Management and Marketing Events in a Digital Era: Opportunities and Challenges

Introduction

Changes and developments in ICT in recent years have caused radical changes in tourism, management, and marketing areas as well as in many other fields. In this context, businesses had to combine all their events with ICTs to gain an advantage in competition and to adapt to the digital changes. Digitalization has affected many areas as well as management and marketing areas. Digitalization, which has radically changed marketing strategies and understanding of businesses, is known as the digital age. In the digital age, through ICTs, the ways of searching and accessing information about the event by the users have been developed and transformed. Changing advertising, communication policies, management strategies, and marketing events in the digital age affect all businesses and their approach to marketing events, as well as changing event marketing specifically in terms of event management, promotion, and announcement.

ICT is a significant tool to use in the management of events and marketing, as well as in planning, organizing, and running the events. It is necessary to obtain and develop the advantages offered by this event to organize a successful event by using information and communication technologies in the digital era. Besides, it is necessary to increase the quality of life of the audience, to target a competitive strategy, and to organize by determining priority market trends. Also, competitive strategies should be established in determining the priority market trends of the business, strengthening the basic advantageous aspects of the business, and increasing the quality of life of the population. Because digitalization affects competition strategies and digitalization changes the understanding of competition. The effectiveness of marketing communications is very crucial for the success and sustainability of the events in a competitive environment. The significance of marketing communication in ICTs in the digital age is an undeniable fact. The variety of marketing communication tools is high and their effect levels are quite different. The tools to be used in the management and marketing of the events are selected based on the scope of the event, target markets, and cost criteria. Examples include radio, SMS sending, outdoor advertising, targeted advertising, and social media.

One of the most important reasons for the rapid development and spread of ICTs is the development of information-seeking behavior. So, digitization has led to a new knowledge economy. The development of ICTs has led to changes in the contemporary business environment and efforts are continued to integrate into all sectors. Therefore, tourism a highly information-intensive industry, as ICTs have a potential impact on the tourism industry. It has emerged with the fact that the social structure includes information in a contemporary structure and the positive impact of ICTs in the tourism industry. Therefore, social interaction arises between the service and experience provider and the consumer. ICTs are significant in the tourism industry, can’t be neglected in running the businesses, and serving the guests, and is a crucial driving force in the existing information-oriented society.

Developments in ICT contribute to the economy of the digital transformation in terms of productivity, employment, and an increase in income. As a result of the developments in ICTs, health economics, communication, economy, etc. changes have occurred in many areas. Quickly affecting almost all sectors, ICT has become an important milestone of economic and social order in general terms.

The rest of this chapter states that the effect of digitalization on event management and marketing. It also focuses mainly on the opportunities and challenges created by ICTs and ICT in the tourism industry. Finally, solutions and recommendations and future research directions are presented in the last.