Tourism Review

Can fundraising be fun? An event management study of unique experiences, performance and quality
Po-Ju Chen Dipendra Singh Ahmet Bulent Ozturk Abdullah Makki
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Po-Ju Chen Dipendra Singh Ahmet Bulent Ozturk Abdullah Makki , (2014),"Can fundraising be fun? An event management
study of unique experiences, performance and quality", Tourism Review, Vol. 69 Iss 4 pp. 310 - 328
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 Can fundraising be fun? An event
management study of unique
experiences, performance and quality
Po-Ju Chen, Dipendra Singh, Ahmet Bulent Ozturk and Abdullah Makki
Po-Ju Chen is an
Downloaded by LULEA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY At 03:27 01 February 2016 (PT)
Associate Professor
Dipendra Singh,
Ahmet Bulent Ozturk is
an Assistant Professor
and Abdullah Makki are all
based at University of
Central Florida, Orlando,
Florida, USA.
Received 1 July 2014
Revised 1 July 2014
Accepted 1 July 2014
PAGE 310 TOURISM REVIEW VOL. 69 NO. 4, 2014, pp. 310-328, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1660-5373
Abstract
Purpose – The objective of this study was to examine the effects of performance and uniqueness as
predictors of fundraising event quality.
Design/methodology/approach – This study utilized intercept surveys collected from attendees at a
non-profit fundraising event organized by the tourism and hospitality industry in a major tourism
destination. Factor analysis was used to explore underlying event performance dimensions. Multiple
regression analysis was used to assess predictability of event performance and unique experience
design as predictors of event quality.
Findings – Three salient dimensions were identified: Hedonic Event Performance, Event Design
Performance and Informative Event Performance. Of the three dimensions, Hedonic Event Performance
was found to significantly predict Event Quality. However, Unique Event Experience provided stronger
predictability of Event Quality.
Research limitations/implications – The results provide information which can be utilized by event
organizers or managers to enhance the overall quality of fundraising events. The distinct attributes of
event success identified in this study can be capitalized upon for improving future attendance. The use
of event attendees from one particular event, which focused on a very specific cause, can be
considered a limitation of the study.
Originality/value – This study focused on identifying different dimensions of a fundraising event which
impact quality. The study provides insight into uniqueness of event experiences and their effect on event
quality.
Keywords Fundraising, Event Management, Event design, Event performance, Event quality,
Unique experience
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Special events play an important role in tourism. They are generally seen as contributors to
increased commercial activities and job opportunities, which lead to host community
economic development. Besides economic benefits, special events also have positive
social and cultural impacts on host destinations (Deery and Jago, 2010; Dwyer et al., 2005;
Gibson et al., 2010; Goeldner and Ritchie, 2006; Lorde et al., 2011; Mason and Nassivera,
2013; Veres et al., 2008). Ritchie (1984, p. 2) defined special events as “major one-time or
recurring events of limited duration, developed primarily to enhance awareness, appeal
and profitability of a tourism destination”. In addition, special events are an effective means
for organizations to develop relationships, enhance awareness of the organization’s
objectives and increase community pride (Einarsen and Mykletun, 2009; Getz, 2012;
Schofield and Thompson, 2007). They also serve as a means to raise funds and support
charities. Meer (2010) found that social ties (peers, alumni, etc.) impact the types of
donations and amounts made by donors. The core event and support network are the major
factors determining whether an event meets its objective (Einarsen and Mykletun, 2009;
Getz, 2012, 2010).
DOI 10.1108/TR-07-2014-0039
 Service quality is critical to all hospitality and tourism activities, including special events
(Getz, 2012; Jin et al., 2013; Moscardo, 2007; Rosenbaum and Wong, 2010; Yuan and
Jang, 2008). According to Crompton and Love (1995), performance is the most valid
predictor of event success. In special events and festivals, attendee evaluation of quality is
a means to judge the success of event organization, design and program execution.
Evaluation of special event quality, including attendee satisfaction (which translates to
intent to re-visit the event in the future) is critical for determining the success of the event.
According to Baker and Crompton (2000), quality is determined by the performance
attributes of a service that are in the control of the supplier. Event quality and performance
is subjective as it is based on attendee perceptions. To influence those perceptions, event
planners should consider designing and implementing marketing actions that focus on
value equity, as well as traditional planning that relies on the service marketing mix
(Moscardo, 2007; Rosenbaum and Wong, 2010). Studies have proven that perceived
quality of the event/festival directly predicts attendee intention to visit (Baker and
Crompton, 2000; Cole and Illum, 2006; Getz, 2010).
Many researchers contend the use of performance-only is a valid measure of quality (Brady
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et al., 2002; Carrillat et al., 2007; Churchill and Surprenant, 1982; Cronin and Taylor, 1994;
Tkaczynski, 2013). The work of Cronin and Taylor (1992) – more specifically SERVPERF,
used to predict service quality – served as the conceptual model for the theoretical
framework of this study. However, despite many event management studies, fundraising
event performance attributes have not been clearly defined (Getz, 2010, 2012).
Furthermore, the relationship between fundraising event quality and significant predictors
has not been identified. Thus, there exists a need to assess overall fundraising event quality
to determine what elements can be significant predictors. Therefore, the purpose of this
study was twofold:
 to identify the underlying dimensions of a fundraising event performance; and
 to determine whether perceived uniqueness and fundraising event performance
significantly predict the quality of a fundraising event.
Given this context, this study examined the role of uniqueness of experience in predicting
the perceptions of event quality in a fundraising event.

