound counterproductive, but we feel that it is essential because you must identify from the start, the output and outcome of any research. The output is the product created; this may be in a written format or may be something more active, such as a presentation. The outcome is the consequence of producing that output. Understanding exactly what is required and for whom, is essential if you are to be successful. Academic research requires theoretical underpinning as well as empirical data, whereas industry-based research relies more heavily on factual information alone. Business research provides information to inform specific management decisions and whilst academic research may also support commercial decision-making, it tends to be of a more general nature. There can be other differences too. Baines et al. (2009) suggest that in marketing, academic research tends to be applicable in the long term, whereas marketing practitioners are looking for more short-term relevance. This book concentrates on academic research, but many of the same skills apply in the events industry. Chapter 13 describes in more detail the various forms of output, but at this stage, you ju...