PERCEIVED CROWDING AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO CROWD MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AT PARK AND RECREATION EVENTS

Event managers are often concerned with attracting a significant number of visitors in order to enhance event excitement and atmosphere. At the same time, these managers must also ensure that large crowds do not inhibit visitor enjoyment of event activities and opportunities. While crowding is typically discussed as a negative perception, recent research in retail and festival settings indicates that crowding can be perceived positively. Nevertheless, it is unknown how crowding perceptions might vary across different kinds of attractions within the same event. This study sought to document perceived crowding levels across a series of urban park and recreation events and determine if perceived crowding varied across different types of attractions (or subzones). The study also examined the role of perceived crowding in influencing visitor attitudes toward crowd management strategies. Findings indicated that, overall, event crowding was perceived positively and that the presence of other people enhanced visitor experiences. There were variations in perceived crowding across different event subzones. However, the nature of these relationships depended on the specific event. Generally, visitors reported more favorable crowding at the Main Stage Area and less favorable crowding at the Children's Craft Area and the Concession Area. Visitors who felt negatively crowded were more likely to support maintaining large distances between event attractions and being informed of the length of time for waiting in line. Future studies should continue to study perceived crowding and its relationship with customer service functions and desired event experiences.