Framing the experience: how self-construal shapes business event attendance decisions

Purpose While prior studies have examined event attendance from the perspectives of satisfaction and event quality, few have investigated how stress and self-construal shape participation intentions. This study aims to bridge this gap by investigating how self-construal affects attendees’ emotional and cognitive responses and attendance decisions in utilitarian and hedonic business events. Design/methodology/approach Two scenario-based experimental studies were conducted. Study 1 examined how chronic self-construal moderates participation intentions across event types (utilitarian vs hedonic). Study 2 investigated how priming self-construal through pre-event communication messages interacts with event type, with emotional and cognitive engagement as mediators. Findings Results indicated that attendees with an independent self-construal prefer utilitarian events, while those with an interdependent self-construal do not exhibit a strong preference for either type. Emotional and cognitive engagement mediated the effects of self-construal and event type on participation intentions. Priming independent self-construal enhanced engagement with utilitarian events, highlighting the role of event framing in shaping attendee behavior. Research limitations/implications This study highlights the roles of both chronic and primed self-construal in message framing to encourage business event attendance, offering practical communication strategies for event planners and organizers to boost participation. Originality/value This study extends self-construal theory by linking it to stress and decision-making in business events. Findings provide actionable insights for event organizers to tailor communication strategies and design stress-mitigating experiences that align with attendees’ self-construal orientations.