Risk Management in Hotel Events: A Mixed-Methods Case Study of Professional Insights from a Portuguese Resort Hotel

This mixed-methods case study explores risk management in hotel events using a large resort hotel in Portugal as its empirical setting. Addressing a critical gap between theoretical risk frameworks and their practical application, the research examines which risks are prioritized, how they are perceived, and who owns them across different organizational roles. The study combines a quantitative probability-impact matrix with a qualitative analysis of interviews using a systematic code co-occurrence analysis structured by established risk categories. Quantitatively, operational and safety-related threats, such as accidents during setup, were identified as the most critical. The qualitative findings, however, revealed a stark contrast in siloed risk cultures. The Events Department demonstrated comprehensive, experience-based ownership of risks across all categories. In contrast, other departments exhibited a narrow, operationally focused awareness and showed significant risk blind spots for entire categories, such as Event Planning and Human Resources. This divergence fosters accountability gaps and normalizes recurring issues. Integrating the findings demonstrates that the primary challenge is not the risk register itself but rather the fragmented organizational perception and presence of these blind spots. The study concludes that bridging these perceptual silos is essential for building a resilient, proactive risk culture. The study contributes to theory by empirically mapping divergent risk cultures and blind spots, thereby highlighting the limitations of purely quantitative assessments. It offers a practical diagnostic method and recommendations for using categorical analysis to foster cross-departmental dialogue and shared ownership in hotel event management.