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

Abstract

This study explores the role of networks in generating economic value for event tourism in towns and smaller cities in the UK. While networks have been shown to create a wide range of value, research in this context is limited and little is understood of if or how economic value is generated. The lens used in this study was the value creating side of the business model canvas with local government organisations as the focal node examining the flow of economic value from partners, activities and resources. There were survey responses from 112 different town and city organisations across the UK. The study found that only the ‘activities’ element of the network contributed significantly to creating economic value in an event tourism context. The network components of ‘partners’ and ‘resources’ were not on their own significant to the creation of economic value. The outcomes of this paper suggest that practitioners in towns and cities should strategise their engagement with local networks through a formal event tourism strategy that clearly defines how they operationalise engagement activities within that network in order the facilitate economic value creation. In addition, the paper raises questions around what resources are needed at the focal node (local government organisations) in order to maximise the economic value created by the network.

How do stakeholders co-create value in a service ecosystem? Insight from mega-events

“…Internal value creation for individual stakeholders focused primarily on associational value (increased visibility) and transferred value (access to investments and funding). These findings align with previous studies highlighting how mega-events can enhance stakeholder reputation (Pera et al, 2016), facilitate access to resources not typically available (Norman and Nyarko, 2021), and improve destination image (Arnegger and Herz, 2016). Interestingly, developing synergies and network access appeared less crucial for Cortina 2021 than other MD 62,13 events (Grohs et al, 2020;Pera et al, 2016).…”

“…This entity was pivotal in fostering relationships and interactions among diverse stakeholders, aligning their expectations and ultimately facilitating value creation and co-creation processes (Qi et al, 2023). This structure mirrors experiences observed in events held in larger venues with extensive public participation, such as Expo 2015 or the 2012 Cultural Olympiad (Jones et al, 2022;Pera et al, 2016), but also smaller-scale events (Chang, 2020;Norman and Nyarko, 2021).…”

The mediating role of customer participation in the relationship between customer attitude and customer citizenship behavior of online shopping customers

“…Previous studies in the fields of hospitality, travel, and marketing, have highlighted the relevance of customer attitude, customer participation, and customer citizenship behavior (Chan et al, 2010;Norman & Nyarko, 2021;Taheri et al, 2017). The study's focus was to investigate the relationships between these three concepts in online shopping brands.…”

“…Customers benefit from participation because it enhances the likelihood that their specific needs will be fulfilled. (Norman & Nyarko, 2021;O'Cass & Sok, 2015). According to studies, customers can participate in the service process in various ways.…”