An introduction to the future

What is the present state of events and festivals research? The growth of the events industry and the provision of events, in all its many forms, is documented often, and by many. However, there has been far less said about the growth of its content, of its research base and the progress of this research in the future. Lockstone- Binney, Robertson and Junek (2013: 176) comment that core areas of event management knowledge will ‘need to be rebalanced with new knowledge areas to ensure that the events industry is ready to adapt to global competition, the rapidly changing business environment and possible global crisis’. For some time, Professor Don Getz has charted the evolution of events as an area of study and research, its capacity to progress in new directions, and the opportunity to create new discourses (Getz, 2007, 2008, 2012). He suggests events can be considered as an area of study, and that it can develop with – as well as go beyond – the management disciplines, and, accordingly, build interdisciplinary theory. Currently, while there are many researchers representing an array of disciplines involved in the discussion of festivals and events, they rarely work together. "From introduction