Philtech Institute of Arts and Technology Inc. Subject: Event Management Services Week 1

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PHILTECH INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY INC.

SUBJECT: EVENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES


WEEK 1

LESSON 1: An Introduction to Event Management


TOPICS: An Introduction to Event Management

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this session, you will be able to:
 Know and define the Definition, Need and Importance of Events
 Discuss and analyse the Term Event Management
 Identify and explain the steps involved in Event Management Procedures
 Explain the Concept of an Event
 Know and identify and tell the size of a Event

Introduction
There are various companies hosting and organizing events on a usual basis. These range from the small
time private events to the large-scale international events. Although, the large scales one do happen far
rarer, but then the amount of returns they turn out is far beyond expectations. Though, in the past there
have been events that have also resulted in losses to the
hosts and sponsors for varied reasons. But then, all said and
done, event management is concerning organization and
execution, and that is precisely where the money lies. Those
in the field arepaid for their services.

Event – Definition, Need and Importance


Definition
 Event can refer to a phenomenon, any observable
occurrence, or an extraordinary
occurrence.
 Marketing Guru, Philip Kotler, defines events as occurrences designed to communicate
particular messages to target audiences. Suresh Pillai, Managing Director, Eventus
 Management, considers events as an additional media whereby two-way or active
communication is possible.
Need and Importance of Events
The purpose of the event should drive all the planning.
Example: if you were running a conference for financial planners there could be two
quite different purposes:
1. To facilitate an exchange of information, bringing participants up-to-date with the latest
changes in financial planning software products.
2. To achieve a memorable out-of-body experience for financial planners in order to develop
a positive association with a new software product.
To achieve the first purpose would be quite straight forward as this would require a fairly
standard meeting or convention. Fulfilling the second purpose however would be more difficult. For this
unforgettable experience you would need a unique venue and carefully planned activities that the
participants would enjoy. At the same time the product would need to be reinforced constantly so that
attendees would leave with an inescapable association with it. To have fun without the positive
association would defeat the purpose. The focus of the first of these purposes is information, whereas

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that of the second is entertainment. Although of any events the main purpose is making a profit, for
many it is not. This festival is an example of an event with a community purpose.

Caution! Staging an event should be clear and articulate up front .


There may be a number of reasons for conducting an event such as:
1. To inform and educate the community about a cause
2. To obtain media coverage for an activity or organisation
3. To raise funds
4. To celebrate a community’s strength and cohesiveness
5. An awards or presentation ceremony

Event Management
Management of events has traditionally been alluded to as a post marketing activity and assigned the
classic production responsibility as in any manufacturing firm. The term management of events
therefore carries a totally different connotation when used in the context of events.
Management theory would suggest that marketing is also a part of management. Management
of an event encompasses all activities involved in planning, organizing, staffing, leading and evaluation of
an event.

Event Management Procedures


Event managers must ensure that event management procedures cover a full range of emergencies
including major injury or illness of players or spectators, fire, bomb threat, crowd disturbances and
climatic conditions such as lightning, torrential rain, flooding, etc.
 Cash management
 Food serving and hygiene
 Waste collection
 Marshaling of competitors
 Restriction of access to certain areas
 Arrival and greeting of visiting dignitaries
 Loudspeaker announcements during the event
 Giveaways of merchandising or free food and drink
 Raffles and fundraising
 Interviewing Event Staff
The provision of training to event staff (and volunteers) is a critical element in risk management. It is a
dangerous situation to presume that procedures have been read and that people will know what to do
in an emergency. Ultimately the buck stops with the Event Manager and therefore it is a reasonable use
of the Event Manager’s time to have meetings with Event Staff, either individually or in groups, to
determine their knowledge of procedure.
Event management is the planning and management of an event, project or activity. It is important
when staging an event to be clear about WHY the event is being held:
 To inform and educate the community about a cause;
 To obtain media coverage for an activity;
 To raise funds; and
 To celebrate a community’s strength and cohesiveness.

Organizers should also clarify WHO the event is for. Most events will cater for a variety of
Interest groups:

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1. The local community;
2. Members;
3. Sponsors;
4. Media; and
5. Potential members.
Regardless of the nature of the event, your target audience or the event’s objectives, some key
steps should be followed to help ensure a successful event.
Today, there a number of people, who have entered the field because they realize the potential of the
market where demand and supply is concerned. In fact, the most profitable aspect of this field is the
need for creativity. And that is how and where one earns.
Event management generally means conceptualizing, meticulous planning, organizing and finally
executing an event. It is a set plan involving networking of a multimedia package,thereby achieving the
client’s objectives and justifying their needs for associating with events,staffing, leading and of an event.

Event Management – Concept


The concept of Event management is all about applying project management to the creation and
development of festivals, events and conferences. It focuses on studying the intricacies of the brand,
recognizing the target audience, devising the event concept, planning the logistics and coordinating the
technical aspects prior to actually executing the modalities of the proposed event. Post-event analysis
and ensuring a return on investment have become chief drivers for the event industry.

Activities in Event Management


In event, activities usually vary with the category of event being organized. Therefore, the following
listing is generic in nature. Once marketing has managed to convert an enquiry into
a firm order, the hands-on work of event management begins. The following is a sequential
flow of how management actually happens, i.e. How planning, organizing, staffing, etc., get
together for an event. The flow is divided into three sections:
_ the first deals with the pre-event activities,
_ the second with the during-event activities and
_ the last details the post-event activities involved.
This theory states that the functions of management can be classified into planning, organizing,
staffing, leading and controlling.
_ Planning: The planning function is involved in micro-level event coordination activities such as liaison
with the creative team discussing, facilitating and arranging for the technical specifications viz., sound,
light, stages and sets.
_ Organizing: Organizing in the context of event management essentially involves the description of the
activities required for an event, identifying individual and team tasks
and distribution of responsibilities to coordinators. Such as exercises helps in creating an
intentional structure for clarity or roles and positions.
_ Staffing: Functional responsibilities in a project type organization structure define event
management staffing requirements. The importance of team structure, experience,
background and expertise of team members plays a crucial role in event management.
_ Leading and coordination: The sum and substance of events as a whole revolves around
interpersonal skills. The need for achieving synergy among individual efforts so that the
team goal is reached is the main aim of coordination. The overall coordinators need to be
leaders with fantastic people skills. The leadership qualities desired of an event manager
include the ability to spot a deal and think on one’s feet.
_ Controlling: Evaluation and correction of deviations in the event plans to ensure

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conformity with original plans is the gist of controlling. Evaluation is an activity that
seeks to understand and measure the extent to which an event has succeeded in achieving
its purpose. The purpose of an event will differ with respect to the category and variation
of event. However, to provide reach and interaction would be a generic purpose that
events satisfy.
Conceptualising – Creating and Developing Events
While creating and developing events, one should always consider the five basic promotion
techniques. There are five typical or traditional techniques used to promote events. These
techniques include advertising, public relations, cross promotions, street promotions, and stunts.
Some events use only one of these techniques; others may use all of them to ensure that their
message is received and acted upon by their target market.
Advertising
Advertising includes print and electronic media, transportation media (such as bus and rail),
advertising specialties (calendars, key rings, coffee mugs, and other products), and outdoor
media (billboards). Larger events may use many of these media resources, while smaller events
may carefully target their message to one or two media. Print advertising is not limited to
magazines and newspapers. It may also include membership directories, inserts in local
newspapers, flyers (sometimes called one sheets), posters, church and synagogue newsletters,
brochures, and virtually any printed media.
!
Caution Do the research very carefully to ensure that the recipient values the item and will
use it.
Invitation
Whether your invitation is a print or electronic advertisement, a flyer, or a formal engraved
document, the copy that is composed, art that is created or selected, and paper that is chosen will
greatly influence the response. The central components of all effective invitations are:
_ Name of host or event organizer
_ Date, time, and location
_ Dress requirements
_ Parking
_ RSVP
Marketing Thrust
The purpose of your event marketing campaign is to ensure that every decision you make provides
greater value for the overall event outcome. To do this you must carefully match the objectives to the
strategies, test all ideas using feedback from actual event consumers, and perhaps most important, use
creativity and innovation to differentiate your event product as a unique and valuable investment. By
integrating marketing activities such as advertising, public relations, cross promotions, street
promotions, and stunts you will be able to build a strong campaign that will effectively promote your
event to your target audience.

Task: Prepare a letter of confirmation to a speaker who has agreed to speak at your conference.
Include as much information as is necessary to provide a clear and helpful framework in which to
prepare their presentation and for you to know what requirements they have and what arrangements
you will need to make.

Miscellaneous
Order of Proceedings/Schedule of Events/Timeline

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For most of the events, a detailed order of proceedings, or schedule of events/timeline, should be
prepared and distributed to all people involved in the event (i.e. anyone involved in the organisation of
the event, the host, the speaker, relevant senior officers. An order of proceedings should provide a
timeline/schedule for the actual event, highlighting key activities in the day/
evening for individuals with an official or formal role. It is also useful to include phone contact details for
any key people involved in the organisation of the event as well as phone numbers for key guests and
security. The order of proceedings should also include arrival and departure arrangements for VIPs and
describe how formal introductions will be handled. The order of
proceedings should also include a copy of the formal speeches to be used at the event. If a program is
being prepared for the event, an overview of the order of proceedings should be included. This should
include items such as welcomes, speeches, including the names of the people giving the address,
entertainment and any other element to the ceremony or event.

Speakers
Be sure to confirm the following details in writing with the speaker:
_ Event date/s, times and venue (and whether parking is available on-site)
_ Style
_ type and duration of presentation Speaker/s special requirements (e.g. audio/visual, dietary)
_ Details of payments if appropriate
_ Specify in what form payment will be made and when, particularly for interstate and
overseas visitors
_ Details of anticipated audience
_ Other participants in the event including chairpersons and VIPs likely to be in attendance
A complete guest list, including VIPs if appropriate and a running order for the event
_ Any other activities in which the person might like to participate while visiting and/or
functions to which they are invited
_ Ensure that speakers are formally introduced at the event.
_ An appropriate staff member (the host/MC) should introduce the speaker
_ Request adequate background information from the speaker at least two weeks prior to
the event in order to adequately introduce the speaker
IT Services
Consider any special audio or visual requirements for the event, such as microphones and
PowerPoint. You may also wish to audio or video tape the proceedings (with permission of the
speaker/s). Never assume that the venue has the equipment required, always check. Also,
conduct a mock run through of all technical equipment for the event beforehand to ensure that
all will run smoothly.
Size of Events
Stretching the Limits of the Event
Whenever research is either inductive or deductive in form and often proceeds in a linear
fashion, the design phase is web-like and often kaleidoscopic. Just as the Internet provides you
with literally millions of resources for event design, your own mental process must mirror this
technology. During the design process the professional event manager considers every possibility
and challenges every assumption determined during the research phase.
How to Determine the Size of Your Event?
After deciding to host a live event to build your business. Now you must decide on the size of
your event:
_ Will it be large or small?
_ Should you have several small events throughout the year, or one large event?

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_ The scale of your seminar will depend on several factors. What type of event are you
planning?
_ For more hands-on workshops, there may be a higher cost per person and therefore you
may need to have less people at a single event.
_ In order to create a more intimate learning environment, you will need to have a smaller
scale event. If the topic of your event lends itself to a larger crowd, then by all means fill
as many seats as possible. The more eyes and ears in that room, the more exposure and the
more profits your event will generate.
_ However, consider the purpose of your event. If one goal of your event is to get to know
your clients on a more personal level then having a smaller group may be the best option.
It will allow you to spend individual time with more people.

