Connecting the Dots: How Two-Location and Online Exhibitions Shape Perceived Service Quality and Exhibition Experience

As the exhibition industry evolves, events are breaking free from traditional boundaries to become dynamic, multi-location and multi-modal experiences that redefine how attendees engage with content and spaces. By integrating the Stimulus–Organism–Response Model and Experience Economy theory, this study investigates the relationships among the two-location exhibition, perceived service quality, and the overall exhibition experience. Analyzing responses from 324 attendees who participated in dual-site exhibitions in Macao and Hengqin, the findings confirm that a two-location exhibition setup is positively associated with both perceived service quality and the attendee experience. Additionally, perceived service quality relates positively to the exhibition experience, acting as a key mediator between the two-location setup and the overall exhibition experience. Moderation analysis reveals that the integration of online exhibitions functions as a significant moderator, where the links between the physical two-location setup and both perceived service quality and overall exhibition experience are more pronounced when online components are present. Ultimately, these results highlight the complex, interconnected dynamics of modern exhibition formats, emphasizing the critical roles that dual-location and online components play in shaping perceptions of service quality and the overall exhibition experience.