EVENTS MANAGEMENT

OM 14
MODULE 3

This course examines the principles of conceptualizing, planning, managing and evaluating
meeting and events and festival management. Topics include the significance of conventions
and event in tourism, event design, project management, methods and evaluation, physical
requirements, organizing, promotion and sponsorship. An integration of this course are applies
all principles of conceptualizing or management in a real life working environment.

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 THE MARKET FOR EVENTS AND THE EVENT STAKEHOLDERS

What Is Event Marketing?

Event marketing is the promotion of a product, brand, or service through in-person interactions.
There are many forms of event marketing and each can be catered to address a marketer’s
specific goals.

Event marketing can be hosting an event to build stronger relationships with prospects and
customers. It could also be attending an event as an exhibitor to educate potential
customers on your company's product offering. Event marketing can even include digital
events such as webinars or live-streamed workshops.

Each of the above examples leverages the power of live experiences to achieve business
goals.

Why Is Event Marketing Important?

According to the Event Marketing 2019: Benchmarks and Trends Report, most marketers
believe that event marketing is the single-most effective marketing channel for achieving
business goals.

Additional findings from the report include:

 Between 2017 to 2018 the number of companies organizing 20 or more events per
year increased by 17%.
 The majority of company leaders are supportive of their company’s event strategies,
but this support is contingent on the ability of event teams to prove ROI.
 The most successful businesses are spending 1.7x the average marketing budget on
live events.

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The bottom line: Event marketing is an essential marketing channel for B2B and B2C
businesses.

What Is Different About Event Marketing?

At its core, marketing is communication. It is the ability to clearly convey a message at the
opportune time. Live events provide the opportunity for one to connect directly with
stakeholders and clearly communicate their message. It’s no wonder that event marketing
continues to grow as one of the most important marketing strategies for today’s big companies.

According to Forrester Research, events make up for 24% of the B2B marketing budget. By
2020, 3.2M global professional events will be taking place on an annual basis. Companies
are believing in the power of live events and this trend will only continue to grow in the
coming years.

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Types of Events

Improved technology combined with the growing need of events has resulted in a wide
range of event types. Having a firm understanding of each type of event will help event
marketers determine which ones align most closely their specific goals. Below is a thorough
but by no means exhaustive list of event types.

1. Conferences

These large scale events make up a significant portion of the events industry. Conferences can
be either B2B or B2C and usually have a schedule filled with engaging speakers, educational
workshops, and valuable networking sessions. The most successful conferences are the ones that
balance a professional environment with an energetic, social atmosphere.

For example, Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference 2019 is a large scale conference. The
keynote, content, and product updates cater to the interests of developers and product users.
Activities include a highly anticipated speaker and sessions that teach customers how to get the
most out of their products.

2. Trade Shows

Trade shows and expos aim to present new products and services from a variety of related
brands in a professional manner. Typically these types of events have a theme that ties the
booths together.

For example, IMEX America is the largest trade show for event planners. Held in Las Vegas,
IMEX America attracts over 12,000 attendees and 3,000+ exhibitors in one place. The event
allows industry movers and shakers to meet, mingle, and explore new business connections
and innovations.

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To learn more about the IMEX brand and their philosophy on designing a successful trade
show, check out our interview with Carina Bauer, CEO at IMEX on the IN-PERSON Podcast.

3. Seminars

Seminars usually take place in a more intimate setting and are heavily focused on educating
attendees. The smaller group of attendees allows for more in-depth discussions and
valuable knowledge sharing. Seminars usually last one day and often times only for a few
hours.

For example, the ABM Leadership Alliance held their first seminar in Boston called ABM by
the Numbers. The event brought together B2B marketers focused on driving their event
strategies with key metrics and gave professionals a channel to share and discuss key learnings
and present case studies.

For more information, check out our key takeaways from the event.

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4. Internal Company Meetings and Periodic Business Gatherings

Internal company meetings and periodic business gatherings are events used to discuss a
select group of topics in order to assess progress, facilitate project kickoffs or to solve a
specific problem. They are common in companies with over 25 employees but smaller
businesses can also benefit from this event type.

5. Thought Leadership and Networking Events

The goal of a thought leadership or networking events is to present a brand’s authority in a

particular domain and provide opportunities for people with related business interests to meet
and interact with one another. This event type can include VIPs or focus more on general
admission.

