Pages: 4

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses the most up-to-date considerations of important aspects of business events, and the Handbook is divided into a logical sequence of discussions with a variety of international case studies. The chapters have been divided into several key clusters which bring together, where possible, discussions of a singular significant theme. The Routledge Handbook of Business Events brings together a thoughtful collection of studies and reflections on event management with a special focus on the significant sector of business events. The impact of all events has been extensively discussed by the industry and in academic studies, but the specific sector of business events has often been somewhat neglected as researchers and governments focus on large scale events in response to questions about public spending.

Pages: 47

No chapter abstract available.

Pages: 16

Business events are considered a valuable component for driving revenue and an important area for event research; however, it has not emerged as a separate field in recent syntheses of event management research. This chapter provides an evaluation of existing reviews discussing business events during the period of 1996–2019 in order to highlight research gaps in the field. Following this, a snapshot of recent literature in business events from 2017 to 2020 is presented to offer some critical implications for business event researchers and organisers. This chapter reveals that the progress related to business events has not been strongly emphasised in the extant literature. The research gaps related to business events literature were rather dispersed and diluted among other dominant types of planned events. Future reviews in event-related research are encouraged to move beyond mere tourism, hospitality and events journals to achieve an inter-disciplinary approach to business events research. It is also useful for event practitioners to familiarise themselves with recent research trends and innovations in business events to be able to adapt rapidly to new environments in a post pandemic world.

Pages: 9

The aim of this chapter is to review the state of the art in national government development activities for the business events sector (or MICE – Meetings, Incentive travel, Conventions, and Exhibitions sector as some parts of the world refer to them). The work is significant because national governments value the MICE sector highly, but not all governments have resources or allocate priorities to build capabilities. For cities, regions or countries attempting to compete with well-established business events destinations, the challenge is enormous, and innovative approaches are required to build competitive advantage. A case study of the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is presented to highlight the multifaceted nature of MICE development goals.

Pages: 11

Business events are highly valuable to the economy and can provide substantial outcomes for attendees; however, these events are susceptible to environmental factors which can impact their success. This chapter considers the need to think strategically when organising events. Event organisers need to think carefully about the feasibility of an event as well as the specific outcomes that are desired. This initial stage is crucial for planning events that provide value through creating a clear purpose. Efficient planning practices include the consideration of the supply-chain and procurement when purchasing for events. For example, developing partnerships or preferred supplier agreements can simplify the purchasing process and help secure cost savings. In order to achieve greater value and quality from business events, standard operating procedures can be developed with suppliers and organizations need to ensure that there is no duplication in the events they are operating. Organizers need to be mindful of the attendee experience as it is paramount to repeat attendance, and this includes duty of care for attendees.

Pages: 9

Business events are sometimes referred to as MICE, a term that is used in some parts of the world to refer to events that deal with the organization of Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions and that due to their distinctive features and economic impact deserve specific attention. The MICE value chain observes the coordinated action of different stakeholders that bring together the services required to produce a corporate event. Intermediaries (outbound and incoming agents) play a determinant role to bring together the needs and wants of buyers and suppliers. However, the services of intermediaries are being bypassed by buyers to save travel expenses and by suppliers to expand their marketing reach. This process of disintermediation is producing a hostile business environment in which intermediaries strive to defend their position of power. Perceived value and the fight for power play a determinant role in the analysis of disintermediation. Intermediaries must show real value in the eyes of clients which will enhance their usefulness and distance them from the preconceived notion of commission-takers that some stakeholders may have of them. The fight for power is evident in the confrontation between outbound and incoming agents to see who rests as the active intermediary in the value chain. Power is also exerted by hotels by means of their executive and asset-based capabilities. However, the future of the MICE industry will always need some type of intermediation due to the complexity of organizing a corporate event. It seems that both intermediaries will share an increasingly shrinking share of the market. Disintermediation will evolve in the purchase of services by means of some services (mainly hotel reservations) being disintermediated, while smaller suppliers will still need intermediation. Disintermediation in the flow of sale will see suppliers (mainly hotels) sell their services directly to clients. In this new scenario, MICE stakeholders will compete and collaborate at the same time to produce corporate events.

