Event Planning and Promotion PDF

EVENT PLANNING AND PROMOTION 1 Week 2 – Event Planning Process I LEARNING OBJECTIVES On completion of this lecture, you will be able to: ¢ ¢ Examine the importance of planning; Examine the first three stages of planning process (total 9 stages) for event management: — — — Stage 1: Event purpose...

EVENT PLANNING AND PROMOTION 1 Week 2 – Event Planning Process I LEARNING OBJECTIVES On completion of this lecture, you will be able to: ¢ ¢ Examine the importance of planning; Examine the first three stages of planning process (total 9 stages) for event management: — — — Stage 1: Event purpose Stage 2: Event concept and design Stage 3: Event feasibility 2 Step 1 Purpose Step 4 Step 2 Event concept & design Step 3 Event Feasibility Step 5 Step 6 Diagram: The planning process for event management Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 3 Shone, A. & Parry, B. (2004). Successful Event Management: A Practical Handbook, (2nd Ed), Thomson. IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING: WHY DO WE NEED PLANNING? o o o o o “Everything that can go wrong will go wrong” (Murphy’s Law ) Events are non-routine No second chances! It’s a lifetime memory for your guests! Planning is vital to the success of events: v v v v Complexity Individuality and diversity Unusual requirements Possible unfamiliarity of those organizing an event with what is required 4 WHY DO WE NEED PLANNING? A plan is a guide and tool to measure progress against and should not be easily disregarded! ¢ A plan: systematic approach to think ahead what will happen ¢ ¢ Why don’t people plan for events? — — — Many excuses Time-consuming Involve thought and effort 5 HOW ABOUT BENEFITS OF PLANNING? ¢ Better coordination Creation of a focus ¢ Experience of thinking ahead ¢ Provision of a device (the plan) for effective control of the progress and outcome of the event ¢ Visualize potential problems and deal with the uncertainties of events ¢ 6 • As a event planner, you must be an “architect”, “engineer” and a “project manager”. Architect Engineer Project Manager Strategic Artistic A. VIP invitation, transportation arrangement, actual event operation Interpreting the desires into the vision B. Largest Annual charity fundraising event è Walk for Nature Structural Interpreting the desires into the implementation plan Logistical Orchestrating and supervising the implementation plan C. Theme :Freshwater and wetlands; Date: 3rd 4th November; Time: 9:30AM–2:00PM 7 PLANNING PROCESS: STAGE 1 EVENT PURPOSE ¢ Intention of the event — ¢ To celebrate? To entertain? To fund-raise? Clarity at the beginning helps to planning process and getting everyone to pull in the same direction Carnival in Australia Event Purpose • To mark this unique event an annual celebration of Maleny’s rich cultural and social diversity; • To present an opportunity for the community to unite and share creative energy, spirit and pride. Community Purpose 8 ¢ How about the event purpose of students’ orientation day? Social Purpose 9 ¢ 1. 2. Exercise: 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. è Which purpose is more difficult to achieve? Will you use different ways to achieve the two purpose? Unique venue; unforgettable experience; entertainment with information Standard meeting or convention to present information 10 STAGE 2: DEVELOPING THE EVENT CONCEPT ¢ In addition to the event purpose, numerous elements need to considered in developing an event concept: Event theme Venue 1. 2. Audience Available resources – financial 3. 4. Timing of event Skills of the team – event stakeholders 5. 6. 11 1) THEME OF THE EVENT Theme of the event should be linked to the purpose. ¢ Interview with the client to find out: ¢ Understand the NEEDS and EXPECTATIONS of the client and guests: 1. Is it appropriate to have a theme of pajama when you want to invite Principals and teachers to a graduation dinner The basics about the event: 2. a) b) c) d) Who: Who is/are the host(s)? Who is attending the event? When: What date and time is the event? Where: Where does the event take place? Is the site selected or not? What: What is the purpose of the event? What should be included in the program or theme? 12 1) THEME OF THE EVENT 3. Budget: The event planner should agree on the budget while meeting his/her client 4. Determine a theme with the client 13 EVENT THEME VARIES IN DIFFERENT YEARS ¢ Consistent in all aspects: e.g. adopt a set of colour scheme, logo, slogan that are repeated on all items produced for the event (e.g. tickets, programs, uniforms, décor, poster and merchandise). 14 Brainstorm some potential themes, be creative! — — — — — — — — Historical Geographical Cultural Sporting Film, music and entertainment Artistic Food Objects (e.g. CDs, Boats…) How about the theme of your group project? 