One example is Forbes Under 30 Summit, which brings together young professionals, A-
list speakers, speed-pitching, and the infamous pub crawl. The immersive event allows
eager young industry innovators a platform to share their voice and network with peers.

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6. Ceremonies and Galas

Ceremonies and galas serve a variety of purposes but these formal events have one thing in
common: they provide an elegant way of presenting a brand and its product or service.
Whether it’s a black tie fundraising event in a rented art museum or a kick off for an annual
meeting at a conference, ceremonies and galas provide a sophisticated way of marking a special
occasion.

One way to celebrate a formal event with customers is through an award ceremony. For
example, Oracle hosts the Markie Awards to shine a light on the luminaries in digital marketing
and customer experience. This is a great event that honors Oracle customers in a fun and
meaningful way.

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7. Product Launches

Product launches are used to showcase new products or solutions to customers and
prospects. The goal of a product launch is to get existing customers and potential customers
excited about features and functionalities that are coming to their product.

Every year, Adobe hosts MAX, a creativity conference for users of Adobe's Creative Cloud.
Attendees get a front row seat to the latest product updates and innovations from Adobe.

8. VIP Events

VIP events (or sales acceleration events) focus on providing the most influential
shareholders, customers, and other honored guests with an exclusive (and impressive)
experience. The goal of any VIP event is to ultimately increase revenue through
maintaining the loyalty of these key figures.

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For example, Atlassian held an invite-only CIO Lunch in both New York and Silicon
Valley. The VIP event allowed industry leaders to come together to discuss challenges and
breakthroughs that were relevant in their field.

9. Job Fairs and Recruiting Events

The goal of most job fairs and recruiting events are to find and secure talent for their company
across a number of departments. Typically held at colleges and universities, this event type is
popular among start-ups or companies looking to find fresh minds to help expand their
business.

For example, DeveloperWeek attracts developers in San Francisco, New York, Austin, and
Chicago. The week-long event includes multiple developer conferences, a hackathon, and a
hiring mixer for prospective job seekers.

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10. Team Building

Team building events are internal meetings focused on providing fun and interesting ways for
employees to bond. The goal is usually to facilitate relationship building so employees can
become better leaders and collaborators. It’s also a helpful way to get people from departments
without direct contact to be introduced to one another.

11. Field Marketing and Activations

The goal of most field marketing or brand activation events is to form stronger emotional
bonds between a company and its audience. Since relationship-building is the primary
focus of this event type, it’s especially important to know which specific audiences you are
targeting to plan the activities accordingly.

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A great example of a targeted brand activation is media and lifestyle brand Refinery29's 29
Rooms. The annual event is designed as an interactive "playground for adults" that features
a curated selection of experiences with musicians, companies, and content.

12. Virtual Events

Virtual events are ideal for companies that may not have the resources to host a full-scale live
event and for companies that cannot afford to travel to an international conference.
Virtual events allow people to participate from all over the world and strives for a more
globalized and diverse group of attendees. As the technology for virtual and augmented reality
continue to evolve at a rapid pace, virtual events may quickly become a mainstream form of
live events.

For example, Gainsight's PulseCheck is a virtual event that is recorded and streamed to virtual
attendees. This allows attendees to consume content on their time. To increase their audience,
Gainsight offers the recording sessions for free to new Gainsight subscribers.

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 How to Measure Event Marketing Success

In order to maximize the impact of event marketing strategies, it’s necessary to set the right
goals and utilize relevant KPI’s. Defining and measuring event success is just as important
as the event itself. Below are a list of ways to articulate event marketing goals followed by
nine metrics to properly measure event ROI, helping to ensure continued success.

SMART Goals

Before diving into the specific KPI’s, it is worth mentioning the S.M.A.R.T. acronym to help
you better understand how to achieve event marketing success. Defining goals with this
method will help you reach your desired results in the most efficient way possible.

"A lesson we learned is to focus on some wildly important goals each year. We knock them out
of the park, and let the things that are working well continue on, maybe with some incremental
changes."

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Specific: The more specific you are when articulating your event goals, the closer you will be to
achieving them. Asking detailed questions can be a great way to come up with comprehensive
answers.

Measurable: Specific goals are all the more effective when they can be quantified because you
are then able to measure their direct impact. Easily measurable factors like costs and revenue are
the best way to answer the question, “How will I know that my goals have been achieved?”

