LESSON EXEMPLAR IN

EVENTS MANAGEMENT

Lesson 9:
Planning and Approval Process
Introduction

This lesson defines planning and its objectives. This lesson also outlines the
steps planning for an event. Tools like the Gantt chart and budget format are
provided in this lesson as well.

Learning Objectives

After this lesson, the learner is expected to:

1. define planning; identify the objectives of event planning;
2. identify the steps in event planning;
3. prepare a schedule using a Gantt chart;
4. prepare a budget; and
5. explain the importance of planning, scheduling, and budgeting.

Step One: Plan

Planning is a process that involves setting the objectives and the means to
achieve them. The objective of event planning is to make sure that everybody
involved knows: (1) what they are responsible for; (2) when they must start
their tasks and when they must accomplish them; (3) how much funds are
available and how they are or will be sourced; and (4) what they must do in
case something goes wrong. Here is a quick run-through of the steps in
planning for an event:

1. Concept. Create an event concept. Come up with general objectives and

project ideas by asking the 5W and 1H questions as indicated in the first
part of this book. There is no point in holding an event just for the sake
of it. The cost and energy required to stage the event only make sense if
it is relevant. Therefore, early on, the event organizer must establish the
event's purpose and relevance. Is the project for profit? Is it for publicity?
Is it for charity?

2. Feasibility. Test the ideas by doing a feasibility study. Scan the

environment for opportunities and threats. These factors may include
similar past events, competing events, profile of target audience,
available venues and suppliers, potential supporters and sponsors,
timeliness/schedule, and school rules. Do the research properly and
decide in class whether the candidate events are feasible or not.

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LESSON EXEMPLAR IN
EVENTS MANAGEMENT

3. Tasking. Create a "to-do" list. List all necessary tasks and group them
together. Examples are: (a) secure approval for the event concept; (b)
reserve the venue; (c) invite resource persons; (d) send out sponsorship
requests; (e) print tickets; (f) collect fees (i.e., sponsorship, registration,
ticket sales, etc.); and (g) write the terminal report, etc. Allocate each
group of tasks to each committee: Program, Registration, Marketing,
Finance, Logistics, and Documentation. Assign each task to specific
persons. Make sure that each person has an assigned task. Determine if
additional persons or services are needed. Adjust the organizational
structure, if necessary.

4. Scheduling. Create a timetable. Estimate the time needed to accomplish

each task. Determine the sequence and relationship of tasks. Set
deadlines.

5. Budgeting. Create a budget by identifying revenue sources and expense

items. Make a conservative estimate for the revenues and expenses.

6. Approval. At this point, secure the approval of school authorities, like

the Dean and/or Vice President for Academic Affairs before proceeding to
the next step.

7. Site Selection. Upon selecting a project, finalize the theme, date, and
venue. Do an ocular of potential venues before deciding which one best
fits your event.

8. Marketing. Be creative in planning your revenue sources. Ticket sales

are one of the options but it is not the only source of revenue. Prepare
your promotional materials and campaign for sponsorship and
attendance.

9. Risk Assessment. Expect the worst. Identify all the threats and possible
impediments to the event, note how each can be mitigated, and if they do
happen, what each of the team members should do. Write a risk
management plan and disseminate it to the members of the team.

10. Monitoring and Evaluation. Plan on how you are going to monitor
the performance of the team. Make room for improvements and
adjustments. Hold coordination meetings regularly. Make sure that
everyone is well-informed and feedback is communicated properly. After
executing the event, evaluate the results. Note areas for improvement to

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LESSON EXEMPLAR IN
EVENTS MANAGEMENT

be included in the terminal report. Thank everyone after the project, with
planning for the next event in mind.

Identify and Assign the Tasks

This step can be done in the form of a classroom exercise. Ask everyone to
write down as many specific tasks as they can think of. Then, place the tasks
under each committee: Program, Logistics, Finance, Marketing or Sponsorship,
Registration or Attendance Promotion, and Documentation-which can also be
assigned to the Executive Committee (ExeCom). Then consolidate the lists;
remove redundancies and double-check for missing tasks. Adjust the type of
committees and membership, if necessary. The committees need not have
equal number of members. The number of committee members will depend on.

Assign a person for each task. It is good to make long lists of tasks and set a
lot of deadlines but unless you are clear on who will actually carry out these
tasks, the whole plan may not work. The most ideal way to divide the tasks
among the class is by asking for volunteers, because this assures interest and
perhaps commitment from the volunteer. However, the most ideal way is not
usually the most feasible. Drawing lots can also be an option, such that tasks
are raffled off among the members of the class. Another option is to ask the
class to choose their committee and then ask the committee head to assign the
tasks based on the talents and interests of each committee member. It is
important to take into consideration the talents and interests of a person when
assigning him/her to a particular task. This can result to better productivity
and quality of output from the person. You may opt to do a team building or
getting-to-know-you activity before assigning the tasks.

Scheduling

The next step is to estimate the time required to carry out each task. How
many days does it take to print posters and invitations? How many days before
the event should posters and invitations be sent out? How soon should tickets
be made available?

