Abstract

Human life unfolds within constructed, urban, and landscaped environments whose complexity makes it difficult to measure how emotionally connected people feel to them, how comfortable they are in these spaces, or the degree to which they experience a sense of belonging (Zhang, 2020). In this context, events function as immersive interventions, temporarily reshaping how people think and act when unintentionally participating in the formulation of a new sociocultural reality (Masterman, 2022). The intention to create unique and meaningful experiences is grounded in immersion and personalisation, which are fundamental features of the modern event era (Berridge, 2020).
However, the growing reliance on digital technologies to enable immersion and personalisation raises significant questions about how such experiences are mediated and unevenly experienced (Zallio and Clarkson, 2022), particularly as many organisations remain unprepared to manage the expanding range of socio-ethical risks associated with immersive and customised event environments (Kasemsarn et al., 2023). As AR and VR technologies continue to expand across sectors, these risks manifest in challenges related to accessibility, privacy, safety, and bias, which may sharpen social marginalisation and undermine equality and inclusion (Dick, 2021). In this context, event organisers must anticipate and mitigate exclusionary risks related to access and digital literacy to ensure equitable participation in immersive event experiences (Scholz and Smith, 2016).
Although these exclusionary risks are evident globally, they are particularly noticeable in local settings with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, where event designs and environments can reinforce existing social hierarchies and limit feelings of belonging among marginalised and potentially vulnerable groups (Lewis et al., 2025). According to data published by the North East Evidence Hub (2024), the Northeast of England is characterised by significant socioeconomic diversity. This diversity makes the region a particularly appropriate context for examining how cultural events may both mitigate and reproduce exclusionary dynamics and therefore informs the selection of the Northeast of England as the location for this study.
This qualitative study examines how cultural event organisers design and promote personalised, immersive experiences while addressing the risks of digital poverty and social exclusion across socioeconomic groups. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted, targeting a sample of 18 participants, comprising accessibility experts and cultural event leads. This combination of roles enabled the study to capture both strategic and operational perspectives on event design, digital engagement, and inclusive practice, while allowing flexibility to explore how accessibility considerations are negotiated in different organisational contexts. Thematic analysis will be applied to identify key themes, which will then be mapped onto a risk management thematic map based on exclusion-related risks.
This research extends existing knowledge by integrating risk management theory into immersive and personalised cultural events. Drawing on the risk definition proposed by Shogren et al. (1999), which conceptualises risk in terms of the consequences of an activity for things humans value, this study focuses on the potential realisation of unwanted negative consequences for visitors. In line with Aven (2016), the research examines uncertainties surrounding social exclusion and visitor decision-making, positioning immersive experiences as contexts in which experiential and social risks may emerge unevenly across different visitor groups. Following Werner et al. (2020), this study advocates for a democratic co-creation process where attendees—rather than being passive users of technology—are active and included participants in co-creating sustainable event experiences and value outcomes.
Silvers and O’Toole (2020) suggest that typical event risk factors include activities, communication, compliance, emergency planning, environment, event type and purpose, finances, human resources, infrastructure, operations, suppliers, and timing. Building on this framework, the study's contribution lies in analysing the challenges event organisers face in managing the risk of visitor exclusion in an era of high-technology immersion. The study proposes a de-risking framework that explains how event organisers can identify exclusionary triggers and implement mitigation strategies to foster ethical, accessible, and innovative hospitality experiences.
This study aims to examine how cultural event organisers in the Northeast of England design, deliver, and promote personalised immersive experiences, and how they identify and manage risks related to inclusivity, ethical practice, and accessibility within the current technological landscape. This is a crucial issue, as the increasing standardisation of technology within the industry heightens the risk of exclusion, raising urgent ethical concerns about leaving certain groups behind (Azer et al., 2024).