Mobile device use at festivals: opportunities for value creation

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand mobile device (MD) use in a festival context. Festivals offer a range of opportunities and activities to use a MD making this context ideal for understanding digital experiences during leisure. The guiding research question asked how do festival attendees use MDs at festivals. The Typology of Human Capability (THC) provided a framework to enhance the understanding of digital experiences at festivals. Design/methodology/approach This research involved six festival case studies where semi-structured interviews were conducted with attendees on-site. Interview questions focused on how festival attendees used MDs during the festival. Data were analyzed using directed content analysis guided by the THC. Findings On-site interviews with 168 attendees revealed that data support the THC dimensions and constructs (sensing, linking, organizing and performing). This typology advances the understanding of the range of digital customer experiences currently available at festivals. Research limitations/implications The addition of context to the THC is recommended to enhance its utility in application. As a limited number of festivals were included, the specific findings may not apply to all festivals but the implications are relevant to a range of festivals. Practical implications Operational definitions of the THC constructs within the festival setting were identified and provide opportunities for developing digital experience offerings. Originality/value This study provided the first comprehensive examination of MD use in festival contexts and in so doing offered data in support of Korn and Pine’s (2011) THC. The findings reveal opportunities for modifying the THC to increase its applicability in a range of settings.

From headliners to hangovers: Digital media communication in the British rock music festival experience

“…This reflects Otto and Ritchie’s (1996) technical environment of the service experience. Van Winkle et al (2016) argue for the importance of such functional information from the festival organiser as information gatekeeper (Schneider and Bowen, 1995) and many respondents acknowledged the importance of accessing this information early on, to help start their own planning and preparation: It more affects my planning . .…”

“…Yeoman et al (2015: 306) predict that the ‘future of technology in events and festivals is an immensely exciting one’, representing one of the three key areas for future industry discourses, while user-generated content (UGC) in particular epitomises the human desire to engage in both technology and communication (Van Dijck, 2009: 41). Festival organisers employ a range of digital and mobile technology to inform and to engage and develop relationships with potential and actual festival tourists, yet typically for functional purposes, such as ticket purchasing or providing schedules and maps (Van Winkle et al, 2016), reflecting Schneider and Bowen’s (1995) ‘information gatekeeping’ role of a service provider. Conversely, festivalgoers use technology to enhance their experience, their mobile devices enabling them to perform the tasks they need and want to undertake; while habits can be formed in ‘everyday’ activities, festivals may provide more intense contexts for such activity (Van Winkle et al, 2018).…”

“…Despite the significance of digital technology for tourists to both the gathering/sharing of information and the enrichment and to the construction of innovative hedonic experiences (Hudson et al, 2015; Van Winkle et al, 2016), there remains a paucity in research into this ‘digital experience’ within festival contexts (Van Winkle et al, 2018), although some studies have begun to explore the digital dimension. For example, Hudson et al (2015) found that social media interaction develops a significant emotional bond between festivalgoers with the festival, while Van Winkle et al (2016) explored mobile device use by attendees at six public community festivals in Canada across a 3-year period. Applying Korn and Pine’s (2011) Typology of Human Capability (or THC) to understand attendees’ mobile device use at these festivals, their study confirmed the four THC experiences – sensing, performing, linking and organising – based on individuals’ usage of technology for connecting and/or doing individually or collectively as a group within the festival context.…”

“…In short, for music festivals, the development of mobile technology clearly provides a potentially highly effective utility for product, experience and connectivity enhancement (Van Winkle et al, 2016). Equally, there may also be some unwelcome ‘side effects’, particularly at festivals designed to audiences seeking to escape from connectivity.…”

“…These findings challenge MacKay et al’s (2017) conclusion that social media is used continually throughout a music festival; in fact, difficulties with DMC can even enrage (Packer and Ballantyne, 2011; Van Winkle et al, 2018). Alternatively, they may even make a subliminally positive contribution to the festival experience, as festivalgoers actually escape from connectivity to interact only with the physical environment (Van Winkle et al, 2016).…”