The basic procedure is to work back from deadlines which are difficult to
control. Examples include the day of the event (D-Day) or the minimum
number of days to reserve a venue prior to D-Day. Start with the tasks
immediately related to these deadlines. For each of these tasks, the committee
head must ask three key questions:
1. How long will it take?
2. What other tasks must be completed before this one can be started?
3. What other tasks can only be started after this task has been completed?

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LESSON EXEMPLAR IN
EVENTS MANAGEMENT

Example for a School Event (with less than 5 months to prepare): D-Day - 30
days (display posters) - 7 days (print posters) - 7 days (poster design and
approval and sourcing of printer) = 44 days before the event Notes on the
example: If the group wants to display the posters at least one month before
the event, and if the printer requires at least one week to deliver, then the one
in charge of designing the poster must start working at least 44 days before the
event if he can promise to deliver an approved design within one week. While
he is designing the poster, the one in charge of suppliers must be able to find
the best printer that meets the requirements at the lowest cost. But before the
designer can finalize his design, the class must finalize the contract with
sponsors so that the names/logos of sponsors can be included in the posters.
The same is true for printing tickets and streamers. List tasks in proper
sequence for each committee. Using a Gantt chart (Table 9.1), show the length
of time each task takes, working back from given deadlines. As the timetable
builds up, several tasks will have to be carried out simultaneously (See tasks
2.1 and 2.2. 3.1 and 3.2). If these tasks have to be done by one person, he/she
may spend more time than estimated. If this happens, the standing date for the
tasks must thus be adjusted, or ask someone free to take the load. Always
expect the unexpected. If possible, provide time allowances and come up with
contingency plans.

A Gantt chart, named after its designer Henry Gantt, presents the project
schedule in a visual way, with the X-axis showing the time (days, weeks, or
months) and the Y-axis showing the activities.

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LESSON EXEMPLAR IN
EVENTS MANAGEMENT

The Budget

A budget is the estimate of revenue and expense. Budget provides data on an

event's funding requirements as well as a means to monitor expenses. A
detailed budget should thus be drawn up as soon as possible after the event
concept has been finalized and approved. Although it will probably be
necessary to wait for quotations and other market information before all the
items can be filled in with any exactness, a fairly close estimate for overall
costs and major categories must be made early in the planning stage. This has
to be done partly on the basis of experience.

Be resourceful in making budget estimates. Get a copy of the terminal report of

a similar previous event to help make estimates. Provisions should also be
made for budget reviews and adjustments. In actual practice, events
management companies must keep a detailed and accurate record of costs for
each event. As it accumulates, this data will become a valuable basis for
budgeting for succeeding events. This also helps everyone monitor and ensure
adequate funds for the event.

1. Cost - the expenses or how much it will take to stage the event. Cost can
either be fixed or variable. Fixed costs are expenses unaffected by
economies of scale or by the results of attendance promotion. Examples
of fixed costs include venue rental and honorarium for speakers. No
matter if it is a full-house event or if only 30% of the seats are filled, the
venue rental and speakers' fee will be the same, except in some rare
instances. Variable cost varies depending on materialization, such as the
number of booths rented in an exhibit, the quantity of food and beverage
consumed, or the number of kits produced. However, there is usually a
minimum cost for variable items, which is akin to a fixed cost.

2. Revenue - how much the event earns in gross receipts. Revenue sources
include sponsorship, exhibit space rental, advertising space in souvenir
program or directory of exhibitors, product presentations, gate receipts
or ticket sales, sale of exhibitors' directory and/or merchandise items,
seminar fees, website advertising, and any other activity which results in
the inflow of money.

3. Break-even Point - the minimum point where revenue meets cost. It is

discussed in detail in the next unit under accounting principles.

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LESSON EXEMPLAR IN
EVENTS MANAGEMENT

4. Cash Flow - the schedule of cash inflow and outflow. Cash needs to be
ready at hand when you need it. Receivables are good, but cash is
needed at some point when preparing for an event. A cash flow chart is
thus an important tool. It details when money promised by sponsors
must be received at the latest in order to cover certain costs or meet
payment deadlines to suppliers. If the cash flow chart is poorly done,
organizers will be deemed to advance money from their own pockets to
meet payment deadlines.

5. Finally, establish price policies and determine ticket prices. Tickets can
be priced at different levels according to location of seats or time of show
(i.e., matinee or gala). Price policies include group discounts, agents'
commission, credit, deadline for payment, etc. Disseminate the price
policy to all concerned for consistency. See sample budget (Appendix F)
on pages 123-124.

Securing Approvals and Permits

Secure the approval of school authorities, like the Dean or Vice President for
Academic Affairs. Follow the chain of command. For corporations, secure
approval from the management or present the study to the client. Adjust the
details according to the feedback on the presentation. Make sure that you get
the signature of approving authorities on the final proposal for record purposes
and to avoid future coordination problems. Keep signed originals properly.

ACTIVITY: Lesson 9: Planning and Approval Process. Submission of activity

and Performance Task until Friday.

Lesson 9 Discussion Questions

1. Define planning and explain its importance.

2. Identify the objectives of event planning.
3. Summarize the steps in event planning into three major steps and
identify the activities that need to be done under each step. Summarize
the steps in preparing a Gantt chart into three major steps.
4. Identify the parts of a budget.

Lesson 9 Performance Task

1. Prepare a Gantt chart for the 18th birthday party of a female cousin of
yours.

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