Event quality
Events are held for many reasons. Celebrating, enlightening, publicizing/creating
awareness and uniting attendees are some of those reasons (Goldblatt, 2005). Some
common core elements in event management and planning of various types of events
include appreciation of the main motives for hosting the event, defined goals and
objectives, site selection and infrastructure, promotion and detailed agendas (Jin et al.,
2013; Molina, 2007). Additionally, meticulous preparation and planning is considered
fundamental to event success (Wolf and Wolf, 2005). The sequential process for
successfully planning an event includes researching demand for the event and attendee
profiles, designing or conceptualizing the event, organizing the features, products and
providers for the event, coordinating and evaluating the delivery of the event experience
(Goldblatt, 2005; Silvers, 2004a). In particular, having a sense of who will be attending the
event, and why, is an essential component in the event analysis and planning (Silvers,
2004a; Wolf and Wolf, 2005). Regardless of the event purpose, a common attribute often
researched in hospitality and marketing literature is the quality construct (Baker and
Crompton, 2000; Crompton and Love, 1995; Lee et al., 2013; Moon et al., 2011;
Parasuraman et al., 1985).
Within the marketing literature, quality of services in general is considered difficult to
objectively measure due to intangibility, heterogeneity and inseparability of production and
consumption unique to services (Parasuraman et al., 1985). Numerous definitions for
service quality have been proposed, including the view that service quality consists of the

VOL. 69 NO. 4 2014 TOURISM REVIEW PAGE 311

 totality of characteristics of a service that bear on its ability to satisfy customer needs (Kotler
et al., 1998), as well as confirmation or disconfirmation of consumers’ specifications
(Herbig, 1998; Parasuraman et al., 1988). In developing their SERVQUAL model for
measuring service quality, Parasuraman et al. (1988) discovered five dimensions of service
quality: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. Parasuraman et al.
(1985) distinguished the service quality construct as consisting of the gap between
customer expectations and perceptions. However, service quality is also seen as similar to
a cumulative attitude that is acquired over time from multiple experiences with the service
(Parasuraman et al., 1988). The school of thought acknowledging that quality leads to
satisfaction was later adopted by Parasuraman et al. (1994) with their proposed transaction
specific model, where overall satisfaction was a function of the customers’ assessment of
service quality, product quality and price.
The quality construct has also been analyzed within hospitality and tourism literature (Baker
and Crompton, 2000; Crick and Spencer, 2011; Crompton and Love, 1995; Ladhari, 2012;
Dortyol et al., 2014). Crompton and Love (1995) highlighted five types of relationships
operationalized in evaluating quality:
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1. visitor attribute expectations;

2. attribute expectations and importance;
3. attribute performance and importance;
4. attribute performance and expectations; and
5. attribute performance, expectations and importance.
The best predictors of quality were found to be performance-based operationalizations,
whereas the least accurate were the disconfirmation-based operationalizations (Crompton
and Love, 1995).
The construct of quality remains elusive and has been operationalized and conceptualized
in many forms throughout marketing and tourism literature (Baker and Crompton, 2000;
Crompton and Love, 1995; Prentice, 2013; Giritlioglu et al., 2014). For instance, utilizing
Herzberg et al.’s (1959) hygiene (maintenance) and motivator factors, Crompton (2003)
stipulated that maintenance factors, characterized as the physical attributes of an event
site, which include infrastructure, parking and information services, serve as a necessary
foundation of event quality. However, these are not sufficient in themselves to create visitor
satisfaction. Instead, motivational factors, such as entertainment, activities and shows, are
the key attractions drawing visitors to the event and facilitate the social – psychological
benefits that visitors seek, thereby inducing satisfaction with the event (Crompton, 2003).
Quality refers to quality of opportunity or performance provided by elements of the festival
or event that are under the control of, and can be manipulated by, the event promoters
(Baker and Crompton, 2000; Crompton, 2003; Crompton and Love, 1995). Whereas
satisfaction refers to the quality of a visitor’s experience derived from interaction with the
event’s attributes (Baker and Crompton, 2000; Crompton, 2003; Crompton and Love,
1995).
Event and festival quality has been frequently addressed in hospitality and tourism
literature (See Table I) and has been analyzed across various factors or dimensions relative
to many types of events and festivals, including wine and music festivals (Tkaczynski and
Stokes, 2010; Yuan and Jang, 2008), mega events (Lee et al., 2013; Marin-Aguilar and
Vila-Lopez, 2014), cultural festivals (Yan et al., 2012) and sports events (Moon et al., 2011;
Ko et al., 2010). In the context of sports events, Ko et al. (2011) proposed the model of event
quality for spectator sports and the scale of event quality in spectator sports (SEQSS) to
understand and measure event quality, which includes the five dimensions of game quality,
augmented service quality, interaction quality, outcome quality and physical environment
quality.

PAGE 312 TOURISM REVIEW VOL. 69 NO. 4 2014

 Table I Fundraising event performance scale
Fundraising event attribute (developed from key Fundraising event dimensions
Attributes from literature reviews (Origin) informants and focus groups) (exploratory factor analysis)

Core Service/Food (Tkaczynski and Food and beverage quality is excellent Hedonic dimension
Stokes, 2010; Yoon et al., 2010) Food and beverage prices are acceptable (key Hedonic dimension
informants)
Food and beverage variety is adequate Hedonic dimension
Facilities/site/physical environment Location (shopping mall) is convenient (key Hedonic dimension
(Crompton and Love, 1995; Jin et al., informants)
2013; Ko et al., 2011; Tkaczynski and Bathroom facilities are easy to find Deleted due to weak factor loading
Stokes, 2010; Yoon et al., 2010) Event Design dimension

