Our events deserve to be better or not!

yesterday i was in a career mart in the greek campus and i noticed some things that can make the event better. In my opinion the problem was in organizing, handling the event activities sheet, distributing the work load ,managing risk, registration process and people flow management. so i'm writing this article to clarify the processes that we should follow to make the best of our events. I wish this article be helpful!

so what is an event ?

An event can be described as a public assembly for the purpose of celebration, education, marketing or reunion. Events can be classified on the basis of their size, type and context.

[business wise] If an event is managed efficiently and effectively, it can be used as a very powerful promotional tool to launch or market a product or service.

so how we can get a well managed event ? or what is event management?

Event management is the application of project management to the creation and development of large scale events such as festivals, conferences, ceremonies, formal parties, concerts, or conventions. 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.

The process of planning and coordinating the event is usually referred to as event planning and can include budgeting, scheduling, venue selection, acquiring necessary permits, coordinating transportation and parking, arranging for speakers or entertainers, arranging decor, event security, catering and emergency plans.

The events industry now includes events of all sizes from the Olympics down to business breakfast meetings. Many industries, charitable organizations, and interest groups hold events in order to market themselves, build business relationships, raise money or celebrate achievement.

or we can simply define event management as the process of analyzing, planning, marketing, producing and evaluating.

so let's take every single point in details.

1. event analysis:

event analysis include all analysis that require to know the availability to make this event stand out and to know every single detail. if this process managed and done perfectly the percentage of fail or make a bad event is approximately zero.

event analysis include: 

• 1.1 market research: before organizing an event, find out whether there is a market (i.e. audience) for your intended event or not. For e.g. you want to organize a omar khayrat concert in any village. If societal need is not met with event objective, then it is not a good idea to organize such event there. The event will fail for sure.
• 1.2 Market Analysis: 

If there is a market for your intended event, then do market analysis. Market Analysis means finding information about your target audience. Find out who are your target audience i.e. there age, sex, qualification, profession, knowledge level, income, status, likings, disliking, personality, customs, traditions, religion, lifestyle etc. Knowing your target audience's customs, traditions and religion is very important so that we don’t hurt there customs and religion unknowingly through our event. Find out where majority of your target audience live so that you can direct your marketing efforts towards them.  In this way you can cut down your advertising and marketing cost tremendously. Find out what are the desires and expectations of target audience from your intended event. Find out when (i.e. date and time) and where (i.e. venue) they want the intended event to take place. For this you will have to do survey. All this information will help you in developing a better event plan.

• 1.3 Competitors' Analysis:

It means finding information about your competitors. Find out who are your competitors .i.e. their qualifications, knowledge level, experience in organizing events, turnover, market value, PR (media and corporate contacts) and market share. Find out how they promote and execute there events. What they do in there events? Why people come to there events? For this you will have to attend each and every event organized by your competitors and then create an event report. The event report will contain things like

- seating and light arrangements
- promotional materials used
- blueprint of the whole venue
- program and catering menu
- contact details of sponsors, partners, clients (for whom the event is organized)
- Service providers like DJs, photographers, decorator etc.

Find out as much information as possible about events organized by your competitors.

• 1.4 PEST analysis:[PESTEL analysis]

PESTEL analysis, which is sometimes referred as PEST analysis, is a concept in marketing principles. Moreover, this concept is used as a tool by companies to track the environment they’re operating in or are planning to launch a new event/project/product/service etc.

PESTEL is a mnemonic which in its expanded form denotes P for Political, E for Economic, S for Social, T for Technological,E for Environmental and L for Legal. It gives a bird’s eye view of the whole environment from many different angles that one wants to check and keep a track of while contemplating on a certain idea/plan.

This tool used to analyse and monitor the macro-environmental (external marketing environment) factors that have an impact on an organisation. The result of which is used to identify threats and weaknesses which is used in a SWOT analysis.

• 1.5 SWOT analysis : [SWOT matrix]

It is a strategic planning tool which is used to identify and analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats involved in your project. SWOT analysis can also be done on your organization. want to know more about SWOT analysis &SWOT matrix press here

• 1.6 Products/Services Research

If you are organizing a corporate event then it is necessary for you as an event manager to do research of the products/ services promoted and sold by your corporate client.