Pages: 41

No chapter abstract available.

Pages: 9

Meetings and events are one of the world’s fast-growing businesses with a significant contribution to the national economy. Unlike previously where the impact of business events was difficult to measure, economic measurement has been developed in other similar sectors and can be further generalized to the events industry. This chapter highlights the significance of economic, social, and cultural value of business events, and outlines a number of measurements to assess the impact. In addition to the other impacts, business events offer many opportunities to create a better future. A case study of Poland Meetings Impact is discussed.

Pages: 11

This chapter introduces the concept of social value and its relationship with social impact at tradeshows. Social value is as important to exhibitors as making sales of products or services exhibited at the event. In the context of business events, organisers, exhibitors and visitors all participate in the creation of social value by presenting experiences. At business events, building a quality network of contacts could become one of the measures of social value, which suggests that employees from the exhibiting organisation and the visitors should both be skilled networkers. Tradeshow organisers should be aware of the importance of facilitating social opportunities between exhibitors and visitors. Episodes of social value can increase total social impact of a business event, creating a competitive advantage for the organiser and potentially the exhibitor simply through association with the event. The chapter ends with a brief look at the future impact of technology and changing demographics and how these impact exhibitor and visitor expectations of social value. In summary, this chapter investigates the impact of social value of business events on organisers, exhibitors and visitors and the interplay between the various elements that contribute to the creation of social value.

Pages: 8

Business events are typically considered and researched as events that take place in cities and major urban centres; business events in rural locations have been largely overlooked in the literature. While research has been carried out on the challenges faced by rural small business owners, on women in the agricultural sector in rural areas, and on the beneficial social outcomes of festivals and community events in rural areas, there remains a significant gap in our understanding of the nexus of rural women, business owners, and business events. Through examination of diverse, but related, academic literature and an empirically based case study, this chapter addresses this gap, illustrating the importance of local business events for rural women in business.

Pages: 11

This chapter adopts an attendee centric perspective in its analysis of business events. The key ideas are derived from an analysis of depth interviews with conference attendees from varied backgrounds and age groupings. At the heart of the chapter is a discussion of what attendees perceive as the value they derive through their participation and the multifaceted makeup of this value. Further, there is examination of the other influences which shape the event participants’ motivations, aspirations, engagement and also outcomes. The chapter pinpoints event creators as influential facilitators in this value creation process, emphasising the requirements to achieve this. The chapter embodies a design perspective in identifying the strategic role of event creators and emphasises the integral role of evaluation and therein challenging more conventional evaluation perspectives

Pages: 72

No chapter abstract available.

Pages: 10

The aim of this chapter is to examine the challenges in applying corporate social responsibility (CSR) principles and practices to the corporate meetings sector. The work is significant because the corporate meetings industry involves substantial resource investment by organisations which provide scope for the application of CSR principles. While externally oriented business events tend to attract CSR attention, especially environmental initiatives, less is known about internally oriented business events. This chapter first identifies the scope and nature of responsible corporate meetings and the obstacles to greater application of CSR principles. There is a recognition that the perceived benefits of acting more responsibly are less evident in this sector which leads to suggestions for greater firm consideration, based on a best practice case study of the Hitachi Group.

Pages: 10

This chapter examines how business events, and in particular convention centers, are tackling the challenges presented by the need to enhance the sustainability of their facilities and practices. Taking examples of four major convention centers worldwide (McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, The Convention Centre Dublin, The Vancouver Convention Center and the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre), the chapter considers the differing and innovative ways that these venues are improving their levels of sustainability. Innovations in building materials and design, managing energy and water use, implementing more sustainable waste management and improving procurement and supply chain processes are all examined in this chapter, along with other innovations such as rooftop gardens, air quality improvements and green cleaning systems. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the nature of sustainability in business event venues, taking into consideration the preponderance of tangible initiatives and highlights the opportunities for future patron behavior change campaigns.