How to Determine the Size of Your Event?


Types of Events
Events can be classified into four broad categories based on their purpose and objective:
1. Leisure events e.g. leisure sport, music, recreation.
2. Cultural events e.g. ceremonial, religious, art, heritage, and folklore.
3. Personal events e.g. weddings, birthdays, anniversaries.
4. Organizational events e.g. commercial, political, charitable, sales, product launch, expo.
Broadly speaking following are the categories of events:
1. Corporate event is another field which includes in-house events as well as larger ones for
promotion of products or services. Such fields become meeting point of corporate people
of same field.
2. Trade fairs are a great opportunity to present your latest products to customers and
business partners.
3. Trade shows are exhibitions where companies can present and demonstrate their latest
products. A professional presentation is crucial.
4. Meetings are common business events in large companies, perfect to discuss operational
and financial strategies.
5. Seminars are educational events for the training of managers and employees. Most
seminars are not comparable with boring lectures. Interactivity is core.
6. Conferences are popular and important business events. Everything about the event
management of academic, medical and business conferences.
7. Grand events include prospects like weather, security, celebrities and companies etc.
Generally big budgets are involved in them.
8. Small events like little shows for children, small office parties need to need the purpose
and target audience.
9. Sporting events: There are these sports events which may be at inter school level or intra
school level or in colleges or even at state levels. Sports events are not one day events, it
needs extensive planning right from the day it starts till the finale. On a larger level,
national and international sports events are planned by a bug group of event mangers
working together.
10. There are musical events, where in audience has to be taken care of along with issues like
ticketing and managing availability of seats etc. accommodation of the artist and co workers

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is another deal.
11. Networking events are personal marketing galas. Such events are great opportunities for
contact establishment and personal marketing.
12. Opening ceremonies are held to start conventions, annual meetings and other events that
last for two or more days. Find everything about opening events.
13. Theme Parties are events that devote to a special topic. Popular events are casino nights or
Halloween parties. Ideas and planning tips.
14. Golf events are golf tournaments or retreats. Those events aim to acquire new customers,
to increase customer loyalty or to motivate employees.
15. Award ceremonies are great events to honor and motivate key staff or to acquire and retain
customers. Event planners are able to organize events to remember.
16. Board meetings focus on strategic goals and visions. The event venue and the planning
process should reflect the prestigious nature of these meetings.
17. Team building events plays a key to develop and motivate teams in companies and
divisions.
18. Business dinner is a long-standing corporate tradition to conclude fiscal years, celebrate
new milestones or to get in contact with key customers.
19. Press conference is a perfect business events to promote new products, launch marketing
campaigns or to inform the shareholders and public about financial issues.
20. Incentive travel is perfect to reward and to motivate employees or to increase customer
loyalty and retention.
21. Product launch are critical for the successful market introduction of some products. A
perfect product presentation might also increase the media coverage.
22. VIP events are used to increase customer loyalty. Professional planners organizing VIP
events that ultimately increase your revenues.
23. Shareholder’s meeting is yearly and obligatory events to inform a corporation’s
shareholders about company issues and to elect the Board of Directors.
24. Incentive events motivate employees or close the ties to customers. Event managers are
planning events that help to enhance customer loyalty.
25. Executive retreats escapes from stressful work schedules and the day-to-day business.
Learn how they should stimulate free thinking and creativity.
26. Wedding should be the most important days in the life of brides, grooms and their families.
Professional event managers help to plan the events.
27. Wedding Anniversaries celebrate milestones in a couple’s life together. Ideas and hints
that help you to plan those events or find professional even managers.
28. Birthday require seldom a professional event manager, but there are exceptions. Find out
how event managers can help you to make your party a success.
29. Family events are great opportunities to assemble whole families. We offer hints and
ideas to plan perfect family events like birthdays, weddings, etc.
30. Convention: Convention is a formal meeting of members, representatives, or delegates,
as of a political party, fraternal society, profession, or industry.
31. Festivals: Festivals which are mostly arranged in open spaces are at a greater risk. There Notes
will be huge area undertaken for this purpose. It is during this time, that people get
crowded and there are already problems around. When in such a situation, the weather
goes bad, it becomes hard for the merchants and the crowd to move themselves and their
belongings to safety.
32. Family functions for example, a wedding ceremony like a garden wedding which requires
only as mall space in the garden, can be a success only when the weather is fine and clear.

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33. Star events music and dance performances given by famous celebrities and performers
usually prefer open air theatre which can again be at the risk when it comes to weather.
Event Organizer
Hosting a party or a conference can be pretty hard especially when you are going to be a part.
There are quite a lot of benefits when it comes to hiring an event organizer to help you with
your event. An event organizer can give you good tips on how to manage the crowd and will
give you ideas on your existing plans on how to make the event a huge success.
Organizing a seminar or a conference while being a part of it is a pretty tedious task.
Following are the different types of events:
_ Birthday Party Organisers
_ Celebrity/Artiste Management
_ Conference/Seminar Organisers
_ Corporate Event Organisers
_ Exhibitions and Trade Fairs
_ Fashion Shows
_ Game Shows
_ Magicians
_ Party and Wedding Organisers
_ Party Organisers
_ Product Launches
_ Road shows
_ Stage Shows
Birthday parties are that one time of the year when you can make even an 80 year old, party like a
toddler. Make them feel special by organizing the best bash ever. Invite your guests; let the birthday
party organizers will do the rest.
Celebrity and artiste management is no easy task, and dealing with celebrities can be really
hard. Why do you want to run around finding a suitable celebrity or model to help you out with
your event when you can get the pros handle it?
Figure 1.2: Birthday Party Organizers
Figure 1.3: Celebrity and Artiste Management
Why waste time on organizing a party yourself when you can get professional event organizers to help
you out and make your event a grand success.
Hosting Exhibitions or Trade Fairs involves a lot of work and very tiring.
Hosting a fashion show is not easy and there are many factors that have to be taken into
consideration before you can start up such as decoration, and preparation of dais etc. Why
bother with all that when you can get professional event organisers to help you out? The fashion
show event organisers will take care of the rest while you sit back and enjoy.
Figure 1.5: Exhibitions and Trade Fairs
Figure 1.4: Corporate Event Organizers
Types of Sports Events
The organization of events is perhaps the primary activity of sport and recreation organisations.
Workers in the sport and recreation industry, salaried and voluntary, are essentially organizers
of people whether they be event directors, coaches, referees, instructors or facility supervisors.
This organization of people is manifest by what we see and call an “event”. The term “event” in
the sport and recreation industry usually refers to a situation where participants,
facilities, equipment and other resources are coordinated to enable a form of sport.
The events conducted by Sport/Recreation organisations include:
_ Competitive or non-competitive sport and recreation events

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_ Courses
_ Promotional events
_ Conferences
_ Fundraising events
Competitive events may range from the Olympic Games to a small local under 7’s soccer match
and anything in between. The scope of the events therefore depends upon the purpose of the
event, the extent of participation, the facilities and equipment required, and the importance of
the event in terms of community interest.
The organization of courses to assist participants learn more about playing, coaching and
officiating are a fundamental part of the work carried out by recreation organisations. Such
events must be carried out to ensure the continuance of the sport or recreation activity.
Promotional events are not primarily organized for the benefit of the player or participant.
They are organized to promote the sport or form of recreation activity to a target market with
the underlying objective to increase participation. They may also have a second objective to
promote the sponsor to the target market as well.
Conferences have many objectives. They may be organised gatherings of participants and/or
members to carry out planning, to review progress, discuss important issues, circulate new
information, select committee personnel, examine the position of the organisation and to impart
new knowledge about the sport or recreation activity.
Fundraising events include dinner functions, special entertainment functions, bingo or card
nights, charity auctions and awards evenings.
Irrespective of the type of event, the skills required to manage an event are much the same and
only the magnitude and complexity differs. Persons who are called upon to manage an event may
acquire many titles but in this text for the sake of simplicity they will be called the event Director.
Trade Fair and Shows Notes
Business can achieve success only when it is promoted well in public. Trade fair and shows are
means of promotion when person(s) can put forward their brand and let public know more
about it.
Following are some of the things which allows to successfully organize trade fair and shows:
1. Building quality team work: Success can be handled by single person, but it comes only
when there are efforts of different people. In order to welcome success by means of trade
shows you need to carry out proper team work. Organizing such shows require you to
understand the market scenario and making proper utilization of area for trade show.
Allot work to people of different department and take proper follow up.
2. Managing staff: Managing work allotted to staff members is not an easy task. You need to
first make them understand the work they need to carry out and then examine the work
done by them. See to it that internal conflicts between staff members if any do not affect
the result of your work. Give instructions to them related to display of your product and
see to it that they make proper arrangements. Also arrange proper food and beverages for
staff members so that they can work properly.
3. Good networking: Get in touch with different members participating in the course of
trade fair and shows. Understand their way of dealing such shows to achieve success. Build
your networking skills in such shows in order to develop business. Also get in touch with
previous year members and try to understand the negative and positive aspects of show.
4. Sending proper invitation: Invite your members, clients, relative by mailing them invitation
card and also by messaging them. If required also send reminders so that date of show
does not get skipped from their mind. Send special invitation to important clients in order
to fetch more business.

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5. Understanding competitors move: If you have competitors in the same show displaying
same products like you then keep a tab on their every move. You have to come out as
successful person after the trade show and for this you need to beat the strategies adopted
by business rival. You can enter market when you prove yourself different from others
successfully and for this it is essential to make out the next move of competitors.
6. Visiting different trade fair and shows: There are many trade fairs and shows organized
by different countries, if possible try to visit such shows and notice the way they display
their product. Via internet you can get information about such shows. If you can’t personally
visit such shows then get information by online means.
7. Plan strategies to enhance sales: The aim of such shows is to enhance sales and this can be
done by proper planning of trade fair and shows. Single person cannot bring success with
trade shows and so it is essential to plan strategies with proper team work.
Planned Special Events: Characteristics
Five categories of planned special events are as follows:
Discrete/Recurring Event at a Permanent Venue
Characteristics
1. Predictable starting and ending times
2. Known venue capacity
3. Anticipated demand typically known
4. Advance ticket sales
5. Concentrated arrival and departure demands
Effect on Community
1. Need to give special attention to weekday events due to their potential impacts on commuter
traffic, transit operations, businesses and residents.
2. Need to minimize impacts on access to businesses and residents due to concentrated
arrival and departure demands.
3. Need to identify ways to minimize community impacts and improve transportation system
operations during future venue events.
4. Need to consider parking restrictions or issuance of residence parking stickers so that
event patrons do not impact residences by parking on residential streets in the vicinity of
the venue.
Continuous Event
Characteristics
1. Occurrence often over multiple days
2. Patrons arrive and depart during the event day
3. Less reliance on advance ticket sales
4. Capacity of venue not always known
5. Occurrence sometimes at temporary venues
6. Parking availability varies
Effect on Community
1. Need to assure that the significant level of personnel required over the multiple days of
operation can be provided to minimize impacts to the community.
2. Need to apply changes made in the traffic management plan to minimize community
impacts for future continuous events.
Street Use Event
Characteristics
1. Occurrence on roadway requiring closure
2. Specific starting and predictable ending times