• Find out how the company promotes its products
• How the company wants to build/enhance the image associated with its product (also known as the brand image)?
• What is the market value and market share of the company and its products?
• Who are the customers of the product?
• What are the features of the product?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of the product in comparison to competitors' products?

All this research will later help you in making an effecting promotional campaign for your corporate event.

• Analysis Report

Create a report which contain details of all the research work done by you. Documentation of your research work is important, later for event evaluation. Your analysis report will also help you in getting sponsorship for your event.

2.event planning:

Event planning is a detailed immersion into planning and executing a memorable and exciting event for business promotion, recognition of achievement, or the introduction of new products and technology. Event planners pave the way to a streamlined unfolding of an event by the practical application of resources and methods to fulfill every conceivable need that might arise at such a gathering. 

Event planning sets the stage of the visual, culinary and experiential impact of the event, making a difference between money well invested and dollars poorly spent. Event planning is an art...and event planners are detail-oriented multi-taskers with an eye toward detail, a nose for expediency, and an ear for suggestions. The goal of the event planner is to please the event sponsors with delivery of an event that fulfills their expectations.

can be done by 5 w technique [why,what,when, where &who] 

• Why

'Why' means, why you want to organize the event?

i.e. event objective&scope. What do you want to get from the event? For e.g.: do you want to organize the event to enhance your company's brand image, to increase company's sales, to promote your client's products/services or to promote a social cause etc. Defining event objectives at the very start of event planning is very important as it gives you the direction in which you should proceed to accomplish your objectives. Organizing an event without clear objectives is a huge waste of both time and resources.

• What

'What' means what you are going to do in the event i.e. what will be the:

Event Name What will be the name of the event? For example: ‘??? ??? ??????".

Food and Beverage Menu It contains the list of food items and beverages you will serve during the event to guests and target audience.[or catering sponsors]

Guests Profile who will be your chief guest and other guests? Your guest list must include organizers, sponsors, partners, clients and specially media people. Use your imagination to create good titles to woo your guests. Like 'Guest of honor', star guest etc. Never give special treatment to one particular guest or guests' group.

Type of Entry Decide how will be the entry. Entry will be by ticket, pass or invitation only.

Entry fees What will be the entry fees? If you are going to charge entry fees, then be prepared to pay entertainment tax. Your entry fees should be according to your target audience's status. If you overcharge you won’t get any audience.

Promotional Campaign How you are going to promote your event, organizers, sponsors, partners and clients: - pre-event, at-event and post-event.

Program Menu It is the list of various activities that will occur as a part of the event.

Event Budget to determine your event budget finds out what will be the cost for producing and marketing the event.

• When

When you are going to organize the event (i.e. date and time)? Keep following things in mind while selecting date and time for the event:

1) Select date and time according to target audience convenience and availability. For e.g.: don't organize events during work days, examination days or festival times. The best time to organize events is during weekends like Saturday or Sunday.

2) Make sure that your event's date and time, don't clash with other event's date and time specially bigger event's date and time. For e.g.: it is not a good idea to organize your music concert on a day when there is Bon Jovi concert.

3) Keep climatic conditions into mind while selecting date and time for your event. It can be disastrous to organize event outdoor on a day when the weather is stormy or heavy rain is expected. Here you can take help of your own experience if you are familiar with the climatic conditions of the region where you intend to organize the event or you can take the help of the meteorological department for the weather forecast. Find out how the weather will be on the day of your event.

• Where

Where you are going to organize the event (i.e. venue)?

 the venue selection tips:

Keep following things in mind while selecting a venue for your event:

1) Target Audience/Guest Size

This means the number of people you are expecting to attend your event. Make sure that your venue can easily accommodate your expected target audience. Your venue should not be too small or too large for your guests. If too small, then your guests will feel discomfort. If it is too large then you will unnecessarily end up paying more for the venue. 

2) Target Audience Convenience

Select venue according to target audience convenience. Your venue should not be very far from the place where majority of your target audience live. Your venue should have proper lighting and ventilation. It should not be in a noisy or polluted area. It should be absolutely neat and clean and free from any type of infestation.

