Dr. Christine Van Winkle is committed to community-based research that explores the role of festivals, events and attractions in the community. Van Winkle combines practical experience with theory-based research to inform her practice. Dr. Van Winkle's research explores festival experiences, emergency management at events and the role of festivals and events in community recovery. Her work has been published widely.
Experience
Christine Van Winkle is a tenured professor who teaches tourism, recreation and event management at the University of Manitoba. She has worked as an event planner for not-for-profit organizations and as a festival volunteer coordinator, a festival supervisor and consultant. Currently, Dr. Van Winkle is a member of the board of directors of the Gas Station Arts Centre which produces the Winnipeg Comedy Festival which is televised nationally.
Education
2007
Doctor of Philosophy
Clemson University
2002
Master of Arts
University of Manitoba
Awards
2021
Outstanding Reviewer Award
International Journal of Event and Festival Management
2017
Outstanding Paper Award
International Journal of Event and Festival Management
Mobile device use during festivals: Opportunities for value creation by Van Winkle, C.M., Cairns, A., MacKay, K., & Halpenny, E.
2015
Highly Commended Paper Award
International Journal of Event and Festival Management
Sense of community and perceptions of festival social impacts by Van Winkle, C. M., & Woosnam, K. M.
2014
Best Conference Paper Award
Travel and Tourism Research Association (International)
Your Festival in 140 Characters or Less*: Exploring Festivals’ Use of Twitter by MacKay, K.J., Barbe, D., Van Winkle, C.M., Halpenny, E.
Research
Research interest
festival experiences
emergency management at events
the role of festivals and events in community recovery
Publications
Van Winkle C. (2025). Looking Beyond the Screen: Smartphone Effects on Festival Engagement. In Duignan (Ed). Events and Society. Routledge.
Bueddefeld, J., & Van Winkle, C. (2024). Polar bears, climate change, and trusted messengers: informing the Contextual Model of Transformative Learning Theory. Journal of Ecotourism, 23(3), 395-413
Van Winkle, C. & Shafto, C. (2024). Preventing a festival fiasco: Preparing for the unexpected. In Mair, G. & Kozak (Eds). International Case Studies in Event Management. Routledge.
Van Winkle, C., & Bueddefeld, J. (2024). From Visitors to Trusted Messengers. In Wilson-Mah (Ed). Tourism and Hospitality in Management and Practice. Routledge
Revelry in Adversity: How Festivals Contribute to Community Disaster Recovery, Travel and Tourism Research Association, Canada (2024)
Van Winkle, C., Shafto, K., & Slick, J. (2023). Brighter Together: The Role of Festivals in Wildfire Disaster Management, World Leisure Congress, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Olotu, D. & Van Winkle, C. (2023). Volunteer Preparedness for Emergency Management at Festivals. Travel and Tourism Research Association, Kingston, Ontario.
Van Winkle, C. M., Sánchez-Aguirre, D., & Liu-Lastres, B. (2023). Navigating uncertainty: exploring festival and community events’ crisis management in three North American countries. Tourism Recreation Research, 1-18.