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3. Capacity of spectator viewing area not known
4. Spectators typically not charged or ticketed
5. Parking availability varies
6. Impact on emergency access and local services
Effect on Community
1. Need to consider effect on access and parking of residents and businesses of a street along
which the event will be held.
2. Need to consider communicating with and involving the participation of businesses and
residents on the street that will be closed for the event.
3. Need to assure that bus transit stop relocations during the event are communicated in
advance to residents and businesses.
4. Need to require adequate sidewalk passage area and fire lanes at all times to permit access
of emergency vehicles to adjacent residents and businesses along the streets utilized by
the street use event.
5. Need to notify all businesses and residents located on the street to be used or closed of the
event dates and times.
Regional/Multi-Venue Event
Characteristics
1. Occurrence of events at multiple venues at or near same time
2. Ingress and egress operations for concurrent events may occur at same time
3. Parking areas may service demand from different events over day
Effect on Community
1. Need to coordinate activities of the events in order to minimize traffic impact on the
community.
2. Need to offset occurrence of ingress and egress times to minimize effect on traffic, parking,
resources and the community.
3. Need to examine event scheduling to avoid departing traffic from one event coinciding
with arriving traffic from another event to minimize effect on traffic, parking, resources,
and the community.
Rural Event
Characteristics
1. Rural area and possible tourist destination
2. High attendance events attracting event patrons from a regional area
3. Limited roadway capacity
4. Area lacking regular transit service
Effect on Community
1. Need to meet with residents and businesses to minimize effect on adjacent roadways.
2. Need to use public surveys to assess all community effect and incorporate successful
lessons learned to apply to the next event.
Events Team
Teams are made up of individuals who have different outlooks and abilities, and are at different
stages of their careers. Some may find that the tasks you’ve allocated to them are challenging,
and they may need support. Others may be “old hands” at what they’re doing, and may be
looking for opportunities to stretch their skills. Either way, your responsibility as a manager is
to develop all of your people.
Your skills in this aspect of management will define your long-term success as a manager. If you
can help team members to become better at what they do, you will soon become known as a
manager who other people want to work for, and you’ll be making a great contribution to your

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organization too.
The most effective way of developing your people is ensuring that you give regular feedback to
members of your team on their work. Many of us are nervous of giving feedback, especially
when it has to be negative. However, if you give and receive feedback regularly, everyone will
come to benefit from improved performance.
1.7.1 Team Management
Team management refers to techniques, processes and tools for organizing and coordinating a
group of individuals working towards a common goal i.e. a team.
Several well-known approaches to team management have come out of academic work. Examples
include the Belbin Team Inventory by Meredith Belbin, a method to identify the different types
of personalities within teams, and Ken Blanchard’s description of “High Performing Teams”.
The ‘Team Development Model’, identified by Bruce Tuckman, offers a foundational definition
of the stages teams go through during their lifecycle. Those stages are labeled Forming, Storming,
Norming and Performing.
While the activities of team management are not new, many of the tools used by team managers
are. The more Organizational Development-oriented practitioners often use interview-based
analysis and provide reportage and insights that team leaders and their management may use to
adapt team practices for higher performance. Teams can also be developed through team building
activities - which can also be used simply to build relationships where team members lack
cohesion due to organizational structure or physical distance. Project managers may approach
team management with a focus on structure, communications and standardized practices.
With the growing need to integrate the efforts of teams composed of members from different
companies and geographies, organizations are increasingly turning to a new class of Internet software
for team management. These tools combine planning and collaboration with features that provide
a structure for team relationships and behaviors. In addition, there are tools that facilitate the
forming of highly productive teams through analysis of personality and skills profiles.
1.7.2 Team Management Skills
Different people have different needs when it comes to motivation. Some individuals are highly
self-motivated, while others will under-perform without managerial input.
_ Communicating and Working with Your Team and with Others: Communication skills
are essential for success in almost any role, but there are particular skills and techniques
that you’ll use more as a manager than you did as a regular worker. These fall under two
headings: communicating with team members, and communicating with people outside
your team. We’ll look at each in turn.
Communicating With People in Your Team: As a team manager, you’re likely to be chairing
regular sessions as well as one-off meetings. Meeting of all kinds, and regular ones in
particular, are notorious for their capacity to waste people’s time, so it’s well worth
mastering the skill of running effective meetings.
Many meetings include brainstorming sessions, and as team manager, you’ll often have to
facilitate these, so you’ll need to be comfortable with how to do this. There’s more to it than
simply coming up with creative ideas, as you do when you’re just a regular participant in such
a session. Make sure that you understand where they can go wrong, and what you can do to
avoid this.
Active listening is another important skill for managers – and others – to master. When you’re
in charge, it can be easy to think that you know what others are going to say, or that listening is
less important because you’ve thought of a solution anyway.
Don’t fall into this trap. Most good managers are active listeners: it helps them detect problems
early (while they’re still easy to deal with), avoid costly misunderstandings, and build trust

12
within their teams.
_ Communicating with People Outside your Team: Your boss is probably the most important
person you need to communicate with. Take time to understand fully what your boss
wants from you and your team – if you know exactly what she likes, and how she prefers
it to be delivered, you’ll be better able to meet with her approval.
Don’t be afraid to ask your boss to coach or mentor you: you can usually learn a lot from him,
but he may not be proactive about offering this. If you’re approaching your boss for advice,
make sure you’ve thought things through as far as you can. Introduce the subject with a summary of
your thinking, and then say where you need help.
Also, as a manager, part of your job is to look after your team and protect it from unreasonable
pressure. Learn skills like assertiveness and win-win negotiation so that you can either turn
work away, or negotiate additional resources.
Another part of your job is to manage the way your team interacts with other groups. Use
stakeholder analysis to identify the groups you need to deal with. Then talk to these people to
find out what they want from you and what they can do to help you.
Managing Discipline
However much you hope you won’t ever have to do it, and however much feedback you give,
there comes a time in most managers’ careers when they have to discipline an employee.
Discipline may be subtly different from basic feedback because it doesn’t always relate specifically
to the employee’s work. You can give feedback on their phone manner, for example, but handling
problems with timekeeping or personal grooming can need a different approach.
Obvious breaches of the law or of company policy are easy to identify and deal with. But what
of other situations? On one hand you don’t want to feel or seem petty. On the other hand, you
can’t let things go that should be dealt with.
Use these rules-of-thumb to help you decide whether you need to take action. If the answer to
any is yes, then you need to arrange a time to speak to the employee in private.
1. Does the issue affect the quality of the employee’s deliverable to the client (internal or
external)? A graphic designer regularly only gets in to work late, although he stays late to
make up for this. Customers are sometimes frustrated by not being able to get through to
him at the start of the day, particularly when he’s working on rush jobs.
Does the issue adversely impact the cohesiveness of the team? Individual designers tend to
work on their own projects, with few meetings between design team members, so
cohesiveness is not impacted. However people are noticing his lack of punctuality, and
other people’s timekeeping is beginning to slip.
3. Does the issue unnecessarily undermine the interests of other individuals in the team? The
designer sitting next to the latecomer is unhappy that she has to field calls from clients before
he reaches the office, and is unable to give a firm answer to the question “When will he be in?”
The design team manager decides to speak to the latecomer because of the impact on his co-worker.
They agree that coming in to work late is not a problem (he has a long commute, with heavy traffic
en route) but that he will commit to being in by 9.30am every day to reduce the number of calls his
co-worker has to field, and also give her a fixed time to give clients. He will work late to make up
time, and will take on a task she doesn’t like to make up for her extra phone handling.
When you are faced with a potential discipline issue, take the time you need to gather information
about the situation, then decide what you’re going to do and act. Discipline issues rarely go
away of their own accord, and they usually get worse, often causing considerable unhappiness
and resentment amongst other team members.
Challenges of Teamwork
If you have ever served on a committee, marched in a band, sung in a choir, or played on a team,

13
you know the challenges of developing successful teams. The most frequent problems that
event managers face when developing teams are:
Communications
Excellent event coordination is the result of continuous, consistent, high-quality communications
between the event stakeholders. The event manager is responsible for developing and sustaining
the event communications to ensure that all stakeholders are informed, in touch, and involved
in each of the phases of managing the event. The following are several methods that you may
use to establish and/or improve a high-quality communications network for your event.
1. Conduct a communications audit and find out how your event stakeholders best send and
receive information.
2. Avoid communications that are blocked by noise, visual distraction, or other interference.
3. Include an “Action Required” statement on all written communications to confirm that
communications have been received and understood.
4. Use nontraditional communications such as audio and video tapes to increase impact,
retention, and action.
5. Use written change orders to record changes during your event. Make certain the client or
other responsible person signs the change order to authorize the addition, deletion, or
substitution of services or products.
Self-Interest
Many committees are comprised of people who essentially bring their personal views, bias, and
agendas to the event planning process. It is the responsibility of the event manager to persuade each
person to forgo personal interest for the sake of group interest. Only through a strong group effort
can an event achieve a successful outcome. You may wish to invite an expert in team building or
conduct team building exercises yourself to develop trust, congeniality, and a common purpose among
the team members. One way to begin this process is through an informal series of events such as social
functions where the event stakeholders get to know, like, and trust one another before they sit down to
deliberate (plan) an event. During this social period the event manager may observe the participants to
begin to identify those who naturally work best in teams and those who will need more coaching or
persuasion to feel comfortable working in a group project.
Dependability
One of the biggest management problems in working with volunteers is time and attendance.
Because volunteers are not compensated for their efforts, many do not feel the obligation to
arrive on time or even to show up at all. This is why many event managers actually schedule
between 25 and 50 percent more volunteers than will be needed, to compensate for the serious
problem of attrition at events.
Of course, the easiest way to ensure dependability is to recruit dependable people. Keep accurate
records of time and attendance and use the records to determine who to engage for future events.
During the interviewing or recruiting process, check references carefully to make sure that your
stakeholders have a pattern of punctuality that can be shared with your event. In the event
management profession, the definition of punctuality is “early.” Because of the numerous variables that
can occur before, during, and after an event, it is essential that all event stakeholders arrive at an event
site early enough to be able to spot potential challenges and overcome them before the guests or other
vendors arrive.
Trust
Trust must be earned by the event manager. Trust is the result of the sustained effort by the
event manager to develop an atmosphere and environment wherein the event stakeholders
invest their trust in his or her behavior and judgments.

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Traps to Avoid
There are a number of common mistakes that new managers tend to make. Take care to avoid
them! These are:
1. Thinking that you can rely on your existing job knowledge and technical skills to succeed
as a manager. It is essential that you take the time to develop good management and
people skills as well – these can be more important than your technical skills!
2. Failing to consult regularly with your boss, in a misguided attempt to show that you can
cope on your own.
3. Approaching your boss without having thought a problem through, and without having
thought about how the problem could be solved.
4. Embarrassing your boss, or letting her get a nasty surprise. Follow the “no surprises” rule.
5. Doing anything that requires your boss to defend you to others. This can cause your boss
to “lose face” with his peers and superiors, and it makes him look bad for not “nipping the
problem in the bud.”
6. Failing to talk to your customers (whether internal or external) about what they want
from you and your team.
7. Using your authority inappropriately – make sure that everything you ask people to do is
in the interests of the organization.
Many of these points sound obvious; however it’s incredibly easy to make these mistakes in the
rush of everyday managerial life.

