Building bonds beyond the event: exploring attendees’ trust in peers and community mechanisms in business events

Abstract

Purpose Despite the growing role of events in fostering social connections, trust formation within event settings remains underexplored. Prior research tends to examine either peer-based trust or community-based trust in isolation, offering limited insight into how these forms of trust develop simultaneously. Drawing on social support and social capital theories, this study aims to propose a dual-path framework that distinguishes between affective trust in fellow attendees and cognitive trust in the broader event community. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from 412 event participants and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling to test the proposed relationships. Findings The results reveal that information support and emotional support significantly enhance affective trust among attendees. Meanwhile, cognitive capital and relational capital positively influence cognitive trust in the event community. The findings confirm the multidimensional nature of trust formation within event contexts. Practical implications The study provides actionable insights for event organizers by highlighting the importance of cultivating supportive environments that facilitate both interpersonal interactions and broader community connections to strengthen trust at multiple levels. Originality/value By integrating social support and social capital perspectives into a unified framework, this research advances theoretical understanding of multidimensional trust formation in event settings and extends existing literature beyond single-level trust conceptualizations.