Leo Kenneth Jago

Building events into destination branding: insights from experts.

Events have become an increasingly significant component of destination branding. Although events are thought to be important contributors to their host destinations brand, the most effective means by which to leverage them in order to build that brand are poorly understood. To explore the potential uses for events in destination branding, workshops with leading event and destination marketers were conducted by the CRC for Sustainable Tourism throughout Australia. The workshops were designed to clarify what destination and event marketers do when using events in destination branding. The workshops then identified what the industry would like to know to make better use of events in this regard. Workshop participants identified community support and a good strategic and cultural fit with the destination as necessary bases for building events into destination branding. Other themes that emerged were: the need for an event to be differentiated from others, the longevity/tradition of the event at the destination, cooperative planning between key players, and media support of the event. Participants also recognized the need to consider the effects of events with reference to the overall portfolio of events at a destination. It was noted that event marketers and destination marketers have not yet learned how to synergize their efforts, and that there is a consequent need for further research into the best means to use events to build a destinations brand.

The development of a conceptual model of greening in the business events tourism sector

This paper examines the process of corporate greening, and proposes a general conceptual model of the process, which may be relevant in a number of different corporate sectors. The model includes drivers of greening and barriers to greening and also the organisational context in which greening decisions are taken. In addition, this paper considers the role of media coverage in influencing pro-environmental behaviour amongst organisations. The paper then tests the model in one particular tourism context – that of business events – in order to ascertain the specific nature of the corporate greening process in that context. The paper concludes that the general model may be applied to a number of industry sectors, and the model specific to business events tourism may be used to underpin future research in this area.

Sport Tourism or Event Tourism: Are They One and the Same?

Abstract Sport tourism has become the subject of an increasing level of both academic and government interest. It is perceived to be important because of its economic contribution as well as other influences such as the impact on community well‐being and the sense of pride that sport tourism may engender. The concept, however, is fraught by definitional issues and this paper provides a discussion for developing a more succinct definition and framework for sport tourism to add to the debate. It is argued here that sport tourism is essentially event tourism and, as such, it is governed by the issues that effect events and event management.

A framework for work-life balance practices: addressing the needs of the tourism industry.

This paper examines the key issues associated with work-life balance (WLB) with a particular focus on practices within the tourism industry. It provides an overview of the general literature and then the research that relates specifically to WLB in the tourism industry. It builds on previous research in this area to present an adapted framework for addressing the key variables of WLB that can be tested in subsequent research.

Revisiting talent management, work-life balance and retention strategies

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the themes of talent management, work-life balance (WLB) and retention strategies in the hospitality industry. The study was undertaken through an analysis of the key themes in the most recent literature. The paper uses a framework incorporating organisational and industry attributes, personal employee dimensions, work-life conflict and organisational strategies and examines these in relation to whether job satisfaction, organisational commitment and employee retention improve. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses employee turnover literature to underpin a discussion of successful talent management. Using a key word search in both the hospitality literature and more mainstream management research, it divides the literature into four themes, namely, employee attitudes, personal employee dimensions, WLB and organisational strategies for employee retention. Findings – The key findings emerging from this examination of the literature show that WLB appears to have b...

Social Impacts of Events and the Role of Anti-Social Behaviour

Purpose – The research focusing on the social impacts of events on communities has reached a level of critical mass and this paper aims to synthesise the literature, including the research methods used and analytical techniques that have been employed in order to provide a platform for future research in this important area.Design/methodology/approach – The key method used is a literature review of all the available academic research into the social impacts of events on communities and the development of a model for future research.Findings – After reviewing the social impact literature, the paper finds that one negative social impact, in particular, has the potential to undermine the key positive impacts that events can deliver for a host community. This impact, which is collectively known as anti‐social behaviour (ASB) incorporates behaviour such as drunken, rowdy and potentially life and property threatening behaviour.Research limitations/implications – The consequences of the impact of ASB are so seri...

Optimising the potential of mega-events: An overview

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the reasons that mega‐events rarely realise their potential for host destinations and to suggest issues that need to be addressed in rectifying this issue.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a synthesis of the literature as well as the substantial event‐related experience of the authors.Findings – The key reason that mega‐events do not generate the expected benefits for the host destination is that event organisers and destination managers adopt a short‐term perspective rather than seeing mega‐events as part of a long‐term strategy for the destination. Even the planned legacies are often not realised as resource constraints in the lead up to the staging of the event often results in resources being shifted away from planning for legacies and being allocated to helping cover the more immediate needs of the event.Research limitations/implications – If the mega‐event knowledge portal that is proposed in this paper to help improve the overall c...

The role of human resource practices in achieving quality enhancement and cost reduction: an investigation of volunteer use in tourism organisations.

This paper examines the role of human resource practices in enabling cost reduction and quality enhancement. In particular, it investigates the use of volunteers in tourism organisations. The study is located in two visitor information centres (VICs) and focuses on the financial costs and service quality of paid staff and volunteers. The research uses both qualitative and quantitative data. The findings suggest that volunteers provide a cost effective means of providing quality service and that there were, in this instance, no differences found in the quality of service provided by paid staff and volunteers. The findings also suggest that human resource practices such as innovative training programs, strategic recruiting and the provision of a team environment enhance the service quality. Future research directions are recommended as an outcome of this study.

Relationships and Factors Influencing Convention Decision Making

Abstract This paper examines the views of key decision-makers in the convention industry as part of a CRC for Sustainable Tourism research project. In particular, it examines the relationships between the main participants, the key factors for a successful convention and the emerging trends within the industry. In order to explore these influences, the research method used structured interviews with international convention associations, professional conference organizers (PCOs) and international delegates. In-depth telephone interviews were conducted with nine international associations from Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as eight PCOs, all of whom facilitate international conventions within Australia. Nineteen international delegates were also interviewed at two international conferences. The findings from these interviews suggest that the decision-making process for conventions is influenced by a complex set of relationships between the three sets of interviewees. The study revealed that the relationships between the convention bureaus and convention centers were very important. The interviews confirmed the findings of previous studies regarding the key success components for a convention, but also pointed to emerging trends in the convention sector that will impact upon success in the future. These trends included the increasing number of female conference delegates, the increased need for Internet facilities for conventions, and the high priority placed by convention participants on the safety of the convention destination.

The core and the periphery: an examination of the flexible workforce model in the hotel industry.

This paper examines the complexities of the peripheral workforce in an industry traditionally known for its use of contingent labour, namely, the hotel industry. In particular, it investigates the peripheral workforce in the hotel industry, as defined by Guerrier and Lockwood (Personnel Rev. 18 (1) (1989) 9). While previous research has examined the flexible firm from a range of perspectives such as pay flexibility (Br. J. Ind. Rel. 31 (1993) 409), temporal flexibility (Working Paper No. 112, Department of Management & Industrial Relations, University of Melbourne, 1997) and gender segregation (Sociology 25 (4) (1991) 607), this study examines the precariousness of the hotel peripheral workforce in relation to access to the internal labour market (ILM). The study examines the perceptions of employees in relation to the ILM components of training, promotional opportunities and job security. A sample of 287 non-supervisory hotel employees from seven Central Business District (CBD) Melbourne hotels was surveyed. These respondents were grouped into peripheral and non-peripheral clusters according to widely accepted labour force segmentation criteria. Various statistical techniques, including discriminant analysis, were used to assess differences between the clusters in terms of ILM components and employee attitudes. The findings question previous research that propose clearly defined workforce groups in the hotel sector.