Purpose The purpose of this paper is to get insights on a real-life portfolio of events from a demand-centred prospective, based on the identification of factors influencing the degree of attendee’s satisfaction, with the ultimate aim of identifying commonalities and prospective cross-leverage strategies among events. Design/methodology/approach Data from attendees to three major events taking place in Funchal, the capital city of Madeira, were analysed based on multivariate statistics and categorical regression owing to the overwhelming presence of categorical data in the database. The econometric analysis pursued in this paper is based on a sample of 1,830 tourists. Findings The research demonstrates that the impact of the socio-economic variables and travel arrangements on attendees’ satisfaction is rather irrelevant, irrespective of the event under analysis, with cross-cutting factors defining the overall quality of any event (mainly technical aspects such as aesthetical elements, organization and opening hours) determinant in predicting the overall degree of satisfaction. Another key finding relates to the existence of a number of commonalities among events, in terms of tourists’ profiles, market orientation, themes and resources laying ground to define ready-to-apply cross-leverage strategies. Research limitations/implications The analysis concentrated on three major events taking place in the capital city of a peripheral region. The content of the questionnaire co-developed with the destination management organization with order to get access to a large sample of respondents. Practical implications Lessons to be learnt in terms of managing a disparate collection of events developed over time in an ad hoc manner. A few examples of cross-leverage strategies are put forward. Originality/value The analysis and empirical content portrayed in this study contribute to the literature on event portfolio via description of real-life case examples of how to develop competencies based on post-event analysis in a proactive manner.

Due to their dynamic nature and importance in the service process definition, customers’ expectations have gained attention from researchers and practitioners, and have been essentially focused in developed countries from the Northern Hemisphere. Still, countries, regardless of the hemisphere, have different levels of socioeconomic development and cultural patterns that can have different influence on customers’ expectations about a service. In this sense, the main purpose of this research is to understand if culture equally influences customers’ expectations about a service in countries with different cultural patterns and human development levels. The multigroup analysis using structural equation modelling was used to calculate the regression weights for all the path combinations in the analysis for each proposed group of countries. About 1262 customers from 10 Latin countries were enrolled in this study to determine their expectations about the hotel service and cultural dimensions. Findings show that cultural dimensions influence customers’ expectations about the hotel service differently in groups of countries with different cultural patterns and levels of human development. Results also indicate that hotel managers should adapt the service to the level of human development of each group of countries when it comes to internationalisation.

The Laurisilva of Madeira is an important natural resource as well as a location for nature-based tourism and recreational activities. Despite UNESCO’s concerns and recommendations for assessing tourism capacity, the local population is perceived as overusing this resource; yet precisely how many tourists visit its most popular areas remains unknown. Tourism carrying capacity (TCC) was assessed on two Rabaçal trails using a specific formulation relating physical aspects to environmental correction factors. Tourism carrying capacity was found to be below theoretical limits, and trail access was not restricted despite being a major concern in natural resource management.

This essay introduces islands as urban artifact and archipelagos as urban model in order to deepen the rich interdisciplinary discussion between island and urban studies through the specificity of an architectural analysis of islands as built form and archipelagos as urban systems. Four examples are presented here to demonstrate the use of islands as “urban artifacts” and archipelagos as “urban models” within architecture and urban discourse. Built island artifacts and the widespread use of archipelago as model for urban design have been deployed as apparatuses of political power and social exclusion, often in conflict with ecological systems. Island Studies provides a novel interdisciplinary lens for furthering analyses of the social equity and climate crises imperatives implicit in the use of islands and archipelagos as metaphors in architecture and urban design. In conclusion, the paper links Island Studies and oceanic thinking to the concepts of patch dynamics and the metacity. By reconceiving planetary urbanism as an oceanic rather than terrestrial system, this essay seeks to critically propose the critical and reflective use of island artifacts and archipelago models as designed ecosystems of meaning, inclusion, and belonging within seas of difference.

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