Achievable: Keeping in mind the difference between ambitious and unrealistic, make sure
to set goals that are able to be reached but never out of reach. You should set a goal that
you think you and your team will reach 50% of the time if you had to repeat the event. You
can set an additional “reach goal” that you think can be reached 10% of the time, which
would serve as motivation for you and your team.

Results-Oriented: Goals should measure results, not activities. While it might be helpful to send
50 individual emails to prospective event sponsors, a better goal would be to secure a hard
commitment from 5 event sponsors within the next 6 months.

Time-Bound: All goals should have subsequent deadlines. Create a timeline for your goals and
analyze how they will develop over different points in time.

11 KPIs for Measuring Marketing Success

1. Registrations

The total number of registrations is obviously an important metric to determine event success.
However there are a number of ways to slice this metric to ensure that you are gaining the
most important insights. You can look at registrations over time to see which months saw the
highest demand for tickets. Or divide registrations by ticket type to better

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understand which tickets were most popular among attendees. There is plenty of insights to
draw from registration data. It’s just a matter of asking the right questions and having the right
event technology to help find the answers.

2. Gross revenue

If it is a paid event, gross revenue is a very important indicator of event success. It is also a
metric that must be delved into more deeply. Besides the total dollar amount, the gross revenue
can reveal other key insights such as the demographic of attendees that were most present at the
event, the type of tickets that sold most quickly, and the time of year when ticket sales were at
its peak. All of these key insights can be drawn from the gross revenue metric.

3. Attendee satisfaction

Whatever your specific goals may be, all events share the same overall objective of
satisfying attendees. But it is important to specify your definition of “satisfaction.” Was the
goal to simply entertain your attendees during the conference? Did you want them to take
away specific knowledge about your product? Make sure to be intentional with this
particular metric to gain the most insight about your attendees. A great way to measure
overall attendee satisfaction is by calculating the Net Promoter Score which is summarized
in the figure below.

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4. Attendee engagement

Understanding attendee engagement can be a clear indicator of whether the event content
was relevant and valuable to attendees. Event marketing is about fostering relationships
with customers and prospects so monitoring their engagement level during the event would
help better gauge the success of the relationship building.

5. Social Media Mentions

In today’s digital-centric world, social media and events go hand in hand. Events
themselves have become a source of content for both organizers and attendees. It’s no
wonder that 98% of consumers create digital content at events and that 100% of those
attendees share that original content on their social media channels. Thus, maximizing
social media mentions is crucial for overall event success and in ensuring that your event
brand is reaching audiences all around the globe.

6. Speaker page engagement

One of your main objectives should be to offer event content that resonates with attendees. One
of the main sources of content during your event will most likely be the speeches and keynotes.
Thus it is important to ensure that your speakers are offering valuable knowledge that is
connecting with attendees.

One way to measure this impact is by monitoring each speaker’s profile page. How many
times has their page been viewed? How many likes did each page receive? Engagement
metrics like these will show if your event content was relevant for the attendees present.

7. Total check-ins

Make sure to record the number of check-ins during the day(s) of the event and compare this
number against the total registrations. A high discrepancy between these two figures

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would be worth looking into. Similar to registrations, the total number of check-ins can be
sliced in different ways to better understand the attendee demographic.

8. Cost to revenue ratio

The total revenue figure is unimportant if it is not compared against the total event cost. This
ratio is crucial in helping you understand the quantity and quality of resources that were
required for the event and if the resources helped to achieve your event marketing goals.

9. Customers acquired

From the number of qualified leads you collect from the event, keep t rack of which ones
actually resulted in a closed deal. This will help you calculate the direct ROI of your team’s
event marketing efforts and help you strategize for future events. Understanding
which tactics worked and which did not when attempting to gain new customers is a crucial
insight for event marketing.

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When following an account-based marketing strategy for your events, there are some
additional metrics to review. Because ABM is an account-focused strategy, event
organizers should look to compare the number of target accounts against their event
numbers like registrations, revenue, and engagement. Two additional KPIs to keep in mind
during your event include:

10. Number of Target Accounts attending your event

By capturing the number of target accounts attending your event, you're able to diagnose
the alignment between your event content and your accounts' interests. A successful event
includes a high percentage of target accounts in attendance. This metric would show the
alignment between your event content and your accounts' interests.

