Enhancing the Attendee's Experience through Creative Design of the Event Environment: Applying Goffman's Dramaturgical Perspective

Abstract

Environmental psychologists who have studied transactions between individuals and their physical settings have known for almost 40 years that when an individual's environment is changed, his/her behavior and experience are also changed by the environment (Gifford, 2002 Gifford, R. 2002. Environmental Psychology: Principles and Practices, Canada: Optimal Books. [Google Scholar]). This article explores the relationship between the design elements utilized in experience creation and emotional connection for event attendees, as well as for those who provide the experiences including the service, through the application of Goffman's dramaturgical perspective (1959) and the components of atmospherics (Kotler, 1973 Kotler, P. 1973. Atmospherics as a marketing tool. Journal of Retailing, 4: 48–64. [Google Scholar]) and servicescapes (Bitner, 1992 Bitner, M. J. 1992. Servicescapes: The impact of physical surroundings on customers and employees. Journal of Marketing, 56(2): 57–71. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Relevant design elements of these existing models are then applied to the event environment, where the dramatic elements of an event unfold in an interactive theatrical setting.