Creating network value The Barcelona Sónar Festival as a global events hub

Designing for events – a new perspective on event design

“…As a result, organisations are no longer focussing on the production of specific services or experiences to attract and maintain customers, but rather on platforms that support exchange and value co-creation amongst peers and over time (Brand and Rocchi, 2011). Richards (2015b) and Richards and Colombo (2017) explain that networks – and particularly informal networks-represent the way in which society is taking shape and argue that the analysis of value creation in events needs to progress from traditional areas of economic, social and cultural value, to focus on new forms of value that are created through linking actors, organisations and individuals. This new notion is underpinned by a perspective on events as social phenomena consisting of material objects and semiotic meanings actively contributing to networks of physical and conceptual elements.…”

“…When events are considered as designed experiences, their success is evaluated during or immediately after they end, but there is little understanding of how stakeholders carry on benefitting and co-constructing relationships and knowledge once the event has taken place and even in geographically dispersed locations (Richards and Colombo, 2017). The traditional approaches and tools of event design can only assist up to a certain extent in explaining how value is created by events.…”

Event experiences: measurement and meaning

“…In these strategies, the production of social interaction was arguably important (Marques et al, 2020), although as Smith (2015) pointed out, efforts at generating entertaining experiences ended up as denigration of the experience of public space through events. The globalisation or 'serial reproduction' of experiences through event networks operating in different cities around the world was also considered by Richards and Colombo (2017).…”

Networked Economic Value Creation in Event Tourism: An Exploratory Study of Towns and Smaller Cities in the UK

“…There have been significant moves towards a more social value approach to events (Deery & Jago, 2010;Fredline, Jago, & Deery, 2003;Wallstam et al, 2018), which we acknowledge warrants future research effort. However, economic impact is often seen as the most important and visible form of value (Richards & Colombo, 2017a), and so this is the focus this paper adopts. Nenonen & Storbacka (2010) suggest that value creation is one of the core elements of all business models.…”

“…It follows calls from Ziakas (2019) and Getz and Page (2016) to further explore the economic value of event portfolios and the role in which networks play in their creation and management. In addition, Richards and Colombo (2017a) suggest that more attention be paid to the network value derived by organisations from events, both locally and globally. This study answers these calls for further exploration through an empirical exploratory study of how economic value is created for event tourism in towns and smaller cities, using the value creating side of the business model canvas as a lens (Osterwalder & Pigneur, 2010).…”