Time (Ko et al., 2010)
Design (Ko et al., 2010; Moon et al.,
2011; Tkaczynski and Stokes, 2010)
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Time of day the Event is held is adequate
Time of the year is comfortable (focus group) Event Design dimension
Weather is comfortable Deleted due to weak factor loading
The display layouts are well-designed (key Event Design dimension
informants)
The objectives of the event are well Event Design dimension

communicated (key informants)

Finding the event was easy (key informants) Informative dimension
Entertainment (Cole and Chancellor, Entertainment is enjoyable Informative dimension
2009; Crompton, 2003; Ko et al., 2010)
Information (Crompton and Love, 1995; Availability of event information Informative dimension
Ko et al., 2010; Yoon et al., 2010) Staff/volunteers are knowledgeable of the event Informative dimension
(focus group)
Tangible Attributes (Moon et al., 2011; Adequate number of registration tables (key Event Design dimension
Tkaczynski and Stokes, 2010) informants)
Adequate number of booths (key informants) Event Design dimension
Parking (Crompton and Love, 1995) Ease of parking Deleted due to weak factor loading

In SEQSS, these five dimensions are represented by the following 12 sub-dimensions, each
with three to five items: skill performance, operating time, information, entertainment,
concessions, employee interaction, fan interaction, sociability, valence, ambience, design
and signage (Ko et al., 2011). Additionally, Tkaczynski and Stokes (2010) developed the
FESTPERF instrument, consisting of the three factors of professionalism, environment and
core service, to measure the quality of music festivals. The importance in evaluating and
improving the quality of events is shown through increased visitation and revenues, as well
as positive word-of-mouth promotion of the event (Baker and Crompton, 2000).

Event performance and unique experience design

The primary facet of tourism is concerned with visitation experiences (Ritchie et al., 2011).
These experiences include seeing, learning, enjoying and living in a different mode of life
(Ryan, 2011; Stamboulis and Skayannis, 2003). These tourism experiences, arising from
consumption of tourism products, are synonymous with consumer experiences (Cutler and
Carmichael, 2010; Swarbrooke and Horner, 1999; Woodside, 2000). Consumption
experiences can be viewed as responses to external stimuli provided by the event
organizers (Holbrook and Hirschman, 1982) and can be described as a subjective state of
consciousness with various symbolic meanings, hedonic responses and aesthetic criteria
(Geus et al., 2013). Thus, the experience is a function of activities designed by event
organizers for attendee participation. Furthermore, the activities of an event can play a
significant role in the decision to attend future events. Therefore, the performance of event
activities and unique experiences can play a significant role in event attendees’ evaluation
of the event, including event quality.

VOL. 69 NO. 4 2014 TOURISM REVIEW PAGE 313

 Event performance
Previous studies have noted that most event management programs are focused around
the event’s planning or management process (Bowdin, 2003; Shone and Parry, 2004). The
fundamental factor for an event’s success is operational and administrative efficiency.
Event attendees will have a positive experience only when the event process is able to
deliver and perform services and programs. Consequently, an effective event design
becomes critical for the success of an event. Silvers (2004a) states that along with planning
and organization, event design has emerged as a key dimension of overall event
management. Morgan (2009) contends that an event’s design focuses on the artistic
interpretations and expression of the goals and objectives of the overall event. The
performance requires careful planning of the event theme, entertainment and environment
to provide attendees with a satisfying experience. Thus, if an event is not able to create a
unique and appealing impression in the minds of attendees, it is bound to fail (Getz, 2012).
In a study of 40 events, Rosenbaum and Wong (2010) concluded that successful event
planners focus on event design to enhance objectives and uniqueness of the experience.
Identifying factors that may predict event quality is important as they enable event
organizers to efficiently plan and implement high-quality fundraising programs that will
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accomplish the major objective – charitable giving.

The uniqueness or appeal of an event can be influenced by the performance of
participants, authenticity of the experience or the location’s natural or cultural heritage and
community pride (Bowen and Daniels, 2005; Matheson, 2005; Xie, 2004). Pine and Gilmore
(2011) conclude that the final goal of any successful event is to create a unique and
memorable experience for event attendees. This reaffirms Schechner’s (1988)
“Performance Theory,” which states that businesses should regard themselves as stages
on which they must perform in front of their customers. The quality of the performance or
service experience determines the success of an event. Therefore, it is reasonable to
assume that event design and other elements contributing to the success of an event are
effective only if attendees have a positive event experience.

Unique event experiences

Aho (2007) explored the nature of touristic experiences and emphasized the term
“experience” cannot describe touristic experiences holistically, i.e. the essence of mental,
emotional and other relevant elements is devoid. Aho (2007) argued that touristic
experiences go beyond human experiences, as classified by Pine and Gilmore (1998) as
entertainment, education, escapism and aesthetics. One core component of travel
experience is “emotional experience” (Aho, 2007; Bharwani and Jauhari, 2013), described
as the mental impressions produced by touristic experiences which are reflected in the
immediate reactions of tourists and their mental imprints. We extended this typology to
event experience in the framework of this study and evaluated it in the context of a unique
fundraising event. Furthermore, our study assessed the extent to which emotional
experience contributes to overall experience, which is core to attendee assessment of
event quality. According to Lade and Jackson (2004), the needs of event attendees must
be taken into consideration by event organizers for an event to be successful. Goldblatt
(2002) further emphasized that good event planning and management depends on the
appeal of the event to the attendees. To enhance appeal, design must play a vital role in
stimulating the sensory experience of attendees. Axelsen and Swan (2010) identified event
quality as the antecedent of event attendees’ satisfaction and future behavioral intentions.
Understanding and identifying the specific activities, which attendees enjoy participating
in, helps event planners and organizers achieve a successful event. These then become
unique memorable experiences for attendees.
Typically, an event includes several activities in which attendees participate directly or
indirectly. The specific activities which provide satisfaction and joy become the motivating
factors for attending an event. These experiences can be viewed as similar to peak

