To read this content please select one of the options below:

Service performance quality evaluation and satisfaction in a USA wine festivalscape: Buying behavioural effects

Johan Bruwer (School of Marketing, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.)
Kathleen Kelley (Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA)

International Journal of Event and Festival Management

ISSN: 1758-2954

Article publication date: 16 March 2015

1284

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the links between perceived festival service performance quality, satisfaction, buying wine at the event, and the first-time/repeat tourist dynamic.

Design/methodology/approach

The research was conducted on 368 attendees at a major wine festival in the northeast USA using intercept face-to-face interviews.

Findings

The facility-related quality aspects are a stronger predictor of buying behaviour than activity-related aspects and amenities. A relationship between performance quality perception and satisfaction could not be found. 35-year and older repeat visitors are the highest yielding festival visitor group from a financial viewpoint. First-timers are far more short-term oriented than repeat visitors when making the final decision to attend the festival event.

Research limitations/implications

It is very important to achieve a high degree of repeat festival attendance as this directly influenced the financial gains in selling more wine. The nature and types of activities offered at a festival must be cohesive with the theme of the event. The festival activities offered should be continually evaluated for signs of wear out, and renewed, or replaced if necessary.

Originality/value

The research provides a new perspective to festivalscape knowledge in that it identifies the first-time and repeat visitor dynamic as a strong predictor of actual buying behaviour at a festival. The higher the proportion of repeat visitors, the higher the likelihood of (wine) buying.

Keywords

Citation

Bruwer, J. and Kelley, K. (2015), "Service performance quality evaluation and satisfaction in a USA wine festivalscape: Buying behavioural effects", International Journal of Event and Festival Management, Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 18-38. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEFM-04-2014-0009

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Related articles