(ALBERTA) FESTIVALS’ ADOPTION OF MOBILE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

Elizabeth Halpenny, Therese Salenieks, & Longsheng Song, University of Alberta

Christine van Winkle, University of AlbertaKelly MacKay, Ryerson University

TTRA Canada meeting, Ottawa, Canada 18 October 2013

OUTLINE Study context ICT and festivals: Salience Concepts Methodology

Findings Discussion Next steps

STUDY CONTEXT Foundation for larger study that

examines:Festival use of ICT to facilitate patron

experienceFestival attendees’ use of ICT, namely

mobile digital technology at festival and impacts on visitor experience

3 year SSHRC funded study (Christine van Winkle PI); 1st year data collection complete

STUDY SALIENCE ICT (Information

and communications technology) proliferation;

ICT in leisure contexts is understudied, esp. at festivals Festivals increase in number; differentiation important

Festivals’ tight budgets and limited human resources

ICT AND TOURISM Rapid examination of ICT use and impact in

tourism: enhanced sense of place, awareness of destination

attributes (Dias et al., 2004; Kang & Gretzel, 2012; Kim et al., 2007; Naismith & Smith, 2004; Rademaker, 2008)

Impact on service quality and satisfaction perceptions (Kim et al., 2013; Buhalis et al., 2006)

Engagement in co-production of experiences (Epstein & Vergani, 2006), and experience in general (Fessenmaier et al., 2008; Yoo et al., 2008)

Information search (MacKay & Vogt, 2012; Xiang & Gretzel, 2010; Ye, Law, Gu, & Chen, 2011)

METHODOLOGY Festival defined as (Getz 1989):

1. A special event that is open to the public2. Its main purpose is celebration or a display of some theme3. It occurs once a year or less frequently4. There are predetermined opening and closing dates5. Permanent structures are not exclusively owned by the event6. The programme consists of one or more separate activities7. All activities take place in the same community or tourist region

METHODOLOGY: PHASE I Alberta, Manitoba and Greater Toronto Area festival

inventories (2011 & 2012) Sampling (Alberta):

Google search “Alberta Festivals” and “name of city or town + Festivals)

Scan of DMO and festival promoter sites 2010 festival list from Travel Alberta Single day festivals were included if strong theme and 6+hrs

in length Inventory criteria:

SCALE (length, years of operation, number of attendees, etc.)

CHRACTERISTICS (operator type, venue spread, residential services on site, use of social media and mobile digital technology tools)

METHODOLOGY (CONT’D) Social media: “Internet-based

applications…that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content” (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010)

Mobile information technology: any technology developed by the festival to be used on a mobile device, i.e., smart phone or tablet

METHODOLOGY: PHASE II Select 2 case study sites:1 Hi-ICT and 1

Low-ICT at Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto Post event festival administrator interviews

(Hi-ICT and Low-ICT festivals) On site interviews

with patrons Post event festival

administrator interviews (Hi-ICT and Low-ICT festivals)

FINDINGS: INVENTORY

Alberta Multi-day festivals

All festivals

Freq % Freq %YES 7 2.5 7 2.1No 269 97.5 323 97.9Total 267 100.0 330 100.0

Festivals’ use of Mobile IT

Toronto Multi-day festivalsFreq %6 95.9141 4.1147 100.0

FINDINGS: INVENTORY

AB multi-day festivals

All festivals

Freq % Freq %Yes 201 72.8 240 72.7No 75 27.2 90 27.3Total 276 100.0 330 100.0

Festivals’ use of social mediaToronto multi-day festivalsFreq %110 74.837 25.2147 100.0

FINDINGS: INVENTORY

AB multi-day festivals (n=276)

Toronto multi-day festivals (n=147)

Yes % Yes %Facebook 192 69.6 104 70.7Twitter 134 48.6 97 66.0You Tube 58 21 40 27.2Flickr 18 6.5 17 11.6Blog 20 7.2RSS 12 4.3 19 12.9

Festival use of Mobile IT by Social Media Type

FINDINGS: ON-SITE OBSERVATIONS Large % simply holding

phones Texting more frequent

than talking Women used devices

most (15-35 age) Photos most prevalent in

Kids Fringe, or spectacle events (e.g., buskers)

FINDINGS: PATRON ON-SITE INTERVIEWS Use web site to search for festival info prior to

arrival Almost all made decision to attend despite

range of mobile digital services Almost all own cell phone, but younger patrons

owned smart phone A few made conscious decision not to bring

device 3/4s had used phone at festival and planned to

use again; others only use for emergency Most common use for mobile device…find

others

FINDINGS: PATRON ON-SITE INTERVIEWS

3/4s had cellular data; others used WiFi or just used device for calling and texting

½ aware of Fringe app, but few used it

Most people’s after festival experience was unaffected by using their phone

Reported others’ use of devices during show annoying; however freq users felt acceptable and people using tablets and phones “smart/resourceful”

FINDINGS: FESTIVAL ADMINISTRATOR INTERVIEWS…..

DISCUSSION Increased festival use of social media

feeds, as sophistication of administration grows.

Provision of additional services such as Aps, WiFi, charging stations much slower to develop; due to resources, lack of perceived need, etc.

For some festivals sophisticated ICT may not be necessary, and even frowned upon by patrons

Multi channel approach continues to be essential

NEXT STEPS Completion of Phase II (interviews of high

and low ICT festival administrators) + collation of Toronto, Edmonton and Winnipeg data + analysis of Festival web sites, social media feeds and aps Report findings to festivals Examine using Diffusion of Innovation and

Adoption of Technology theories Phase III (2014) and Phase IV (2015)

Exploration of festival attendee experience, larger sample of three case festivals

THANKS Elizabeth Halpenny (

elizabeth.halpenny@ualberta.ca) Kelly MacKay (k7mackay@ryerson.ca) Christine van Winkel (

christine.vanwinkle@umanitoba.ca)

Thanks also to our partners:Alberta Tourism, Parks and RecreationTourism ManitobaToronto TourismU of Alberta Endowment FundSSHRC