PAGE 314 TOURISM REVIEW VOL. 69 NO. 4 2014

 experiences (Quan and Wang, 2003). Peak experiences are those experiences derived
from the main attraction of a destination and do not include supporting activities. Pine and
Gilmore (2011) note that entertainment is one of the oldest forms of experiences. Unique
experiences enhance the quality of an event and thereby become memorable. Perceived
quality is defined by Zeithaml (1988) as the overall excellence of the target destination or
the experience. Customer satisfaction is stated as the summary psychological state arising
immediately from the consumption experience (Oliver et al., 1997). Hence, these unique
event experiences may offer an escape from daily drudgery, constraints and
responsibilities (Dann, 1977), and offer the experiences of freedom (Gottlieb, 1982), novelty
and change (Cohen, 1974).
These unique event experiences are comparable to tourist experiences. Quan and Wang
(2003) noted that tourist experiences are contrastingly different from one’s daily life.
Similarly, the uniqueness of the experience depends on the degree of contrast from daily
routine occurrences. Interestingly, McCabe (2002) pointed out that daily experiences
cannot be disconnected from overall experience as they are a part of forming peak
experiences. Without positive supporting experiences, it will be difficult to achieve
memorable peak experiences. In short, unique enjoyable experiences translate to fun,
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which then become memorable experiences that motivate attendees to attend future
events.

Fundraising events
Fundraising events are one of the many ways to genuinely express concern about different
social issues. Organizations often participate in, and organize non-profit events for, similar
purposes. These not-for-profit events help strengthen the corporate image of the firm and
enhance social bonding with the local community. In 2012, charitable fundraising in the
USA totaled nearly $8 billion, showing a 2 per cent increase over 2011. Online charity
donations increased by 11 per cent, a double-digit increase over the previous year (Blum
and Hall, 2013). Major beneficiaries of these fundraising efforts were faith-based
organizations, educational institutions, environment or animal welfare, arts and culture,
international affairs, health care, human services and society benefits. Charitable giving to
educational institutions increased by 1.9 per cent in 2012 as compared to 2011. Even
though these numbers portray a positive outlook, historically, charitable fundraising
consistently faces many challenges. Among these challenges are global economic
recessions and increased competition among fund raisers (Sargent, 1999). Donor attrition
is another challenge that affects charitable fundraising negatively (Sargeant and Woodliffe,
2007). Along with these issues, government support has also faded (Hibbert and Horne,
1996). Nonprofit fundraising by organizations relies on building relationships not only with
donors, but also with charitable participants. Organizations use innovative marketing
strategies to attract donors and charitable participants (Kirchner et al., 2007). Food and
wine festivals are emerging as one innovative way to raise funds for educational causes.
Ruperto and Kerr (2009) emphasize the objectives of these events go well beyond just
fundraising. These events also strive to raise awareness for a cause, encourage community
engagement, build sponsor and donor relationships and generate publicity for the charity.
Based on the thorough literature review presented, this study focused on assessing the
overall event quality of a fundraising event by identifying the major dimensions of a
fundraising event. Event and festival quality has been addressed frequently in hospitality
and tourism literature and therefore is an important aspect of fundraising events. Also,
event performance plays a vital role in the success of any event, whether charitable or
non-charitable. Furthermore, the uniqueness of experience which event attendees can
retain in their memories is deemed very crucial for re-visitation or future participation. As
charitable fundraising events are regularly presented with challenges, such as maintaining
attendee participation during recessionary times and remaining competitive with other
fundraisers, there exists a need to evaluate and assess fundraising event quality.

VOL. 69 NO. 4 2014 TOURISM REVIEW PAGE 315

 Methodology
To further examine the relationship between performance and event quality in a fundraising
context, two research objectives were designed. First, we examined the underlying
dimension of fundraising event performance. We then assessed perceived uniqueness and
fundraising event performance as predictors of fundraising event quality. That is,
examining fundraising event quality as a function of event performance. Second, we
examined the perceived uniqueness of event experience as a new predictor of event
quality. The resulting research framework is illustrated in Figure 1.

Measurement scales
The goal of this study was to determine if perceived uniqueness of attendee experiences
and event performance were significantly related to the overall evaluation of a fundraising
event quality. A set of 17 event performance attributes was developed from a three-stage
procedure. First, a literature review of previous event and festival-related studies was
performed. Major categories of event attributes related to quality were reviewed from
festivals and event research, including FESTPERF (Tkaczynski and Stokes, 2010). The
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categories deemed appropriate within a fundraising event context include: core service/
food, facilities/physical environment, time, design, entertainment, information and tangible
attributes. Second, key informants were invited to review the list of attributes and refine the
wording used to describe the attributes in the study instrument. The key informants invited
included five members of the fundraising event planning committee actively involved in
planning and execution. The key informants included the Vice-Chairperson, three members
of the Marketing Committee, and one member from the Volunteer Committee. Contributions
provided by key informants included a recommendation to change the original wording of
“the price of the fundraising items is reasonable” to “Food and beverage prices are
acceptable”. This input, provided by the event planning committee, helped ensure
attendees understood what “fundraising items” meant. This procedure was critical to
ensuring face validity of the variable sets and resulted in adding several critical fundraising
event attributes to the study instrument. Inputs obtained from these key informants were
also used to modify seven attributes to fit into the objectives of the event. The seven
attribute modifications were “location (shopping mall) is convenient,” “finding the event was
easy,” “adequate number of registration tables,” “adequate number of booths,” “the
objectives of the event are well communicated” and “food and beverage prices are
acceptable”. Refer to Table I.
Additionally, two focus groups were conducted to verify the list of event performance
attributes. The first focus group consisted of eight participants (convenient sample) who
were hospitality and tourism industry employees who had also attended a previous annual
fundraising event. Twelve participants who were not employed in the hospitality industry
but had also attended a previous Bacchus Bash event participated in the second focus

