WHAT MAKES PEOPLE ATTEND A CRAFT BEER EVENT? INVESTIGATING INFLUENTIAL FACTORS DRIVING ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIORAL INTENTION

Abstract

This research aimed to identify and validate the influential factors driving the attitudes of craft beer event attendees toward attending the craft beer event. The influential factors in the research model were derived from three conceptual frameworks, namely event service quality, Eventscape, and craft beer consumption. The data were collected from 254 attendees of Chiang Mai Craft Fest arranged in Chiang Mai province, Thailand, and were analyzed with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that three factors (i.e., quality of entertainment activities, quality of venue environment, and quality of craft beer selection) significantly heighten attendees’ attitudes, increasing behavioral intentions toward the craft beer event, and thus, should be strongly emphasized and highly prioritized by concerned practitioners with the provision of sufficient resources. This research also contributes to the body of theoretical knowledge, proposing a holistic and relevant set of influential factors stimulating attendees’ attitudes in the understudied area of craft beer events.