Event Management

Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The event industry is one of the world’s largest employers and contributes major

positive economic impact. The event is all about people-people coming together to

create, operate, and participate in an experience. It is an activity that gathers the target

group in time and room, a meeting where a message is communicated and happening

is created. The term event is used for describing different activities designed for

different purposes. These activities can be art, sports, tourism and social activities, and

can also be activities organized by giant organizers more professional and more formal.

Public or private, commercial or charitable, celebratory or commemorative-events bring

people together to share an experience and produce a measurable outcome.

Civic events, conventions, expositions, fairs and festivals, hallmark events,

hospitality, incentive travel, meetings and conferences, retail events, reunions, social

life-cycle events, sport events, and tourism are the examples of subfields of events.

Every event has an organization behind it; managing activities, organizing funding,

administering staff and voluntary personnel, undertaking marketing and public relations,

organizing security, printing leaflets and tickets, hiring performers, arranging

decorations, sorting out parking and many other activities. The way in which an

organization deals with events is known as event management. It may include the

organization’s objectives for managing events, assigned roles and responsibilities,

ownership of tools and processes, critical success factors, standards, and event-

handling procedures. The linkages between the various departments within the

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organization required handling events and the flow of this information between them is

the focus of event management

Event management and event marketing have emerged over the past decade as a

vibrant sector of the tourism and leisure industries. The number, diversity and popularity

of events have also grown throughout this period. As the number of events increase,

there is a growing realization about the continuing needs to develop event management

professionals who are able to create, organize, and manage events.

Statement of the Problem

. This paper aims to understand the how to manage and market the events

successfully and fully satisfy participants.

1. What is Event Management?

2. What is the concept of Event Management

3. What are the types of Events?

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Significance of the Study

Event management involves studying the intricacies of the brand, identifying the

target audience, devising the event concept, planning the logistics and coordinating the

technical aspects before actually executing the modalities of the proposed event. Post-

event analysis and ensuring a return on investment have become significant drivers for

the event industry.

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, such as the Asian

Games, have a large impact on their communities and, in some cases, the whole

country.

The industry now includes 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.

This paper aims to understand the how to manage and market the events

successfully and fully satisfy participants. It sought to address queries raised above and

aims to be beneficial to the following:

The Department of Tourism (DOT) will reveal the dimensions of Event

Management which are perceived to be important in every particular functions and

special gatherings. This will be useful to strengthen the event management practices of

the Department of Tourism in introducing and enhancing provinces and other tourist’s

destinations.

The Hospitality Industry, Event managers most particularly in a hotel set up who

handles meetings, exhibitions, and conferences would be able to increase feedback on

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the overall perceptions of event standards, ethics and trend. These would be helpful in

determining areas that need to be improved to achieve better event management

executions and performance.

Furthermore, results and findings will always be a source of information that can

be channeled to other researchers who may have of same interest or may have similar

studies in the future.

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Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Events are a unique moment in time and aside from everyday occurrences. Events

are leisure activities and work possibilities for people. Events bring people together and

make them have good time. They enhance the quality of people’s life; they can provide

significant economic benefits and can also provide revenue for special projects.

Regardless of size, events require a high degree of planning, a range of skills and a lot

of energy. When using events, companies get the possibility to have their own-right to

the consumer during the duration of the event. This means that if a company manages

to get the consumer to attend the event, the distortion from the competitors will be gone

or at least minimized during the duration of the event. Also, events contain tangible

elements, such as food, beverages and other products sold or given away, but are

essentially a service in that they consist of intangible experiences of finite duration

within a temporary, managed atmosphere. As with all services, this experiential

“product” is produced and consumed simultaneously, is highly heterogeneous and very

difficult to store or control.

DEVELOPING THE CONCEPT

There are numerous elements which need to be considered in developing an

event concept. They include the purpose/objectives of the event, the theme, the venue,

the audience, available resources, the timing of the event and the skills of the team. The

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most important of these is the purpose, although the purpose is strongly linked to both

the theme and the venue.