Figure 1 Fundraising event performance-quality study framework

Fundraising Event
Performance

Fundraising Event
Quality

Unique
Experience

PAGE 316 TOURISM REVIEW VOL. 69 NO. 4 2014

 group. Both focus groups confirmed the list of attributes developed from the literature
review. The intent of the focus groups was to discuss previous attendance experiences.
Their inputs also resulted in generation of two additional attributes, “staff/volunteers are
knowledgeable of the event” and “time of the year is comfortable”. This resulted in 17
fundraising event attributes related to the fundraising event context. These attributes
included items such as “the objectives of fund raising for hospitality and tourism education
are well communicated,” “the display layouts of this event are well designed” and “food and
beverage quality is excellent”. Third, these attributes were then subjected to exploratory
factor analysis, which resulted in a three-dimension fundraising event performance scale
representing 14 attributes (i.e. 3 attributes were eliminated due to weak or cross loading).
Refer to the “Results” section for additional details. The list of fundraising event attributes
developed from these three stages is provided in Table I.
To determine how unique experience combined with event performance predicts attendee
perception of event quality, an on-site intercept survey was selected as a means of data
collection. The survey questionnaire used was developed using a three-phased approach.
The first phase involved a thorough review of related literature to identify measurement
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variables. This review resulted in identification of three major constructs:

1. unique experiences (food and drink sampling experiences) in a fundraising event;

2. fundraising event performance scale; and
3. event quality.
The second phase was used to develop performance attributes. This was done by conducting
key informant interviews with the five planning committee members and the two focus groups
consisting of participants who had attended a previous event. During the third phase, event
planning committee members and tourism and event research scholars examined the wording
and statement relatedness of the instrument produced during the previous two phases.
Attendee perception of event quality was measured by the single attribute: “The overall
quality of the event is excellent”. The “unique event experience” attribute was measured by
asking participants to evaluate their food and drink sampling experiences. The attributes
were measured with a five-point Likert scale ranging from “1 – strongly disagree” to “5 –
strongly agree”. Socio-demographic variables, information sources and event experience
were also included in the study instrument.
The Bacchus Bash Event, an annual fundraising event for hospitality and tourism
education, was the subject data collection site. The annual event was organized by a local
hospitality association located in southeast Florida. The fundraiser was designed to invite
local hotels, restaurants, attractions and association members to participate as vendors –
providing food, drinks, desserts and entertainment to raise funds in support of hospitality
and tourism education. The majority of vendors are well-known international hospitality and
tourism companies. The slogan chosen for the event was “Feast the very best entrees,
drinks, and entrees; Enjoy the very best entertainment; and Incredible Shopping.”
For this study, uniqueness of event attendee experience was coupled with an international
food and drink sampling theme with fundraising for hospitality and tourism education.
Organizers selected Bacchus, the Roman-Greco God of Wine, as the theme for the
fundraising event designed around a street party atmosphere held in a shopping mall.
Vendors consisted of local hotels, restaurants, destination promotion companies and local
music entertainers. The event organizer designated locations for vendors to set up booths
along outdoor walkways connecting the shops, which comprise the outlet mall. Vendors
provided signature dishes, desserts, drinks, entertainment and a silent auction. Small food
and beverage portions were selected over larger serving sizes to enable attendees to enjoy
a wider variety of offerings as they strolled along the walkways. Furthermore, small serving
sizes allowed vendors to set lower price points. Thus, the more attendees consumed, the
more Bacchus Bucks spent (i.e. funds raised). The food, drink and dessert samples

VOL. 69 NO. 4 2014 TOURISM REVIEW PAGE 317

 typically represented the signature dishes vendors were known for. The food and drink
items were prepared on-site and were served by vendor chefs and culinary staff.
The revenue from the food and beverage sales and entertainment was collected to support
local hospitality and tourism education through scholarships for hospitality students. The
event attracted over 27,000 attendees and raised over $100,000 for hospitality and tourism
education scholarships during a single 5-hour fundraising event. Based on attendance and
proceeds, the Bacchus Bash was considered to be a successful fundraising event.

Sampling and data collection

Data was collected using intercept surveys completed on-site by event attendees. Due to the
short duration of the event (5 hours), a group of 56 trained interviewers were recruited to
conduct the interviews. The on-site interviewers were assigned intercept points where event
attendees were expected to gather after sampling food and beverage offerings. To ensure
participants had experienced the event, the criteria sampling technique was used. The
interviewers collected data from attendees present during at least two of the five event hours.
The researchers invited randomly selected attendees who appeared to have not only sampled
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food and beverages, but also appeared to have participated in entertainment activities. Upon
agreeing to participate in the study, attendees were instructed to complete the survey
questionnaire on-site. This approach was deemed appropriate as it allowed researchers to
address participant questions, as well as provided opportunities to collect additional
information, if necessary. The intercept interview approach also served well in that it reduced
missing data (Esu and Arrey, 2009). A sample of 500 attendees who met the stated
participation criteria were randomly selected, resulting in 319 useable data for the analysis
(Table II).

Data analysis
The collected data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. An
exploratory factor analysis was conducted to reduce the number of items to a few
correlated dimensions. In addition, multiple regression analysis was performed to analyze
the impact of each dimension derived from the factor analysis and unique event experience
on the dependent variable “event quality”. A regression equation for “event quality” was
hypothesized for the independent variables as follows:

Y1 ⫽ ␤0 ⫹ ␤1X1 ⫹ ␤2X2 ⫹ 关. . .兴关. . .兴 .⫹ ␤nXn ⫹ ␧.

