Economy & Business, Volume 16, 2022

Abstract: In recent years the event management industry has faced unprecedented disruption from external factors. In the area of event management, external factors are uncontrollable factors that affect the industry. The scope of this study concentrates on recent world events including terrorism, a global pandemic (Goncalves, 2021) and war and the extent to which, if any, these factors play on the minds of event attendees and thereby impact event consumption. As a result, this paper seeks to identify and explore what specific external factors influence attendees’ decisions when partaking in events. In a world where uncertainty seems to be evermore present, it is imperative for event researchers and practitioners to consider such issues (Dragin-Jensen et al., 2022). Using a qualitative approach, five focus groups were conducted during the Covid-19 crisis to examine attendees’ decision-making response to partake in events. The focus group participants were drawn from the entertainment, sporting and cultural event sectors, and the results were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis method. In identifying and analysing the most important external factors that attendees prioritise before, during or after consuming an event, the findings that emerged predominately related to two key themes namely, the behaviour of others and perceptions of safety. Behaviour of others included hooliganism, social media, and alcohol consumption, while safety perceptions included Covid-19, political situations and terrorism. This study provides an analysis of the decision-making process attendees engage in. Extending understanding of event planning, attendees’ perceptions and how these perceptions affect event attendance will assist in building much needed resilience in the event industry. In identifying attendee’s concerns during and after the event, event organisers and researchers will be better placed to address issues and alleviate attendees’ concerns.