EVENTS MANAGEMENT

OM14
(MODULE 1)
INTRODUCTION

Man is a social being. Proof of this abounds in history and continues to this day. Meeting a mate
became the first social order of the cave man; and from him and his mate came the family, which
became a clan and, later on, a tribe. There came a need for the clan and the tribe to meet other
clans and tribes to barter goods, discuss territorial claims, perhaps settle disputes, and also to
marry amongst them.

As civilization grew, people found the need to meet more people. Barter grew into heavy and
continuous trading, then later on to commerce as we now know it. Then there grew a need for
discussions as people learned to cooperate and interact for survival or self fulfilment. The need to
meet grew from one-on-one meetings to large group encounters, to even inter-racial and
international meets.

And that need, apparently, is never-ending. The manner by which people meet may vary, but the
need to meet is seemingly always there.

People have been partying and meeting since bygone eras, but it is only in the 1980’s that such
gatherings became the subject of much study. Textbooks written for the hospitality industry
initially included topics on banquets and catering, but these focused on the operations of such
activities.
Intended Outcome/Learning Objectives:

This chapter will help students:

1. Define events in the light of how the term is now used in hospitality and tourism management.
2. Differentiate the types of events.
3. Understand what event management is and the nature of work in this profession.
4. Describe the scope of the events industry.

MOTIVATION

“Every human society celebrates with ceremony and ritual its joys, sorrows and triumphs.”

LESSON PROPER

LESSON 1.0 EVENTS MANAGEMENT

Wiki defines event management as “the application of project management to the creation
and development of large scale events. It involves studying the brand, identifying the
target audience, devising the event concept, planning the logistics, and coordinating the
technical aspects before actually launching the event” which is also very accurate.
Many ‘nonevent types’ think that designing and producing an event is easy, isn’t it? Just find a
venue, come up with a good theme, get some food and drink, book a band, and send the invites
out on time.
Unfortunately, like many things that seem simple creating a successful event requires a lot
of hard work and a diverse range of skills and experiences from project planning to
budgets.

1. Event planning is the process of planning a festival, ceremony, competition, party,

concert, or convention. Event planning can include budgeting, establishing dates and alternate
dates, selecting and reserving the event site, acquiring permits (alcohol permits, insurance
licenses, etc), coordinating transportation and parking, developing a theme or motif for the event,
arranging for speakers and alternate speakers, coordinating location support (such as electricity
and other utilities), and arranging decor, event support and security, catering, emergency
plans, aid stations, and cleanup. Event management is the application of project management to
this process. (Wikipedia)
2. Event management is the process beyond planning, executing and evaluating corporate,
association, nonprofit, government and social events. (about.com)

3. Event Management is the coordination, running and planning of all the people, teams
and features that come together to create every kind of event. (eventbusinessacademy.com)

4. Event management is the process by which an event is planned, prepared, and produced. As
with any other form of management, it encompasses the assessment, definition, acquisition,
allocation, direction, control, and analysis of time, finances, people, products, services, and other
resources to achieve objectives. An event manager’s job is to oversee and arrange every aspect
of an event, including researching, planning, organizing, implementing, controlling, and
evaluating an event’s design, activities, and production. (juliasilvers.com)

5. Event Management is a the science of planning, organizing, directing, coordinating,

motivating and rewarding people or staff to attain the visionary objectives of the event producer
or client. (Exlinkevents - event management philippines)

An event is commonly understood as an occurrence; something that happens. Dr. Joe Goldblatt,
founding president of the International Special Events Society (ISES) and author of several
books on the subject, defines Special Event as “a unique moment in time celebrated with
ceremony and ritual to satisfy specific needs” (Goldblatt, 2002).

That “a special event is a one-time or infrequently-occurring event outside normal programs or

activities of the sponsoring or organizing body, “and

“to the customer or guest, a special event is an opportunity for a leisure, social or cultural
experience outside the normal range of choices or beyond everyday experience”.

Getz (2002) later narrows the definition to Planned Events, or events produced for a purpose.

