Traditionally Schoolies celebrations draw attention for all the wrong reasons.
This year, one researcher from The University of Queensland said the studies showed that the Gold Coast hosts a generally well-managed event.
Dr Shane Pegg was the first leisure researcher in Australia to investigate the personality profiles of the people who were attending Schoolies and has surveyed hundreds of attendees each year for the past four years.
"We're interested in who is attending Schoolies and what type of leisure disposition they have," he said.
"We are also interested in knowing whether or not Schoolies is attracting particular kinds of people who display high-risk behaviours and whether these people are in the majority.
"In recent years the data we have collected have indicated that we haven't seen a significant change in the mindset of the attendees.
"However, the various support organisations involved in the event are reporting less even-related incidents, which is very encouraging from an event management perspective.
"When you have such a large event which predominately attracts people with the 'thrill seeker' disposition, there are bound to be incidents but what these findings suggest is that the event is being better managed as it has evolved.
"So the good news is that the management team working behind the scenes is doing a great job at delivering a good event."
Dr Pegg said that he was drawn to the event from a research perspective because it was so different from any other event in Australia.
"Schoolies is interesting because it is one of the few events which has come from the community and is effectively driven by the community," he said.
"It has and is evolving as an event - it had a life of its own as celebration of youth long before anyone became formally involved.
"Even without the 'management' which now exists for this event, it would continue to happen regardless, and that is what makes Schoolies a phenomenon."
Dr Pegg, and a team of students from UQ`s School of Tourism, are also visiting the Gold Coast this year to survey new arrivals in Surfers Paradise.
Media: For more information contact Dr Shane Pegg (s.pegg@uq.edu.au, 07 3381 1025)
