COVID-19 and the digitization of business events: how the health crisis accelerated ethical issues

PurposeThe paper aims to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art of the event industry in the context of digitalization to understand how digital technologies change the event industry and what research topics are the most promising for further exploration.Design/methodology/approachA bibliometric analysis of the existing body of knowledge on the topic was conducted and the results were visualized using CiteSpace 5.8.R3. A total of 1999 articles and proceeding papers from the Web of Science Core Collection published between 2007 and 2022 were selected for our analysis. Based on the articles and proceeding papers in the Web of Science Core Collection database, we selected a set of publications for our analysis. The data were obtained through specific keywords related to our research topic. The method involves a process of three main stages: data collection, data processing and the bibliometric analysis.FindingsCo-citation analysis indicated that issues of crowd management and tracking human mobility during mass events are important for the event industry and that technologies such as the Internet of Things, special-purpose mobile applications and systems make it easier for an event organizer to handle the issues. The findings demonstrated a weak scientific collaboration between countries in the topic studied and shift of research hotspots to study of satisfaction, motivation and behavioral patterns of events attendees. Based on this analysis, three directions for future research were revealed.Research limitations/implicationsThe results should be interpreted in light of our sample, because the analysis was conducted within our sample which has boundaries. We collected data from all categories in the Web of Science Core Collection database, but we considered only articles and proceeding papers as opposed to all possible types of scientific publications and other databases. In the study, we focused on detecting the state-of-the-art of the event industry in the context of digitalization overall. More specific topics that could be analyzed remain, for example, the dependency of digital technologies from the event type, etc.Practical implicationsThis study reflects the state-of-the-art of the event industry in the context of digitalization. It provides researchers with key developmental trends in the event industry, which assists them in more deeply understanding the evolution of research hotspots in the field during last 15 years and defining future research agenda. The paper presents an overview of digital technologies used in various types of events and describes the issues and results related to the implementing digital technologies. The results obtained were extremely important, as they can be used by event managers and organizers to enhance customers’ experience during the events.Originality/valueThis study reflects the state-of-the-art of the event industry in the context of digitalization. This is the first attempt to make an overall analysis of scientific papers published in the Web of Science Core Collection on the topic studied without excluding any categories. The search procedure is transparent, and the results can be reproduced in other search fields using the same approach. Based on this analysis, three directions for future research were revealed including technological aspects of online event-based social networks, issues of crowd management and security at mass events and issues of attendees’ acceptance of novel digital technologies.

show abstract

Technological workforces of events: where and how to use them?

Dalgic,

Demircioğlu Dalgıç

2024

WHATT

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify which technologies can be beneficial due to human resource shortages in events and to determine the areas in which these technological applications can be utilized.Design/methodology/approachThis study is designed as a conceptual study that involves a review of the relevant literature, an examination of the current situation, and the presentation of conclusions and recommendations. The study first introduces the technologies used in events and identifies the areas where these technologies can replace human resources. It concludes with a summary of findings and recommendations.FindingsDue to human resource shortages in events, technologies such as robots/robotics, AI, IoT, and AR/VR can be utilized effectively. Robots/robotics can manage participant registration, provide information on products and services, prepare and serve food and beverages, perform (e.g. as dancers or musicians), manage crowds, and ensure security. AI aids in event creation (names, slogans, logos), developing promotional materials, marketing, and data analysis. IoT supports participant registration, check-in processes, venue climate control, heat mapping, and gathering preference data on products and activities. AR/VR enables pre-event space visualization and arrangement, and enhances entertainment and experiences.Originality/valueThis study provides significant insights for both practitioners and academics by highlighting technological applications that can replace human resources in events. Furthermore, it holds value for academics conducting research in event planning and management, allowing them to understand the current situation and identify gaps in the literature for future research.

show abstract

COVID-19 and the digitization of business events: how the health crisis accelerated ethical issues

Cited by 3 publications

References 43 publications

The Digital Transformation of Hybrid and Virtual Meetings and Events in the Greek Meetings Industry

The Digital Transformation of Hybrid and Virtual Meetings and Events in the Greek Meetings Industry

Digitalization in the event industry: a bibliometric analysis

Technological workforces of events: where and how to use them?

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About