The development of competitive advantage through sustainable event management
- Resource Type
- Academic Journal
- Authors
- Henderson, Stephen
- Source
- Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 2011, Vol. 3, Issue 3, pp. 245-257.
- Subject
- research-article
Research paper
cat-THOS
Tourism & hospitality
cat-ETS
EcoTourism & sustainability
cat-ITH
International tourism & hospitality
cat-TDP
Tourism development & planning
cat-SST
Sustainable tourism
cat-TTH
Trends in tourism & hospitality
cat-HIND
Hospitality industry
cat-TIND
Tourism industry
Competitive advantage
Sustainable development
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 1755-4217
Whilst the debate rages between progressive and destructive considerations of economic development, this paper aims to develop thinking around the sustainable event and its contribution to competitive advantage.
The paper defines the sustainable event and considers different position that might be adopted by private and public sector organisations when addressing the triple bottom line of sustainable development.
Cost leadership strategies are unlikely to work and the event organiser must address competitive advantage via differentiation and focus strategies.
Event managers must gain a better understanding of the motivations of their audience in relation to sustainability and work towards clearer means to demonstrate that their event meets these sustainable development needs.
The intention being that if event organisers can see a competitive advantage in the sustainable event, their contribution to sustainable development will be increased.