Parallel Session 30, MICE Track: Overwhelming or Exciting: An Action Study of Conference Attendee Experience

Classroom 209

Event experiences incorporate a number of components that provide attendees value and memory of each experience. Engaging individuals while creating an entertaining, engaging and beautiful (while functional) space may be challenging for show organizers. This qualitative action research study sought to investigate attendees experiences at a large annual conference. Qualitative, structured face-to-face random intercept interviews were conducted in Spring 2016 and Spring 2017 on the exposition floor and comparatively analyzed year over year to determine the attendees' needs, service priorities, event experience, and feedback. The researchers employed criterion sampling where all participants had to meet the criteria. The interview data was transcribed and coded for themes specified by the attendees regarding their specific experiences at the conference. The data were analyzed using counting to identify word frequency queries. The word frequency queries indicated that the overall impression and initial feelings, wow factors, value of attending the event, and operational feedback for the organization and show managers. The purpose of this action research was twofold, to discover the experiences of conference attendees during and immediately following the consumption of these experiences. Based on the continuous feedback received by the attendees, a systematic approach to problem-solving revealed a second purpose of the study, describing the organization's reconsideration, solutions, recovery and change. The results allowed the organization under study with opportunities for improving attendee experience year over year. While the current study conducted focused on a single event, implications should be drawn to corporate events across the country.