Y1 Dependent variable: event quality

␤0 Regression coefficient of intercept
␤1-␤n Regression coefficients of independent variables
X1-Xn Independent variables
␧ Random error

Results
The event attracted a large number of members from the local hospitality and tourism
industry (40.1 per cent), as well as those not employed in the industry (59.9 per cent).
Under half (47.6 per cent) were first time attendees, while 52.4 per cent had been to at least
one other occurrence of the annual event. On average, those who attended the event in
previous years had attended more than two other times. The majority of participants were
female (52.5 per cent), single (49.3 per cent) and had some college or higher education
(87.1 per cent). Approximately 40 per cent of participants were aged less than 35 years old.
The majority were Caucasian. Approximately 10 per cent of attendees were international
tourists.
The 17 fundraising event performance attributes were subjected to exploratory factor
analysis to examine the underlying dimensions, using the principal axis factoring with

PAGE 318 TOURISM REVIEW VOL. 69 NO. 4 2014

 Table II Demographic characteristic of sample
Item Frequency (%)

Gender
Male 141 47.6
Female 155 52.4
Total 296 100.0
Age
18-34 years old 119 40.1
35-48 years old 84 28.1
49-67 years old 79 26.4
68 years and elder 16 5.4
Total 299 100.0
Marital status
Single 146 49.3
Married 124 41.9
Living together 15 5.1
Divorced/separated/widowed 11 3.7
Total 296 100.0
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Education
High school 38 12.9
Some college 102 34.8
Four years college/university 78 26.5
Graduate 45 15.3
Post-graduate 31 10.5
Total 294 100.0
Income
Less than $30,000 62 22.1
$30,001-$50,000 61 21.7
$50,001-$70,000 40 14.2
$70,001-90,000 38 13.5
$90,001 -$100,000 31 11.1
$100,000 and more 49 17.4
Less than $30,000 281 100.0
Total
Ethnicity
Black 57 19.1
Hispanic 50 16.8
Native American 9 3.0
Caucasian/white 155 52.1
Pacific Islander 8 2.7
Asian 15 5.0
Other 4 1.3
Total 298 100.0
Industry affiliation
Hospitality and tourism 113 40.1
Non-hospitality and tourism 169 59.9
Total 232 100.0

varimax rotation procedure. The Kaiser – Meyer – Olkin test measured sampling adequacy
(KMO ⫽ 0.89) and Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity (1718.76***; df ⫽ 136), which indicated the
factor analysis procedure to be appropriate for event performance attributes. The
three-dimension solution explained 42.40 per cent of variances. Of the 17 event
performance attributes, three were eliminated due to low factor loadings. Based on
attribute composition in each of the dimensions, the following labels were assigned as
listed in Table III: Hedonic dimension [i.e. entertainment, quality of food and beverage
(signature dishes, desserts and drinks), time of day (Friday), location (shopping mall)],
Event Design dimension (i.e. adequate number of tables, event layout, location, event
schedule, etc.) and Informative dimension (i.e. volunteer communication, event objectives,

VOL. 69 NO. 4 2014 TOURISM REVIEW PAGE 319

 Table III Results of the derived event performance dimensions
Factor Variance Cronbach’s
Factors loadings Eigen-value explained (%) alpha Mean (SD)

Factor 1 (Hedonic)
1. Food and beverage quality is excellent 0.709 6.08 18.04 0.79 4.12 (0.72)
2. Food and beverage prices are acceptable 0.609
3. Time of day the Event is held is adequate 0.589
4. Location (shopping mall) is convenient 0.578
5. Food and beverage variety is adequate 0.504
Factor 2 (Event Design)
1. The display layouts are well designed 0.703 1.50 15.77 0.82 4.22 (0.65)
2. The objectives of the event are well 0.614
communicated
3. Adequate number of registration tables 0.612
4. Adequate number of booths 0.578
5. Time of the year weather is comfortable 0.415
Factor 3 (Informative)
1. Availability of event information 0.635 1.28 8.59 0.76 4.05 (0.73)
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2. Staff/volunteers are knowledgeable of the event 0.496

3. Entertainment is enjoyable 0.421
4. Finding the event was easy 0.418
Note: Kaiser – Meyer – Olkin measure of sampling adequacy ⫽ 0.89; total variance explained at 42.4%; Bartlett’s test of sphericity ⫽
1718.76; df ⫽ 136; significance ⫽ 0.000

event information, etc.) The face validity of the three dimensions was further confirmed by
event scholars and organizers.
To determine how well each set of performance attributes measured the underlying
dimension, reliability analysis was performed. The internal consistency coefficients
(Cronbach’s alpha) were calculated for the three sets of performance attributes. The
Cronbach’s alphas of the three dimensions ranged from 0.82 (good) to 0.76 (adequate)
(Nunnally, 1978).
Correlation and multiple regression analysis were conducted to examine the
relationship between fundraising event quality and the following identified predictors:
Hedonic Event Performance, Event Design Performance, Informative Event Performance
and Unique Event Experience (food and drink sampling experience). Prior to regression
analysis, all variables were examined to ensure the basic assumptions of normal
distribution, homoscedasticity and no multicollinearity (all bivariate correlation
coefficients were less than 0.7; variance inflation factor ⬍ 2). Thus, the variables
identified met assumptions for the procedure. The multiple regression model with all
four predictors produced an Adjusted R-square of 41.8 per cent (R ⫽ 64.6 per cent),
F ⫽ 51.47; df ⫽ 4,278; and p ⬍ 0.001 (Table IV).
Among the four predictors, Unique Experiences (food and drink sampling experience) (␤ ⫽
0.42; t ⫽ 8.04***) was found to be a statistically significant predictor of the fundraising event
quality. Of the three event performance dimensions, only Hedonic Performance (␤ ⫽ 0.19;

