The impact of exhibition service quality on general attendees’ satisfaction through distinct mediating roles of perceived value

Purpose In an effort to better understand value-oriented general attendees, the purpose of this paper is to propose and empirically test a comprehensive model to examine the effect of three factors of service quality in exhibitions (i.e. service product, service environment and service delivery) on satisfaction through three factors of perceived value (i.e. emotional value, economic value and social value). Design/methodology/approach A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to determine key factors in exhibition service quality, perceived value and satisfaction. A structural equation modeling was conducted to analyze the causal relationships among the factors. Findings The empirical results indicated that service product and service environment were significantly and positively associated with all factors of perceived value, which in turn significantly influenced satisfaction. Service delivery, however, was associated only with emotional value. On the other hand, all three factors of perceived value significantly influenced general attendees’ satisfaction. The findings indicated perceived value as an important mediator between exhibition service quality and general attendees’ satisfaction. Originality/value Clearly identifying specific trajectories from service quality to satisfaction through distinct perceived values can be a stepping stone to establishing effective and efficient marketing strategies for general attendees and customizing for their needs. The distinct and clear associations between service quality and perceived value can help exhibition organizers and practitioners understand the process of determining general attendees’ overall satisfaction.