Frozen in Finland: Festival and Risk Management Analysis of Himos Winterfest 2024
Tuononen, Eveliina Aada Maija (2024)
2024
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024112329566
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024112329566
Tiivistelmä
The objective of the thesis was to examine the festival and risk management of Himos Winterfest 2024. The purpose was to study the key elements that affected the unfortunate incidents associated with Himos Winterfest 2024 and to what extent social media had further adverse effects on the outcome of the winter festival. Another purpose was to examine the interlinkage of an event's success while considering the organiser’s brand image.
The theoretical framework of the thesis was based on event management concepts and the background of Himos Winterfest and its organiser, Vola Events Oy. The information was backed by several sources created by professionals in the events industry. Other concepts in the theoretical framework include the risk management and assessment of festivals and media risk management in events like Himos Winterfest 2024.
The methodological approach of the thesis was qualitative, employing methods such as ethnography, netnography, content analysis and thematic analysis. News articles and social media posts were analysed to reveal the reasons for the outcome. This allowed for a non-biased approach to the study of the festival and risk management analysis of Himos Winterfest.
The results and findings revealed that the organisation of music festivals like Himos Winterfest, especially during the winter season in Finland, requires professional knowledge of the possible risks and the necessary experience to create the appropriate mitigation strategies. The results also revealed that the overwhelming social media response only increased the event's infamy, which eventually resulted in the bankruptcy of the organiser.
In conclusion, the combination of the Himos Winterfest 2024 organiser's unpreparedness and the negative media feedback resulted in overlooking essential elements when considering risk and festival management. By analysing the outcome of Himos Winterfest, the event can be applied to create learning opportunities for future events professionals to create winter festivals with similar themes.
The theoretical framework of the thesis was based on event management concepts and the background of Himos Winterfest and its organiser, Vola Events Oy. The information was backed by several sources created by professionals in the events industry. Other concepts in the theoretical framework include the risk management and assessment of festivals and media risk management in events like Himos Winterfest 2024.
The methodological approach of the thesis was qualitative, employing methods such as ethnography, netnography, content analysis and thematic analysis. News articles and social media posts were analysed to reveal the reasons for the outcome. This allowed for a non-biased approach to the study of the festival and risk management analysis of Himos Winterfest.
The results and findings revealed that the organisation of music festivals like Himos Winterfest, especially during the winter season in Finland, requires professional knowledge of the possible risks and the necessary experience to create the appropriate mitigation strategies. The results also revealed that the overwhelming social media response only increased the event's infamy, which eventually resulted in the bankruptcy of the organiser.
In conclusion, the combination of the Himos Winterfest 2024 organiser's unpreparedness and the negative media feedback resulted in overlooking essential elements when considering risk and festival management. By analysing the outcome of Himos Winterfest, the event can be applied to create learning opportunities for future events professionals to create winter festivals with similar themes.