UK EVENTS INDUSTRY

Customer Perception of Service Quality in the UK Events Industry

Literaure Review

Customer Perception of Service Quality in the UK Events Industry

2.1 Introduction

Event management companies and organisations service a variety of fields including corporate events (product launches, press conferences, corporate meetings and conferences), marketing programs (road shows, grand opening events), and special corporate hospitality events like concerts, award ceremonies, film premieres, launch/release parties, fashion shows, commercial events, private (personal) events such as weddings and bar mitzvahs (Brady, 2001, pp: 35).

Business visits and events are worth over £22 billion to Britain's economy in terms of its wider economic impact through associated delegate expenditure on travel, entertainment, shopping, pre and post conference and tours etc. Already there are 450 foremost events held nationally worth around £1 billion to the UK economy.

It is the blame of event managers to consign an appealing happening program, which will tempt tourists from overseas and interstate to experience the event. This is accomplished through ensuring that the level of competition is strong and that the performance of the competitors is optimal. While these program components stay the responsibility of the event organisers and sponsors, other qualitative and quantitative factors can impinge on the success of the event. The tangible outcomes of an event, both in terms of direct economic influence and tourism activities should also be optimised to ensure that the snare advantages from hosting an event are positive. Likewise, intangible aspects of an event such as the atmosphere, the uniqueness and other innate qualities of an event experience must also be managed and monitored to ensure ultimate visitor satisfaction (Brady, 2001, pp: 41).

Event managers are often too busy to provide superior programs, it is through what are essentially tourists, but also adequate quality of service levels is critical to ensure visitors a sin. There is considerable evidence to support the body's view that the level of customer perceived service quality is an important antecedent to the end of the tourist satisfaction. Competition or performance may be excellent, but if the visitors experience low quality of service (such as poor food and dirty toilets or inappropriate), or incompetent staff to provide services, then the future will be challenged to attend (Brown, 2009, pp: 131).

Event and include such as food, beverages and other products sold or given away the physical element, but is essentially a service, because the limited time they experience being invisible, managed atmospheric composition. As with all services, which experience the "product" of both production and consumption, is highly heterogeneous, it is difficult to store and / or control. Events can be said to be non-standard services, knowledge, behaviour and commitment to service providers is the key (Bejou and so on., 1996). And visitors to enjoy the satisfaction of the event is shaped by a complex interaction of consumers and programs, settings, management system, staff / volunteers, and other tourists, making a complex evaluation of the quality of work (Brown, 2009, pp: 132).

In turn total satisfaction with the happening is expected to influence ...