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This study aims to propose an extended framework to design a profitable exhibition booth environment (i.e. boothscape) that fosters attendees’ at-show experience and after-show purchase intention.

Survey-based data were collected from attendees who visited one of the five major exhibitions at leading convention and exhibition cities in Korea. Structural equation modeling was used to examine which features of boothscape are more influential in improving attendees’ at-show experience and after-show purchase intention.

Empirical results revealed that booth design, product variety and assortment and entertainment exert a significant impact on attendees’ emotional and cognitive experiences at an exhibition. On the other hand, booth personnel exclusively influence attendees’ cognitive experience. A better chance of after-show purchase incident can be obtained by reinforcing both emotional and cognitive experiences.

Although emotional and cognitive experiences are two of the most compelling types of at-show experience, future studies can consider mediating roles of other experiences to better understand the complex mechanism of attendees’ at-show experience. Moreover, it is worthy to examine the moderating effects of attendees’ characteristics, as Bitner (1992) argued that individuals have different perceptions of the surrounding environment based on personal and situation variables.

This study provides empirical evidence on the under-explored research area of boothscape. Researchers and exhibitors can learn that both context and content of boothscape should be taken into consideration to create a more holistic at-show experience. In return, attendees can have long-lasting memories of exhibitors and products for future purchase. This new insight can serve as inspiration for researchers and exhibitors to shift paradigms from service- to experience-oriented to improve long-term exhibition performances.

This article aims to provide a critical review of the articles included in this special issue and highlight their findings and contribution to events, festivals and destination management research.

The article critically reviews methodologies, findings, themes and conclusions offered by each article included in this special issue.

The articles in the special issue identify the latest thematic trends in events, festivals and destination management research and propose conceptual frameworks for event and festival life cycle trajectories. They build on previous research confirming how accessible tourism and a balanced event portfolio can increase the sustainability and competitiveness of the destination. Based on sound methodologies, they offer specific theoretical and practical implication for the successful planning, marketing and management of events, festivals and destinations. They provide suggestions on how event innovation, participatory sport events, mega sport events, food and wine festivals and meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE) can assist in the marketing and branding of the tourism destination.

The articles in this special issue lay the foundation for future research in events, festivals and destination management. Articles in this special issue apply various research methods and analysis, indicating the growth of event and festival research. Research methods and analysis techniques used in the special issue include content/theme analysis, case studies, qualitative studies and questionnaires. The research articles and methodologies used in this issue should help both researchers and industry practitioners.

This study highlights key findings, theoretical and practical implications and contributions of the articles included in this special issue. It provides a holistic view of events, festivals and destination management research and suggests areas for future research.

Few will complain that 1974 has not been an eventful year; in a number of significant respects, it has made history. Local Government and National Health Services reorganizations are such events. This is indeed the day of the extra‐large authority, massive monoliths for central administration, metropolitan conurbations for regional control, district councils corresponding to the large authorities of other days; and in a sense, it is not local government any more. As in other fields, the “big batallions” acquire greater collective power than the total sum of the smaller units, can wield it more effectively, even ruthlessly, but rarely appearing to take into account the masses of little people, the quiet people, who cannot make themselves heard. As expected, new names of authorities are replacing the old; new titles for departments and officers, ambitious and high‐sounding; a little grandiose for the tongues of ordinary folk. Another history‐making event of 1974, in the nature of a departmental transfer but highly significant for the course of future events as far as work in the field is concerned, was handing over of the personal health services—health of expectant mothers, babies, children, domiciliary midwifery, the school health services and their mainly medical and nursing personnel—from local health authorities to the newly created area health authorities. The public health departments over fifty years and more had created them, built them up into the highly efficient services they are. If anything can be learned from the past, new authorities are always more expensive than those they replace; they spend freely and are lavish with their accommodation and furnishings. In their first few months of existence, the new bodies have proved they are no exception. News of their meetings and activities in many areas is now scanty; even local newspapers which usually thrive on Council news—or quarrels—seem to have been caught on the wrong foot, especially in the small towns now merged into larger units. The public are relatively uninformed, but this doubtless will soon be rectified.