Event Studies

Aims and focus

The SIG is a forum for event researchers and educators. It aims to contribute to the development of collaborative partnerships through effective cooperation, communication and knowledge sharing. It has four main areas of focus:

  1. Networking
    • Creating a collegial network to enable academics, students, government and industry to develop and maintain collaborative partnerships.
    • We will achieve this through communications, seminars and informal fora designed to encourage interaction and sharing.
  1. Research and Scholarship
    • Advancing the teaching and research nexus by fostering a spirit of critical, engaged academic debate, and encouraging scholarly research that advances theoretically-informed event studies discourse across a diverse range of areas and issues.
    • We will achieve this through hosting events focused on topics of relevance to SIG members, to assist them with identifying current issues and future trends in research and teaching. We also encourage SIG members to contribute to special issues of the CAUTHE journal/case study publications.
  1. Dissemination
    • Facilitating extensive knowledge production, transference and dissemination of rigorous, theoretically-informed event studies research to a diverse audience.
    • We will achieve this through promoting SIG members’ research publications and other outputs.
  1. Application
    • Generating more targeted research that informs policy and practice in both events education and industry, for the benefit of society.
    • We will achieve this through identifying opportunities for SIG members to contribute to policy submissions and disseminating research findings in plain English.

NEW!! SIG Snapshot video (2:40) with Associate Professor Martin Robertson and Dr Effie Steriopoulos.

Key benefits for members

  • Access to a supportive network of like-minded academics and industry practitioners
  • Access to opportunities to collaborate with and learn from experts in the events field, and to contribute to policy development
  • Access to regular professional development opportunities
  • The opportunity to contribute to themed special issues of the CAUTHE journal/case study publications

2024

  • Meeting at CAUTHE 2024 Conference, Hobart at 16:00- 17:30 on Thursday 8 February 2024 to discuss Pushing the boundaries of event studies with Prof Alison Morrison (WAI), Assoc Prof Clifford Lewis (CSU) and Dr Aaron Tham (USC), co-chaired by the SIG chairs. Download flyer.

Past Activities

2023

  • SIG meeting Innovative frameworks and the complexity of major and mega events at the CAUTHE 2023 conference, Rydges Fremantle (conference venue) on Wednesday 8 February, 8:00 – 9:00am. Dinner (at own expense) at Little Creatures from 7:00pm. Download flyer.

2022

  • New SIG coordinators Dr Effie Steriopoulos (William Angliss Institute, Melbourne) and Dr  Faith Ong (The University of Queensland) thanked Associate Professors Leonie Lockstone-Binney and Martin Robertson for their outstanding work as SIG coordinators since 2015.
  • The theme for the 2022 Event Studies SIG meeting on Friday 4 February at 17:00-18:00 (AEDT) was ‘What does authentic learning mean for event studies in a changing world?’. Viewing learning from COVID and the global emergency, and new forms of social and learning engagement.

2021

2020

  • Panel session at the CAUTHE 2020 Conference on Wednesday 12 February at 6.30pm-7.30pm at AUT campus.
  • Theme: Knowledge generation: A discussion on the PhD and Event Studies. A panel of events PhD scholars discussed how the next generation of event scholars view the current research agenda, threats they see to the development of event studies research and what needs to happen to ensure the growth, validity and academic rigour of events research in the future. The speakers included Lizette Oliver, University of Newcastle; Effie Steriopoulos, William Angliss Institute; Nicole Yu, University of Queensland and Alice Brazão, Coventry University.

2019

  • The SIG convenors made a submission to the ABDC Journal List review to raise the ranking of the International Journal of Event and Festival Management to an A level journal.
  • Following the publication of the special issue ‘Critical Event Studies: Issues and Perspectives’ in Event Management, participants at the CAUTHE 2019 Conference meeting discussed the issues and tensions in bringing criticality to the events field. A/Prof Martin Robertson and Prof Jane Ali-Knight (two of the issue editors) provided via Skype an overview of the topic and contributors to the issue A/Prof Judith Mair and Dr Faith Ong (also a guest editor) discussed their latest research and how it applied a critical lens.

2018

  • Strategic Research and Education Priorities for Events Studies: Are we at the Cross Roads? conversation at CAUTHE 2018 conference.

2017

2016

2015

  • New SIG coordinators Leonie Lockstone-Binney (William Angus Institute) and Martin Robertson (Bournemouth University, UK) took over the role and thanked Judith Mair and Michelle Whitford for the outstanding work they undertook to establish and co-ordinate the SIG.
  • Discussions took place with some of the other CAUTHE SIGs to facilitate a collaborative project.

2014

  • Joint workshop with ANZALS and SMAANZ on 10 February immediately prior to the CAUTHE conference to discuss possible collaboration with kindred associations for an edited book or a special issue of a journal.

2013

  • Published first special issue of the International Journal of Event and Festival Management on ‘Event and Festival Research Methods and Trends’. Edited by Dr Judith Mair and Dr Michelle Whitford and featuring papers by Event Studies SIG members (and others), two articles were the most downloaded papers of 2013 for the journal.
  • Discussed plans for the year and a possible book proposal at CAUTHE 2013 SIG meeting.

2012

  • A high level of interest was shown with many abstracts received for a special edition of the International Journal of Event and Festival Management on ‘Event and Festivals Research Methods and Trends’, edited by Michelle Whitford and Judith Mair.

2011

  • The activities, priorities and initiatives of the SIG were determined at the inaugural meeting at CAUTHE 2011.

SIG Coordinators

  • Dr Effie Steriopoulos

    Faculty of Higher Education

    William Angliss Institute

  • Dr Faith Ong

    School of Business

    University of Queensland