11. Number of Closed Accounts from specific events

A great way to show your event is ROI+ is to surface the number of target accounts that
have closed from specific events. Ultimately, attributing an event to a customer sale is
essential when thinking about event ROI.

1.1 THE EVENT MARKET

THE EVENT MARKET CAN BE A CONSISTENT SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR

HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES SUCH AS:
• HOTELS,
• RESTAURANTS,
• CATERING FACILITIES,
• ENTERTAINMENT,
• AND LEISURE VENUES.

1.2 EVOLUTION OF EVENTS

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 IN THE PAST DECADE, THERE HAS BEEN A RISE OF EVENT VENUES IN THE
PHILIPPINES.
• IN THE 1950S AND 1960S, PARTIES WERE USUALLY HELD AT HOME OR IN
BIG RESTAURANTS.
• IN THE 1970S AND 1980S, DELUXE HOTELS AND THEIR BALLROOMS AND
FUNCTION ROOMS BECAME THE VENUES OF CHOICE.
• THIS TREND WENT ON WELL INTO THE 1990S, WHICH ALSO SAW THE RISE
OF RESORT VENUES.

1.3 EVOLUTION OF EVENTS

• IN THE CURRENT DECADE, EVENT VENUES CAME TO FORE – CONVENTION

CENTERS, EXHIBITION CENTERS, GARDENS, BANQUET HALLS, AIR-CONDITIONED
TENTS AND EVEN WAREHOUSES BUILT SPECIFICALLY FOR MEETINGS, PARTIES,
AND EVENTS.

GROWING MARKET

• THE GROWING MARKET FOR EVENTS ALSO MEANS A GROWING NUMBER OF

PROSPECTS AND TARGETS.
• BASED ON THE MAIN PURPOSE OF EVENTS, CELEBRATE, COMMUNE, CONVENE
AND COMMERCE; THE MARKET FOR EVENTS MAY BE SEGMENTED INTO
INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND ORGANIZATIONS.

CLASSIFICATION
EVENTS MAY ALSO BE CLASSIFIED INTO:
• SOCIAL
• CORPORATE EVENTS

SOCIAL EVENTS • ARE TYPICALLY GATHERINGS OF FAMILIES AND FRIENDS

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CORPORATE EVENTS • ARE THOSE HOSTED BY COMPANIES OR ORGANIZATIONS
IN PURSUIT OF ORGANIZATIONAL OBJECTIVES

CLASSIFICATION
• EVENT ORGANIZERS MAY SPECIALIZE IN EITHER SOCIAL OR
CORPORATE EVENTS. (OR BOTH)

1.4 DIFFERENT EVENT MARKETS

INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES

• INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILIES ARE THE TYPICAL PROSPECTS FOR LIFE-CYCLE

EVENTS.
• THESE DAYS, THE GAMUT OF EVENTS IN ONE’S LIFE RUNS FROM BASKET TO
CASKET.
• HOLD PARTIES TO CELEBRATE, AND TO COMMUNE AND REKINDLE
RELATIONSHIPS.
• ASIDE FROM LIFE-CYCLE EVENTS, THERE ARE FAMILY REUNIONS AND
GATHERINGS TO WELCOME FAMILY MEMBERS ARRIVING ABROAD
(BIENVENIDA) AND SEND OFFS FOR THOSE WHO LEAVING THE COUNTRY
(DESPEDIDA).
• THERE ARE BLOWOUTS TO CELEBRATE BIG AND SMALL ACHIEVEMENTS. •
EVEN WAKES AND FUNERALS ARE NOW WELL COORDINATED.
• FREQUENCY OF EVENTS FOR THIS SEGMENT COULD BE ERRATIC, BUT FOR
THOSE IN THE EVENTS INDUSTRY, THIS MEANS A STEADY FLOW OF BUSINESS
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
• CELEBRATIONS OF LIFE’S MILESTONES AND FAMILY GATHERINGS ARE
APPARENTLY TRIGGERED BY THE NEED TO BE WITH FAMILY AND LOVED
ONES, THE NEED FOR AFFIRMATION AND RECOGNITION, AND THE NEED TO
CREATE MEMORIES TO CHERISH.
INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES

