Factors driving virtual running event participation : A CHAID segmentation approach

Abstract

Virtual running events (VREs) have emerged as participatory events and are projected to be a legitimate future segment in the sport event industry. This paper considers the most suitable market segment(s) with future intentions to partake in VREs. A Chi-Squared Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) algorithm, scarcely used to segment sport consumer markets, was applied based on various motivational factors that may drive VRE participation. Data were collected from 1,017 individuals who had participated in a VRE. Ten distinct market segments with varying intentions to partake in VREs were identified, uncovering at least six viable future VRE segments. Hedonia, perceived psycho-social risk, perceived price and VRE benefits were the strongest predictors of VRE participation intentions. The CHAID analysis allowed a detailed description of the relative importance of the characteristics within each segment, confirming the benefit of using this sophisticated technique to develop targeted marketing strategies.