Place Attachment and a Municipal Parks and Recreation Special Event

Abstract

This study examined special event attendees' place attachment to a special event hosted by a municipal parks and recreation agency in Southern California. Specifically, this study sought to understand if attendees reported attachment to a special event, and if event attachment differed among attendee characteristics such as residency, involvement in the event, loyalty, and agency awareness. Data were collected at an annual event in Manhattan Beach, California. ANOVA was used to test four hypotheses. Results indicated that measuring event attachment is possible, and that repeat attendees displayed higher levels of attachment than first-time attendees. Results indicated no significant difference among attendee's attachment levels based on residency, level of involvement, or ability to recall the name of the agency responsible for coordinating the event. Further results and implications for event managers in municipal recreation agencies looking to foster a sense of place for attendees are discussed.