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• THEY ARE USUALLY LESS FORMAL IN DECISION MAKING WHEN IT COMES TO
EVENTS.
• THERE IS NO FORMAL ORGANIZATION OR STRUCTURE WHEN IT COMES
TO COMMUNICATION AND DECISION MAKING.
• THE ROLE OF THE EVENT MANAGER THEREFORE IS TO UNDERSTANDS EACH
ROLE AND FIND A WAY TO GET ALL MEMBERS TO AGREE ON A COMMON EVENT
PLAN.
• SOURCES OF BUSINESS FOR THIS SEGMENT WOULD BE THE LOCAL REGISTRY,
CHURCHES, BRIDAL FAIRS, WEDDING SUPPLIERS, REFERRALS AND PREVIOUS
CLIENTS.
• A SAVVY EVENT MANAGER LOOKS AT EACH SOCIAL EVENT AS AN
INVESTMENT ON A FUTURE SOCIAL EVENT FOR THE SAME FAMILY.
•BEING ABLE TO SATISFY THE CLIENT IS THE KEY, AND RELATIONSHIP
BUILDING IS VERY IMPORTANT.

1.5 ORGANIZATIONS
• TYPICAL PROSPECTS FOR EVENTS TO CONVENE AND FOR
COMMERCE, COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS CORPORATE EVENTS.
• THEY COMPOSE THE MARKET FOR MEETINGS, SEMINARS, CONFERENCES,
CONVENTIONS, PRODUCT LAUNCHES, BAZAARS, SELLING EVENTS, SALES
PROMOTION ACTIVITIES, OFFICE PARTIES, INCENTIVE TRIPS, AND
RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES.
• THE SEGMENT IS FURTHER DIVIDED INTO COMPANIES AND BUSINESS
ESTABLISHMENTS, AND ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS.
• COMPANIES AND BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS MAY HAVE EVENTS AS PART OF
THEIR OPERATING CALENDAR (ANNUAL MEETINGS OR QUARTERLY SALES
RALLIES) OR IN RESPONSE TO THE DEMAND FOR THEIR PRODUCTS (PRODUCT
LAUNCH AND PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES)
• FOR COMPANIES, EVENTS ARE A MEANS TO HELP ACHIEVE CORPORATE
OBJECTIVES, TO SUPPORT CORPORATE FUNCTIONS (TRAINING, PEOPLE

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MANAGEMENT, OR MARKETING) OR TO SOLVE BUSINESS PROBLEMS.
ORGANIZATIONS
• COMPANY MEETINGS ARE SMALLER IN ATTENDANCE COMPARED TO
ASSOCIATIONS, BUT ARE LIKELY TO BE MORE FREQUENT.
• MORE OFTEN, THE COMPANY FOOTS THE BILL FOR THE EVENT.
• ASSOCIATIONS ARE ORGANIZATIONS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE A
COMMON INTEREST OR PURPOSE. CAN BE CATEGORIZED INTO:

• TRADE ASSOCIATIONS – MADE UP OF INDIVIDUALS AND CORPORATIONS THAT

OPERATE WITHIN AN INDUSTRY, OR BOUND BY SIMILAR BUSINESS CONCERNS

• PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS – FORMED BY INDIVIDUALS IN A COMMON OR

AFFILIATED PROFESSION. MANY PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS HOLD
REGULAR MEETINGS OR EVENTS AS PART OF THEIR CONTINUING EDUCATION. •
NON- PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS – INCLUDE SOCIAL, MILITARY, EDUCATIONAL,
RELIGIOUS, AND FRATERNAL GROUPS (SMERF)
ORGANIZATIONS

• EVENTS FOR COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS ARE STAGED FOR VARIOUS

REASONS – TO SHARE IDEAS, TO EDUCATE, TO SELL OR MARKET A PRODUCT,
TO PROVIDE INFORMATION, TO MOTIVATE PEOPLE, TO STRENGTHEN
CORPORATE IMAGE, AND TO MAKE PEOPLE AWARE, AMONG OTHERS.

• A COMMON OBJECTIVE FOR COMPANIES (AND MEASURE OF SUCCESS) IS

RETURN ON INVESTMENT – TO GET SOMETHING (NOT NECESSARILY
MONETARY TERMS) OUT OF THIS EVENT.
• REASONS ARE MORE RATIONAL AND IN CLEARLY-STATED TERMS.
ORGANIZATIONS
• COMPARED TO CORPORATIONS, ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS HAVE
FEWER EVENTS, BUT WITH A HUGE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS EVEN AS
ATTENDANCE IS VOLUNTARY.

