Turning interest into attendance: The communication channels that inspire event participation in Oman

Purpose - The main aim of this study was to assess the role of marketing communication channels in enhancing visitor participation in Oman’s events. The study examines event companies' adoption of traditional and digital marketing communication channels, visitor expectations of these channels, and their link to increased attendance at events. Methodology - This study used a quantitative research approach and exploratory research design. Random sampling was performed in this study. A questionnaire was used to collect data. The ethics form was completed, and after approval, data were collected from 195 respondents. Findings - The findings of the study included the majority of respondents who attended the Muscat Nights event (n=86). A total of 56.4% of respondents obtained complete information on the events via communication channels. Friends and family are traditional channels of communication that visitors expect for event information (4.51). Visitors' expectations of digital communication platforms for events include social media influencers (4.41). On the other hand, event companies use digital communication methods to spread event information via radio and television news (4.21), while SMS to mobile phones is the most common digital communication mode used by event companies (4.53). The study revealed a strong association between traditional and digital communication channels, with traditional channels demonstrating a significant value of 0.034 and digital channels achieving a significant value of 0.032, indicating a strong link between these two channels and increased event visitor participation. Conclusion - The study suggests that event planners and organizers should utilize both traditional and digital marketing channels to reach their target demographic, as both complement each other and increase attendance.