Pages: 13

This chapter considers the aspects of venues for business events that could be described as ‘alternative’, encompassing the range of spaces that have a different primary function. In the era of venuefication, almost any space can provide multi-purpose facilities to host an event. Vital push and pull factors have encouraged diverse types of organizations to enter the considerable business event market, shunning traditional hotels and conference centres in search of distinctive and memorable spaces in which to host these demanding events. The chapter considers the development of event venue typologies since 1992, as organisations sought to generate additional income from facilities that were not in use all the time. Universities, sports stadia, museums, concert halls, theatres, historic houses and even parks and churches have joined hotels and purpose-built venues in marketing their space and facilities for this lucrative market. The growth in demand for alternative venues is led in part by the push from event managers and their clients, constantly searching for ways to maximise the one-of-a-kind experience when delivering events to participants. Unusual venues often possess unique selling points to attract business event corporate clients and attendees alike. The chapter considers the criteria that attract corporate event planners to a destination and then to select an appropriate venue. In this way, the brand of the place selected as a host destination for a business event can be as much of a draw to participants as an exciting venue. Yield management techniques enable venue owners to calculate how to utilise their facility’s available space to reach its full economic potential, including the cost of making changes to the physical structure or purchasing additional resources to make business event attendees comfortable. The chapter discusses the challenges that exist in managing existing stakeholders to avoid clashes with new business event clients. The chapter contains two case studies of alternative venues, churches and sports stadia, and proposes new research areas.

Pages: 11

Convention and visitor bureaus, abbreviated as CVBs, are popular and strategic tourism organizations which are in charge of strategically planning, promoting, managing and marketing destinations. Their activities are broad, and they focus on the event industry which offers CVBs an important role in the implementation and development of business events. Due to this importance, this chapter covers the basics of CVBs, their history and development, their functions and various roles such as coordination of destination marketing activities, image development, information sharing, quality assurance, destination planning, destination value creation, public relevance and visitor product development. The last part of the chapter covers practical implications where the Istanbul Convention and Visitors Bureau is chosen as a case study since it is one of the global leaders in the category.

Pages: 15

This chapter analyzes sustainable event policies and standards in the business event context. First, the chapter provides a literature review on (sustainable) event policies and related concepts. On a more practical level, the chapter then demonstrates how an event policy can be implemented in order to plan and organize more sustainable events. In this context, the common areas for sustainable practice are outlined and practical examples provided. The chapter also offers an overview of selected sustainability standards and discusses their benefits and shortcomings. A case study of a convention center in Germany then demonstrates how sustainability can be implemented holistically and is thus reflected in all areas – from the building, to technology, to all operational processes. Finally, the chapter critically discusses the limitations of current research on sustainable events and suggests potential future research avenues.

Pages: 11

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders continue to exercise innovative and entrepreneurial knowledge and skills that have underpinned their stewardship of country for over 60,000 years. Over the second decade of the 21st century, we have witnessed the emergence of an increasing number of business enterprises, including business event enterprises, that are owned and/or operated by First Peoples. The sustainability of these Indigenous businesses, however, is threatened by omnipresent racism and discrimination that continues to impact the extent to which Indigenous business events are perceived and respected as ‘legitimate’ businesses that are operating effectively in the global marketplace. That is, a ‘legitimate’ business event aligns with stakeholders’ performance norms and expectations in order to reveal opportunities for the Indigenous business event to develop and make use of (necessary) relationships with suppliers and other organisations and realise its goals and objectives. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss issues of racism and discrimination in Australia before exploring associated implications for Indigenous business events. The discussion is situated within organisational legitimacy theory which provides a lens for considering racism and discrimination and the extent to which they influence the perceived legitimacy of Indigenous business events. Importantly, organisational legitimacy theory is a western centric construct, therefore it does not take into account Indigenous knowledge systems and world views. Moreover, it is not about Indigenous business events ‘fitting in’ with ‘mainstream’ events. Rather, organisational legitimacy strategies facilitate opportunity for a two-way exchange in terms of knowledge, values and business norms. Additionally, the strategies provide opportunity for Indigenous business events to influence stakeholder networks through advocacy and influence so broader networks can incorporate beliefs and socio-cultural norms that reflect elements of the Indigenous business event and ideally facilitate positive benefits including the mitigation of pervasive racism and discrimination.

