Social Responsibility in Events

Abstract

In recent history, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has come to the forefront of many conversations and surveys in the event industry, yet no study has been completed to determine the feasibility CSR as an event industry initiative. For event planners, several studies report that CSR is a top priority, but site selection literature has not reported CSR as a factor in selecting a destination. The lack of CSR in the site selection process is also seen in the current marketing strategies of the supplier population. This researcher examines the CSR perceptions of 44 corporate event planners and 41 destination management organization representatives to examine if CSR is currently a major decision making factor in the event industry. Data were collected via qualitative and quantitative methods. Through mixed method data analysis, this study found that there is not a single definition of CSR for the event industry, but there is practical evidence that an organization having a CSR definition affects the respondents CSR perception. The study also found that while the perception of CSR was positive for both populations, neither population felt that it had a great effect on the higher functions of the event planning process. Finally, the study found that the respondent's perception of the supply/demand relationship is possibly affected by CSR. The limitations of this study and future research are also discussed.