Event Team Management


You need a team to organize an event. You can’t do everything by yourself. So I don’t need to tell
you further, how important a team is for your event. Event mismanagement is mostly about
team mismanagement.
Do the following things for effective team management:
Know Your Team
Just knowing the names, faces and job profile of your team members is not enough. You must
have good knowledge of there personality, life style, likings, disliking, family background,
status, educational qualification, knowledge level, customs, religion and especially there needs
and wants. By needs and wants I mean there physiological needs, safety needs, social needs,
esteem needs, cognitive needs and self actualization needs.
Every person has different needs and different priority to fulfil them. While for some getting
recognition is more important than job security. For others job security is more important.
Determine the needs of your team members and fulfil them in order to get optimum results
from them.

Structure of an Event Management Team


The work involved in planning, organizing and conducting a major event can be sufficiently
great to require the employment of a team of people. It may require people to be involved on a
full-time, part-time, contractor, casual and voluntary basis over a considerable amount of time.
The organization chart below indicates the magnitude and diversity of the team needed to run
a major sporting event such as a National or State Championships. Smaller events will obviously
require a much smaller team, and individuals in the team may be able to take on more than one
role.
Furthermore, with small modifications, the same organisation structure could be applicable to
running a different type of event such as a conference.
An important aspect of the above model is that each department has a coordinator. As

15
exceptionally important people in the event management team, they should be identified and
recruited as early as possible.
Coordinators should be a part of the organizing committee and collectively they will share in
decision making processes with other people of event management team.
The selection of coordinators is usually on the basis of knowledge or expertise and sometimes
because only one person volunteers for the task. Whether coordinators have expertise or not,

Event Directors need to appreciate that sport and recreation depends very considerably on the input of
voluntary persons. Therefore systems should be put in place to recognize the
contribution of volunteers and to provide non-monetary rewards. In consultation and close
cooperation, the Event Director should develop and/provide a job description for each department
head.
Event Management Information System
A basic Event Management Information System (EMIS) needs to contain information concerning
the following:
_ General Event Information: Event Category ID, Event Variation ID, Name, Type ID, Status,
Location, the start date/time, end date/time, Required staffing, confirmations, available
spaces, event description in brief and the employee ID of the event managers.
_ Event Attendees: Attendee ID, First/Last Name, Title, Company Name, Address, Phone/
Fax/E-Mail, Website URL.
_ Event Registration: Registration ID, Attendee ID, Employee ID, Event Category ID, Event
variation ID, Registration date/time, Sales tax rates, Fee schedule ID, Registration fee.
_ Event Category: Event Category ID, Event Variation ID.
_ Employees and staff assigned to the Event: Employee ID, Name, Title, Phone/Fax/
E-Mail.
_ Event Pricing: Fee schedule ID, Event ID, Fee Description Fee.
_ Event Management Company Information: Setup ID, Sales Tax Rate, Company Name,
Address, Phone/Fax/E-Mail, Default Payment Terms, Default invoice Description.
_ Payment Records: Payment ID, Registration ID, Payment Amount/Date, Payment mode
(credit card – name/expiry date/cheque/cash), Payment method ID.
_ Payment Methods: Payment Method ID, Payment Method, Debit/ATM card and Credit
card.
This system should be able to generate queries such as:
_ the number of attendee at any given event,
_ the sum of all payments,
_ total registrations by an attendee etc.,
_ Reports that should be available from this system are: attendee listings, invoices, sales by
employee and event type.
The identity numbers are used to clearly distinguish between items and are usually unique and
generated by the system automatically. It keeps track of relevant records such that there is no
repetition and duplication of entries as well as keeping a sequential record of relevant fields
such as attendees and registrations etc, ID’s help in maintaining and generating records. This
basic framework can be expanded to be a web-based system that can be accessed from any
computer anywhere. Thus, giving greater control over information about the status of the event due to
real time availability.
State whether the following statements are true or false:
11. The organization of events is perhaps the primary activity of sport and recreation
organisations.

16
12. Promotional events are not primarily organized for the benefit of the player or participant.
13. Business cannot achieve success when it is promoted well in public.
14. Teams are made up of individuals who have different outlooks and abilities, and are at
different stages of their careers.
15. Team management refers to techniques, processes and tools for organizing and coordinating
a group of individuals working towards a common goal.

Code of Ethics
Code of ethics promote and encourage the highest level of ethics within the profession of the
special events industry while maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct. Strive
for excellence in all aspects of our profession by performing consistently at or above acceptable
industry standards.
Use only legal and ethical means in all industry negotiations and activities.
Protect the public against fraud and unfair practices, and promote all practices which bring
respect and credit to the profession.
Provide truthful and accurate information with respect to the performance of duties. Use a
written contract clearly stating all charges, services, products, performance expectations and
other essential information.
Maintain industry-accepted standards of safety and sanitation.
Maintain adequate and appropriate insurance coverage for all business activities.
Commit to increase professional growth and knowledge, to attend educational programs and to
personally contribute expertise to meetings and journals.
Strive to cooperate with colleagues, suppliers, employees, employers and all persons supervised,
in order to provide the highest quality service at every level.
Lacking ethics in business is at an all-time high. In the event planning industry, business ethics
are crossed frequently — sometimes inadvertently and other times with deliberate intent. Event
planners today are navigating a mine-field of potentially sticky situations that can easily blow
up in their face. Without a personal, professional and company code of ethics, lines of acceptable
behavior are easily crossed.
Ethical employers want to ensure that their employees are above reproach, and that their decisions
are not swayed by having received personal perks and favors. And employees want to ensure
that they are not being perceived as having allegiances that can be purchased by a lunch, a gift
or a getaway weekend. If a destination is selected, it is not payback for being invited on a farm
trip or having had a personal vacation hosted, but because it is the right destination for the
client. The same applies to the selection of a venue, hotel and airline, and the contracting of other
industry suppliers such as caterers, decor companies, entertainers, photographers and rental
companies.

17
PHILTECH INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY INC.
SUBJECT: EVENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES
WEEK 2

LESSON 2: Concept and Design of Events


TOPICS: Concept and Design of Events
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this session, you will be able to:
 Know the functions of event coordinator
 _ Discuss the method to develop concept of an event
 _ Describe how to evaluate the event concept
 _ Explain the Design of an event
 _ Tell consideration for selecting an event venue
Introduction
The recent growth of festivals and events as an industry around the world means that the management
can no longer be ad hoc. Events and festivals, for instance the Asian Games, have a large impact on their
communities and, in several cases, the whole country. The industry now comprised of events of all sizes
from the Olympics down to a breakfast meeting for ten business
people. Many industries, charitable organizations, and interest groups will hold events of some size in
order to market themselves, build business relationships, raise money or celebrate.
Event Coordination
Regardless of the type and size of your event, you should establish a formal “event committee”
consisting of committed members who are clear about their skills and what they are prepared to
contribute. One person should lead the project as the Event Coordinator.
The event coordinator will need to be well organized, a g ood leader
with great communication skills and able to generate enthusiasm. It is
their responsibility to keep track of the event as a whole and to assign
tasks to the event committee.
The event committee may consist of other members of your
organisation, members of other
organisation if it is a joint event, volunteers and other interested
parties. The size of the committee is dependent on the size and
complexity of the event.
One person needs to lead and make the final call on all decisions and
take on the overall
responsibility of the event and should be clear to all that are involved with the event. This
should be the Event Coordinator.

Developing an Event Concept


The key questions to ask at early developmental stage are:
1. What is this event for?
2. What form will it take?
3. When and where will it be held?
4. How will the event benefit participants?
5. What could be barriers?

18
Evaluating the Event Concept

Some general suggestion for avoiding weather problems is the timing of the event is often linked to the
season or the weather. For example, a food-and-wine festival would be better programmed for early
autumn than for mid-summer when the heat would be intolerable forboth the audience and the
vendors. And mid-winter is certainly not the time to hold a flower
show. Although this might seem obvious, it is surprising how often events are programmed to
occur at very unsuitable times. The timing of sporting events is of course limited to the sporting
season and their traditional competitions. Broadcasting the event to international audiences is
another consideration.
Evaluation of an event concept must take into account the following four time related factors:
1. Season
2. Day of the week
3. Time of the day
4. Duration
Depending on the type of event, too much snow or not much snow in the case of an outdoor
winter festival could determine the success of an event. Rain or high temperatures can affect
summer festivals. Events that are scheduled too close to holidays or to other community events
may have poor attendance. Certain times of the year seems to have an over supply of events.
Wise event planners take into consideration the time of the year.

Major Consideration for Selecting an Event Venue


1. Size of the event (including the size of the audience)
2. Layout of the site and its suitability for the event
3. Stage, field of play or performance area
4. Transport and parking
5. Proximity to accommodation and attractions
6. Supply issues for goods and services providers, such as caterers
7. Technical support
8. Venue management

An inspection of the site should reveal any limitations, the aspects


to consider include:
1. Compatibility with the event theme
2. Audience comfort
3. Visibility for the audience (line of sight)
4. Storage areas
5. Entrances and exits
6. Stage area (where relevant)
7. Equipment
8. Safety and security
9. Access for emergency vehicles.
10. Evacuation routes

In viewing a potential event site, there are three major stake holders who need to be considered and
whose perspectives could be quite different: the performers, the audience and the organizers.
Performers mean those in the limelight, whether this involves providing an educational talk,dancing in a
parade, presenting an award. Performers have some specific needs that are fundamental to their

19
success, such as the level of intimacy with the audience (often the result of distance from the audience)
or the volume of the sound. Secondly the audience has needs, thenprimary one being to see what is
going on.

Event Design
It means, how is the event going to happen. The administration of a professional event is the first
competency that must be mastered in the certified special events professional body of knowledge.
Comprehensive administration is the foundation for all successful events. The administration of an event
provides you and the stakeholders with data with which to design the dream that will produce the
deliverables you desire. The term event originated from the Latin term e-venire. E in Latin means “out”
and venire means “come.” Therefore, events are, in fact, “outcomes.” During the administration process
the event manager must make certain that data identified during research are used to drive the design
and ultimately to produce the measurable outcomes required by event stakeholders:

Research (data) + Design = Planned Successful Outcomes

Decor Costs
When hiring a design professional for an event, expect to cover not only the cost of labour, delivery, and
the actual product, but also the consultation fee of the designer. In some cases this consultation fee
may be included in the final bid for the job. If you are soliciting many different proposals, it is best to
outline your budget range for the project to the prospective designers up
front.

Purposes of Event Technology


Whether the purpose of your event is to educate or entertain or perhaps both, the technology that you
select will help you best achieve your goals and objectives. In the conference event field you may select
slide projectors, overhead projectors, a TelePrompter, or perhaps one microphone to improve
communications between the presenter and the participant. The entertainment field may require
theatrical lighting and special effects such as fog, laser, or strobe lights. Other fields
will require different technology, however, ultimately the purpose of the event will determine

Audiovisual Effects
The term audiovisual was probably coined in the 1950s, when schools, and later businesses and then
associations, used slide and overhead projectors for instructional purposes. During the 1970s this
technology expanded rapidly with more sophisticated audio tools as well as video enhancement due to
the invention of video projection systems. Indeed, today dozens of audiovisual tools are available for use
by event managers. However, you should concentrate on
those 10 tools used most often in the production of civic, entertainment, expositions, festival,
and conference events. These tools are readily available in most event markets or may be
obtained from nearby larger markets.
Audiovisual projection is divided primarily into two projection fields: visual and audio. The
tool and its power depend on the factors described in the checklist above. Audience size, distance,
the age, and type of attendee are critical considerations when selecting a tool.