These definitions separate special events, planned events or “events,” as they will be named here
henceforth, from any other occurrences in our day-to-day lives, as well as any unplanned,
spontaneous or spur-of-the moment activity. Events are planned, and are always planned to be
special. Events have these common characteristics:
· They are unique occurrences that do not happen very often;

· They have a limited duration (happening within hours or days at the most);

· They happen with a live audience in attendance;

· They require one or more groups to plan and organize; and

· They are staged for a purpose.

In sum, events are unique happenings that bring people together for a purpose.

With the rise of events came a new field now known as Event Management. The International
Dictionary of Event Management (Goldblatt, 2001) defines Event Management as:

1. A function requiring public assembly for the purpose of celebration, education, marketing
and reunion; and

2. A process that includes research, design, planning, coordinating, and evaluation of events.

Event management incorporates principles from management and business with culture, the
social graces, protocol, and the art of creating unique experiences.

TYPES OF EVENTS

Events can be classified according to the purpose for the gathering, the number of people
involved, frequency, and the magnitude of the impact.

According to Purpose – The C’s of Events

Events bring people together to celebrate life’s milestones and accomplishments, and to perform
rituals or ceremonies as required by religion, culture or society. Such occasions include life-cycle
events (birthdays, debuts, weddings, wedding anniversaries, retirement); religious rituals
(baptism, marriage, funerals); commemorative ceremonies (graduation, job promotions, awards);
and socio-civic activities (founding anniversaries, civic events, feasts, and festivals).
 Celebrate

 life-cycle events
 religious rituals
 commemorative ceremonies
 socio-civic events

Events bring people together to Commune and strengthen bonds of friendship and restore
relationship. Class reunions and family reunions are events that create new memories as people
re-live memories of days past. The Olympics and similar international sporting events have
become hallmark events that bring people and cultures together.

Commune

 reunions
 hallmark events

Events bring people together to Convene, that is, to share and pass on knowledge among peers
and colleagues. Meetings, conferences, conventions, and similar gatherings aim to be venues, for
educating or imparting new learning to the participants.

Convene

 meetings, conferences, conventions

Finally, events bring people together for Commerce- to market and promote product offerings.
Companies have recognized events marketing as a very potent marketing tool, particularly in
what is now viewed as the experienced economy (Gilmore, Autumn 2003). Product launches,
exhibits, tradeshows, product demonstrations, and retail events are just some of the activities the
marketers use to allow prospects to experience their product, thus bringing the product closer to
the hearts of their target market.

Commerce

 marketing events
 exhibits and trade shows

According to the number of participants

FEW MANY MULTITUDE

Events maybe classified according to the number of expected participants. They may range
from limited board meetings to wide-scale conventions with thousands of delegates. Life-cycle
events may range from intimate family gatherings to receptions that include the whole
townsfolk.
Attendance to exhibits and marketing events may be limited to a few hundred trade visitors or
the general public. There are also festivals and hallmark events that attract the interest of a huge
number of people, running even up to the millions.

Depending on audience size, Wrathall and Gee (2001) classify events as:

1. Mega events- that almost everyone knows of which draw a lot of media coverage and are
participated in by really huge number of people. Such as events also have significant tourism
and economic impact on the economy of the host city or country. Examples are sporting events
like the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup.

2. Hallmark events- which are regularly-scheduled and staged in the same location, such that
they have become a destination or signature event for the locale. In the Philippines, festivals like
the sinulog of Cebu, Ati-atihan of Kalibo, and the Panagbenga of Baguio are hallmark events.

3. Major Events- that attract large numbers of visitors to the locale, but are not regarded as
a “must-see” event. These events, however, also attract significant media coverage and may
generate significant economic benefits, as well.

4. Minor events- that attract local audiences and may appeal only to local communities or a
select group of people.

The Philippines holds the Guinness World record for several events that involved a multitude of
participants (Ceniza, 2014):
· Manila, February 2014 – the Worldwide Walk of Iglesia ni Cristo set a new world record
for a charity walk with 519,521 participants in a 1.6 – kilometre walkathon.

· Iloilo, April 2014 – 11,336 people participated in a candle lighting event, lighting 56,
680 candles to set a new record for the largest flaming image.