Purpose of the event

The purpose of the event should drive all the planning. For example, if you were

running a conference for financial planners, there could be two quite different purposes.

To facilitate an exchange of information, bringing participants up to date with the

latest changes in financial planning software products.

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 straightforward, 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 the fun without the positive association would

defeat the purpose.

The focus of the first of these purposes is information, while that of the second is

entertainment. While for many events the main purpose is making a profit, for many it is

not.

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Theme of the event

The theme of the event should be linked to purpose. It should be completely with

guest needs and consistent in all respects. Most events adopt a color scheme that is

repeated on all items produced for the event, such as tickets, programs, uniforms,

décor, posters and merchandise. This helps attendees to identify with the theme.

There are an endless number of potential themes, limited only by your

imagination and the customer’s pocket. Some examples include.

Historical

Geographical and cultural

Sporting

Film, music and entertainment

Artistic

Food

Objectives (for example, scarecrows, CDs, boats).

When coming up with ideas for a theme, it is most important to consider the range

of suitable venues available, keeping in mind the constraints of budget and other

considerations.

Venue of the event

The event manager needs to carefully consider the planning implications of

choosing an unusual venue in preference to a standard venue requiring decoration only

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to match the theme. Lighting, sound and catering also provide challenges in unusual

setting. The following are examples of unusual venues:

Demolition Site

Parking Lot

Tunnel

Museum

Research Facility

Amusement Park

Orchard

Vineyard

Aquarium

When considering the choice of venue, the event organizer needs to look at a

number of factors, including:

potential to fulfill the purpose of the event

ambience

location and parking

access by public transport

seating capacity

built features (such as stages)

cost of decoration, sound and lighting

cost of labor

logistics setting up

food and beverage facilities8

Event Management

safety

There are many factors that need to be taken into account in selecting an event

venue, but the overall strategy should be to aim for the best possible fit with client’s and

the audience’s needs at the lowest possible cost. If all stages, props, carpets, seating,

portable kitchens and refrigerators have to be hired, the cost will be very hard to justify

event if the venue seems perfect in other ways.

Event Audience

When organizing an event, the needs of all participants must be considered before

finalizing the concept. An organizer would be wise to challenge normal behavior and

encourage participation in unusual activities. However, great one would need to taken to

ensure that such an audience was not pushed beyond its conservative limits. At a

similar event, an event coordinator found that persuading the audience to wear unusual

hats was all that it took to break them out of their normal patterns of interaction. Of

course, every audience is different, and the event manager needs to go with the flow

and direct the event to meet audience response. This can involve sudden changes in

plan.

Financial Considerations

It is an important consideration at this early stage of event concept and design.

Initial financial estimates can get out of control very easily, and the choice of event

concept can certainly contribute to this. Otherwise good ideas should be knocked on the

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head at an early stage if they do not appear financially viable as it is possible to come

up with concepts that are startling in their simplicity and also cost effective.

This is where the creative and rational aspects of the event manager’s abilities

can come into conflict. Very often the creative aspect wins. Sometimes at the expense

of the company’s profit on the event.

Timing of the event

The timing of an event is often linked to the season or weather. It is surprising

how often events are programmed to occur at very unsuitable times. The timing of

sporting events is, of course, limited by sporting season and their traditional

competitions.

Evaluation of an event concept must take into account the following four –time

related factors:

season

day of the week

time of day

duration

Closely linked to this concept of timing is the topic of lead time. This is the time

available for planning and implementation. Last minute request are very difficult to

manage. For the event manager, a long lead time is preferable, allowing adequate time

to develop the event specifications and commence contract negotiation with suppliers

and other contractors.

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The duration of the event is another consideration, with multiple day events

providing the biggest challenges as the venue has to be cleared, cleaned and restocked

between sessions.