20
Themed Events
The theme party or theme event originated from the masquerade, where guests would dress in
elaborate costumes to hide their identity. From these masquerade events a variety of themes were
born. Today, it is typical to attend western, Asian, European, South and Central American themed
events, as often themes are derived from destinations or regions of the country or
world. An important consideration when planning theme parties is to understand the history of

Big Theme Success with Small Budgets


Even the slightest budget can enjoy big results through a carefully planned theme event. First, you must
decide what elements are most important because it is not likely that you will be able to fund equally
everything you desire. If your guests are gourmets, the largest percentage of the budget will be
dedicated to food and beverage. On the other hand, if they are creative, funloving
people who are only slightly interested in the menu, you will want to shift your expenditure to decor
and entertainment.

Trends in Theme Events


When designing interactive events, keep in mind the safety of the participants. Alcohol will, of course,
increase the margin of risk for a guest. Some event managers require guests to sign hold harmless
waivers to acknowledge the risk involved with the activity. Your event environment is the opportunity to
explore dozens of opportunities in decor, entertainment, and other elements to make
every moment unique and memorable.

Designing the Event Environment Notes


Like a playwright who molds his or her play to create a setting that a theater’s limited confines can
accommodate, event managers face a similar challenge each time they are called upon to create an
environment.

Soundscaping
To communicate with the guests at an event, you must design a sound system and effects that are
unique and powerful enough to capture their attention. Do not confuse powerful with loud, however.
Poignant background music at a small social event has as much power as a booming rock beat at a retail
promotion. As with other components of event production, successful use of sound requires gauging
and meeting the needs of the audience. Sound by itself is a most powerful sensation. The eyes can
deceive, but the way in which others speak and the thoughts they share reveal much about personality
and intentions. Sound unlocks our imagination and allows us to visualize images buried in our
subconscious.

When planning the sound design for your event, many questions need to be considered. What is to be
the dominant sensory element for the event? Sound may be the dominant sensory element for your
event.

Example: if live music or extensive speeches are the major component of your event, your investment in
high-quality sound production may be paramount. How will sound help support, reinforce, or expand
the guests’ perceptions of the event? Consider
the theme of your event and devise ways in which sound can be used to convey that theme to the
guests.

21
Identifying the Needs of your Guests
Once you have gathered all the quantitative data from the site inspection, it is time to analyze
your findings and determine what implications emerge for your event environment design.
Most important considerations include the legal, regulatory, and risk management issues that
are uncovered during site inspection.
Implications of Size, Weight and Volume
Let us assume that your design requires massive scenery and that the ingress to your venue is a
door of standard width and height. How do you squeeze the elephant through the keyhole? The
answer is, of course, “very carefully.” Seriously, make certain that your design elements can be Notes
broken down into small units. Using component parts for the construction process will enable you
to design individual elements that will fit easily through most doorways. Weight is an important
consideration, as many venues were not built with this factor in mind. Before bringing in elements
that have extraordinary weight, check with the facility engineer to review the construction standards
used in the venue and then determine if the stress factor is sufficient to accommodate your design.
Furthermore, shifting weight can cause serious problems for certain venues.
Example: Calculating and Sizing the Event Environment
1. Identify the total number of persons and multiply the square feet (or meters) required for
each person. For example:
100 couples × 10 square feet per couple = 1000 square feet
2. Subtract the total number of square feet required for the couples from the total space
available. For example:
2000 square feet available for dance floor – 1000 square feet required by couples = 1000
square feet available for props, tables, chairs, and other equipment
Do not do this in reverse. Some event managers create a lavish design first, only later to find that
the number of guests will not allow them to install this design.
Securing the Environment
Just as the fire marshal is responsible for determining occupancy, the police and local security
officials will determine how to secure an environment to reduce the possibility of theft or
personal injury. When considering the theme and other important design elements, remember
that people will be walking under, over, and within this environment, and their safety must be
paramount in your planning.

Transportation and Parking Factors


The venue may or may not provide easy vehicle ingress. Therefore, well in advance you must
locate the proper door for load-in of your equipment, the times the dock is available for your
deliveries, and other critical factors that will govern your ability to transport equipment and park your
vehicles. Another consideration for transportation relates to approved routes for trucks and other
vehicles. Once again, confer well in advance with transportation and venue officials to determine the
most efficient route. Whether you are parking your vehicles in a marshaling facility or on the street,
security must be considered as well as easy access.

22
Manage the event Environment and they will Come Back
Understanding the basic needs of the guest is of paramount importance, especially when you are
working with a smaller budget than you would like. In circumstances where the budget is
severely restricted, there are ways, using your imagination, to stretch limited funds. Use your
budget to enhance the beginning and the end, as these are what the guest will most remember.
Following are some considerations for managing the design of an event environment.

Entrances and Reception Areas


The event manager must immediately establish the theme of the event with environmental design.
The use of proper signs, bearing the group’s name or logo, and appropriate decor will reassure
guests that they are in the right place. Consider the arrival process from the guests’ point of view.
They received the invitation some time ago and probably did not bring it with them to the event.
Therefore, they are relying on memory to guide them to the right building and the right room.
Once they have located parking, they ask the attendant to direct them to XYZ event.

23
PHILTECH INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY INC.
SUBJECT: EVENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES
WEEK 3

LESSON 3: Event Feasibility and Legal Compliance


TOPICS: An Introduction to Event Management
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this session, you will be able to:
 _ Define the term feasibility
 _ Discuss the three basic resources
 _ Identify various financial considerations
 _ Explain the approval process and key questions
 _ Describe the various forms of feasibility in event management

Introduction
Feasibility simply means that you have looked at the event design objectively to determine if what you
propose is practical given the resources available. This is the final checkpoint before actual planning
begins and, therefore, must be given adequate time for review. Municipalitie often engage professional
engineers or other consultants to conduct lengthy feasibility studies before approving new construction
or other capital expenditures. Although you may not need a battery of consultants, it is important for
you to review all previous steps thoroughly when determining the feasibility of an event plan.
Resources
The three basic resources that will be required are financial, human, and political. Each of these
resources may have varying degrees of importance, depending on the nature of the event.
Example: A for-profit or large hallmark event will require significant financial
investment to succeed. A not-for-profit event will rely on an army of volunteers, and, therefore,
the human element is more important. A civic event will require greater political resources to
accomplish. Therefore, when assessing and analyzing feasibility, first determine in what
proportions resources will be required for the event.
Financial Considerations
It is desired to know if sufficient financial resources are available to sustain development and
implementation of the event. Furthermore, you must consider what will happen if the event
loses money. How will creditors be paid? You will also want to know what resources you can
count on for an immediate infusion of cash, should the event require this to continue development.

24
Finally, you must carefully analyze the cash-flow projections for the event to determine how
much time is to be allowed between payables and receivables.
The Human Dimension
In assessing the feasibility of an event, you must not only know where your human resources
will come from but how they will be rewarded (financially or through intangibles, such as
awards and recognition). Most important, you must know how they will work together as an
efficient event team.
Task Make a chart of essentials one should know to assess the feasibility of an event.
Politics as Usual
The increasingly important role of government leaders in event oversight must be viewed with
a practiced eye. Politicians see events as both good (opportunities for publicity, constituent
communications, and economic impact) and bad (drain on municipal services and potential for
disaster). When designing civic events, it is particularly important that you understand and
enlist the support of politicians and their bureaucratic ministers to ensure smooth cooperation
for your event.
!
Caution For all events, it is essential that you carefully research the permit process to
determine if the event you have designed is feasible according to the code within the
jurisdiction where the event will be held.
The Approval Process
The research and design phases add to the event history once an event is approved. The approval
process may be as simple as an acceptance by the client or as complex as requiring dozens of
signatures from various city agencies that will interact with the event. Regardless of the simplicity
or complexity of this step, you should view it as an important milestone that, once crossed,
assures you that the plan has been reviewed and deemed reasonable and feasible, and has a high
likelihood of success. All roads lead to official approval, whether in the form of a contract or as
individual permits from each agency.
Notes Without official approval, an event remains a dream. The process for turning dreams
into workable plans requires careful research, thoughtful design, and critical analysis.
This could be called the planning to plan phase, because it involves so many complex steps
related to the next phase. However, once the approval is granted, you are on your way to
the next important phase: the actual planning period.
Self Assessment
Fill in the blanks:
1. ............................. simply means that you have looked at the event design objectively to
determine if what you propose is practical given the resources available.
2. The three basic resources that will be required are ............................., human, and political.
3. In assessing the feasibility of an event, you must not only know where your human
resources will .............................
4. ............................. see events as both good (opportunities for publicity, constituent
communications, and economic impact) and bad (drain on municipal services and potential
for disaster).
5. When designing ............................. events, it is particularly important that you understand
and enlist the support of politicians and their bureaucratic ministers to ensure smooth
cooperation for your event.
3.3 Key Questions
In helping you to determine the feasibility of your event, some key questions to ask include:
1. What physical resources are available (facilities and equipment) or accessible to support

25
the event?
2. What are the rough costs? (time, personnel, money)
3. How can any potential barriers be overcome?
4. Is there sufficient time for planning?

Once it has been ascertained that you do have the necessary resources and it is feasible to
undertake the event, planning can begin. Check the timing of your event does not clash with any
other key events.
It’s crucial to put in the necessary time and effort into planning and preparation for your event
to ensure that it’s a successful one.
Task Make an event planner where any event is not clashing with another key event.

Feasibility: What to assess?


An event feasibility study is a controlled process for identifying challenges and opportunities,
determining objectives, defining successful outcomes and assessing a range of costs and benefits
of an event concept. It is a preliminary study undertaken before the real work of an event/
festival starts, to ascertain the potential of the events success.
Developing a successful inaugural event can be a risky investment and taking the event concept
from an initial idea through to the operational stage is often a complex and time-consuming
effort. Red Horizon Events consulting expertise in feasibilities studies provides decision makers,
within your organisation, with the opportunity to make better, more informed decisions on
new event concepts.

Benefits of Completing a Feasibility Study for Inaugural Events


1. An effective analytical tool that assists decision makers in determining if the event concept
will meet objectives and is viable
2. Provides supporting evidence for recommendations and demonstrates the strengths and
weakness of the event concept
3. Helps to analyze the business idea in more depth, providing greater clarity on the event
concept, defined objectives and key stakeholders
4. Allows for better, more informed decisions on the event concept at a logistical, financial,
resources and marketing environment level
5. Reduces the risk of a wasted investment in - time, resources and money
6. Helps reduce the event project planning time for the event - should it go ahead
Establishing the feasibility of your event is an essential first step to success. Event Feasibility
service works with you to identify what matters and ensure your event is built on solid foundations.