· Pangasinan, Aoril 2014 – about 8,000 people gathered to set the World’s longest
barbeque measuring 8,000 meters to mark the Malangsi Fish-tival. About 50,000 kilograms of
fish were cooked at the event.

According to frequency

Events may range from a once-ever event to monthly, quarterly, semestral, annual, biennial,
triennial, quadrennial gatherings. There are also events held on a “need to” basis.

MONTHLY
QUARTERLY SEMESTRAL
• January
• February • Jan - March • Jan – June
• March • April - June • July - Dec
• April • July - Sept
• May • Oct - Dec
• June
• July
• August
• September
• October
• November
• December

According to Impact

It is common for events to leave an imprint in the minds of the people who attended them. Apart
from the emotional impact that events leave on individuals, there are also long-lasting and far-
reaching effects. Participation in religious events becomes significant milestones in people’s
lives, or even produces a spiritual impact that some people may claim to be “life-changing.”

Cultural events foster interaction among people. They also help preserve and at the same time
continually add on to cultural legacies. Social events help assert one’s social status or
membership in a community. Events may also be educational. Those that commemorate history
teach the younger generation valuable lessons from the past. Conferences, conventions, and trade
shows also educate people through the exchange of knowledge and information.

Events also have an economic impact. Bringing people together generates revenues not only for
the event organizer and the host, but for travel and lodging companies, suppliers, and other
establishments. For some cities or countries, events significantly contribute to tourism and have
become part of their economic strategy.

FIELDS OF SPECIALIZATION
Event management has evolved to become a profession that plans and creates occurrences that
purposely bring people together. The degree of preparation for such activities has grown in depth
and expanse; such that sub-fields of specialization have emerged. Dr Goldblatt (2002) lists some
of these sub-fields:

· Civic events

· Expositions

· Hallmark events

· Incentive travel

· Retail events

· Social life-cycle events

· Tourism

· Conventions

· Fairs and festivals

· Hospitality

· Meetings and conferences

· Reunions

· Sports events

TOOL BOX OF INFORMATIONS

MEETING- an assembly of individuals gathered to discuss items of material interest or engage

in professional development through learning activities.

CONFERENCE-
 1. A participatory meeting defined for the discussion of subjects related to a specific topic
or area; may include fact-finding, problem-solving, and consultation.

2. an event used by any organization to meet and exchange views, convey a message, open a
debate, or give publicity to some area of opinion on a specific issue. No tradition, continuity
or specific period is required to convene a conference. Although not generally limited in time,
conferences are usually of short duration with specific objectives. Conference is generally
smaller in scale than congresses or conventions.

3. An assembly of a large number of individuals to discuss items of mutual interest or engage

in professional development through learning.

CONGRESS-

1. a scheduled, periodic meeting of delegates or representatives of interested groups to discuss

a subject

2. the European term for convention.

CONVENTION-

a general and formal meeting of a legislative body or social or economic group to provide
information on a particular situation and to establish consent on policies among participants;
usually of limited duration and set objectives, but no determined frequency

FOREIGN MEETING-
 a meeting comprised of attendees from other nations; also knows as international meeting or
institute.

SEMINAR-

a lecture, presentation, and discussion under the guidance of an expert discussion leader allowing
participants to share experiences in a particular field.

WORKSHOP –

1. a training session in which participants develop skills and knowledge in given field

2. an event designed to stimulate intensive discussion and compensate for diverging views in a
particular discipline or subject

3. an informal public session of free discussion organized to take place between formal
plenary sessions on a subject chosen by the participants or on a special problem suggested by
the organizers.
EXHIBIT –

although the terms exhibit, booth, and stand are often used interchangeably, an exhibit is
actually all of display materials and products housed in a booth or stand.

EXHIBITION –

a display for public view of products or promotional materials for the purpose of PR, sales, an/or
marketing; also known as exposition, industrial show, trade show.

FAIR –

a public celebration that includes commercial and civic

activities

FESTIVAL –
 A public celebration that conveys, through a kaleidoscope of
activities, certain meanings to participants and spectators.

