Perception of quality of an international recreational gymnastics event: the case of the GIMNASTRADA 2019.

Abstract

Introduction: The GIMNASTRADA is an annual, non-competitive gymnastics event, held in the city of Cáceres (Extremadura, Spain) since 1996. The 2019 edition was the largest in number of participants with around 3,700 gymnasts and 12,000 spectators. The aim of this study was to determine whether the perception of quality of GIMNASTRADA 2019 was influenced by the type of participation that different groups of attenders developed in this gymnastic event (gymnasts, gymnastics group leaders, family members, audience, organisational staff).

Methods: To this end, a total of 331 participants completed a short four item-questionnaire created ad hoc for this study in order to evaluate the perceived quality of certain management processes existing in this sporting event (e.g., quality of facilities, planning, organisation and development). The questionnaire, based on single-item measures of previous validated scales as EVENTQUAL and IPA4RE, was answered anonymously by the participants using their own mobile devices via a Google Docs form.

Results: The results showed differences in questionnaire scores between groups of participants. It is concluded that the type of participation influenced the perception of quality between groups of attenders in GIMNASTRADA 2019.

Discussion: It would be advisable for sports managers to design sporting events tailored to different participant profiles, including activities adapted to their specific interests, with the aim of providing a positive experience that would promote their participation in future editions.