Five Nordic countries were represented when the 25 researchers met to discuss the creation of a Nordic network for experience-based research. The researchers came from 14 different universities/institutes and representing various disciplines, not to mention marketing and consumer research, but also management and strategy, organization, innovation and entrepreneurship. Common to most is that they all study contexts where the experience is the core product, perhaps with services and physical products as supplements. The firms tend to work within experience logic, and experiences are the main reasons to go/buy. Most of the researchers present studies from private, public or voluntary activity related to tourism and leisure within nature, culture and/or food.

Development of research

After a short round of presentations, Einar Lier Madsen, Jon Sundbo, Lena Mossberg and Albert Boswijk described how they see the development of research about experience-based industries. Particularly a model suggested by Mossberg on different approaches in experience-based consumer research stimulated debate on how to see own and others research methods. Next activity was presentation and discussion of the first eight papers. As researchers on experiences could not be in Denmark without some experiences for our senses they went out for a guided tour in the Royal Danish Opera House before a nice meal.

Value creation

The second day started with a keynote speech by Albert Boswijk (Netherlands), focusing on a 5 step model for value creation and using the case of Airbnb as example. Nine papers were presented and discussed this day. A third main topic on the agenda was network establishing. There was no doubt about the need of such a network, but it should be build up gradually (organic and through engagements). We discussed suggestions about objectives, names, tasks and ways of organizing and financing. A steering group was appointed, with representatives from all the five countries represented. One of the first tasks will be to inform, involve and engage potential members. Researchers interested in participating in the network to become can send an email to: Einar Lier Madsen, elm@nforsk.no or Jon Sundbo, Sundbo@ruc.dk.  The steering group plan to meet in Turku before Nordic Symposium on Tourism and Hospitality Research the last week of September.

The initiators of the workshop were professor Jon Sundbo (Roskilde University and Nord University/Nordland Research Institute), professor Lena Mossberg (University of Gothenburg and Nord University), associate professor Dorthe Eide (Nord University) and senior researcher Einar Lier Madsen (Nordland Research Institute). The costs with the preparations and most of the workshop were mainly financed by Nordland County Council with contributions from the Northern Insight project (www.opplevelserinord.no).