Studying Event Portfolios (2003-2023): Vistas of Multi-Event Program Organizations

Abstract

Event portfolios entail a holistic, integrative and network mindset in assembling, designing, managing, and cross-leveraging strategic multi-event calendar programs as complex systems for obtaining multiple benefits. Primarily because their development calls for a disruptive change departing from the enduring predominant focus on standalone major events, they have remained a largely neglected phenomenon within event studies over the last twenty years. This commentary reviews incipient scholarship that has pushed towards a portfolio paradigm shift for making events more sustainable and resilient. It tracks down the emergence of event portfolio in Event Management – first made in 2003. All portfolio-related articles published until today in the journal are presented alongside research emerged elsewhere to reveal overarching themes and knowledge gaps. Aspiring to trigger interest in the subject and attract work that will build new knowledge, main directions for future studies are recommended: event populations, eventfulness, portfolio constitution/evolution, cross-leveraging, and comparative studies among events/portfolios.