Insights from UTM researchers unveil motivations behind consumers’ decisions to ‘attend’ online music concerts, and offer guidance on optimising such events
A recent study by a research team from UTM examined the motivations and experiences of individuals witnessing online and in-person music events. The researchers identified motives such as ‘novelty’, ‘nostalgia’, ‘hero worship’, ‘socialisation’, ‘interaction’, and ‘escape’ as the main reasons for attending online concerts. The authors concluded that watching concerts online at home was an easier, more comfortable, and less costly process than going to in-person events, and that the online variety still had the ability to stimulate interaction and engagement among fans.
The study involved Dr. Clara Lei Weng Si, Dr. Ubaldino Sequeira Couto, Dr. Fernando Lourenço, and UTM graduates Wu Cheng Man and Mak Chi Cheng. The result was the academic paper “Virtual Music Concert Attendance Motives and Experience Through the Lens of Uses and Gratification Theory”, published last year in the scholarly journal Event Management.
The study’s authors said they believed the research could guide event organisers, especially in their ability to respond to turbulent times such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. This was because the study provided insights into improving online events and adapting to evolving technological landscapes.
A qualitative, case-study approach was applied. The research findings were based on 55 interviews with individuals. They had attended either solely an in-person event, or respectively an online and in-person version of a music event. The research centred on concerts by the Asian pop band Mayday, spanning live performances between late December 2019 and early January 2020, and a virtual concert hosted by the group in January 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The UTM research team found that motives for, and outcomes from attending both versions of a concert were similar. While participants of online concerts could still interact with others and enjoy the event atmosphere, they found the convenience element of online viewing crucial in terms of cost and accessibility. Technology, notably virtual and augmented reality, played a pivotal role in inducing positive emotions and reaffirming fans’ identification with the artists, the research found.
Practical implications
In light of their findings, the researchers provided several recommendations for planners and organisers of concerts offered online. They suggested that although virtual attendees do not experience the physical surroundings of the artists themselves, the choice of concert venue was “important”, as it invoked “positive memories and emotions attached to previous [in-person] experiences” the fans had with the artists.
The authors highlighted the significance of innovation in online concerts, particularly for enriching the visual experience. They proposed use of virtual- and augmented-reality technology, complemented by smartphone apps and social media platforms, to enhance consumer engagement and the overall concert experience.
The research team stressed the need for sharing practical information with consumers well in advance of events, to ensure a glitch-free experience. This was on the basis that even sophisticated technology could encounter “hiccups and malfunctions”. The researchers emphasised the importance of preparing attendees adequately with information, in order to ensure a seamless delivery of the virtual event experience.
Additionally, when selecting an online platform for live streaming, the research team advised organisers of such concerts to take into consideration – based on their target markets – the regional popularity of each platform, and what functions they can offer.
The availability – or otherwise – of souvenir and concert merchandise emerged as another crucial aspect of virtual concerts. The researchers suggested that such items, as well as providing an additional revenue source for organisers, “potentially reaffirm the concert experience” for fans, invoking memories and fan-worship associations.
Management of live chats linked to virtual concerts was deemed extremely important by the team of researchers, namely for maintaining a “safe and fair environment” for user engagement. They advocated interventions to curb cyberbullying, and chat management to encourage discussions among fans and to cue the direction of conversations.
Finally, the researchers recommended the use of social network sites before and after virtual concerts, to enhance fan interaction. They highlighted the importance of such exchanges, proposing the establishment of a social media presence to alert fans to the availability of such an option.
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Dr. Clara Lei Weng Si is an Assistant Professor at UTM. She is the Dean of UTM’s Faculty of Innovative Hospitality Management. Dr. Lei has a PhD from the University of Leeds, in the United Kingdom. Her academic research interests include event management, management education, and international business, the latter focusing on the impact on hospitality of foreign investment and knowledge transfer.
UTM Assistant Professor Dr. Ubaldino Sequeira Couto is the Coordinator for the University’s Tourism Event Management programmes, being responsible for the development of new postgraduate offerings in this field. Dr. Couto holds a PhD from Leeds Beckett University, in the U.K. His research interests include festivals and events, Macanese identity, and experiential learning in education related to events, tourism and hospitality.
Dr. Fernando Lourenço is an Assistant Professor at UTM. He holds a PhD in entrepreneurship education for sustainable development from Manchester Metropolitan University in the U.K. His research interests include entrepreneurship, sustainable development, education, creativity, tourism and social science. He actively engages in supporting local entrepreneurship and the creative sector.
Wu Cheng Man and Mak Chi Cheng are graduates from the Tourism Event Management Bachelor’s Degree Programme at UTM’s Faculty of Innovative Hospitality Management.
Clara Lei Weng Si, Ubaldino Sequeira Couto, Fernando Lourenço, Wu Cheng Man and Mak Chi Cheng: “Virtual Music Concert Attendance Motives and Experience Through the Lens of Uses and Gratification Theory”, Event Management, Volume 27, Number 4, pages 607-624, 2023.
https://doi.org/10.3727/152599522X16419948695134
Editor: Research Corner | A partnership between Macau Business and UTM