Pages: 38

No chapter abstract available.

Pages: 9

The fast-developing technology brought unprecedented transformation to the tourism and hospitality industry, in particular mobile technologies which are now indispensable in service environments. Likewise, organizers and eventgoers are embracing new technology in all aspects of and in each stage of event operations. Using a case study of a business event in Macau SAR China during the COVID-19 pandemic, this chapter highlights the pros and cons from the perspective of the organizers. The use of technology in events has surpassed the functional and hedonic purposes of event organization as contemporary eventgoers are expecting new, exciting and quality event experiences and engagement to achieve their social goals. It is also imperative for event organizers to involve customers at all stages of event planning, in particular with the continued advancement of technology that empowers customer co-creation of experience.

Pages: 10

Advances in information and communication technology (ICT) over recent decades have had significant impacts on business in most fields. This is particularly true within the business event industry, where the introduction of information technology has underpinned enhanced relationships between event organisers and their delegates as well other stakeholders. Increasing competition in the industry and changing delegate expectations have pressured event organisers to find ways to more effectively use technologies within business events. Therefore, understanding the role of each form of technology is a key way for event organisers to maximise their capacity and to enhance the overall delegate experience. This chapter presents a historical timeline of the development of information and communication technology in business events, explains some of the key ICTs and explores how these technologies can help event organisers enhance the delegate experience. Additionally, the future of ICT in business events is provided and some of the challenges that might be faced in using these technologies are discussed.

Pages: 17

The global COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a fundamental shift in business events. As lockdown measures removed the viability of air travel and in-person events, organisations have had to transition to virtual alternatives. Prior to the pandemic, the literature showed that the events industry has traditionally been slow to adopt technological innovations, being apprehensive to virtual events in general. On the research side, it is perhaps unsurprising then that literature on virtual events remains lacking. To address the growing importance of understanding the virtual events landscape, this chapter provides a cursory overview of virtual business events. A virtual events continuum is conceptualised to clarify the differences between the different types and platforms on which virtual substitutes of events or conferences can take place. Two virtual events are also presented as case studies, from which key takeaways and learning lessons are synthesised for future event organisers and researchers.

Pages: 55

No chapter abstract available.

Pages: 10

Sustaining and enhancing competitiveness is major a concern for tourism destinations. There is a wide range of characteristics and factors that can determine competitiveness and a variety of strategies that destinations can pursue in order to improve their overall competitive position. Developing and implementing a consistent strategy for business events is considered a valid approach for destination competitiveness. This is driven by the fact that business events have a significant potential for hosting destinations which include direct and indirect economic impacts. This chapter explores how destinations can enhance their overall competitiveness by expanding their business events strategy. An overview of destination competitiveness and its frameworks is provided and the factors and forces that affect the competitive position of a destination are explained. In addition, the chapter discusses how business events can contribute to overall competitiveness of destinations. In particular, this chapter discusses the critical success factors for destinations to enhance their competitiveness in this high-competitive segment. Finally, a case study of Brisbane is presented to further illustrate the strategies adopted by destinations to enhance competitiveness through business events.

Pages: 9

The tourism sector has been growing in recent years; however, there is a need to diversify the supply to create alternative tourism products. The events industry, in particular business events, allow not only to attract more tourists to the regions but also to stimulate economic development of destinations. The focus on the realization of business events constitutes an excellent option to diversify tourism and improve the image of the destinations. It is precisely in this context that arises this research, which studies the importance of business events for the promotion of tourist destinations, specifically in the Lisbon region. To achieve this purpose, it was important to understand the opinion of the stakeholders from the supply side about the importance of business events in attracting visitors to the region. It is intended that this study provides a contribution to research in the event management area in Portugal.

