Enlivenment and the Gruffalo; the unfolding story of events in destination shopping centres

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the growing, and multifaceted, role for events within destination shopping centres. With particular focus upon The Gruffalo experience (GE)—a three week pop-up experiential children’s activation—the study offers insights and provides a conceptual framework, relating to the emerging and future role of events. Design/methodology/approach The study emerged from a privileged opportunity to research The GE, enabling a visitor questionnaire survey (n=1,305), using a non-probability sample, and four in-depth interviews, which were extended by an additional seven respondents. Findings There is a noteworthy role for events as “enlivenment”; attractors to increase visitation, repeat visitation and equally to impact dwell time and boost footfall and sales for tenants. The study revealed a need for a developed event portfolio, with various fundamental tensions relating to objectives, tenants, integration with wider strategy and customer experience. Research limitations/implications By interlinking events with shopping, re-visitation intention is improved and therefore not only does it deliver short-term return but longer-term payback. The vast assortment of events, and stakeholders, means a strategic and reflective approach is required. A limitation of the study is that there is limited existing research on this topic upon which to compare the overall findings, or specifically the survey data and analysis. Originality/value This early research study into events within destination shopping centres has revealed a prolific and advantageous, but also emerging and intricate, relationship. There is an absence of extant literature and therefore this paper makes a notable contribution to this unfolding area

Effect of puck mass as a task constraint on skilled and less-skilled ice hockey players performance

Manipulation of task constraints have previously been effective in task simplification enhancing skill development. This study examines how manipulation of puck masses affects movement behaviors in skilled and less skilled ice hockey players during a representative ice hockey task. Fifty participants were separated into a skilled (n = 25) or less-skilled (n = 25) group. Three trials per condition of an obstacle course and breakaway goal attempt were completed in a counter-balanced design using three puck masses, categorised as: light (133g), regulation (170g), and heavy (283g). Findings revealed that use of the light puck by less-skilled participants reduced obstacle-course completion time (p < .05, η2p = .781) and error occurrence (p < .05, η2p = .699) while improving shot accuracy (p < .05, η2p = .430) and goal success (p < .05, η2p = .092) compared to the regulation and heavy puck. However, skilled participants had a decrease in performance when deviating from the regulation puck for all the dependent measures excluding an increase in goal success when using the light puck (p < .05, η2p = .430). Findings demonstrated the functional coupling of puck mass and movement behaviors are dependent on the skill level of the performer

Skill transfer, expertise and talent development: An ecological dynamics perspective

In this paper, we propose an ecological dynamics perspective on expertise and talent development, with a focus on the role of skill transfer. The ecological dynamics theoretical framework provides an integrated explanation for human behaviour in sport, predicated on a conceptualisation including constraints on dynamical systems, ecological psychology and a complex systems approach in neurobiology. Three main pillars are presented, individual-environment coupling as the smallest unit of analysis; adaptation of a complex dynamical system to interacting constraints; and the regulation of action with perception) in order to discuss the functional role of behavioural variability, the usefulness of perceptual-motor exploration and the importance of general and specific skill transfer in the development of talent and expertise in athletes. In addition, practical implications for coaches and instructors are discussed, notably regarding early diversification and unstructured play and activities in talent development programs, but also through variable practice and constraints manipulation

Annual reports for the town of Strafford, New Hampshire 2022 for the year ending December 31, 2022.

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire

Annual reports of the town officers, highway agents, and school board of the town of Strafford, New Hampshire for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1953.

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire

Annual reports of the town officers of the town of Strafford for the year ending January 31, 1927.

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire

Annual reports of the town officers of the town of Strafford for the fiscal year ending January 31, 1934.

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire