MEASURING STUDENTS' MEMORABLE CONFERENCE EXPERIENCE AND BEHAVIOURAL INTENTIONS

Abstract

Purpose – Hosting conferences has always been of crucial importance for the development of the pre and post-seasons of some destinations in Croatia. Considering that students are becoming the most frequent conference participants, the authors recognized the need to measure their memorable conference experience (MCE). Methodology – To this aim, a questionnaire was created, based on the relevant scientific literature, and distributed online and onsite. Research was conducted among 108 students of the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management in Opatija. Findings – This research examines key factors in creating MCEs for students, who could recall their previous memorable conference experience. Exploratory Factor Analysis was performed first, followed by the hierarchical clustering method and regression analysis to determine significant clusters among participants and their influence on behavioural intention. The results indicate that affectively loyal participants are more likely to show their behavioural intention, in comparison with affectively non-loyal participants. Contribution – The findings suggest essential implications for the tourism experience theory and for future conference organizing committeeswell.