Risks Feasibility
The staging of events has risks for the organisers that should be analysed and understood. The
organisers need to have a relative degree of confidence that:
_ The event will not result in a financial loss
_ The event is organised sufficiently well that all parties are satisfied
_ The organisation’s mission will be enhanced as a result of staging the event
_ The risk of injury is minimised as far as possible
_ There are contingency plans to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants
_ The venue and equipment will not suffer unexpected damage or loss
_ The reputation of all parties (including the sponsor if one exists) as event organisers

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remains in tact.
Time Feasibility
There are a number of crucial factors that determine whether there is sufficient time to make all
the necessary plans and arrangements to stage a special event. In particular, the two most
important factors are:
_ the ability to book a venue; and
_ the necessity to give participants an appropriate length of notice
The first factor, venues, whether they are ovals, sports centres, theatres, pools or other types of
facility, must be booked months in advance. This has a direct bearing on the feasibility of
staging an event. It is not possible to organise an event unless the hosting organisation has a
venue booked. The time needed to plan and organise the event must be sufficient to ensure that
a venue can be booked.
Did u know?
The most popular venues may be booked more than one year in advance
The second factor is having sufficient time to promote the event and ensure that competitors are
able to attend. Imagine staging an event and finding that a very few competitors were able to
attend. If insufficient notice is given to competitors (and officials) they may be unable to book
air flights or arrange for leave. Furthermore they may NOT attend because they have other
engagements that they cannot change or simply because they have had no time to prepare for
the event. There needs to be sufficient planning time to enable the event date to be inserted on
to a great many event calendars. This is especially so when there is a likelihood of competitors
travelling large distances to attend (even from overseas).
The sheer number of tasks to be performed when organising an event also suggest that wouldbe
organisers should look very closely at the time allowed to complete such tasks.

Funding Feasibility
The feasibility study needs to be able to predict the financial outcome of staging an event to a
reasonable degree of accuracy. This entails developing a budget where all expected revenues
and all known costs are listed. It is most important that would-be organisers exercise a high
degree of realism when estimating possible revenues. Furthermore, it is vital to ensure that all
costs are included. Two typical situations can spell disaster:
1. The event goes ahead despite the loss of a major source of income i.e. sponsorship is not as
much as planned, a funding submission to government fails or only half as many participants
enter.
2. An unexpected cost arises but it is too late to cancel or change the event i.e. venue costs
escalate, errors are made in calculating the cost of officials, or extra equipment has to be
bought at the last moment.
History shows numerous organisations large and small that have run into financial difficulty
and even bankruptcy as a result of staging an event. A general rule for running events is that
they must not run at a loss except in special and planned circumstances. Therefore it would be
prudent to ensure the initial budgeting processes are accurate and to aim for substantial profit.

Support Feasibility
The feasibility study must gauge whether there is support for the event from within the
organisation. This is vital as an event is generally work and many helpers must be found.
Organisational meetings and numerous one-to-one consultations will usually provide evidence
whether support exists or not.
Events often need support from outside the hosting organisation if they are to be successful.

27
Some of the reasons to contact and consult other organisations include:
1. To estimate the amount of interest in participating
2. To seek assistance with equipment lending
3. To share facilities and venues
4. To seek sponsorship or funding
If the support that an event needs for participants, officials, helpers, sponsors and other interested
parties is not forthcoming then there must be considerable doubt about the feasibility of this
organisation to stage this event at this time.

Staffing Feasibility
The human resources required to plan, organize and stage an event includes everyone from the
Event Director down to volunteers who serve at the food stall. It is necessary to assess whether
the organisation has or is likely to have sufficient personnel for all event management tasks. If
no-one is willing to offer themselves as a event director or there is no-one with appropriate
experience who is affordable, then it must be assumed that the organisation is unlikely to be
successful at staging the event. Furthermore, at the feasibility assessment stage, it is important
to count, analyse and understand the myriad of tasks required and to determine whether there
is sufficient number of available personnel. Provided there is sufficient time, inexperienced
personnel can be trained.

Venue and Equipment Feasibility


Those who are responsible for assessing the feasibility of an event must consider whether there
is access to a suitable venue. The venue should be equal to or better than the standard expected
by all participants and other stakeholders.

There are dangers for the organisation and sport/recreation activity if the venue
is substandard. Therefore a lack of a suitable venue has a major effect on event feasibility.
Some categories of equipment such as personal sports apparatus are the responsibility of the
competitor. Other types of equipment such as scoreboards, lighting and timing equipment are
the responsibility of the organiser. If the organisation does not own sufficient equipment to
stage an event it can be bought, borrowed or hired provided there is time and funds available.
There may be a feasibility problem if sufficient equipment does not exist locally and it is too
difficult or expensive to transport equipment from other places.

Environmental Feasibility
The staging of events generally has some environmental impact. This may range from traffic
congestion and parking problems to damage sustained by the environment.

Examples: The following are some examples of the environmental impact of an event:
_ Damage by cars in an off-road area
_ Noise pollution
_ Traffic congestion
_ Sanitary problems
_ Danger to fauna and flora

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_ Water pollution e.g. power boat racing

SWOT Analysis: Finding the Strengths, Weaknesses,


Opportunities, and Threats
Before you begin planning an event, you usually must implement SWOT analysis to underpin
your decision making. SWOT analysis assists you in identifying the internal and external variables
that may prevent the event from achieving maximum success.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The strengths and weaknesses of an event are primarily considerations that can be spotted
before the event actually takes place. Typical strengths and weaknesses of many events are
shown in Figure 3.1.
The strengths and weaknesses may be uncovered through a focus group or through individual
interviews with the major stakeholders. If the weaknesses outnumber the strengths and there is no
reasonable way to eliminate the weak- nesses and increase the strengths within the event
planning period, you may wish to postpone or cancel the event.

Strengths Weaknesses
Strong funding Weak funding
Good potential for sponsors No potential for sponsors
Well-trained staff Poorly trained staff
Many volunteers Few volunteers
Good media relations Poor media relations
Excellent site Weak site

Opportunities and Threats


Opportunities are activities that may be of benefit to an event without significant investment by
your organization. One example is that of selecting a year in which to hold an event that
coincides with your community’s or industry’s hundredth anniversary. Your event may benefit
from additional funding, publicity, and other important resources simply by aligning yourself
with this hallmark event. Other possible beneficial outcomes, sometimes indirect, such as the
potential of contributing to the political image of the event’s host, are considered opportunities.
Threats are activities that prevent you from maximizing the potential of an event. The most
obvious threat is weather; however, political threats may be just as devastating. Local political
leaders must buy in to your civic event to ensure cooperation with all agencies. Opportunities
and threats are two key factors that generally present themselves either during an event or after
it has occurred. However, during the research process, these factors should be considered
seriously, as they may spell potential disaster for the event.
Political infighting may quickly destroy your planning. A modern threat is that of terrorism.
The threat of violence erupting at an event may keep people from attending. A celebrity canceling
or not attending can also create a significant threat to the success of an event. Typical opportunities
and threats for an event are listed in Figure 3.2.

Opportunities Threats
Civic anniversary Hurricanes and tornadoes
Chamber of Commerce promotion Political infighting
Celebrity appearance Violence from terrorism
Align with environmental cause Alcoholic consumption
Tie-in with media Site in bad neighborhood

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Winning elections Celebrity canceling or not attending
Developing more loyal employees
Although strengths and weaknesses are often related, opportunities and threats need not be.
Once again, in making a decision to proceed with event planning, your goal is to identify more
opportunities than threats. All threats should be considered carefully, and experts should be
consulted to determine ways in which threats may be contained, reduced, or eliminated. SWOT
analysis (see Figure 3.3) is a major strategic planning tool during the research phase. By using
SWOT analysis, an Event Leader can not only scan the internal and external event environment
but also can proceed to the next step, which involves analyses of the weaknesses and threats, and
provide solutions to improve the event planning process.

S = strengths
1. Strong funding Internal
2. Well-trained staff Internal
3. Event well respected by media External
W = weaknesses Existing conditions
1. Weak funding Internal
2. Few human resources Internal
3. Poor public-relations history External
O = opportunities
1. Simultaneous celebration of a congruent event External
2. Timing of event congruent with future budget allocation Internal
T = threats Future/predictive
conditions
1. Weather External
2. New board of directors leading this event Internal
The research phase of the event administration process is perhaps most critical. During this
period you will determine through empirical research whether you have both the internal and
external resources essential to make a decision to produce an effective event. Your ability to
select the appropriate research methodology, design the instrument, and collect, analyze,
interpret, and present the data will ultimately determine whether an vent has sufficient strength
for future success. The first pillar of the Event Leadership rocess—research—rests squarely in
the center of the other four supporting columns. lthough each is equal in importance, the future
success of an event depends on how well ou conduct the research phase.

Organizing an Event: Selecting the Event


There are many events that you could reasonably choose to organise. Before you start planning
your event, think about some of the different reasons for staging events.
_ Brainstorm some ideas
_ Making choices
You need to understand why you are holding the event the firm has chosen.
The primary purpose for holding the event should not be simply to fulfil your exam specification
requirements. The event should have some other primary purpose.
What could these be?
_ To raise funds for a charity or cause
_ To boost sales at a store or improve the public relations of a local business
_ To maximise your profits, if you are running a mini enterprise company
_ To boost recruitment to your school’s Key Stage 5 programmes

30
_ To help you with your studies
_ To provide entertainment and a sense of community to your peer group.
Clearly defining the reason for holding the event is critical to enable you to progress further and
define your aims, objectives and the research that you need to carry out.

Legal Compliance
Legal compliance is one of the important events monitoring purpose. Current law and regulation
control their assess. Management staff and auditors have to consider event data contained within
log as the primary source through which to gain information and determine level of compliance
and identify deficiencies if any, and search suitable action for the same.
With Legislative venue compliance becoming focal, especially within the event management
industry. When looking at stadiums or large venues and events, then one can see how complex
the infrastructure is, or how having no infrastructure also can compound issues, with any large
area that can, or could be utilized for public events, somehow, whether they are formal or
informal areas - they all still need to comply with certain aspects of legislation.
The owner that is in the business of renting out or leasing his whole or partial facility, should
always be up to date with current legislation. Certification is a worldwide requirement when it
comes to compliance with legislation covering aspects ranging from electricity, health, and
building regulations for instance to fire codes, need to be checked beforehand. As they all have
limitations, conditions, and expiray dates. All of which becomes relevant at the point where we
have a full stadium. Do we then comply legally?
Laws and regulations apply to many aspects related to the running of an event. Successful
compliance with laws and regulations requires an analysis of regulations with regard to a
specific event to develop event procedures and related support documents.

Identifying Compliance Requirements


For any event to proceed, organizers need to meet a range of general and specific event regulations
that include:
_ Responsible service of alcohol
_ Food safety
_ Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)
_ Environmental regulations including noise and waste
_ Security and crowd control
_ Fireworks
_ Ticketing
_ Entertainment
_ Use of temporary structures.
As special events have become more common place in lifestyle, government at all levels has
created and is still enacting legislation to ensure compliance and thereby protect the stakeholders
in the whole fabric of the events industry.
The point worth noting is that each state has its own requirements, so it is essential to check that
all requirements have been identified for the desired event.

Developing Procedures for Event Compliance Notes


There are numerous documents required by authorities or governing bodies. These documents, as plans,
applications and risk assessments, assist in addressing event legal compliance issues.
It does not make sense for an event organisation to create these documents from a blank page for every
event they organise. Over time, event organisers can build on their experience and use documents and

31
checklists to trigger sound management and legislative compliance. It is highly efficient to document
good practices and use templates and documents that have previously been devised and used for past
events. However, take care to check that all legislation is still current and regulations have not been
changed or amended.
The documents that explain how to do what is required become work procedures and the checklists and
forms used by the organiser support the procedures. In this way, they have a
standard way of doing business or performing a task which will always consider event
compliance.
Self Assessment
State whether the following statements are true or false:
11. Legal compliance is one of the main important events monitoring purpose.
12. Log Monitoring survey may be in breach of one law or another.
13. Log preview is used to maintain legal compliance.
14. Organizations need to provide physical documentation showing that they have appropriate
control over access to resources.
15. Care must be taken as while most solutions claim to assist in legal compliance efforts,
some of them permit the deletion of database archives, while others do not collect all the
events stored indifferent formats – both of which seriously undermine any corporation’s
legal compliance efforts.
Tasks
Use relevant ideas or information to discuss the feasibility of the following event concepts.
Then rank them in order, from most to least feasible.
1. Indian International Trade Fair Nov. 2011.
2. Flower show in University of Delhi, March 2012.
3. Independence day celebration 2011.

