Temporal changes in factors affecting convention participation decision

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine whether factors that may affect potential attendees' convention participation decision change over time. In today's competitive environment, marketers of associations and destinations make considerable efforts to increase the number of attendees for the conventions they host. Optimizing attendance relies on a clear understanding of the dynamic decision‐making process of prospective attendees. Design/methodology/approach – The study panel was selected from a pool of hospitality and tourism association members, and they were surveyed with an identical questionnaire on two separate occasions. The 107 paired sets were used for data analysis. Findings – The study showed that there were significant changes in the effects of the following factors on the convention participation decision: networking opportunities, safety and health situation, and travelability. Research limitations/implications – The generalizability of the research is limited by its time scope and sample size. A three‐month split between the two sampling periods may not be sufficient to assess the temporal changes. The empirical results of the study can serve as a base to reveal how potential attendees' convention participation decision may change over time. Using the measurement scale, industry practitioners can evaluate the impact of their marketing strategies and assist in changing potential attendees' convention participation decision into one for convention attendance. Originality/value – The study is the first attempt to assess the dynamic aspects of the convention participation decision‐making process.