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• BUDGETS ARE TIGHTER HOWEVER, AS MOST ASSOCIATIONS CHARGE
ATTENDEES FOR THEIR SHARE IN THE EXPENSES, AND IN SOME CASES,
TO ALLOW SOME PROFITS FOR THE ASSOCIATION.
ORGANIZATIONS
• ORGANIZATIONS USUALLY GIVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO AN
EVENT COMMITTEE.
• THE EVENT MANAGER MUST BE ABLE TO DISTINGUISH WHO IN THE
ORGANIZATION ARE PART OF THE FINAL DECISION MAKING, PARTICULARLY
FOR FINALIZING CONTRACTS AND MAKING PURCHASES.
ORGANIZATIONS

• EVENT MANAGERS WILL COME TO REALIZE THAT DECISIONS MADE BY THE

ORGANIZATIONS ARE INFLUENCED BY SEVERAL FACTORS:
• EXTERNAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT – ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, CUSTOMER
DEMOGRAPHICS, NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, COMPETITION, TECHNOLOGY,
GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY REGULATIONS.
• INTERNAL ORGANIZATION – THE ORGANIZATION’S OBJECTIVES,
POLICIES, SYSTEMS
• INTERPERSONAL FACTORS - AUTHORITY, STATUS, RELATIONSHIPS
OF DECISION MAKERS
• THE INDIVIDUAL DECISION-MAKER – JOB POSITION, AGE, EDUCATION,
PERSONAL PREFERENCES
ORGANIZATIONS
• LEADS FOR BOTH ORGANIZATIONAL SEGMENTS MAY BE TAKEN FROM THE
LOCAL TELEPHONE DIRECTORY, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, LOCAL BUSINESS
REGISTRY, NEWSPAPERS, TRADE SHOWS, REFERRALS, AND PREVIOUS
EVENTS.

1,5 LEADS AND INQUIRIES

• IN THE EVENT BUSINESS, BUILDING CONTACTS IS ESSENTIAL.

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• TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO SPOT POTENTIAL CLIENTS. CLIENTS MAY
BE RELATIVES, FRIENDS, OR REFERRALS OF FRIENDS.
• IT IS NECESSARY FOR AN EVENT MANAGER TO TAKE NOTE OF IMPORTANT
INFORMATION REGARDING AN INQUIRY FOR A SPECIFIC EVENT OR THE
POTENTIAL FOR A FUTURE EVENT.
• CONTINUOUS LEAD GENERATION IS ESSENTIAL FOR AN EVENT COMPANY.
EVEN IF A POTENTIAL CLIENT DOES NOT PUSH THROUGH HIS/HER BOOKING,
KEEP LEAD FORMS AND USE THEM FOR FUTURE MARKETING ACTIVITIES LIKE
EMAIL BLASTS OR SALES CALLS.

• ALWAYS MAINTAIN A GOOD LIST OF POTENTIAL CLIENTS.

• SALES BLITZES ARE A GOOD SOURCE OF LEADS.
• SCHEDULE A BLITZ OF COMPANIES AND ASSOCIATIONS WITHIN A SPECIFIC
GEOGRAPHIC AREA TO GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
AND THEIR EVENT NEEDS.

1.7 EVENT STAKEHOLDERS

EVENT STAKEHOLDERS
• ARE INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS WHO HAVE SOME FORM OF INTEREST IN THE
EVENT.
• SUCH INTEREST MAY BE FINANCIAL, EMOTIONAL, POLITICAL, SOCIAL OR
ANY OTHER FORM OF PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT IN THE EVENT.

1.8THE HOST

• THIS IS THE PERSON OR GROUP WHO IS GIVING THE EVENT.

• A HOST MAY BE THE ORIGINATOR OR CHAMPION OF THE IDEA TO GATHER
PEOPLE TOGETHER FOR A PARTICULAR OCCASION; THE MAIN CELEBRATOR,
OR THE ONE FINANCING ALL THE EXPENSES FOR THE EVENT.