Pages: 13

Destination management organisations (DMOs) can be an invaluable asset to a business events organiser, providing them with a wide range of support, including venue finding and booking and access to destination services, suppliers, civic support and subvention. Although many are now at least in part privately funded, they have a wealth of destination knowledge and global competition to host business events that have propelled them to be increasingly proactive in attracting the attention of meeting planners. This chapter provides a comprehensive review of the history and development of DMOS, the support and services that they provide and their role in the request for proposal (RFP) and event bidding process. This chapter concludes with a look to the future role of DMOs as not just an intermediary but as a facilitator and presents a case study of the Glasgow Convention Bureau which has achieved extraordinary results for this thriving conference destination.

Pages: 9

Event sponsorship has been a popular marketing strategy, which can enhance sponsor companies’ brand image while covering cost for event organizers. Great scholarly attention has been paid to the issue of event sponsorship. However, the current focuses are limited to mega-events and sports events with relatively little attention paid to sponsorship in business events. As one of the fast growing segments of the global event industry, business events can bring great economic effects as well as cultural prosperity and diversity to the destination. Research on sponsorship at business events is still in its infancy. This chapter is devoted to shifting the current research focus from sponsorship at sports and mega-events to that at business events. AgroChemEx, a major exhibition in the crop protection industry in the Asia-Pacific region, is used as a case. Through a qualitative approach, this research identifies that there are mainly four types of sponsorships at AgroChemEx: cash/financial sponsorship, networking events sponsorship, digital sponsorship, and outdoor advertising sponsorship. The identified sponsorship types share similarities with those at sports events. Nevertheless, the business event context makes networking event sponsorships more attractive to potential sponsors. Moreover, digital sponsorships are identified as a booming trend. Three trends emerge in this research: value-oriented partnership, membership offers to maintain long-term relationships, and high congruence between sponsors and exhibitors. Different from the traditional tiered sponsorship, the value-oriented partnership enables sponsors to adopt the marketing strategies to approach the targeted audiences. Sponsorships at business events are not one-off and organizers are keen to develop long-term partnerships with sponsors, and membership is one strategy. Most of the sponsors are exhibitors of the exhibition itself. This confirms the previous finding that highlights the fitness between sponsors and the event with the goal of enhancing sponsor credibility and consumers’ attitude towards sponsors.

Pages: 12

The tourism industry predominantly maintains a close liaison with events and functions depending upon destinations and time. The events take a significant bearing in the industry from local to global, depending on its size and gatherings. Business events are generally considered more significant in size and formal in nature associated with various facets of tourism. More attention to the events can raise the importance of the destination and boost the overall tourism industry. In recent times, the new media are major attention seekers in every sector, and the rapid adoption of the new media has transformed the paradigm of marketing in a new direction. The marketing of business events has changed from the traditional way to the new media in which social media marketing is the preferred one. Several factors of social media, such as extensive market coverage, secure platform, and end-to-end communication, are also significant in event marketing. The initial section of the chapter is conceptualized to understand the social media marketing of business events and the adopted marketing frameworks. In event marketing, the target audience is different, and when it comes to social media, it is essential what, where, and when to post. Event marketing is a continuous process before the event, during the event, and after the event. The final section of the chapter describes social media marketing in different phases of business events, and several implacable strategies are suggested for better use of social media in the future.

Pages: 52

No chapter abstract available.

Pages: 10

An event is characterized by a gathering of people for a specific purpose. In particular, business events include company conferences, trade shows, product launches, fashion shows, seminars, workshops, award ceremonies, and exhibitions, all undertaken by organizations to explore and expand business fortunes. These are the platform for networking and generating opportunities. Depending on the type of event, there is a need for different levels of preparation and planning. Event management is the business of creating events and it involves identifying the target audience, addressing a client’s needs, preparing a concept, planning, coordinating the logistics, and executing the event. Thus, the event is an interactive process that requires proper planning, execution, and the support of technicalities to fulfill the customers’ expectations. This chapter explains the event planning process, which comprises several sequential and interrelated steps within the hospitality industry. The chapter highlights the role of various hospitality sections in organizing business events. Hotels provide an ideal setup for events, and even if the event is not organized in a hotel, several hospitality services are required depending upon the demands of a venue. This chapter aims to elaborate on the processes followed in hotels for organizing a business event. It also highlights the importance of food and beverage services, logistics, and protocols at business events, which relates an event to hospitality services. It is appropriate to say that hospitality is possible without an event, but an event is impossible without hospitality.