Event team, contractors and other stakeholders

The skills of the event team and just as importantly, the contractors, such as

lighting technicians and catering staff, are an important consideration in terms of

concept development. Staff working at most events has very limited opportunity for

training, making job breakdowns and task sheets essential aspects of planning. In

addition, stakeholders such as the waterways police, the Environmental Protection

Agency and the transport authority have all sorts of requirements that could challenge

the feasibility of an event, and these must be investigated.

The following list of stakeholders is not exhaustive but provides an idea of the

many people involved in staging an event:

event principal/client

talent/performer/team and manager

cast and crew

local community

organizing committee

local and government authorities

emergency services

customers

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contractors

Competition

Prior to involvement in any event, it is essential to conduct an analysis of your

competition. This involves looking at the timing and duration of other events, even if

they are unrelated. People have limited disposable income and festivals and events

tend to be non-essential items in most family and tourist budgets.

Marketing

Being very trendy at the present, event marketing is however not a new

phenomena. It is a natural part of the marketing mix, and now goes under the name

special events. Effective marketing can attract the ‘right’ people and the ‘wrong’ to an

event. However, it is even more crucial to ensure that the event is supported by

sufficient numbers of participants to make it success

Most people think that marketing is only about the advertising and personal/ or

personal selling of goods and services. Advertising and selling, however, are just two of

the many marketing activities. Marketing activities are all those associated with

identifying the particular wants and needs of a target market of customers, and then

going about satisfying those customers better than the competitors. This involves doing

market research in relation to customers, analyzing their needs, and then making

strategic decisions about product design, pricing, promotion and distribution.

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How to sell an event is a very important part of the initial planning, the timing of

your marketing efforts being crucial. When marketing something purely intangible, such

as performance, show, festival or contest, there is a large service component.

Revenue and Expenditure

Losing money is the fastest way to get out of the event business. For this reason,

the event concept needs very careful analysis. It is important to estimate how much the

event will cost as well as to keep track of the actual expenses incurred. With every

event, money changing hands must be properly documented and, in most cases, the

financial records should be audited. Expenses, or costs, include fees, hire costs,

advertising, insurance, and so on.

In almost every case, contractors for catering, security and other services require

deposits and payment in full prior to the event, which can cause cash flow problems if

there are no advance ticket sales.

Revenue is raised by selling tickets or charging admission or registration fees.

Merchandise sales also contribute to revenue. Revenue comes in only on the day of the

event. This means that all costs, such as salaries, office expenses and fees, have to be

met up – front from existing funds.

Risk Management

The goals of risk management in events like everywhere include the protection of

assets, to minimize legal and financial liabilities, to control potential loss, properly

manage growth, and to operate responsibility. Risk management recognized in varying

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degrees as a key component of the responsibilities associated with the planning and

producing events. It is often perceived as a function that is carried out once an event

has been conceived, designed, and organized.

Risk is the possibility of something happening that impacts on your objectives.

It is the chance to either make a gain or a loss. It is measured in terms of

likelihood and consequences. The effective management of risk enables you to

maximize opportunities and achieve the outputs.

Event organizers often think of risk in terms of safety and security, but risk is

much broader than that. It may include the following:

cash flow crisis

a staff strike

poor publicity

cancellation by a key performer

bad weather

non- arrival of equipment

technical failure

transportation crisis

accidents

Legal Risks ( includes disputes over contract between client and organizer)

The event managers’ greatest risk, even if it does not have a direct impact on the

event, poor weather will reduce the number of people attending unless adequate

weather protection is provided. Rainy or stormy weather may also has an impact on

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people’s mood and motivation making it a serious concern for which careful planning is

required. Risk Management is the process of identifying such risks, assessing these

risks and treating these risks.

DESIGNING THE EVENT

Consistency and links to the purpose of the event are all essential parts of the

creative process in designing an event. The following are the main creative elements

that must be considered.

Theme – should ideally appeal to all senses: tactile, smell, taste, visual and

auditory.

Layout – the audience needs to comfortably fill the venue to create a positive

ambience.

Décor - fabrics, decorative items, stage props, drapes and table setting can

be hired. The setting on the event theme as hiring items can reduce costs

normously.

