Dr James Musgrave

This theme issue poses the question: “is there a need for sustainable management within the events industry?” The events industry faces far reaching and industry-specific challenges such as supplier disruption, numerous consumer-related issues, increasing operating costs and wider impacts from economic disparity and legislative changes. In response, this issue considers the principles of sustainable management and the potential applications to events management.

This volume provides a systematic guide to the current state of knowledge on tourism and sustainability.

Review of the funded year long project from MPi Foundation on the value of CSR in the Meetings Sector.

Using examples from the gamut of hospitality, this book explores issues around people, services and spaces.

Purpose – This article attempts to provide a concise overview of the approaches towards managing events in a changing market environment and summarises issues of responsibility, sustainability and quality management within events organisations. Design/methodology/approach – In doing so, the paper will reconcile elements of corporate social responsibility and sustainable development within organisations. Whilst within a context of the events industry, the article will synthesise total responsible management and concepts of sustainable events management and provide an introduction towards a premise of responsible events management. Findings – A mapping of management models found parallels that can be drawn upon to create a responsible event management approach, embedded by an amalgamation of quality management and sustainable principles. Practical implications – In essence, the combination of approaches enables a business value and ethical led development towards responsible management and one which represents a holistic understanding and strategic intent to reduce event organisation impacts. Originality/value – This article represents a theoretical introduction to concepts that underpin the development of knowledge towards sustainable management within the events industry and will allow students, academics and practitioners to develop an introductory awareness.

Review of CSR guidance and practices in the event sector

This article profiles the travel behaviour of sport fans against the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM) and its application to sport events. Using the four constructs of the TTM, we distributed a self-reporting survey to sport fans prior to home fixtures. There is some synergy with the theorised stages of change and processes of change in this context. Notwithstanding, the results show a high level of commitment to others in the early stages of change - a movement away from the prescribed theory. Results from decisional balance and self-efficacy items reaffirm the congruence with theory and the application of the TTM to sport fans and their travel behaviour. These results assess the application of a stage-based model of change within a sport event context; it provides an exploration of the antecedents of behaviour change indicators relevant to sport fans, thus enabling policy makers to make informed decisions about future travel behaviour change.

The meeting and events industry has taken deliberative steps to establish itself as an industry that is ever-growing and an economic powerhouse. Although there is established student and industry interest for event education, the value of current higher education programs has been questioned by event professionals. This research explores current event programs internationally and to what extent the subject of event management has changed and evolved within academia.

Internationalization of higher education has changed radically over the last few years. There has been a transition from Internationalization Abroad (IA) initiatives, like semester exchange, summer schools, study abroad, and faculty exchanges involving limited student and faculty mobility to Internationalization at Home (IaH) initiatives, like collaborative online international learning (COIL), virtual internships, and collaborative virtual industry-based projects (CVIBP) that connect large number of students and faculties across universities virtually thereby reducing inequalities involved in the attainment of sustainable development goal (SDG 10). Moreover, the role of university education in reducing social inequality within and between countries has increased, with a particular focus on gender equality, financial inclusion and other aspects thereby leading to attainment of SDG10. Students as major stakeholders of higher education institutions (HEIs) will act as future change agents toward fostering sustainable development in the society. Therefore, in this chapter, the role of students as mobile quanta of knowledge and part of the sustainable development movement is explored. This chapter explores the relationship between internationalization in higher education and the SDGs with a focus on SDG 10. This chapter explores the internationalization opportunities and sustainability initiatives initiated by different universities across the world in the realization of the UN Agenda 2030 and SDG 10 through the lens of students studying in these universities. The chapter further explores the futuristic role of HEIs toward the attainment of SDGs with SDG 10 in particular.