PARADE –

A moving pageant including floats, bands, individual entertainers,

and dignitaries.

EVENT MARKETING

The process that integrates arrange of marketing elements and a

central event sponsorship or lifestyle-themed activity. This process incorporates advertising,
employee and consumer programs, sales promotion, PR, causes, business to business, TV
property, and trade promotion with a specific event.
LESSON 1.1 8 Key Elements of Event Planning That Will Make Event a Grand Success

1. Understand the purpose of the Event:

Every event should have a primary purpose and goals and objectives, which give the
measurements of success. Understanding the purpose of the event leads to better planning and
proper allocation of time and money.

In order achieve the success you need to set a realistic goal and in particular a realistic
attendance target. That leads to the next point…

2. Know Your Audience:

Depending on your organization’s goal, you need to identify your target audience and their
needs. Once you selected your target audience, figure out where to find them and determine how
you will reach them. Do you have a long enough list of prospects or you need to search outside?

There are many ways to reach to your prospects and generate more audience and potential
clients. Email marketing, telemarketing, social media, Search Engine Organic and Pay Per Click
are the things to consider, again depending on your target audience some will be more effective
than others.

Having all information about your audience will also help you determine the type of events you
need to host.

3. Selection of right Venue is vital:

Depending on the type of event and targeted audience and choosing right venue is vital to your
event success. There should be a connection between organization’s expectation from the event,
the venue selected and the audience being served.

We have written a detailed article dedicated to online meetings for attendees to participate
events from multiple locations all around the world.
4. Suitable Timing:

Much like right venue, right timing is also vital to organize a successful event. To determine the
right timing, there are many factors to be considered, such as days of a week, months of a year,
holidays or other events in the calendar, type of event, location and many local factors.

5. Draft a plan and follow the timeline:

As now you have a definite goal and you know your target audience, it is time to have a plan to
execute the tasks and achieve the goal. Depending on the size and complexity of an event start
planning early enough so that you have time to understand every aspect of the event, its
requirements, necessary actions and so on. You should determine the major milestones and
deadlines before you begin.

Making planning plan is not enough, you have to follow the timeline and keep track of the work
being done.

6. Create content that attracts your target audience:

One of the most important factors to consider is what value event is gonna provide to attendees.
Create compelling content that attracts your targeted audience, serve the information that your
audience wants or solve their problems. Add some value, don’t just use blatant sales pitches for
your business.

Be creative while creating content to increase engagement. Check out some of the best new
techniques that event organizers, exhibitors are using to increase attendee engagement and
generating better ROI.

7. Design the message you want to share through the event:

Well, creating content and having your audience to consume it is actually a boon to your event
objective. It provides you the opportunity to design the message a way that attendees agrees with
or accept easily. You don’t just throw events to cheer up the participant; events should achieve
its mission, which is to provide information that helps the audiences understand the organization
and its contribution and impact. That makes the attendees to trust the organization.

8. Lead capture mechanism:

This is very likely that for B2B events capturing leads of potential prospects is the primary goal.
If taken care of all of the above things, it will make generating leads easier but you need to plan
how you are going to capture your leads. Think of some creative methods or mechanism that you
think will work best for your events.
7 Characteristics of a Successful Event

Successful Event Trait # 1: Getting PR

One way to measure the success of your event is by how much exposure you get. The best
marketing is free marketing. Did a local news report mention your event, interview one of your
speakers, or tell people about something else going on during your event? What about print
exposure? Were people talking about your event online? Getting PR can help you have a bigger
turnout the next time, especially if you are hosting an event in the same location time and time
again.

Trait # 2: Excellent Feedback

The very best way to measure how successful your event was is by asking those who attended
the event. Ask for feedback from attendees as well as suggestions for how to improve things.
While some people do just like to complain, others will try to help you improve by pointing out
what you did right and what you can do better. Always include an area on the feedback form that
allows people to write a few notes. You’ll be surprised at some of the fabulous ideas you get that
you can try to implement next time. It is also a good idea to keep feedback anonymous. Yes,
you’ll get a couple of nastigrams, but you’ll also get some honest, helpful feedback that way.

