Attributes of Entreprenuers at an Arts Festival

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to determine the attributes of entrepreneurs at festivals, in this case an arts festival. The reason for choosing an arts festival is that the largest festivals (judged by number of visitors and income generated) hosted in South Africa annually are arts festivals. A literature review revealed that this type of study had not previously been conducted in South Africa. In order to generate proper data, a survey was conducted of all small businesses that were trading at one of South Africa’s largest arts festivals, namely the Aardklop National Arts Festival, held annually in the city of Potchefstroom. 222 useable questionnaires were captured and the data analysis included a factor analysis and descriptive results. The main results reveal that the most important attributes are a need for achievement, being successful, having the necessary organising skills, selfedification, being explorative, and commitment. Key words: entrepreneurs, arts festivals, event tourism, South Africa, attributes, Aardklop National Arts Festival