Internationalization pattern of creative-cultural events: Two cases from Canada

This paper characterizes the internationalization of creative-cultural events through in-depth, longitudinal and ethnographic case-studies of two typical events. It develops four families of propositions based on the extant theory and tests them against their corresponding aspects of the two case-studies. This comparative examination indicates varying levels of supports; and also points to significant differences from traditional patterns of internationalizations processes. This paper’s contributions are in identifying differences in such events’ internationalization pattern and suggesting theoretical explanation for them. A combination of firm-specific advantage (e.g., creative and cultural) and the event’s home location-specific advantages offer a theoretical approach as they attract both the viewers and creative service-providers from the rest of the world to the home of these events. The paper explores the implication for further theoretical research, management of such events and public policy formulations.