Don't get around much any more:
Synchronous Travelogues at the Notting
Hill Carnival

Why this research?
• Study mapping the Experience Production System of UK
Carnivals using social media
• Technology and social behavior coevolve:
– Technology influences social interactions
– Social interactions can also influence technology
• Synchronous Travelogue
– Emergent form of online behavior by individuals

Why is this important to
Carnival?
• Commercial implications for festival organizers and
entrepreneurs
• Every visitor/customer has an audience >150, combined
reach of over 1 million in any medium sized event
• Young, affluent, educated audience
– Influence visit/ product purchase decisions
– Influence festival layout and design

Literature Summary
• The travelogue has a long history
– Narrated
– Written
– Printed
– Photos
• From late 1990s overtaken by travel blog
– Online
– Participative

Research Design
• Content analysis online
• Archive of Social Media interactions around Events and
Destinations
• Virtual interviews with bloggers in Delphi format

Findings
• Blogs evolved
• FROM
• Post hoc, asychronous, rich text, descriptive, discursive text,
pictures (semi-synchronous, often with proprietory blog platforms)
• TO
• multi-faceted, synchronous, interventions, bricolage, varied content,
fragmented (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Foursquare)

Findings
• Motivations of Travelogue writers:
• Travel experience enhanced through virtual conspicuous
consumption or through altruism/sharing.
• Audience vicarious consumption (as of old), but with the
ability to interact and instantly demonstrate appreciation,
prior knowledge or suggest activities

Synchronous Travelogue
• Virtual transmedia souvenir created by traveler/performer
and audience
• Blurs performer/audience boundaries
• Linked multiple networks and platforms
(Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/Flikr/Pinterest/You Tube/Blog)
• Instant sharing/responses

Synchronous Travelogue
• Facilitated by technology
– “Free” Social networks
– Cheap online storage
– Ubiquitous network access (wireless/mobile)
• Evolving social norms
– Sharing thoughts and impressions
– Sharing content

Example from Noting Hill
Carnival 2012
CONTENT/AUDIENCE HOW
MASQUERADE BAND MEMBER TWEET INTERACTION SHARED
I hope people realise it's the first day of Notting Hill Carnival twitter.com
next Sunday.
Stewards needed for Notting Hill Carnival. Anyone who may twitter.com
be interested then please let me know.
This is my last carnival doing a large costume... Look out for
me if you're heading down Notting Hill. I'll have my phone on twitter.com
me. :)
My costume for Notting Hill Carnival 2012.
http://t.co/Fcxvy3pY PHOTO twitter.com
I think I had the longest eyelashes out of M2K during Notting
Hill Carnival. Loool. blackberry
RT @NatashaTL: Notting Hill Carnival was pretty fun for
most of the day! @M2KMAS is definitely the best band for MESSAGE TO FOLLOWER/
costume wearers! I <3 M2K BAND MENTION blackberry
Omg. I'm hearing I was dancing with Police Officers
yesterday at Notting Hill Carnival! Why don't I remember
this? Loool. =| blackberry
How can Notting Hill Carnival be 3 days ago already? Omg. I
miss it so much!!! blackberry
Hey @JackieEyewe. Can you send me the pics you took at
Notting Hill Carnival please? x MESSAGE TO FOLLOWER blackberry
Is it bad that I'm planning for Notting Hill Carnival next year
already? twitter.com
Congratulations to my carnival band @M2KMAS! We came
3rd place at Notting Hill Carnival for Sunday and Monday. BAND MENTION twitter.com

Before

On the Road: AM

On the Road: PM

Post Event

Summary
• Travelogues extend the travel experience spatially and
temporally
• HOWEVER, Travel information was mediated by influential
broadcasters
• Now democratised
• No curator or filter
• Immediacy without mediation

Implications
• Need for power, communications infrastructure / mobile
broadband to facilitate synchronicity
• Tourism authorities and providers to supply readymade
narratives (photo opps, local colour, music, culture)
• Monitor networks to identify emergent themes and
legitimize/amplify them