Trait # 3: Speakers Have What They Need

A successful event is one that understands that speakers need tools to be able to give a good
presentation. From overhead projectors to microphones and speakers that work, you should test
these items before the big day and be on hand to fix anything that isn’t working. There is nothing
worse than a speaker unable to talk to the crowd gathered in her room because her microphone
has screechy feedback and it is hurting everyone’s ears. While some people can talk loud enough
to be heard anyway, not everyone is capable of that. The speaker and the attendees will walk
away feeling cheated.
Trait # 4: Things Were Organized

A well-organized event tends to be a successful one. If you have assigned tasks to everyone,
planned ahead, and have contingencies in place for emergencies, then things will likely run much
more smoothly than if you try to host an event by the seat of your pants. One big area that should
be well organized is registration. People should move quickly and smoothly through this process
as it is the first impression people have of your event.

Trait # 5: The Food Was Good

Let’s face it – we are a food driven society. When we meet friends, it is often over dinner. When
the family gathers, there is a big meal. People do look forward to meal times at a conference or
event, so make sure they are amazing. Sample the caterer’s food before hiring him or her, for
example. Go above and beyond. Offer three meals, snacks and a dessert bar. You want people to
walk away thinking they got their money’s worth for the conference fee. While you might not be
able to afford to feed them filet mignon, you can definitely feed them one of the tastiest chicken
dishes they’ve ever tried.

Trait # 6: Unexpected Occurrences Were Handled Competently

At any event, something can and probably will go wrong at some point. The key to a successful
event is in how these situations are handled. For example, a storm knocks the power out. Do you
have a backup plan for that? Perhaps you can host a “share your success stories by candlelight”
event in the main dining room and break everyone into groups with a speaker or presenter at
each table. This can turn what would be a catastrophe into a memorable event. The key is to
think through things that might go wrong and come up with a plan to deal with trouble ahead of
time.

Trait # 7: Work Was Delegated

One person can’t do everything to pull off a successful event. You should surround yourself with
people who are smart in different areas and utilize their knowledge and skills to pull off an
amazing event. Is someone amazing at planing centerpieces or planning a party? Put that person
in charge of the welcome gala. Is someone else great at lining up celebrity speakers because of
her connections in the industry? Put her in charge of finding great speakers and making those
speakers feel welcome at the event.

OTHER EVENT CHARACTERISTICS

Events as all other services have some distinct event characteristics, which make it as much a
part of the marketing function as communications.
Uniqueness
Intangibilit
y Rituals
Personal
interactions Time
scale
Uniqueness:
the event has to be unique and different in order to be remembered. Recall and remembering of
an event are the signs of a good event. Although an event may not always be a happy event
characteristic, but in this case we would refer to happy and pleasant events. One would safely
assume that a wedding is a wedding is a wedding. But truthfully we would be making a wrong
assumption. Even if two weddings were to be held on the same day at the same location, they
would not be the same, they would differ in terms of timings, number of people visiting, the way
people interact etc. so the two events or in this case the two weddings would be radically
different. So an event must be unique.
Intangibility:
Events in general are as intangible as any other service, which means that you can see the event,
and even experience it, but you cant touch it. Much like the toothpaste you buy, you can see and
feel the toothpaste therefore it is a tangible. But visiting a mall does not cost you anything yet
you can sense the ambience and get a “feel” of the place and the service provided, these are
intangibles, can be felt and experienced.
Events are the same, they are intangible and cannot be felt. But what event managers do is, they
have what they classify as “give away”. A cap, a wristband, a t-shirt, a prize etc. These make the
event tangible even the giveaway acts and works like some memorabilia, it’s a remembrance that
whenever seen, viewed or felt acts as a reminder of the event.

Rituals:
Oscars, a tradition started to award the best in a particular genre. The tradition has remained and
become a ritual. And the largest event in Hollywood. Started in 1929 for b/w films…. moved
into color in 1966…. more hi-tech and more glamorous, more exciting, more thrilling and with
worldwide coverage remains a tradition and an event looked forward to every year by the best in
the business.

