The convergent model of protocol and events: epistemological integration for strategic design and professional practice

Purpose This article addresses the persistent epistemological fragmentation between protocol and event management by proposing the convergent model of protocol and events (CMPE), a unified framework that conceptualises both fields as interdependent dimensions of symbolic and strategic communication. Design/methodology/approach Following a conceptual–theoretical design, the study applies Jaakkola's (2020) model-building approach and Jabareen's (2009) framework-development procedure. An interdisciplinary literature review supports the identification and articulation of the core constructs structuring the CMPE. Findings The model positions protocol as a transversal science of human order with strategic and symbolic functions, and events as its operational and performative manifestations. It integrates six key constructs – protocol, events, symbolic language, four structural elements (spaces, people, times and symbols), strategic communication and community cohesion – into a coherent system. The CMPE demonstrates that both disciplines converge around meaning-making and community articulation, while revealing asymmetries and conceptual dispersion in existing scholarship. Originality/value The CMPE offers the first theory-driven framework that systematically reconnects protocol and event management, providing a coherent epistemological foundation for a field long characterised by conceptual dispersion. Its originality lies in this dual contribution: it advances theoretical consolidation by clarifying the structural, symbolic and functional principles of both domains, while simultaneously delivering a practical architecture that strengthens strategic decision-making, symbolic coherence and community-oriented design in professional event practice.