Attendance motivations and visitor segments within a university agricultural festival

Abstract

Festivals attract a variety of visitors driven by a complex set of motivations. The objective of this study was to identify and classify motivations for attending the South Farm Showcase (SFS), a university-based agricultural festival in Missouri. The study further developed a motivation-based segmentation of festival visitors and examined their distinct characteristics. Analysis identified two motivation factors (Fun and Entertainment and Theme Identity) and two types of visitors (Entertainment Seekers and Institutional Loyals). Entertainment Seekers and Institutional Loyals differ in their socio-economic characteristics and in their leisure and tourism preferences. Marketing, management, and academic implications of these findings are presented.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the 2009 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium

Citation

Barbieri, Carla; Katsube, Yasuharu; Tew, Christine. 2010. Attendance motivations and visitor segments within a university agricultural festival. In: Watts, Clifton E., Jr.; Fisher, Cherie LeBlanc, eds. Proceedings of the 2009 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-66. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 165-171.