Personal interactions:
In a sports tournament the spectators are part of the tournament as much as the players are. They
also help in building the atmosphere and ambience of the tournament with cheering and flags and
face painting etc. so while the viewers may not actually play the game they are certainly as
involved with the event as the players are. Therefore, the action and reaction of the people are a
critical aspect and part of the event.

It is necessary to create the event based on the kind of people who are going to be a part of it.
Because simply put, if the people who will be a part of an event or are spectators do not enjoy
the event, the event is considered a flop or a failure. So it is naturally important for us to know
who the target audience is or for whom the event is intended. Imagine a situation where you
create a party for people in the age group of 18-25 and have a performance by a kathak dancer.
The target audience least expected to enjoy the performance!! So do you know how important
the personal interaction is in order for the event to be a success.

Time scale:
Events do not go on forever; they do have a lifespan. Although, events could go on for some
days or an evening, an hour or even a yearly event. The timing of the event determines the kind
of event that will be held. If it is an evening event, the lighting, the stage, the color of backdrop
etc. will be determined separately as opposed to if the event were conducted during the day.
Timing is also kept in mind when planning an event, because preparation for the event, pre and
post and wrap up etc. are decide the magnitude and size of the event.

LESSON 1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF EVENTS MANAGEMENT

1. Lots of job opportunities: The events industry in Scotland is flourishing – from major
international sporting events like the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup, to music
events such as TRNSMT Festival, to an ever-growing number of festivals for foodies,
culture vultures, adrenalin junkies, whisky and gin enthusiasts and everyone in between.
All these events need talented people to run them. People who are energetic, quick to
learn and passionate about all things events!

2. Increases your confidence: An event management course will help you develop your
interpersonal skills so that you feel more confident dealing with people in the
workplace. We do this by involving you in hands-on activities such as organising live
events such as fundraising. Event managers need to deal with clients, suppliers, and
other people in the organisation on a daily basis, so you need to learn to be confident
and assertive.

3. Prepares you for the modern office: You will learn how to use the most up-to-date ICT
Microsoft packages. If you have great ICT skills you will be immediately effective in the
workplace. Event staff use Word and Excel every day so you will need to become
confident using these tools. You need to promote your event on websites and social
media so you will learn how to plan campaigns and reach your audience.

4. Improves your communication: Event staff need to be able to write letters, emails, copy
for brochures and flyers, chair meetings and negotiate deals with customers. We also help
you develop your listening skills and raise your awareness of the importance of body
language. Our employers tell us communication is one of the most important skills they
look for in applicants.

5. Become a great team player: It’s all about the team! In our collaborative learning
environment you will learn to work as a team, how to get the best out of your team and
discover what your role is in a team. Event staff are not afraid to get stuck in – although
they love planning they are at their happiest when they are doing the practical stuff!

6. Learn to deliver exceptional customer service: For an event to be a success you need to
understand your client’s needs and deliver a service that exceeds their expectations. An
events course will show you how to achieve this. Learn to be professional yet personable
and friendly. You’ll appreciate the importance of taking care of every detail in every task
you undertake.

7. You can exploit your creativity: are you a creative thinker – with the eye of a designer
and appreciation for high quality? Are you innovative? Event management gives you
opportunities to make a real impact by tapping into your creative side. You will be the
person to bring the ideas to the table and helping to make these happen.

8. If you love a challenge: Employers need people who can help them solve problems and
make decisions that will generate wealth for their business. If you are a hands-on person
who likes to deal with practical problems that have to be overcome to get that event
 running smoothly, then an events course might be for you! You’ll learn how to keep a
cool head under pressure – always coming up with solutions on your feet.

9. Because you are a people person! You like to talk, discuss, debate, negotiate but most
of all feel your contribution is helping. “People buy people” so if you are good at
interacting with people and enjoy the experience you will get the most out of an event
management course.

10. Want to be self-employed? An events management business can be run from

home. Studying an events course can help you achieve the knowledge and skills you will
need to manage your own business. Stop dreaming and start believing in yourself – you
can make this happen!
ASSESSMENT TEST.