Pages: 11

Hospitality in business events is important and it has multiple functions for event stakeholders, especially in events organized by governments. This research explores the meaning and definition of the hospitality at international business events and, in particular, those held by the Chinese government. Furthermore, it proposes a framework that reflects the characteristics of international business events’ hospitality in the context of the Chinese government. The discussion is based on in-depth interviews with hotel managers who frequently participated in the Chinese government’s hospitality process of international business events. This study has implications for government agencies and hospitality industry practitioners for organizing international conferences.

Pages: 11

This chapter critiques the traditional view of content for business events and assesses creative alternatives. It argues that developing the content for a business event is so much more than planning who is going to say what. The chapter proposes a process that begins by agreeing on the purpose, style and structure of the event. The chapter challenges traditional meeting and event design, identifying innovative approaches that encompass learning and professional practice, taken from the contexts of training and development, group facilitation, and teaching. The evolution of business events has been influenced by strategic business models such as scenario methodology that embedded formal structured and informal opportunities for strategic conversations that contributed to an organisation’s culture. The introduction of trained facilitators provided added benefits to an interactive process experience. Approaches such as Open Space Technology and World Café were developed to facilitate working with larger groups of people to access collective wisdom within a hospitable space. Even higher education teaching developed to include interactive, learner-driven experiences, and these ideas transferred into the business events culture. Yet the traditional conference of people sitting passively listening to a speaker continues. Business event organisers have embraced the language and the style of emerging fashionable trends in events, emulating the appearance of a festival, or rebranding the end of conference dinner as an ‘after-party’. This chapter critiques the superficiality of come changes and considers the development of TED events and Pecha Kucha formats. The case studies reflect on the work of practitioners who value and promote integrated engaging business events, taking into account the environment in which the event takes place. Finally, the chapter considers the future development of the construction of business event content and suggests a new model to facilitate this process.

Pages: 14

Unlike many other sectors, tourism and related tourism activities show extremely high levels of vulnerability in terms of crisis. In fact, previous experience has taught that crises with fatal outcomes usually resulted in almost immediate abandonment of previously planned trips by travellers. Business events are no exception to this rule. In current political and environmental turmoil on the global scale, business events may be easily affected by different types of crisis. Thus, considering their high vulnerability, assessing risks and preparation of valid crisis management plans and procedures is of utmost importance for the business events industry. Unfortunately, only a small portion of the literature has been explicitly focused on the risk and crisis management of the business events making this field largely unexplored. This chapter contributes to the existing knowledge by addressing the issues of risk and crisis management focusing on the Convention and Visitor Bureau (CVB) risk and crisis activities from a destination perspective. To illustrate the risk and crisis phenomena within the business event context, a case study of the Barcelona Convention bureau is proposed. The chapter proposes the generalizable risk and crisis management guidelines to CVB, in order to help them to formulate crisis management plans or to enhance already existing ones.

Pages: 4

As the gravity of the COVID-19 situation became clear, all authorities directed inhabitants to distance themselves from others and in addition, closed most opportunities for events of any kind. Consequently, destinations everywhere were affected by government regulations which rendered face to face business events unprofitable or actually impossible. Destination managers and researchers have long understood that events are increasingly playing a significant role in marketing destinations and stimulating visitor spending. The educational aspects of business events are under explored in the literature and this lacuna needs to be addressed so that event organisers are more able to promote this value to the community. Clearly, all business events must increasingly be responsive to new ways of reducing carbon footprint around the world. They can do this by clearly abiding with all government regulations which are aimed at reducing the environmental impact of large gatherings.