Table IV Regression analysis for factors affecting event quality

Variable B Standardized Beta t

(Constant) 0.564 0.191 2.089***

Hedonic 0.239 0.102 2.805**
Event design 0.119 0.071 1.680
Informative 0.082 0.421 1.180
Unique experience 0.417 8.004***
Notes: Adjusted R2 ⫽ 0.412; F value ⫽ 51.469; ***significance ⱕ 0.001; **significance ⱕ 0.01

PAGE 320 TOURISM REVIEW VOL. 69 NO. 4 2014

 t ⫽ 2.81***) was found to be significant predictor of event quality. The findings showed
Informative Performance and Event Design were not salient predictors of fundraising event
quality. Thus, the regression model is written as follows:
Y ⫽ 0.564 ⫹ 0.19X1 ⫹ 0.42X2
where
Y the dependent variable, Event quality
X1 the independent variable, Hedonic performance
X2 the independent variable, Unique experience

Theoretical implications
This study provides a theoretical contribution to event quality literature by applying a
touristic experience framework to event management research. As previously discussed,
one of the main constructs of the touristic experience framework is emotional experience
(Aho, 2007), which is the mental impressions reflected in immediate reactions of tourists. In
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this study, this typology was extended to event experience and evaluated in the context of
a fundraising event. Event scholars and practitioners contend that “experience” is one of
the critical elements of the event management body of knowledge (Nelson, 2009; Park
et al., 2011; Silvers, 2004a).
Limited research examining factors affecting overall quality of a fundraising event has been
conducted. This study identified multiple dimensions of fundraising event performance.
The results of this study indicated that Unique Event Experience was one of the significant
predictors of event quality from an attendee perspective. In this study, the opportunity for
attendees to sample signature foods and drinks from many well-known members of the
hospitality and tourism industry in a convenient event themed location was a unique
experience. The uniqueness of this food sampling experience stemmed from the
co-location of prominent local hoteliers and restaurateurs where their signature culinary
offerings could be conveniently obtained at one place. Attendees consumed affordable
signature dishes, drinks and desserts, while simultaneously contributing to a charitable
foundation in support of education. Therefore, the event experience was perceived, in the
words of McCabe (2002), “as contrasting from the attendee’s daily life”. Thus, experiencing
pleasure while simultaneously supporting education resulted in a perceived memorable
experience. This echoes the definition of experience as defined by Cohen (1974), Dann
(1977), Gottlieb (1982), McCabe (2002), and Quan and Wang (2003). This is a new
construct identified in the context of a fundraising event.
Furthermore, this study identified a three-dimensional fundraising performance scale. The
three dimensions are: Hedonic, Event Design and Informative. Of the three dimensions,
Hedonic was found to significantly predict event quality, while “Event Design Performance”
and “Informative Performance” were not significant in predicting quality. This insignificance
could have resulted from the event theme (i.e. charitable fundraising), which may have
motivated attendees to focus more on the unique hedonic event experience and less on the
design and information aspects of the overall event (Jin et al., 2013).
Another interesting observation in regard to the informative performance dimension was the
inclusion of the entertainment element. As entertainment is logically related to the hedonic
dimension, it was expected to be included in the hedonic dimension. This is true of several
other events in which entertainment takes the center stage. However, this study revealed
that entertainment is not perceived as a hedonic element but rather an informative element.
It may indicate that attendees perceived the live entertainment to be part of the hospitality
and tourism education domain. Characters wearing Greek “Togas” were entertaining to the
attendees but at the same time informative of the theme of “Bacchus Bash”. The attendees
at this event did not pay or donate for the entertainment provided on-site. We assume that

VOL. 69 NO. 4 2014 TOURISM REVIEW PAGE 321

 with respect to the nature of this event, i.e. fundraising, the main focus of attendees was to
donate through purchasing of food and beverage items as opposed to pure entertainment.
This study also confirmed the findings of Meer’s (2010) by showing the fundraising event
attracted donors employed in hospitality and tourism organizations with similar social ties.
The underlying premise being that donors with similar goals and objectives have similar
vested interests, and will act as a result of those social ties. In addition to the findings noted
above, this study found that both genders participated nearly equally in the fundraising
event, a finding that contradicts the work of Croson et al. (2009) and Kottasz (2004), which
indicated females participate in such events more so than males.
Following an extensive literature review, this study successfully extended the performance
– quality framework to a fundraising event context. The study then identified and added a
new construct (unique experience) as a new predictor of event quality. These theoretical
determinations will assist researchers in identifying factors affecting overall event quality.

