EVENT MOTIVES AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS: CASE OF 14TH TURKEY KOC SPORTS FEST UNIVERSITY GAMES

Abstract

Events constitute a subject on which is placed much importance both in practice and theory due to tourism potential they create and their various positive impacts. There are a number of studies conducted on events from various angles and studies dealing with event motives form an important part in these. However, there are fewer studies analyzing the relation between demographical characteristics and event motives. Analyzing event motives according to demographical characteristics is an important subject that may influence decisions to be taken in the processes of creation, planning, and management of events. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between spectators' event motives and their demographic characteristics to determine event motives for festivals and sports events as well as which demographic variables create differences on which motives and to develop suggestions for event managers. In line with this purpose, a survey was conducted to include spectators of 14th Koc Sports Fest University Games, hosted by Pamukkale University and Denizli Metropolitan Municipality in 2017. A questionnaire answered by a total of 794 spectators was analyzed through explanatory factor analysis in the frame of the scale drawn with the help of the 2001 study by Nicholson and Pearce, and the 2013 study by Polat, and event motives for Koc Sports Fest were determined as socialization, sports as a lifestyle, excitement, event novelty, escape, and institution/event image. Findings show that socialization is the most important motive for spectators and motive of escape differs among all demographic groups. In addition, there was another finding showing that spectators having urban or rural origins created differences in every event motive, except socialization motive.