Suppliers – good relationships with suppliers of all commodities will ensure that

only quality products will be received, including the freshest flowers and the best

produce the markets can supply.

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Technical Requirements – New technology, especially anything needs to

demonstrate new products, needs to be test thoroughly, through many

rehearsals. A back- up system is essential.

Staging- staging rentals illustrate the challenges created by staging

requirements. Staging Rentals has a wide range of specialist skills resident in the

company, including logistic and installation.

Entertainment – for some events, entertainment is central; for others, it is

peripheral. The most important thing is that the entertainment should suit the

purpose of the event, not detract from it. The needs of the event audience must

be carefully considered when making this decision.

Talent – may come in the form of musical performers, dancers, athletes’ golfers,

conference speakers. When the talent is focal point for an event, management of

the talent is exceptionally important. This includes meeting their essential needs

as well as their many personal preferences for hotel rooms and unique foods.

Most performers and top sports men and women have very clear requirements

that must be obtained well in advance, particularly if there are staging needs for

which equipment is specialized and perhaps not readily available.

Catering - Food safety is a major concern for event participants. Food safety

planning will be linked to the development of plans for catering at functions and

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outdoor events. Most events involve bulk catering, and the risks associated with

food safety are particularly significant for those staged at outdoor venues.

LOGISTICS OF THE CONCEPT

The following logistical elements must be taken into account when considering an

event concept:

Access to the site

Physical limitations

Dimensions of the site

Refrigerated storage

Physical space for food preparation

Toilet facilities

Cleaning

Catering

Safety

Potential damage to the site

Provision of basic services

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Types of Events

There are almost countless types of events, some are demanded frequently by

customers, and others seldom find in-depth information about the most important types

of events.

Corporate Events

Conferences are popular and important business events. Everything about the

event management of academic, medical and business conferences are among the

most important events that professional event managers organize. The term

“conferences” can apply to a variety of gatherings from a group of researchers who

meet to discuss scientific results to a group of sales people who are training.

Conference planning can be the responsibility of a corporate employee or a

professional meeting planner.

Team Building Events a key to develop and motivate teams in companies and

divisions. Everything about the planning of professional team building

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Seminars educational events for the training of managers and employees. Most

seminars are not comparable with boring lectures. Interactivity is core! These tutorials

may be private or public, series or single, commercial or informative, lecture- or

dialogue-based. They are less formal than academic lectures, allowing audience

members to interject opinions or discuss results. Seminars are a prime venue for

dispersing important expertise in a condensed form. As such, event managers need to

have a handle on how to plan a seminar.

Meetings are common business events in large companies, perfect to discuss

operational and financial strategies. Meetings spawn practical programs and marketable

tactics. Realistically, meetings can be monotonous, time-sucking marathons of

corporate hash. An event manager must dispel these negative notions and stimulate

professionalism and creativity. Simply stated, a meeting is a gathering of individuals to

achieve a common aim.

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Event Management

Trade Shows exhibitions where companies can present and demonstrate their

latest products and to get in touch with its customers and business parties. To the

general public, these trade shows are an excellent way to find out more about local

businesses, particularly if people are interested in a certain type of business.

Business Dinners a long-standing corporate tradition to conclude fiscal years,

celebrate new milestones, introduce new management or a host of other prestigious

events. They integrate entertainment with professionalism and allow different corporate

levels and branches to mix and mingle. A successful business dinner commemorates

company achievements, recognizes successful employees, and entertains the guests.

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Golf Events golf tournaments or retreats. Those events aim to acquire new

customers, to increase customer loyalty or to motivate employees

Incentive Events motivate employees or close the ties to customers. Event

managers are planning events that help to enhance customer loyalty. Oftentimes,

managers cocoon themselves in a business dream world. They believe in inherent

employee competition and rely on the consumer rational evaluation. In reality,

employees are frequently weary and worn down, and slog onwards for a bi-monthly pay

check; and customers almost always buy based on emotion and brand loyalty

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Press Conferences perfect business events to promote new products, launch

marketing campains or to inform the shareholders and public about financial issues.

