The different effects of dis-satisfier, satisfier and delighter attributes: Implications for Oktoberfest and beer festivals

The Oktoberfest in Munich is the largest beer festival worldwide; for the first time, a third party was allowed to do a visitor survey as part of the festival. The study's aim was to assess the role of attribute performance on overall satisfaction. Before this assessment; the relevance of attributes was unclear leading to beer tent operators' planning based on their own assumptions. To minimize earlier weaknesses, the study used moderated regression, included key control variables (gender, age and repeat visitors), and used a three-factor model of attribute categories. 1268 questionnaires were completed; the 16 attributes investigated in this study resulted in 11 defined as satisfiers, two dis-satisfiers and three delighters. In general, findings indicated traditional culture and party atmosphere were anticipated basic elements. The 11 satisfiers were also anticipated but required high perceived performance to enhance overall satisfaction as well as to allow unanticipated delighters to impact satisfaction.