This conceptual paper adds to the theoretical exploration of interorganisational pro-environmental knowledge transfer in small and medium sized tourism enterprises (SMTEs). It does so by focusing on the role of trust, a concept which has received only scant attention in this context. Drawing on theoretical and empirical research, we argue that the willingness of SMTE managers to engage in the transference of proenvironmental tacit knowledge is based on their intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, coupled with the perceived trustworthiness of both the message and social actors involved. It remains a challenge for SMTE managers to receive, absorb and respond to appropriate proenvironmental knowledge, based on organisational needs. The paper makes an important contribution to the work on proenvironmental knowledge transfer in tourism by proposing a model of four key antecedents of trust in the knowledge transfer process – self efficacy, social norms, credibility of knowledge source and social capital between actors. We identify a future research agenda including the need to assess the weighted impact of each antecedent of trust; establish the influence of tourism networks and communities of practice (CoPs) on trust formation and development; explore if peer perception intervenes in tacit knowledge transfer between pro-active and reactive SMTE manage

Business reputation, competitive advantage, differentiation and regulatory adherence are all factors that are pushing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) centre-stage within the international meetings industry. However, attempts to simplify what is essentially a complex and contextual driven movement through certification and guides has created an incomplete understanding of the salient issues; contemporaneously ignoring contextual variables rather than acknowledging these and the impact these variables have on CSR practice and acceptance. The purpose of this paper is to explore the contextual debate of CSR adaptation and practice within the meetings sector within a framework of an ecological systems theory. The authors applied a constant comparison process across 90 interview transcripts in order to establish a rigorous audit trail of analysis. 8 practices were identified– Green Technology, Legislation, Transparency and Reliability, Non-Financial Donations, Workforce, Community Engagement, Supply Chain Management and Volunteer Labour. These 8 practices were then applied to the constructs of an ecological systems model and an exploration of contextual factors was considered. In recognising a systems approach to CSR there is an acceptance that there isn’t one best method and that different values, implementation approaches and evaluation mechanisms of CSR can lead to similar results.

Purpose: Interpretation of, and commitment to, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) differs from country to country, resulting in variances in implementation and achievement. It is theorised that these variances originate from organisational context and cultural mores. Meeting Planners need to be aware of contextual differences in CSR around the globe in order to assess the impact of these variances in the workplace. Yet there is limited research dedicated to contextual variances of CSR in the meetings industry. As such, the objective of this paper is twofold: first, to understand whether Meeting Planners in America and Western Europe differ in their current and future motives for engaging with CSR. Second, to establish whether the differences in motivation are influenced by their conceptual understanding of CSR or the wider socio-economic and political contexts within which Meeting Planners operate either side of the Atlantic. The authors analysed over one thousand self-reporting questionnaires from Meeting Planners across the two continents. Results were analysed using un-related t-tests in order to establish if the two groups differ in their underlying motives to engage with CSR. An exploratory factor analysis was used to determine how Meeting Planners conceptualised CSR across the two continents, based on the conceptual constructs of CSR. Results from the study show there is a strategic motive to engage in CSR within both American and Western European Meeting Planners. American Meeting Planners suggest stakeholders’ motives currently dominate and will remain at the forefront of practice in the future. Presently, European Meeting Planners identify egoistic motives to engage in CSR. The findings also show that, in contrast to America, CSR practice in Europe will change in the future as value-driven motives become prevalent. Finally, analysing items aligned to economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic concepts of CSR, findings revealed that the existing theorised construction of CSR cannot be easily applied to Meeting Planners. The paper provides further evidence of context as a defining factor in CSR. As a consequence, the findings demonstrate the incongruent nature of CSR practice. The results advance the application of CSR to Meeting Planner’s practice in both America and Western Europe, re-igniting the definitional debate of CSR within the meetings industry.

Purpose: To translate theory into a practical tool, the purpose of this paper is to provide a conceptual framework for the development of social marketing strategies to modify event attendee behaviour in a sustainable direction. Design/methodology/approach: Consumer value is synthesised with social marketing and consumer behaviour theory to develop the framework. A major problem for festivals (throwaway tents) and current pro-environmental practices are used to determine the framework's applicability. Findings: The conceptual framework suggests that achieving desired behaviour(s) within an audience requires consideration of the added value at the downstream level, strategies that recognise offsite/onsite behaviour settings, engagement of upstream advocacy and more attention to the evaluation of success. Research limitations/implications: A single low-involvement behaviour example is used to validate the conceptual framework suggesting further work is needed to widen tests of its applicability. Originality/value: This paper synthesises theory into a framework that has significant potential as a tool to develop behavioural change strategies at events.

Sustainable management is an important consideration for businesses and organisations, and the enormous number of tourism events taking place requiring facilities, power, transport, people and much more makes sustainable event planning a considerable priority. By looking at mega events, sports events, conferences and festivals, this book uses best practice case studies to illustrate sustainable management issues and practical considerations that managers need to apply, providing an essential reference for researchers and students in leisure and tourism.