Networking Events are personal marketing galas. Such events are great

opportunities for contact establishment and personal marketing. Networking events are

a key element to business success. They provide ample opportunity for brand

positioning, contact establishment, future mergers, and personal marketing. There is

strength in numbers. All companies have a vested interest in securing the support of a

business friend (formally labeled as b2b [business to business] commerce). For aspiring

businesspersons seeking some social capital, a networking conference is the prime

spot to be.

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Incentive Trave l is perfect to reward and to motivate employees or to increase

customer loyalty and retention. Many companies use incentive travel as a marketing

tool. These trips can range from a week in an exotic location to a weekend getaway in

nearby resort. Most of the time all of the expenses are

paid by the company including food, hotel, airfare.

Opening Ceremonies are held to start conventions, annual meetings and other

events that last for several days an when the event organizers want to gather, address

and welcome the whole audience.. Preparation for the Opening Ceremony begins

weeks before the event, with a traditional torch run around the world. The event is

always one of the top rated shows as millions from around the world watch from the

comfort of their homes.

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Product Launches are critical for the successful market introduction of some

products. A perfect product presentation might also increase the media coverage.

Launches are essential components of the marketing mix of large companies. These

launches give the public and the media a chance to hear everything about the product

before any negative reviews are given.

Theme Party Events that devote to a special topic. Popular events are casino

nights or Halloween parties. Event planners caught on to the trend and now plan

corporate and nonprofits parties with themes.

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VIP Events are an important marketing tool to increase and to maintain the

loyalty of key customers. Every company and organization has someone they consider

a VIP. These people are often honored with VIP events customer loyalty. Professional

planners organizing VIP events that ultimately increase your revenues.

Trade Fairs are a great opportunity to present your latest products to customers

and business partners. Where the companies can exhibit their latest products and

service. Actually, not all fairs possess such frivolity and festivity; trade and career fairs

are decidedly less entertaining, albeit more useful. Headed by a knowledgeable event

manager, a trade or career fair is a special opportunity through which buyers and sellers

can meet. Trade fairs are occasions in which corporations of a certain industry gather to

display their latest products and innovations.

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Shareholder Meetings are yearly and obligatory events to inform a corporation's

shareholders about company issues and to elect the Board of Directors. Annual

shareholder meetings are import events for shareholders of listed and also unlisted

companies. The corporation is required to hold an annual stockholders meeting. There

are several purposes for these meetings. The annual meeting is a chance for the

shareholders to review the annual reports. This includes information about the fiscal

well-being of the company. If there have been losses or gains, these will be included.

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.

Award Ceremonies are an important type of events when you consider that we live in a

society that loves to honor people for their achievements.

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Board Meetings focus on strategic goals and visions. The event venue and the

planning process should reflect the prestigious nature of these meetings.A board

meeting should be planned some time in advance (12-24 months). Develop a theme for

the convention; it is not related to décor or festivity, but to what type of decisions will be

made.

Executive Retreats escapes from stressful work schedules and the day-to-day

business. Retreats should stimulate free thinking and creativity. Unfortunately, due to

the gargantuan size of some corporate budgets, many hard-earned dollars are wasted

in expensive resorts and needless frivolities. A successful retreat should balance

relaxation and entertainment with solution and enterprise. An event manager needs to

condense plans and concepts into emails, messages or memos, and distribute the

information to participants.

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Private Events

Weddings should be the most important days in the life of brides, grooms and

their families. Weddings are among the most important events in a woman’s lifetime,

and every bride wants “the perfect wedding”. There are many different variations from

the traditional church wedding to the theme wedding to the outdoor wedding, and each

wedding presents its own set of challenges. There are many details to coordinate, and

a small glitch can turn into a major emotional crisis. So it is important for someone to

monitor the details to keep things running as smoothly as possible

Birthday is an event that recognizes the milestones in a person’s life. These

festivities can be casual or formal. They may be intimate, with just a few close friends

and family; or they can be grand events. There are two basic types of birthday parties:

children’s and adults’, and each present its own set of challenges. It requires seldom a

professional event manager, but there are exceptions. Find out how event managers

can help you to make your party a success.

