Author Bios (50 Words for each Author)

Dr. Kelly MacKay is Professor & Vice-Provost Academic at Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada. She has worked extensively with Parks Canada, many DMOs, and major festivals. Her recent research examines ICT influences on tourist behaviour. Kelly is a long-time TTRA member, editorial board member for Journal of Travel Research and Past President of TTRA Canada.

Dr. Christine Van Winkle is an Associate Professor who brings both practical insight and theory-based knowledge to inform practice. Her research examines visitors experiences in a range of tourism contexts and has been published in tourism, festival and event journals, and books. Christine teaches in the Recreation Management Degree Program at the University of Manitoba.

Dr. Elizabeth Halpenny

An Associate Professor at Canada's University of Alberta, Elizabeth Halpenny's teaching and research addresses marketing, tourism and protected area management. Current projects focus on visitor engagement via social media, the role of conservation brands in travel decision making, agritourism and sustainability, as well as tourism operators’ adaption to and mitigation of climate change.

Abstract (150 Words)

Active vs Passive Social Media Use, Attendee Engagement, and Festival Loyalty

Abstract

Higher intensity social media (SM) use by consumers can boost organizational reputation and engagement (Dijkmans et al., 2015). As a result, festivals are increasingly using SM as a customer relationship platform to interact with attendees to enhance engagement and build a loyal audience. Attendees’ SM use can range in degree of active versus passive utilization - from writing posts and posting pictures and comments to just following, reading, or viewing. This paper begins to explore the nature of SM interaction (active or passive) with a festival and its potential relationship(s) to attendees’ affective, cognitive, and normative engagement and loyalty. Survey respondents (N=354) at three music festivals provided the field settings for this study. Preliminary findings highlight patterns of similarity and difference in active and passive SM use before, during, and after the festival experience and suggest consistent passive SM use over time is important to fostering engagement and loyalty.

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Active vs Passive Social Media Use, Attendee Engagement, and Festival Loyalty

Active vs Passive Social Media Use, Attendee Engagement, and Festival Loyalty

Abstract

Higher intensity social media (SM) use by consumers can boost organizational reputation and engagement (Dijkmans et al., 2015). As a result, festivals are increasingly using SM as a customer relationship platform to interact with attendees to enhance engagement and build a loyal audience. Attendees’ SM use can range in degree of active versus passive utilization - from writing posts and posting pictures and comments to just following, reading, or viewing. This paper begins to explore the nature of SM interaction (active or passive) with a festival and its potential relationship(s) to attendees’ affective, cognitive, and normative engagement and loyalty. Survey respondents (N=354) at three music festivals provided the field settings for this study. Preliminary findings highlight patterns of similarity and difference in active and passive SM use before, during, and after the festival experience and suggest consistent passive SM use over time is important to fostering engagement and loyalty.