MODULE 2: THE EVENT INDUSTRY AND

THE ROLES OF AN EVENT MANAGER

I. LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this module, M4A and M4B students are expected to:

★ discuss what the event industry is;

★ enumerate and explain the characteristic of an event;
★ identify and discuss the categories of events and their various sizes;
★ enumerate the composition of an event team; and
★ identify and explain the roles of an event manager.

II. INTRODUCTION

This module will primarily deal on event management as an industry. It will focus
on event types, size, event team, industry players, industry knowledge and other
significant aspects in the industry. Additionally, this module discusses the roles of an
event manager.

III. UNDERSTANDING THE EVENT INDUSTRY

Now that we know what an event management is, it is important that we get to
know and understand the event industry itself. Let us not be contented on just attending
and observing events. Let‟s understand them, and see if we can be one of the event
planners and organizers in the country.
Event industry in the Philippines is still young and yet, grows rapidly. Some of
these events can be seen in marketing, advertising, tourism, hospitality business,
exhibits as well as expositions or trade shows. Execution of these mentioned activities
are mostly part of the jobs of the event manager or the event coordinator from which
they learned from the hits and misses that they make. Some of these events range from
those managed by people who make this as their sideline to that something well-
manned or that of professionalized organizations. Most of the event planners or
organizers here in the country do not have formal schooling on event management.
Some have learned those through engaging in events with their colleagues, observing
events that they attended, thus self-study an just enjoy creating new ideas that became
a hobby, conceptualized and then eventually materialized through trial and error.
For those who are just starting in the industry, events are made unforgettable
through the help of outside people, or what we call the suppliers. They may include
suppliers for catering food and drinks, audio-visual equipment, giveaways, flowers and
other decorating materials, staging expertise, and even on provision for competent
speakers. This may also include professional host/s should there be a requirement from
the client, an event stylist, balloon artist, and anybody else who can help make the
event more meaningful and more enjoyable.

IV. CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EVENT

The main focus of the event industry is to satisfy the requirements of a client.
This will probably help you as an event organizer in marketing, as the client will not only
avail of the services but can likewise recommend you to his circle of colleagues and
friends.
The following are the characteristics of an event:
★ It is a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experience – for the participants, an event should be
meaningful, enjoyable and unforgettable as they consider it a unique experience.
★ It is unique – oftentimes, an event is considered to be unique as people prepare for
this. It is distinct, not common, matchless and even irreplaceable.
★ It is generally costly to stage – an event is generally expensive to be held. It
requires capital to make everything available for the event, thus it needs careful
attention to details to avoid wastage on investment.
★ It brings people together – an event brings groups of individuals together. This is
the time that they could chat in an occasion they can call theirs, the time for exchanging
of „hi‟s and hello‟s‟ and the time to celebrate with the people they are close with or
people they are in business with.
★ It requires careful attention to planning – an event needs to be planned well to
avoid inconvenience during the event proper. From the biggest to smallest details, all
must be accounted for to ensure its successful execution. A manager must be able to
draw a cohesive plan, organize the elements or resources that are significant in its
execution, and lead people to achieve desired objectives and meet clients‟ expectations.
★ It has a purpose – no one will have an event just because they find it cheap or what.
People organize events because they have their purpose. Be it for a wedding, birthday,
christening, graduation party, convention, training and seminars or anything that will be
held, these purposes must be met accordingly by the event manager or the event
company.
★ There is often a lot at stake for those involved – this is a crucial characteristic
because it involves all the players of the event. The event team, the clients, the
attendees or participant, all are involved in the happenings. How can you deal with a
newlywed couple when they are requiring you to make the event perfect for them? How
can you differentiate running a restaurant everyday to putting up an event that is highly
budgeted for just a particular day and time?
V. CATEGORIES OF EVENTS

Events can be categorized as follows:

★ Family events – there are a lot of reasons why families gather. Most events of
families include celebrating birthdays, weddings and wedding anniversaries,
christenings and even just simple get-togethers. Nowadays, some families require
services from the event industry during funerals. It is therefore significant that an event
manager is updated on the changing trends on family events so that once there is a
need for event services, he or she is ready to meet its requirements.
★ Festivals – in the country, we have a lot of festivals being celebrated annually.
When a festival is well-known to a lot of people, expect a large audience to see a
wonderful celebration. Also, food and wine festivals are now becoming increasingly
popular, not only in the country b ut even in other parts of the globe. Events like this may
require the event industry to supply the needs of a particular celebration, thus one must
be aware of these to prepare for whatever it might need.
★ Entertainment – an entertainment (though festivals can be part of entertainment)
event is well-know especially when it has the ability to attract a huge audience. An
example of an entertainment event is a concert held in big locations such as SM Mall of
Asia Arena or Aliw Theater in Manila. Catering events like this will require various
industry players, thus, being a part of it will mean revenue for the company. However, it
would be risky for the event organizer who initiated the concert if ticket sales do not
reach the targets. Timing and pricing therefore are significant factors to be considered
because they are critical to the financial success of such events.
★ Sporting Events – are another venue for the event industry to cater to. Though this
is most common in other countries, this attracts guests from the international scene at
the highest levels. Examples of these are football, tennis, car racing and golf. In the
country, a sport like car racing is already known. The Philippine Azkals are also famous
and can draw a lot of sports enthusiasts.
★ Marketing and Promotional Events – are most common for product launches like
computer hardware or software, motor cars, perfume and any other products that draw
a huge crowd for the purpose of informing the public about the product‟s differences to
its competitors. In most cases, media are invited that makes the impact and the risk
high.
★ Fundraising Events – also common in the country. An example of this is the Run
for Pasig River or concerts for a cause. The event organizers for this are mostly from
the local committees. Though the event is intended for a cause, this can never stand
alone and will need other event suppliers to make it successful.
★ Business Events – include meetings, conferences, conventions and exhibitions or
trade shows. These events attract a huge number of participants especially for
conventions and exhibitions. A careful planning of such events is vital to their success
as they cater mostly to professionals of different ranks.
VI. CLASSIFICATIONS OF EVENTS

