“A cute surprise”: Examining the influence of meeting giveaways on word-of-mouth intention

Although most meetings offer free giveaways to attendees, the role these giveaways plays in influencing attendees' behavioral intentions has received limited attention. This study contributes to event research by examining the impact of giveaways on meeting attendees' word-of-mouth (WOM) i...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management
Main Author: 2-s2.0-85092761956
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier Ltd 2020
Online Access:https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85092761956&doi=10.1016%2fj.jhtm.2020.10.003&partnerID=40&md5=12064c3dbc7f14c1d81c55ec4e6a66f7
Description
Summary:Although most meetings offer free giveaways to attendees, the role these giveaways plays in influencing attendees' behavioral intentions has received limited attention. This study contributes to event research by examining the impact of giveaways on meeting attendees' word-of-mouth (WOM) intention. Two 2 × 2 between-subjects experimental designs were utilized for this study. Results showed that high-value giveaways lead to greater WOM intention among meeting attendees compared to low-value giveaways. Moreover, the study found that cuteness and experienced unexpectedness moderate the effect of meeting giveaways' value on attendees’ WOM intention. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. © 2020 The Authors
ISSN:14476770
DOI:10.1016/j.jhtm.2020.10.003