Date of Graduation

5-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Innovation

Advisor/Mentor

Kelly Way

Committee Member/Reader

Dede Hamm

Committee Member/Second Reader

Amy Bates

Abstract

Marketing is a large part of growing one’s business or event. The objective of this study was to gain an understanding of how social media marketing increases brand loyalty, attendance, and engagement within current and potential guests over traditional event marketing methods. Through this study a data collection survey for the University of Arkansas’ Hospitality Management annual event Students Mastering the Art of Hospitality (SMASH) to gather information on the effectiveness of e social media marketing’s influence on their attendees. Unfortunately, due to a global pandemic SMASH was canceled and the researcher and honor’s committee thought it to be best to create a social media marketing plan for the 2022 event year because the appropriate data could not be collected. Through this marketing plan, one can see how social media additives to the SMASH marketing plan will create a stronger engagement with guests and grow the event.

Keywords

Virtual events, SMASH, event marketing plan

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