Events as knowledge platforms The case of the Verbier Art Summit through an audience perspective

Events are long known for providing individuals with opportunities to experience meaningful connections with others who share a similar passion and interest. More recently, they have also been understood as catalysts for learning experiences, knowledge creation and exchange. Events are nowadays seen as relevant contributors in a knowledge and experience driven society, as they help generate a great deal of knowledge, contribute to identity building, and encourage knowledge sharing through collective experiences. The societal role of events goes beyond the impact of a single time occasion as they become platforms able to generate long-term reverberations. The aim of this study is to understand what makes an event a knowledge platform, and to what extent event audiences contribute to shaping the knowledge platform character of events. In order to investigate such aspects, this research focuses on the specific case of the Verbier Art Summit, non-profit organization and annual event that takes place in Switzerland. The event functions as an international platform for discourse, giving knowledge the leading role and stimulating knowledge exchanges amongst its audience. The research was developed through a single case study and collected data through in-depth interviews with thirteen participants of the 2020 Verbier Art Summit, and two employees of the organization. This study contributes to the existing knowledge on events as platforms, and provides a great insight into the perspectives of event participants. The results confirm the meaningful role of audiences, the richness and complexity of the knowledge processes they experience during and after an event. They also provide relevant insights into the societal value of events. Events that function as platforms are able to generate beneficial impacts to those who are directly or indirectly involved with the platform’s activities. The results show that knowledge platforms nurture an atmosphere that favours meaningful social interactions and knowledge exchanges in physical and virtual realms, and they are concerned with providing long-term accessibility to knowledge.