Tapping into craft beer festival attendees: segmenting by atmosphere, attachment and consumption

Purpose The popularity of craft beer events is growing worldwide. Understanding the behaviours and motivations behind their consumption is essential for identifying emerging trends and assessing their potential benefits for rural areas. This study aims to segment craft beer festival attendees based on the “festival atmosphere,” “festival attachment” and “beer consumption.” Design/methodology/approach A self-completion survey yielded 378 valid responses, which were analysed using exploratory factor analysis and a cluster approach. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), ANOVAs and chi-squared tests were conducted to profile the segments. The results are presented in statistical tables and cluster profiles. Findings In line with the aim of segmenting craft beer festival attendees, three distinct clusters were identified based on “festival atmosphere,” “festival attachment” and “beer consumption”: “casual festival attendees,” “beer-focused attendees” and “craft beer and festival enthusiasts.” Practical implications The findings suggest that offering a wide range of exclusive beers and creating a lively festival atmosphere encourage attendees to return, which can help maximise revenue at future events. Originality/value This study takes a unique approach to festival segmentation by combining psychographic variables such as “festival atmosphere” and “festival attachment” within behavioural variables such as “beer consumption” in the context of a craft beer festival. Few studies in the field of food and beverage tourism festivals have explored these factors to date.