Practical implications
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There are several practical implications resulting from this study. The major findings of this
study provide a significant contribution to managing and executing fundraising events. As
previously noted, this study introduced “Unique Experience” as a new factor that affects the
quality of fundraising events, which has not been examined in prior studies. The results
indicate that hedonic dimension and “Unique Experience” are the two predictors of overall
quality of a fundraising event. Of these two, “Unique Experience” was found to be the most
significant positive predictor of event quality.
The unique experience was achieved by event attendees who were able to enjoy a wide
variety of beverages and bite-sized signature dishes and desserts for a relatively low
donation base price ($2 to $4 per item). This innovative design resulted in a perceived
unique experience that directly correlated hedonism with charity (i.e. donation based
consumption translated to helping others while indulging themselves). Therefore, the
current study findings suggest fundraising event planners should incorporate “fun” factors
into creating unique experiences involving hedonic consumption.
Three salient factors describing fundraising event performance emerged: Hedonic, Design
and Informative dimensions. Of these, Hedonic was the only dimension which significantly
and positively predicted event quality. In this study, the Hedonic dimension was
represented by the quality and variety of food and beverages, the time of day the event was
held, and the location of the event. Although the importance of time of day and location
should be obvious, it is important to note these parameters are very critical to designing any
fundraising event, especially one where the main objective is to generate monetary
donations. The subject of this study, the Bacchus Bash, was planned by local hospitality
organizations with a shared goal to raise money in a way that was marketed as fun and
enjoyable (i.e. hedonic). This design objective provided donors (event attendees) with a
sense of hedonic consumption rather than appealing to altruism (i.e. charitable
contributions).
This study revealed Bacchus Bash to be a successful event based not only on money
raised, but also on attendee enjoyment. The key to this success was the signature dish/
desert/drink items provided by participating hospitality organizations to translate attendee
participation into donations. In addition to altruism achieved by supporting the local
community through event participation, hospitality organizations also viewed participation
as a means to enhance their corporate reputations by competing for “best of category”
prizes (i.e. product promotion). This competition motivated and encouraged participating
organizations to provide high-quality food items (dishes/deserts/drinks) which were rated
by local industry representatives. The success of this type of event reflects thoughtfulness
of design in which all stakeholders benefited. Attendees benefitted by experiencing and
enjoying a unique event (hedonism). Hospitality participants benefitted by contributing

PAGE 322 TOURISM REVIEW VOL. 69 NO. 4 2014

 goods and services which enhanced their standing in the community. The community
benefited by receiving donations to promote education for residents. Event hosts benefitted
by receiving increased consumer (mall) traffic and awareness. In short, success resulted
from a sense of mutual benefit in the form of enjoyment for all stakeholders, not just from
achieving charitable financial goals.
Based on the study findings, fundraising event planners should consider soliciting and
encouraging participating organizations to provide a wide variety of high-quality items
intended to meet the expectations of attendees from a variety of backgrounds. In
exchange, participating organizations can increase standing in the community, as well as
achieve increased product awareness among consumers. When framed in a friendly
competitive theme, a sense of professional pride can also contribute to organizational
commitment.
In addition to quality of donated products, the hedonic dimension also included chronology
(Friday evening) and location (shopping mall). By selecting a busy local shopping mall known
as a popular location for tourists and local residents on Friday evenings, the event planners
ensured a high potential for consumer participation with minimal event promotion. Also, study
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results indicated that many non-resident attendees learned about the event from the hotel they
were staying at, while local attendees identified mass media (local TV, radio commercials and
flyer inserts) as the information source for Bacchus Bash promotion. Thus the event attracted
both target markets (tourists and local residents) of participating organizations. Furthermore,
participating organizations supported this fundraising event with the realization that exercising
corporate social responsibilities would be received in a positive light by their target market as
well as by the local community.
The mental imprints created by hedonic experiences help visitors with memorizing unique
event experiences as noted by Aho (2007). The duration of these memories (i.e. how long
and strongly people recall these experiences) is likely related to the quality of these events.
Hence, organizers should stress overall event quality if they desire positive outcomes in the
form of satisfied and repeat visitors. Therefore, fundraising event planners should focus on
designing special events that not only address fundraising, but also include a unique
experience for donors and attendees which will lead to a perception of outstanding unique
event quality.

Conclusions and future research

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of performance and uniqueness as
predictors of fundraising event quality. Based on the study findings, several conclusions
can be provided. First, this study identified three salient dimensions of event performance
which are specifically applicable to the fundraising event context. They are:
1. Hedonic Event Performance;
2. Event Design Performance; and
3. Informative Event Performance.
Second, performance is a significant predictor of the fundraising event quality. However, of
the three, Hedonic Event Performance was the only dimension found to significantly predict
Event Quality. Third, this study examined the Unique Experience in predicting event quality.
The results revealed that Unique Experience is a stronger predictor of Event Quality than
the three performance dimensions. The results provide information which can be utilized by
event organizers or managers to enhance overall quality of fundraising events. The distinct
attributes of event success identified in this study can be capitalized upon for improving
future attendance.
This study has limitations which warrant future research for replication. The use of event
attendees from one particular event, which focused on a very specific cause, can be
considered one of the more significant limitations of the study. Another limitation arises from

VOL. 69 NO. 4 2014 TOURISM REVIEW PAGE 323

 conducting the study in a shopping mall setting where attendees may have “walked in” and
unwittingly participated without full recognition of the fundraising event objectives. Both of
these limitations limit generalization. Therefore, it is recommended that future research be
performed to replicate the three-dimensional fundraising event scale in another setting with
a more controlled participant base. Another study limitation results from not taking attendee
residence and country of origin into consideration. Attendees from different cultures and
different nationalities may have different perceptions. Therefore, future studies considering
culture and nationality could further contribute to the understanding of fundraising event
quality. Furthermore, as this is a cross-sectional study, it failed to address continuous
improvement of performance of future events. Thus, there exists the potential for impact on
the evaluation of event quality. Therefore, a longitudinal study to compare program
improvement to this relationship is also recommended. Lastly, this study focused on the
quality of a fundraising event. Other outcome variables such as satisfaction, value and
loyalty were not examined. Future research could include these and other possible
constructs as well. Understanding fundraising event quality could also be furthered by
future studies which investigate the themes and design of fundraising events.
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Further reading
Silvers, J.R. (2004b), “Updated EMBOK structure as a risk management framework for events”,
available at: www.juliasilvers.com/embok/EMBOK_structure_update.htm (accessed 15 April 2014).

Corresponding author
Po-Ju Chen can be contacted at: chen.poju@gmail.com

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