This chapter examines the relationship between economic impacts and potential benefits that events may bring to host communities. In addition, there is an exploration of measures of economic impacts and of ways in which host communities formulate their decisions. Finally, the chapter looks at contextualizing the catalytic effect that ensues when there is an increase in investment due to events taking place. The case study approach is used to support the arguments in the literature.

Studies into tourism enterprises acknowledge the importance of trust in facilitating effective pro-environmental knowledge transfer and action. Yet empirical support remains inconclusive. Firstly, this research tests the validity of a model proposing four antecedents of trust-based decisions in tourism enterprises; self-efficacy, social norms, social capital, and credibility. Secondly, we deconstruct the knowledge transfer process, focusing on the mediating effect of trust on the intention to act sustainably upon transferred knowledge. The study surveyed UK-based tourism enterprises using a structural equation approach to test the validity of the model. Bootstrap analysis was employed to assess how trust-based decisions inform pro-environmental knowledge transfer and behavioural intentions. Findings validate all four antecedents with social norms found to be the most influential antecedent in pro-environmental knowledge transfer. Secondly, they validate the role of trust in lubricating the transition from pro-environmental knowledge transfer to the intention to behave sustainably. Future qualitative studies are proposed alongside practical implications. Specifically, the study suggests tourism managers should prioritise social norm interventions in any pro-environmental knowledge transfer initiatives and focus on those actors who are most trusted in organisations to deliver pro-environmental messages.

MPI unveils its penultimate research study that investigates CSR at a deeper level—including the barriers and challenges to achieving it, best practices and the level of engagement with formal and accredited programs. The research is based on more than 2,300 surveys representing businesses and delegates from more than 150 countries and 90 interviews with industry stakeholders.

Purpose: This article explores: 1) student perceptions and understanding of Events Management; 2) how Events Management is positioned by different UK higher education providers through their online marketing; and 3) the perceived value of an Events Management degree among students. Findings: Students demonstrate a lack of knowledge about what Events Management is, what a career in Events Management might entail and, the perceived value of an Events Management degree. This suggests the need to re-position Events Management degrees within a broader applied management base. Course marketing presents a narrow view of Events Management degrees. This does a disservice to Events Management as the narrow vocationally-laden narrative undersells and ‘over-vocationalises’ Events Management degrees. Design/Method/Approach: A mixed-methods approach, combining an online student questionnaire (n=524), semi-structured interviews with current first year Events Management students (n=24) at two UK universities, and website analysis of all Events Management degrees offered in the UK. Practical implications: Better understanding student perceptions will help Universities market Events Management degrees more effectively and will benefit broader efforts to illustrate the value and credibility of it as a degree subject choice and career. More balanced presentation between the practical and non-practical aspects of the courses in University marketing may help reposition Events Management alongside more readily understood vocational subjects. Originality: This is the first study to examine student perceptions over the credibility of Events Management degrees. It also addresses Park and Park’s (2017) observation that reviews of Events Management education and curricula are conspicuously absent from Hospitality and Tourism journals.

This paper critically examines how future thinking is positioned in the mindset of event professionals through the lens of provocative far future scenarios. In debating these far future scenarios within a polylogue (multiple voices) framework, we explore how dianoetic (discursive reasoning) approaches can facilitate long-term ´civilisational´ thinking and capture stakeholder reactions and emotions to future event environments. As such, our study contributes comparative qualitative insights into how current and future industry professionals respond to the contradictions and complexities of event futures. Our findings have implications for industry resilience and strategic thinking at a time when Covid-19 pandemic recovery has coincided with other global economic challenges and unpredictable threats such as climate change. Our findings highlight the importance of developing effective tools to overcome emotional barriers to thinking about the future. They also reveal the importance of engaging a broad stakeholder demographic and learning from other sectors to diversify conversations about the future.

In this methodology research letter, we describe the development, piloting and large-scale trial of an experimental concurrent group discussion approach. Specifically, we detail how we used provocative 2050 scenarios to ‘open up’ future thinking, facilitate multiple polylogues and efficiently collect large sample qualitative data. The method was trialled with 120 business tourism professionals at the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) conference in Glasgow in 2023. We conclude by reflecting on our learning from the large-scale trial and consider how this method can be developed for other tourism research applications.