A Study on Art Fair Visitor Segmentation and Customer Experience: Focusing on Kiaf SEOUL 2024

In the dynamic environment of the contemporary art market, changes and competition within the art fair industry are intensifying. Particularly, the domestic art fair market has been showing different patterns since Kiaf SEOUL decided to co-host with Frieze in 2022, demonstrating aspects of internationalization, diversification, and differentiation, thereby inducing structural changes across the entire domestic art fair industry. Within this evolving context, art fair visitor experiences and behaviors have transcended mere participation metrics, serving as elements that predict an art fair's performance, recognition, and potential for future growth. This study aims to investigate visitors' experiences at Kiaf SEOUL and to gain a deep understanding of the perceptions, attitudes, customer behaviors, and their changes among different customer segments. The research methodology included an online survey (N=604) and in-depth interviews (N=8) with Kiaf SEOUL 2024 visitors. Based on the survey results, customers were categorized into four groups according to their art fair attendance frequency and artwork collection volume: Active High-Involvement, Selective High-Involvement, Growth-Potential Low-Involvement, and Viewing-Centered Low-Involvement. Through subsequent in-depth interviews, the study specifically identified the characteristics of customer experiences (brand value perception, satisfaction, customer behavior, and purchasing patterns) and potential risk factors for each segment. The findings provide foundational data for designing effective marketing strategies and differentiated customer management approaches for Kiaf SEOUL, while also offering insights for sustainable growth in the Korean art fair industry.