Event Design and Production

Event Design and Production

• The fun in event planning lies in the creative design process, influenced heavily by the event's purpose (Bowdin, et al., 2023).
• It involves transforming an idea into a memorable experience through creative vision and technical execution (Macgregor, 2024).

Key Factors Influencing Event Design Decisions

• Attendee experience requires engaging journeys that consider motivations and expectations.
• Successful events offer active participation, relaxation, networking, and sensory experiences to enhance brand positioning.
• High-tech displays or emotional storytelling create a lasting impression.
• Service blueprinting maps attendee interactions to address marketing, access, signage, capacity, and queue management.
• Programming depends on activities like performances and speeches and shapes the attendee experience
• Considerations include activity type/timing, audience needs, food, space setup, event flow, staging, and uniqueness.
• Site or venue selection influences the event's purpose, attendee experience, and program
• Key factors are attendee needs, event type, sustainability, location, operations, and brand image.
• Venue options range from conference centers to outdoor settings.
• Site inspections are crucial to assess suitability and logistics.

Event Design Elements

• Event design creates immersive guest experiences through intentional arrangement.
• Layout is the physical space impacting interaction and venue utilization.

Stage Considerations

• Stages connect the audience using backdrops, LED screens, banners, and projections, especially in business events.
• They can be pre-existing or custom-designed based on event scale.
• Power is essential, so it must be produced sustainably with consideration given to the power required, including considering emergency power.
• Lighting sets the mood, accentuates focal points, and includes venue lights for safety, security, and signage.
• Color creates a mood aligned with the event's nature and integrates with décor, furnishings, lighting, and promotional material.
• Music shapes the mood, creates energy, and connects attendees to eras or locations.
• Sound ensures all audiences can hear with careful planning for equipment, acoustics, and volume control.
• Audiovisual (AV) and special effects are crucial and often outsourced to specialized companies.
• Furnishings, props, and decorations enhance the atmosphere by balancing spaces, directing attention, and creating zones.
• Oversized or unusual objects add a "wow" factor.

Catering

• Catering enhances the event's theme with high-quality food, skilled chefs, and creative setups.
• Organizers must plan around venue restrictions, certifications, insurance, and safety.
• Important caterer information includes event objectives, budget, guest numbers, waste management, coordination, facilities, schedules, compliance, and payment terms.

Talent

• Talent enhances attendee experience with musicians, speakers, or special performances.
• They set the mood and add excitement to events.
• Effective planning requires coordination, creativity, and alignment with event objectives and integrating these elements harmoniously
• The result is an engaging experience for attendees.

Event Logistics

• Focuses on people and materials, unlike regular operations.
• Logistics in events prioritizes setup, execution, and shutdown due to the temporary nature of events
• Tasks are broken into categories to streamline the process
• Components categorized into customer/product supply, site logistics, and shutdown.

Supply of the Customer and Product Portfolio

• Customers include audiences, spectators, delegates, sponsors, or corporate clients with specific expectations.
• Expectations are significantly affected when events are promoted
• Marketing determines logistical requirements
• Ticketing involves coordinating ticketing methods and ensuring funds are handled properly with trained staff.
• Queue management reduces "perceived waiting time”, and improves customer satisfaction. A general rule is one food or beverage line per 75–100 people
• Transport sets the tone for overall experience
• Impacts occur on arrival and departure.
• Accommodation quality and proximity impact key participants' ability to perform, so thoughtful planning is vital.

Onsite Logistics

• Location can range widely, making logistics complex
• The focus is on managing movement/materials along with maintaining effective communication.
• Flow is achieved with plans for emergencies, activities, the movement of equipment, waste removal, and emergency services.
• Communication uses channels to ensure timely information with electronic noticeboards, SMS, social media, and public address systems.
• Signage guides attendees with clear directional, legal, operational, and sponsor signs.
• Language requirements should cater to the audience and signs must be updated as needed, particularly for digital displays.
• Programs communicate schedules, layouts, speaker details, safety, and resources, and programs should provide details like session times, speaker bios, networking opportunities, and QR codes for real-time updates
• Amenities, like restrooms, should be laid out on logistics maps from a customer perspective.

Event day execution

• It is a crucial phase involving logistics and coordination
• Success depends largely on how the event-day operations are managed.
• Final checks and AV setup help create a seamless, inclusive experience

Live Event Execution

• Involves real-time coordination and problem-solving
• Crowd management involves guiding attendees and maintaining security,
• Food and beverage services should run efficiently,
• While any potential risks or emergencies are handled
• By maintaining communication, organizers can adapt to unexpected challenges, for an engaging event

Shutdown

• Involves dismantling equipment and returning the venue to its original state
• This process should follow detailed schedules and task responsibilities for effective management

Legal Considerations in Event Planning

• Impacts planning and management.
• Events require multiple contracts that are legally binding
• Intellectual property held by event owners must be respected.
• Promotions must comply with consumer protection laws.

Legal Structures for Event Ownership and Management

• Every event needs someone who legally owns and organises it
• The owner can choose from sole trader, partnership, company, or association, depending on things like event size or liability.

Contracts

• They are legally enforceable agreements
• Important factors when planning every element for a smooth operation

Intellectual Property (IP)

• Aspect of event management that covers copyrights, trademarks, confidential information, and business names.
• Managing these IP elements ensures legal protection and smooth operations.

Consumer Protection

• Ensures customers are treated fairly
• Rights are safeguarded from misleading or deceptive practices.
• Certain acts promote rights and ensure compliance with safety standards

Regulations, Licenses and Permits

• Regulations, licenses and permits must be adhered to
• Their complexity depends on event size and nature
• Authorities need to be coordinated with to ensure plans adhere to guidelines

Risk Management

• Risk presents an opportunity for growth and competitive advantage.
• Risk has the potential to impact an organization’s ability to achieve its objectives.
• Effective event management requires understanding/addressing all potential risks.
• Crowd management ensures safety by managing people, entry protocols, barriers, and communication.
• Alcohol and drugs require careful management to ensure safety with possible measures being restricting alcohol sales and deploying security.
• Stewarding and security involves trained staff to prevent overcrowding.
• Environment impact can be minimised through recycling/conserving water and energy.
• Organizers must be aware of nearby authorities.
• Emergency services are sometimes involved, acting in an advisory role while following a clear chain of command.

Event Evaluation

• Aids in the process of achieving key points to remember
• Helps prevent and address risks

Event Evaluation (Bowdin et al., 2023)

• It is a comprehensive assessment using measures and appproaches.
• The starting point for evaluation varies based on the type of event.
• However, all events can benefit from any evaluation throughout event planning efforts

Event Evaluation Process

• Helps determine what data is needed
• Involves identifying all data requirements
• Evaluation goals should be clear
• Data can be categorized into relevant groups
• Economic costs and benefits are easier measured through surveys, social contributions require descriptive approaches
• Data distinguishes between qualitative (opinions) and quantitative (measurable) types

Data Collection

• Data can be categorized into key groups
• Documentation is a way to create opportunities for information collection
• The process has many steps/stages eg Financial performance, attendee details etc.
• Media monitoring is essential for evaluation. It helps organizers understand public perceptions.
• Stakeholder observations contribute to insights during events,
• debriefing meetings help identify what worked well etc
• Data can be gathered by organizing focus groups
• Questionnaires are used to collect data