Events can be classified according to the basis of its size.

★ Mega-events – these are events that are generally developed through a competitive
bidding which cater to a large number of audiences, generally targeted at the
international markets. Examples of this are the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic
Games to mention a few. It is somewhat difficult to fit into this category for many other
events because the volume of its visits should exceed one million, their capital should
be at least $500 million and their reputation should be similar to that of a „must-see‟
event as mentioned in the book entitled Event Management by Allen, Bowdin, Harris,
McDonnel and O’Toole (2011). Such events have varying impacts on the host country‟s
tourism and its economy. Various walks of life are also present including medias from
almost all of the networks including those in print. The problem with mega-events is the
accuracy on the calculation of costs with so many stakeholders involved who are mainly
from the government sector. In this light, careful planning and delegation of tasks must
be in place to ensure that everything will be managed.
★ Major Events – events of this size also attract local interests and basically with a
large number of participants with maybe some international coverage. This helps
generate income in tourism as it may also be participated in by the international market.
In the country, a major event can be seen as executed in Smart Araneta Coliseum or in
the Mall of Asia concert grounds. Breaking the records concert can be considered a
major event like that of Michael Jackson‟s.
★ Minor Events – these events can become training grounds for event organizers, as
these events are considered very common. Be it annually, biennially, quarterly or
monthly, events mostly are under this category as it does not require too much cost like
in the previous classifications of events. Examples of these are meetings, conventions,
conferences, birthday celebration and wedding ceremonies, among others. These are
observed as common in the country to which one can learn from towards attaining
success in holding bigger events in the future.
★ Hallmark Events – to highlight a very special attraction especially when it is new to
the public falls under a hallmark size of event. In this event, the host is viewed as
inseparable in the minds of the attendees.

VII. THE COMPOSITION OF AN EVENT TEAM

An event can never be successful without the event manager‟s expertise and
leadership. Likewise, no matter how skillful an event manager is, he or she can never
be successful in executing all the details of a particular happening without the help of
the whole team. In this light, below enumerates the team composition that may include
any if not all of them to ensure the success of an event all the way from planning,
designing, organizing, marketing, executing, and evaluating:
 Venue managers
Stage managers
Lighting, video and audio companies
Decorators and florists
Entertainers
Employment agencies
Rental companies
Public relations and marketing consultants
Security companies
Catering companies
Cleaning companies
Ticketing operations
Printers

All of them play vital roles in the success of an event. Careful planning and
staffing must be done to make sure that all aspects are manned well to avoid
inconveniences during the event proper.

VIII. THE EVENT MANAGER

If you are an event manager, you are at the helm of every event. You need to
bring together the talents of the event team, put together the different elements of
events to come up with an exciting and enjoyable experience, and make sure that these
elements and talents are working harmoniously ensuring one direction being attained
towards event success.

The following are the usual tasks of an event manager:

★ Information gathering – as event manager, you are responsible for information

gathering. This means that aside from people, you alone have to create a list of
contacts who may be needed in the future for event organization services. Likewise,
should you or your staff have confirmed a particular event, it is important that you gather
information about how the event will look like, how many are attending, what is the motif,
where is the venue, what menu and type of foodservice do they want, any special
arrangement or requests, and the like. As manager, it is significant that you know all
about this because your concept will depend on these. Also, it is advisable that you are
updated in the industry in order to give suggestions to a client should he or she need
one.
★ Concept development – once you have the details about what is going to happen,
you will now go to developing the concept. A lot of elements need to be considered in
developing the concept of an event.
★ Planning – now that you have a concept, the next step is for you to plan for this
event. The plan will be based on the concept made and the information gathered. It is
important to have a contingency plan, meaning, plan for the best things to happen but
do not forget to anticipate the worst things to be encountered. This should have a
remedy when it arises. Remember, during the event, „sorry‟ will never be a good reason
when things went wrong.
★ Coordinating – after the planning process, you may now coordinate this to the team.
This is like putting flesh into the plan map to get it into action. All the different tasks must
be coordinated well to the team to ensure that everybody has the task to focus on, thus
ensuring a well-organized event. When an execution is already in place, the manager
now becomes the overall in-charge of the event. He or she sees to it that everything is
under control and that everybody is attended to with good customer service.
★ Evaluating – the manager shall also make sure that everything is evaluated. This is
one way of controlling everything that has a vital role in contributing success to the
event. This would help him in knowing if the initially set out plan was met and that only
the best service is carried out. Should there be lapses, it should be noted and should
serve as a lesson so as not to let it happen again in the future.
With these tasks, a manager must have the skills needed for a successful
execution of an event that will eventually allow participants to get something meaningful
from it.

