An Exploration into Third-Sector Charity Events: Consumer Motivations and Business Management.

Abstract

Guy Debord (1994) predicted that the developed world would be focused on entertainment and the spectacle, being fascinated with the needs of themselves rather than those of others and society at large. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the motivations of 18-25 year olds for attending third-sector events, and how charities and NGOs are managing contemporary challenges in order to attract attendees. The research harnesses the term ‘Millennial Cusper’ to refer to the generational cohort under investigation, and an online questionnaire was formulated to collect the necessary data from this group to gain a comprehensive understanding of motivations for 18-25 to attend charity events. To become knowledgeable of NGO strategy implementation to attract this specific group, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The research findings of this investigation identified motivations for Millennial Cuspers to be predominately tied to hedonic experiences and benefits gained for attending charity events. NGO strategies were minimal and lacked correspondence to the motivations of young people. Therefore, NGO’s need to implement more efficient strategies that attract Millennial Cuspers and ensure the sustainability of their events and charitable causes.