This book on events-related research marks a watershed in the development of a "Nordic School" of festival and event research. Each of the chapters presents a new and interesting approach to the study of events, in terms of methods, perspectives or content. It is mostly rooted in management theory but also incorporating other perspectives that enhance our understanding of the phenomena. Implications for real-world applications in tourism, hospitality, and community development are also at the fore.
The scholarship is comprehensive, not focused on only tourism or economic aspects. Management theory, including stakeholder management, social networks, and institutionalization processes is being applied. Attention is being given to the multiple roles festivals and events play in society, and to evaluation of their worth and impacts. Innovative methods are being developed to examine event experiences, innovation processes, and success factors.
There is now a critical mass of scholars in the Nordic countries that share a strong interest in event studies, and they are engaged in collaborative research, making it an appealing and innovative region for other event students and researchers to visit. It can be expected that the Nordic school will take an increasingly important place in the development of event studies, which is now truly global in terms of scholarship and university degree programs.
This book was originally published as a special issue of Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism.
About the Author: Tommy D. Andersson, PhD is professor in Tourism and Hospitality Management at the Norwegian School of Hotel Management, University of Stavanger in Norway, and in the School of Business, Economics and Law at Gothenburg University since 2001. He served from 1997 as a professor in Management Accounting and later on as a programme director at the European Tourism Research Institute. His main research interests are economic impact analysis, festival management, and cost-benefit analysis.
Dr. Donald Getz is Professor Emeritus at the University of Calgary, Canada, and is a Distinguished Fellow in the International Academy for the Study of Tourism. He holds a number of Visiting Professorships around the world, including at the University of Stavanger, Norway. He has been a leading proponent for the development of event studies.
Reidar J. Mykletun, PhD is professor in Organisational psychology at the Norwegian School of Hotel Management, University of Stavanger in Norway, and Editor in Chief of the Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism. He is currently teaching Project Management, and Event and Meeting Management. His research areas includes entrepreneurship; event and festival management, adventure tourism and adventurous meals, tourist guiding, and work-related issues