IX. MANAGING THE EVENT TEAM

Simple and yet, in most cases, this is overlooked. No matter how good a
manager is, expect that the performance of the event team will not be satisfactory if the
manager does not assess and attend to their needs.
Following are the tips for effective event team management:

★ FIRST: You must know your team.

As a manager, make sure that you know the names, faces and job profile of your
team members. More than that, you must have a good knowledge of their personality
and lifestyles. Do not forget their likes, dislikes, family background, status, educational
qualification, knowledge level, customs, religion and their needs and wants.
★ SECOND: Satisfy their physiological needs.
You must be able to satisfy the team‟s needs to have food, water, shelter and
other things necessary for survival as these will affect their performance. Your team
members feel that they are regarded as important if these needs are met.
★ THIRD: Make sure to fulfill their safety needs.
In an event, even during the concept development up to the post-event activities,
the need to be safe from physical and psychological harm must also be regarded.
Ensure their safety especially ladies who are members of the team. One way to protect
your team from psychological harm is by making sure that that there are no internal
conflicts among the team members.
★ FOURTH: Make sure that they belong within the group.
This means that you make them feel that they are important in the team, in other
words a sense of belonging and acceptance. There must be a cordial relationship
between you and the team and among the team members in order to achieve this.
★ FIFTH: Make sure to recognize your team.
These include respect, recognition, fame and status esteem needs that you as a
manager must be able to fulfill. One way to do this is by recognizing the effort they
exerted in a particular event by means of uttering words of encouragement like “very
good,” “good job,” “keep it up” and others, or just by merely tapping their shoulders.
These will motivate them surely and will reflect on their performance.
★ SIXTH: Give back to their efforts.
After the event, thank your team. You may even think of gathering them for a
dinner or party especially when the event was successful. This simple thing will make
them fully motivated to join you in the next projects.

X. IDENTIFYING THE PLAYERS IN EVENT MANAGEMENT

As event manager, it is also your role to identify who are the players in an event
management. This is important because we are dealing with them or we will need them.

The
Tourism
Industry
Sports Tourism,
Industry Hospitality
and Business
Educational
Associations

Business The
Establish THE Hospitality
ments EVENT Industry
INDUSTRY

Entertain
Safety
ment and
Services
Arts
(Emergency,
Police, Etc.

Government
Bodies
 Other than this, the event players specifically for a certain occasion can be
summarized in the following figure:

The Client

Ev ent Management
Team/Planner

Ev ent Other
Guests Committee
Financer Supplier Entities

As can be gleaned from the picture on the previous page, the key players for a
specific event include the following:
★ The Client – is either a group of people or an individual who have asked for your
service in managing their event. They can be called as hosts who are responsible for
that particular event.
★ Event Management Team/Planner – if you are part of it, then you are responsible
in attaining the expectations of your client. You will be tasked to manage the overa ll
aspects of the event (or some aspects depending upon the needs of the client).
★ Guests – these refer to the people who are invited to attend in that event. Since they
are invited, it is important that they are treated as your client because the overall impact
of what you have done will be experienced by them.
★ Event Committee – these are the people who are assigned by the client to be the
one to talk to for the event itself (in case he or she has assigned one) who are also
involved in the planning and execution. This may also include your own team as they
will be working together to ensure that everything is to be carried out according to the
client‟s expectation.
★ Financer – from the word itself, this refers to the money man or the person who
foots the bill. Meaning, he is the one financing for this event so he may or may not be
included in the planning and execution phase of the event. However, this person will
make sure that he gets a reasonable return out of his investment, Note that a financer
may not be needed should the event manager (you, as the planner) has the financial
capacity to run that event.
★ Suppliers – they are the event manager‟s contacts or partners in delivering quality
even execution. As their role is vital, an event manager must be able to build good
relationship to ensure a successful event.
★ Other entities – this may refer to the other people or group of people who are
external to the host and the event manager who has/have the personal, financial,
political or social interest on that event. Examples of these are the media, community,
government and corporate shareholders to mention a few.
Through these players may not be common in all events, it is important that we
know as managers how to deal with them properly and effective ly. All of them have
something in common: they want a successful and memorable event as their
reputations lie within it. It is therefore important for a manger to strike a balance within
this as not all of them define success similarly.