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PHILTECH INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY INC.
SUBJECT: EVENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES
WEEK 4

LESSON 4: Marketing and Promotion of the Event


TOPICS: Marketing and Promotion of the Event
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this session, you will be able to:
 Know the meaning of marketing
 _ Identify five P’s of marketing
 _ Understand the key concept of promotion
 _ Explain the key point in planning and promoting an event
 _ Describe the Event Planning Training and Internship
Introduction
What is the point of organizing a seminar or plan other event if nobody is going to show up?mHow can
you guarantee that people will show up and that you will get the target audience that you want? In this
unit we will discuss about the promotional methods and the strategies that can be used to effectively
market or promote the events. You see around yourself and just see any big show on TV like the reality
shows nowadays, they all are using some sort of events to raise the TRP. It seems that everywhere you
look someone is marketing events or events are being used to market products and services.

Event Planning and Promotion


Standing different from others while planning event can be done only when an event is properly
planned. Accurately planned events have least chances of going wrong. There are various things
involved in event promotion and planning like selecting venue,
marketing, getting sponsorship, preparing committee, arranging
finance, carrying out registration process, etc. All these things
can be effectively done only when there is proper team work.
Important part of event planning is designing of stall and making
arrangements for displays.

Following points are taken into consideration while planning and


promoting an event:
1. Determine your objective: Determine the objective which is
achievable. Don’t set targets
which are impossible to reach.

33
2. Competitor: Who are your competitors in event? Depending on this you can strengthen
your weakness and present yourself perfectly.
3. Prepare checklist: Prepare checklist for promotion and planning in order to avoid last
minute work. Proper planned schedule will allow you to continue with error free work.

4.Focus on product and design: What product you are exhibiting? Are you ready with design? Notes

Your product should not over shadow the design and neither your design should over shadow the
product. Keep proper balance while displaying product in order to make design captivating.
5. Budget: Do not overdo with your expenses that you find it difficult to recover expenses
and make profit. Following are the things you need to consider while preparing budget:
_ Rent of space you occupy for event
_ Money involved behind construction of design
_ Travelling expenses
_ Cost of transportation
_ Money involved behind various promotional activities.

Event Marketing and Promotion


One of the most important aspects of event managements is marketing and promoting the event.
Advertising as a tool cannot be underestimated in event marketing and event promotion. Almost every
event, except for the private parties and events have kept aside a budget to cover advertising costs. And
those involved in event marketing and event promotion need to first
analyze what type of media would reach their target audience. And the choices include:
_ Commercial Television
_ Cable Television
_ Radio
_ Print
_ Road shows
There are also other means of advertising that include hoardings and sky balloons, amongst
others. Commercial television is being regarded as the most effective means of reaching out to the
masses. And today with the television boom and the increasing number of channels, this is
being proven as an effective means of promoting events. However, for advertising on television,
a large sum of money needs to be kept aside. Ideally, the event organizer should tie up with
sponsors that already have advertising slots.

Promotion
You may have the best-quality event product, but unless you have
a strategic plan for promoting
this product, it will remain the best kept secret in the world. Even
large, well-known mega
events such as the Super Bowl, Rose Parade, and Olympic Games
require well-developed
promotion strategies to achieve the success they require.
Following is a systematic checklist to assist you with identifying
and budgeting for your event
promotion:
1. Identify all event elements that require promotion from the proposal through the final
evaluation.

34
2. Develop strategies for allocating scarce event promotion resources with efficient methods.
3. Identify promotion partners to share costs.
4. Target your promotion carefully to those market segments that will support your event.
5. Measure and analyze your promotion efforts throughout the campaign to make corrections
as required.

Price
Market research will help you determine price. Part of this market research will include conducting a
competitive analysis study of other organizations offering similar event products. You may initially
believe that your product is uniquely different from every other event. However, when you interview
potential ticket buyers or guests you may be surprised to learn that they consider your event similar to
many others. Therefore, you must carefully list all competing events and the prices being charged to
help you determine the appropriate price for your event.

Public Relations
Advertising is what you say about your event, whereas public relations is what others (or that
perception) are saying about your event. Since many events require a second-party endorsement or
even review to encourage people to attend, public relations is significantly more valuable and effective
than traditional advertising.

Place
In real estate, location is everything. In event marketing, distribution of your product may be everything
as well. The location of your event often determines the channels of distribution. If your event is located
in a rural area, not only may it be difficult to promote the event due to limited media resources, but it
may also be difficult for your target market to make the purchase
due to logistical restraints.

Internal versus External Event Marketing


Event managers may use an event or a series of events as one of the marketing methods to promote
external events, products or services such as shopping malls, tourism destinations, or attractions (such
as amusement parks or zoos), or any entity that is appropriately promoted through events. However, in
most cases, event managers use marketing forces such as advertising, public relations, promotion,
advertising specialties, stunts, and other techniques to promote individual events. These traditional
marketing techniques should be used to inform, attract, persuade, sustain, and retain potential
customers for your event.
Increasingly, a blend of internal and external event marketing is being utilized to promote events. In
some cases, event managers use miniature events as a means of promoting major events.

Both internal and external event marketing are important strategies for your event. depicts how this
process is used to market your event product. Since resources are always limited for marketing it is
important to select those internal or external elements that will most effectively reach and influence
your target market.

Sponsorship Needs Assessment


Although most events may benefit from sponsorship, not every event is appropriate for this component.
Sponsorship is a commercial endeavor and is extremely time consuming. Therefore, unless you are
prepared to enter into a commercial relationship with other parties and have the time resources to
devote to this activity, you may instead wish to solicit donations. Many event managers confuse

35
sponsorship with benevolence. A fundraising event where donors contribute without any expectation of
commercial benefit is a benevolent activity. Sponsorship, on the other hand, is a commercial transaction
in which two parties agree by way of an offer and

Developing Sponsors
The competition by event organizers for sponsors is keen at every level. Whether your event is a local
event or a national one, you must first conduct a competitive analysis to identify all competing events
and study their sponsorship history and present activities. Following are several suggestions on how to
identify appropriate sponsors for your event:

1. Determine the financial level of sponsorship you require. Not every sponsor can make a Notes
five- or six-figure decision.
2. Review trade journals such as Advertising Age and Sponsorship Report to track sponsor
activities.
3. Review the local business tabloid in your area to search for prospective sponsors.
4. Network with advertising and public relations agency officials to find out if their clients
have an interest in your event.
5. Conduct a focus group with prospective sponsors to solicit and later analyze their opinions
and attitudes toward your event.

Selling Sponsorships
Always do your homework regarding the sponsor’s needs, wants, and desires prior to attempting to sell
a sponsorship. To make the sale, the sponsorship offer must be an exact fit with the needs,
expectations, goals, and objectives of the commercial sponsor. Customize the offer to achieve these
goals and objectives prior to your presentation. Constructing a successful proposal is equal parts of art
and science. Remember that the sponsor will be making a business decision and
. The following list summarizes the key elements in a winning sponsorship
proposal:
_ Describe the history of the event.
_ Include a capability statement about your organization’s resources.
_ Incorporate testimonials and references from other sponsors.
-Describe the benefits and features that the sponsor will receive.
_ List all financial responsibilities that the sponsor must accept.
_ Describe any additional responsibilities that the sponsor must accept.
_ Describe how you will chronicle the sponsorship activity.
_ Include a time and a date for acceptance of the offer.
_ Include a provision for renewal of the sponsorship.
_ Include an arbitration clause in case you and the sponsor disagree
regarding the sponsorship

Overcoming Sponsor Objections


Most sponsors will want their sponsorship activities customized to
achieve their specific goals and objectives. Therefore, they may have some preliminary objections after
receiving your initial offer. Once you have presented the offer, ask them for their reaction on each
benefit and feature. Listen carefully and list these comments. Make two lists. One list is for approvals,
those
items that they see the value in sponsoring. The second list is for objections, those items that they
cannot see the value of at this time.

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Negotiating your Sponsorship
Almost every sponsorship will require intense negotiations to move it into fruition. Whenever possible,
conduct these negotiations in person with the decision maker. Assign a specific date and time for these
negotiations and confirm that the sponsor is a feasible prospect before entering into a serious
negotiation. In most negotiations both parties desire a win-win-win
outcome. In this type of negotiation you win as the event organizer, the sponsor wins as the event
funding agent, and the stakeholders of your event win from your mutual efforts to secure these dollars.

Closing the Sponsorship Sale


You must always ask for the order when presenting your sponsorship proposal. State at least three times
that you want to develop a positive relationship with the sponsor. Start your discussions by stating that
your desired outcome is to ensure that the sponsor understands all the benefits and features of your
event and will desire to become a sponsor. Throughout your presentation ask for feedback from the
sponsor and build on the sponsor’s positive reactions by telling him or her that you are pleased that he
or she recognizes the value of your event product.

Servicing Sponsorship Sales


Once the sponsor has accepted your offer, the next task is to service the sale in order to retain his or her
support in the future. One of the most common reasons that sponsors fail to renew their sponsorship is
due to poor communications. Make certain that you develop methods for implementing positive
communications with your sponsors. Some event organizers use newsletters to update their sponsors,
others provide regular briefings, and still others offer
their sponsors marketing seminars to help them design a booth or target their product or
service to event guests. It is wise to assign one or more persons on your staff to service all
sponsorships and communicate regularly with sponsors to make certain they remain informed,
excited, and committed to the event activities.

Evaluating Sponsorships
To secure multiple-year sponsorships it is important that you develop and implement a system for
measuring the sponsor’s activities. First, decide what needs to be evaluated and why. The answers to
these questions typically may be found in the goals and objectives of the sponsorship agreement. To
collect these data, conduct sponsorship evaluations that are comprehensive inscope.

Internet Event Marketing


Not since the invention of the printing press has advertising been changed as dramatically as with the
introduction of the Internet.
Example: The number of Internet users in the events industry grew from 50 percent to over 80 percent
between 1996 and 1998. Event marketing has now fully embraced the electronic marketplace.
_ Determine whether or not you require a separate home page for your event or a link from an existing
home page to a unique page.
_ Determine whether you will need a transaction page and ensure security for your ticket buyers.
_ Determine whether you, your staff, or others can build the pages and/or make changes
should they be needed.
_ Identify and establish links with all marketing partners.
_ Identify your event market segments and targets.
_ If consultants are contracted to build your site or pages, determine how they will be
maintained (frequency, speed, and reliability).

37
_ Match the color scheme and design components to your printed matter.
_ Use a focus panel of prospective event attendees to review your plans and suggest
modifications to your overall design.
_ Use e-mail reminders to increase attendance during the last two weeks of an event.
_ Use online chat rooms to create discussion areas for pre-registered attendees and to generate
follow-up discussion post-event.
_ Use online evaluation systems to collect survey information before, during, and after an
event.
_ Use online registration systems.
_ Use search engines to promote your event, with careful selection and registration of your
URL.
_ Use viral marketing (e-mails copied to prospective attendees) to promote your event.
The Internet will continue to drive the development of the global event management industry.
You must use this dynamic technology quickly and accurately to ensure that your event remains
competitive throughout the twenty-first century.