15 ¢ ¢ Further develop the design and program Communicate the design to your client — — — Write a clear description of what you will deliver Provide scaled drawings or models (floorplans, elevations) Create a mood board: a piece of cardboard with pictures of certain patterns of props or colours that communicate the “mood” or atmosphere of the events. 16 2) EVENT VENUE ¢ Example — — — — — — Hotel Convention Centre Tunnel Museum Research facility Amusement park 17 3) AUDIENCE ¢ Consider audience attributes/ characteristics and the suitability of the venue to meet the needs of every audience. Disabled Facilities? Elderly? Children? ¢ Conservative or participative personality of the audience? ¢ — E.g. a children’s event would usually be held at a local venue which is child safe such as a fenced park. 18 4)AVAILABLE RESOURCES – FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS Initial financial estimates for the proposed event concept? Out of control easily? Cost-effective? ¢ Balance between creativity and rational aspects of the event ¢ 19 5) TIMING OF THE EVENT ¢ The timing of an event is often linked to the season or weather. — — For example, a food and wine festival in HK would be better programmed for early autumn than for midsummer because the heat would be intolerable for both audience and the stall –holders. The timing of sporting events is, of course, limited by the sporting season and their traditional competitions (e.g. Olympics) 20 5) TIMING OF THE EVENT (CONT.) ¢ Evaluation of an event concept must take into account these five time-related factors: — — — — — Season/weather (summer? winter?) Day of the week (weekday? weekend?) Time of day (morning? night?) Duration (1 hour? 2 hours? or more?) Lead time for planning event 21 6) SKILLS OF THE TEAM – EVENT STAKEHOLDERS Do we have these skills? ¢ In-house or hire from outside? ¢ — — — — — — — Event principal/client Talent/performer/team & manager Cast and crew Organising committee Local and government authorities Emergency services Contractors 22 STAGE 3: EVENT FEASIBILITY ¢ Large number of ideas or concepts for an event were identified and tested. After screening, event planners will filter out some events that are not really viable. Assess the event against the objectives or the criteria Short listed events The “nearest fit” or “most enjoyable” events 23 EVENT FEASIBILITY: CONCEPT SCREENING A better range of ideas might be to obtained by brainstorming a long list of events and then dealing with the list in a serious way through a series of evaluation criteria to evaluate what really is feasible 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Competition Laws and regulations available Marketing Community impact Risk Revenue and expenditure Purpose: To raise awareness of possible problems! 24 1. COMPETITION ¢ Competition analysis: who are your competitors? Look at event calendar (timing and duration of other events, even if they are unrelated) Competitive Events? Date? Time? Venue? 25 1. COMPETITION (CONT.) ¢ Limited disposable income: — Festivals and events tend to be non-essential items in most family and tourists budgets 26 2. REGULATIONS ¢ A wide range of laws and regulations è seriously limit event creativity. — ¢ Parking, traffic and neighbourhood impact (e.g. timing and noise) Event manager need to liaise with local government 27 http://www.fehd.gov.hk/englis h/licensing/Guide_on_Types_o f_Licences_Required.html 3. MARKETING ¢ How and when to sell an event? ¢ Do you advertise months beforehand or the day or week before? Will the audience turn up on the day? How can you encourage them to do so? Should you sell tickets in advance? 28 4. COMMUNITY IMPACT Consider the impact of an event on the local or wider community, any community benefits? ¢ Criticised by local traders, or the mass media for the unprepared event organiser? ¢ 29 5. RISKS ¢ There are many risks associated with events: — — — — — — Cancellation by a key performer Non-arrival of equipment Technical failure Transportation crisis Accidents (safety of participants) Weather 30 6. REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE The event concept (and the investment in event design by expertise) needs very careful analysis ¢ Cash flow problem (esp. contractors for catering, security and other services require deposits and payment in full prior to the event, if there are no advance ticket sales) ¢ 31 ¢ References — Shone, A. & Parry, B. (2019). Successful Event Management: A Practical Handbook, (5th Ed), Cengage. — Lynn, V.W. (2018). Event Management: for Tourism, Cultural, Business and Sporting Events, Cengage. 32