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Wedding Anniversaries celebrate important milestones in a couple’s life

together, and provide an opportunity for friends and relatives to join in celebrating that

milestone. While most anniversary events occur at milestone intervals such as 10 years,

25 years, or 50 years, any anniversary can be a celebration. For many couples, the

anniversary celebration includes a renewal of vows. This may be quite similar to an

actual Wedding, with all the same detailed facets to coordinate Flowers, Décor, Music,

and Photography, as well as details of the reception.

Family Events are great opportunities to assemble whole families. Family

events are fun and enjoyable to participate in. But they offer a number of challenges in

the planning. The host of the event will usually select the date, and have some ideas

about preferred locations. The host’s home isn’t usually a good choice due to parking

constraints, so another location may be preferable.

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Chapter III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the methodology used by the researcher in the conduct of

the study to evaluate the effects of global change on eating habits of people. This

further discussed the research design used, the data gathering and instruments.

The researcher will gather data through library research, journal, and articles and

through the aid of networking sites. Considering on the research questions is raised.

Research Design

Descriptive method will be used in order to ascertain the status or condition

which is in existence at the time of the undertaking.

A sample survey will be employed in this research. Questionnaires will be

constructed and used.

Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) is used to determine sample test relationships.

This method will allow the researcher to analyze the difference between two or more

sample means by dividing the total sum squares. It tests the significant differences

between classes means, this method is done by analyzing the variances.

Research Hypotheses:

H0 There is no significant difference on the traditional trends of event management

and the current trends of event management.

H1 There is a significant difference on the traditional trends of event management

and the current trends of event management.

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Chapter IV

CONCLUSION

This paper has presented the findings of a case study about dimensions of

event management. It also reviews the literature for event management, marketing and

approaches. While most of the literature focuses on the entire event management, it

also focuses on developing and analyzing the concept of the event.

For organizational needs, stage setup, controlling, branding, promoting and

advertising the event and for guiding many people were assigned as employees and

volunteers. As a marketing strategy in addition to do outdoor advertisements and

distributing brochures and leaflets, organizing competitions about the event is a great

idea for promoting a sport event. Overall, the most important thing in an event is the risk

management dimension.

To reduce the risks that may occur during an event, managers should do risk

management. After applying the dimensions of the event management everything went

well, both organizers and participants were pleased after the event. The study is going

to make several contributions for the event managers about how to use event

management dimensions effectively and shape strategies based on this perspective. It

can be stated that the research results are useful for presenting the detailed information

about managing and marketing an event.

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REFERENCES

Andersson, M. and Wesslau, A. (2000). “Organizing for Event Marketing in Order to Change Brand Image and Increase Sales”. International Management Master Thesis, School of Economics and Commercial Law, Goteborg University, 19-20.

Arcodia, C. and Reid, S. (2005). “Event Management Associations and the Provision ofServices”, Journal of Convention & Event Tourism, 6 (4), 5-25.Argan, M. (2007). Eglence Pazarlamasi. Detay Yayincilik, Ankara.

Berridge, G. (2007). Events Design and Experience, Events Management Series. First Edition,Elsevier.

Bhe, T., Glasmacker, P., Meckwood, J., Pereira, G. And Wallace, M. (2004). EventManagement and Best Practices, Red Boks, IBM.

Eckerstein, A. (2002). Evaluation of Event Marketing, International Management MasterThesis: 25, Goteborg University.

Eriksson, J. and Hjalmsson, A. (2000). “Event Marketing as a Promotional Tool-A CaseStudy of four Companies”, International Business and Economics Programme MasterThesis, Lulea University..

Lynn Van Der Wagen, 3rd Edition.”Event Management for Tourism, Cultural, Business and Sporting Events.

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