The impact of in-person business event stressors on emotional well-being and reattendance intentions: The role of affective trust

Business event attendees’ travel activities significantly contribute to the tourism market of event destinations. While attendees’ experiences of stress at business events can affect their reattendance, research on specific event stressors remains limited. This study aims to develop a measurement scale to identify stressors at in-person business events that trigger attendee stress (Study 1). Using stimulus–organism–response theory, the study examines how these stressors influence affective trust among peer attendees and, subsequently, their emotional well-being and reattendance intentions (Study 2). The results indicate that business event stressors negatively impact affective trust, which in turn reduces emotional well-being and reattendance intentions. Furthermore, attendees’ prior event experience moderates these effects. The findings contribute to the events and tourism industries by emphasizing the importance of managing business event stressors to enhance attendee experiences and encourage future participation.