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• FOR THE MANAGER, THE HOST IS THE CLIENT – THE PERSON OR GROUP
FROM WHOM HE OR SHE WILL GET DIRECTIONS.
• THE HOST IS ALSO A PARTNER WITH WHOM THE EVENT MANAGER WORKS TO
ENSURE A SUCCESSFUL EVENT. THE HOST’S EXPECTATIONS MUST BE CLEARLY
UNDERSTOOD AND VERY WELL MANAGED

1.9 THE GUESTS

• THESE ARE THE PEOPLE ATTENDING THE EVENT.

• ALSO KNOWN AS AUDIENCE, PARTICIPANTS, ATTENDEES, OR VISITORS.
• THE EVENT WAS CREATED TO PLEASE THESE GROUPS; THEREFORE, IT IS THEIR
NEEDS THAT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD AND SATISFIED.
THE GUESTS

• GUESTS MAY BE PASSIVE; THEY JUST GO WITH THE FLOW OF ACTIVITIES,

WATCHING, OBSERVING, TAKING IT ALL IN.
• GUESTS MAY BE ACTIVE; THEY ARE MADE PART OF THE EXPERIENCE OF THE
WHOLE EVENT.

• THE MANAGER MUST HAVE A VERY VIVID PICTURE OF WHO THE GUESTS
WOULD BE OR WHO WOULD BE THEIR AUDIENCE, SO AS TO SUIT THE EVENT TO
THEIR NEEDS.
• THE GUESTS ARE ALSO CLIENTS IN THE SENSE THAT THEY ARE OUT TO GET
THEIR INVESTMENT’S WORTH FROM THE EVENT – BE IT MONEY OR TIME.

1.10 THE EVENT COMMITTEE

• THE GROUP INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING AND EXECUTION OF AN EVENT.

• THIS CAN BE AN AD HOC GROUP FROM THE HOST ORGANIZATION, A TEAM OF
VOLUNTEERS, THE HOST’S STAFF, PLUS THE EVENT MANAGER’S OWN TEAM.

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• TOGETHER, THIS GROUP, IS TASKED WITH PUTTING TOGETHER ALL THE
ELEMENTS THAT WILL MAKE THE EVENT A SUCCESS.

1.11 THE FINANCIER

• IS THE MONEY MAN – THE ONE WHO FOOTS THE BILL.
• HE/SHE MAY OR MAY NOT BE INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING AND EXECUTION
OF THE EVENT, BUT HE/SHE IS OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT HE/SHE GETS A
REASONABLE RETURN ON HIS/HER INVESTMENT.

1.12 THE SUPPLIERS

• THE EVENT MANAGER WORKS WITH OTHER COMPANIES THAT WILL BRING
THE EVENT CONCEPT INTO A REALITY.
• THESE COMPANIES ALSO STAKE THEIR TIME, RESOURCES AND REPUTATIONS
ON THE EVENT.
• THEY ARE THE MANAGER’S PARTNERS TO ENSURE A WINNING EVENT

1.13 THE EXTERNALS

• ARE ENTITIES THAT ARE EXTERNAL TO THE HOST OR THE EVENT MANAGER,
BUT HAVE FINANCIAL, EMOTIONAL, POLITICAL, SOCIAL OR PERSONAL
INTEREST IN THE EVENT.
• GOVERNMENT REGULATORY AGENCIES, THE MEDIA, THE LOCAL
GOVERNMENT, THE COMMUNITY, CORPORATE SHAREHOLDERS, MIGHT
HAVE THEIR OWN STAKE AT THE EVENT. IT IS THE JOB OF THE EVENT
MANAGER TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL CONCERNS ARE DULY ADDRESSED
.
CONCLUSION
WITH ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS IN MIND, THE EVENT MANAGER MUST BE
ABLE TO IDENTIFY THESE CONCERNS, AND STRIKE A BALANCE THAT
WOULD ENSURE THE BEST RETURN ON EACH.

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AN EVENT MANAGER EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY ENVISIONS,
EXECUTES, AND EVALUATES UNIQUE HAPPENINGS THAT BRING PEOPLE
TOGETHER – PEOPLE WHO ARE MEANT TO ENJOY THE HAPPENING, PEOPLE
WHO CREATE THE HAPPENING, PEOPLE WHO PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR
THE HAPPENING, AND PEOPLE WHO IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, BENEFIT
FROM THE HAPPENING.

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