Publicity
Publicity is the deliberate attempt to manage the public’s perception of a subject. The subjects of
publicity include people goods and services, organizations of all kinds, and works of art or
entertainment.

Marketing and Publicizing the Event


Good publicity and promotion is an essential ingredient for any successful event. You can use
any number of promotional tools for circulating your message for example, using flyers, posters,
newspapers, radio, television (depending on event scale and budget), advertising, personal
invitations, local resident mail drops, internal promotion, local Council and other event web
sites, or a combination of these tactics. Ensure that you consider your budget restrictions and
target audiences. The Division of Marketing may be able to assist in the promotion and publicity
of your event.

Branding
It is essential to be ensured that correct logo is used in all printed and promotional material. Any
use of the name or logo must be approved in advance and in writing by the Division Marketing.
You must also consider the branding and promotion of supporting organizations and sponsors.
LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 91

Print, Design and Production


The print, design and production of event resources such as programs, invitations and
promotional materials is very important to the professionalism and credibility of your event.
When designing and printing event publications:
_ Engage one of the graphic designers to manage the production process for you;
_ Be clear about the production budget for each item;
_ Prepare a brief to ensure that everyone is aware of what you want, provide examples
where possible;
_ Consider the audience and the purpose of the material (e.g. will it be easily posted and
suitable for pinning to notice boards?);
_ Have a schedule for production;
_ Avoid complex and therefore costly designs;

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_ Simple designs will often suffice and be more cost effective;
_ Designs should be in colour and mono format if required; Ask to see a design mock up or
proof and paper samples.
Ensure final proof reading is completed by someone who is-
(a) known to be good at it, and
(b) who has not been involved in any of the preparation of the copy.
Check phone numbers and dates repeatedly to be guaranteed they are correct.

Advantages of Publicity
The advantages of publicity are low cost, and credibility. New technologies such as web cameras,
web affiliates, web logs, and convergence are changing the cost-structure.

Disadvantages of Publicity
The disadvantages are lack of control over how your releases will be used, and frustration over
the low percentage of releases that are taken up by the media. Publicity draws on several key
themes including birth, love, and death.

Modes of Publicity
1. Stickers: Sticker printing can come in various shapes and sizes. That is why when you
print stickers for your business, you should try out and take advantage of various sticker
printing forms to get the most coverage out of them. Let’s start with the obvious one,
bumper stickers.
(i) Bumper Stickers: Stickers in the bumpers of cars is a well liked decorative feature.
Mainly in boring commuter traffic, those bumper stickers are all the entertainment
some people meet on the road. That is why printing stickers like this for your event
information can be an effective marketing tool. You can get lots of people to look at
your marketing message as they move slowly with traffic. This is cheap and easy to
do, so try it out for business.
2. Magazines, Trade Journals and Newsletters: It is very convenient to reach the members of a
particular profession through taking out advertisements in trade journals, magazines and Newsletters to
announce the conference some months before its date. These ads are convenient to update with the
changes in arrangement and about the confirmation of the
speakers. In this manner closer to the date of the conference and in organization with the committee’s
plans, a registration form could be inserted in the magazine.
3. Newspapers: Newspapers are an immensely significant source of historical and contemporary
information. Newspaper publishing, both in print and via the Internet, is an increasing worldwide
activity. Digital developments and improvements in technology are driving changes that may impact
upon those engaged with newspapers as custodians, or as researchers. So the newspapers are also a
good advertisement source for the advertisement as the people interested can cut and save the
information for their remembrance.
4. Advertorial: Advertorials, also known as hosted content, are among the most valuable form of
marketing a website owner can buy. An advertorial is a keyword-rich article that is “hosted” on another
website. The article includes several anchor text links back to the advertiser’s website.
5. Mailings: The names collected on the registration list from the previous year’s conference could be
used as a basis for the mailing, or if the conference were one arranged for members of an association or
professional body, then the mailings would be sent to all members and associate members as well.
Mailing lists can also be bought from various organisations such as chambers of commerce, publications
and directories. Depending on the allocated budget for promotion, brochures announcing the

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conference, its purpose and nature, and containing details about speakers and other arrangements
could be.

Information to be included in the brochure should include the following:


(i) Title and theme of the conference;
(ii) Brief description of its nature or purpose;
(iii) Dates and location;
(iv) Speakers;
(v) Topics;
(vi) Costs, and what is included in the price;
(vii) Other events, such as conference dinner, and costs;
(viii) Methods of payment;
(ix) Accommodation options;
(x) Discounted air fares available
(xi) Closing date for registration;
(xii) Payment method for overseas delegates;
(xiii) E-mail addresses and phone/fax numbers for enquiries;
(xiv) The cancellations policy.
6. Press Release: One of the other best ways to advertise and promote the conference is through press
release. A good press release starts with the basics. You need to know what media it will be sent to, and
write specifically for that target market. A press release should always be about something that is
newsworthy, but coming to your topic from a different or unusual angle can make even the most
common of activities newsworthy.

Essentials
1. Make sure the information you are imparting is newsworthy – provide a good story.
2. Aim the information directly at your audience and grasp their attention.
3. Start with the news, and then go into details.
4. Make the job as easy as possible for the press; try to answer any questions they might have within the
press release.
5. Do not assume any knowledge of the topic or subject area.
6. Write in the third person. Do not use ‘you’, ‘we’.
7. Personal opinions should only be in quotations.
8. Have a punchy headline.
9. Try to keep your press release to one page.
10. Only include essential details.
11. Give good contact information, but try to have one point of contact.
12. Include any additional information in an appendix at the end of the press release, or direct
the press to where they can find the info.
13. Check your spelling and grammar.

Making Contact
1. Make contact with your local press before you send out any release to ensure they know
what to expect.
2. Find out when their deadlines are and how they like to receive press releases.
3. Invite the reporter/editor/etc. to your club or event and find out if it is something they
would like to report about.
4. Sell your event to the press, but do not be too intrusive on their time as it is a busy

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occupation and they will receive numerous similar requests.
5. If the news in your release isn’t used, ask if there’s space the following week, or if there’s
anything you can do to ensure that it is used.

Sending out Your Release


1. Use email.
2. Seek the advice of the most computer literate member of your club, someone who regularly
checks their email and can answer any email questions.
3. Do not send out large email attachments such as pictures unless requested.
4. Make sure the text is in the email body and not in an attachment.
5. The press is concerned with using the text you send them quickly and efficiently so try not
to put your release into a document requiring certain software to open or that only looks
good on certain computers.
6. If you are sending your release to numerous recipients, use the blind copy function.
7. Make sure your computer has the latest virus software on it and it has been updated recently.

Professional Publicist
A professional publicist could be hired to arrange the promotion of the conference, or to
act as a consultant on certain aspects of the promotion, working with employees of the
company or association arranging the conference or event.
Promotion
When considering appropriate promotion and publicity for the event make sure you think
about the event brief and objectives of the event and how it relates to the organization’s strategic
agenda.

Advertising
Advertising is a very useful way to get your message across and can draw on a number of
different mediums including newspapers/magazines, the internet, television and radio. When
considering which form of advertising should be used, a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities and Threats) analysis of your event and a careful study of who your target audience
is and how they are best reached will be useful in saving time, resources and money

Television advertising is an effective way to reach regional audiences; however, it is often a


costly option. When asking a television station for a quote, remember to consider: cost of
advertisement production, programs when the advertisement will be shown.

Local radio is a good medium for advertising as it is cost effective and you can often obtain free
publicity through radio interviews with announcers or media releases to be aired in the station’s

Distribute promotional flyers at other events, particularly those with a similar audience base, or
leave a small number of flyers (you can always return with more) with businesses such as news
agencies, libraries, hairdressers and cafes/restaurants or businesses that are directly connected
to your event to distribute to customers.
Flyers can also be distributed via resident mail drops (enquire with your local Council or post office for
businesses that offer this service) and are often a very cost effective way to reach the local community
and provide them with detailed information about the event. Posters displayed in areas such as campus
notice boards, local libraries and art galleries, shop
windows and visitor information centres can also be an effective communication tool.

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Mail outs/Email
Carefully targeted direct mail can be very effective. The best results come when the recipient is already
familiar with you, the University or the event. Use relevant University mailing lists that capture a
particular profession, community group or alumni. A useful and often less costly form of direct mail is
inserting a flyer or conference program into a relevant magazine or newspaper.
Promoting your event via email is also an effective way of reaching your target audience.

Media
Effective media liaison requires careful planning and management. Staff in Media Relations Unit are
meant to assist in promoting events such as conferences, public lectures, handling media interviews and
developing associated news and story ideas for the media and related news.From marketing point of
view, publicity is one component of promotion which is one component of marketing. The other
elements of the promotional mix are advertising, sales promotion, and
personal selling. Various examples are:
1. Event sponsorship
2. Art exhibitions
3. Arrange for a testimonial
4. Announce an appointment
5. Stage a debate
6. Issue a commendation
7. Arrange a speech or talk
8. Make an analysis or prediction
9. Conduct a poll or survey
10. Issue a report

Event Promotion
Whenever an event is being planned, you would surely hope to promote it in a manner such that
even all internal customers you may have would get to know about it. You would want to do
several varieties of activities so that you can have the maximum fun during the event and ensure.
that it becomes an amazing success:
_ You should concentrate individually on every guest and make them feel as if they are the
only guest. They should get that special feeling. You should be professional and positive
in attitude such that you give a lasting impression. This will help in any future opportunities.
_ You must keep track of events always. You should listen to the signals coming from your
customers regarding the event. You should take into consideration all their needs and

Promotional Strategies
The promotional strategy will need to take into consideration some or all of the following:
_ The purpose and nature of the event
_ Targeting relevant industry groups
_ Number of participants attending

Cross Promotions
To allocate market resources in the most efficient manner, you must identify and incorporate
marketing partners into your campaign. These organizations may actually contribute marketing

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dollars or may provide in-kind services, such as providing celebrities, tagging their ads with
your event date and time, or contributing other valuable components to your campaign.

Street Promotions
This marketing activity requires that you literally take your message to the street. Street
promotions may include the handing out of flyers by a clown in a high-traffic area, the appearance
of a celebrity at a local mall, contests, or other promotional activities designed to draw high
visibility to your event. Before leafleting (handing out flyers), make certain that this is allowed
by local code.

Promotional Methods
Online Promotion
There is no question that the development of the Internet has become the most important
communication and marketing media breakthrough since the printing press in the mid-fifteenth
century. It has fundamentally reshaped understating of sales and marketing.

Internet Marketing for Events


The Internet can be a highly efficient tool in overall event management organizations’ marketing
program. At the same time, it can be a major financial burden if an event management organization
does not formulate specific goals for its Internet marketing policy. The objectives for each event
management organization may vary depending on company size, dynamics of operations,
financial and staff resources, location, overall development strategy, and client base.

Brand Building
Online marketing combined with television, media, and print is a major brand-building tool.
The biggest advantage the Internet has over television and old-fashioned media is the favorable
cost/benefit ratio. Event management organizations can achieve a much higher return on their
marketing investments in Internet promotions than in a traditional campaign.

To register your Web site with a search engine:


1. Enter a search engine (AltaVista, Yahoo, etc.).
2. Go to “register your site.”
3. Carefully describe your site’s profile.
4. Try it, after submission.

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