3) Venue History

Before hiring a venue check out the history of the venue. Find out how many events have been organized in the venue so far. In this way you can find out whether or not venue and the staff there is event friendly. This will help you immensely when you later organize event there as you will have to do less amount of work in making the venue suitable for the event. If venue has noise ordinance problems in the past like neighbors calling the cops to shut down the event, then it is not a good idea to organize event there especially outdoor event.

Venue Services

Before hiring a venue check out the number of services provided by the venue like:

Parking facility

Make sure venue has its own parking space. It should be big enough to accommodate your target audience's vehicles conveniently. If parking space is not adequate then look for other venue. Never compromise on parking space especially if you are organizing event on a large scale.

Security Arrangements

Security of guests, service providers and target audience is a very important issue which should never be neglected or compromised at any cost. 

5) Venue Fees

Ask following questions from venue manager before hiring a venue:

Q1) What is the venue fee? Does it include all other taxes? (Negotiate rental fee to ensure the best deal.)

Q2) What is included in the venue fee? projectors,chairs,tables,free space,internet etc.

Q3) What is not included in the venue fee?

Q4) Is there any cost for parking? Generally parking space is provided free of the cost by the venue but some venues may charge separately for parking facility.

Q5) What is the price range for a seated/buffet lunch and dinner?

Q6) What modes of payments are available?

Q12) What are your payment, refund and cancellation policies?

• Who

Who will be your organizers, sponsors, partners, clients and target audience?[stakeholders]

How many target audience you are expecting to visit the event and why? You must have very good reason to this 'Why' as you will have to convince your prospective organizers and sponsors that why particular number of people will attend the event.

3.event marketing:

Steps involved in creating a promotional campaign for your event

Step 1: Setup advertising objectives.

Why you want to advertise? What is your objective of advertising? What do you want to get through advertising? For example:

- You want to advertise to create awareness about your event.

- You want to advertise to get sponsors and clients for your events

-You want to advertise to thank your sponsors and clients.

Step 2: Decide your promotional Activities

How you are going to promote yourself, your organizers, your sponsors, your clients and your partners, pre-event, at-event and post-event. 

step 3: Choose your marketing channels

step 4: Your profile and event proposal for partners and sponsors

step 5: Setting marketing budget &KPIs

4.event implementation:

• make the hierarchy and hire needed positions
• make a list of pre event, at event &post event activities 
• give all activities deadlines and manage its sequence and make WBS"Work Breakdown Structure" GANTT chart
• check list
• Distributing work load &people management 
• procurement management
• budgeting 
• ongoing risk management

5.Event evaluation:

Steps Involved in Writing the Evaluation of an Event

Event evaluation is necessary to make you and your team more efficient and effective, the next time you organize an event. It is all about finding your mistakes and learning from them. Event evaluation should be done immediately after the event is over or the next day. Conduct a meeting with your team members to evaluate your event.

Step 1: Determine the extent to which event and advertising objectives have been achieved.

If you are not able to achieve your event and advertising objectives through your event, then no matter how much people enjoyed the event or how much popularity your event got, it is a complete failure on a commercial level.

Step 2: Get feedback from your clients and target audience.

One good way of getting feedback is through feedback form. To make sure that your clients give you feedback, make the feedback form part of your Exit pass form. The exit pass form is required to get exit pass for security clearance, to remove exhibits from the facility. To get feedback from target audience/ guests, make feedback form part of your gift voucher. A guest can redeem the gift voucher only when he/she fills the feedback form and give it back to an attendant. These tactics are required to get feedback, as people are generally reluctant to give any feedback in writing.

feedback:

You can ask following questions in your feedback form:

Q1) Did you enjoy the event? If no, then please state the reason.

Q2) what do you like most in the event?

Q3) what do you like least in the event?

Q4) what are the problems you faced during the event?

Q5) what could have been done to make this event better?

Q6) How do you rate the various services provided by us [transportation,registration, presentation, catering, etc]

Q7) would you like to participate in our next event?

Note: Your questionnaire should not have more than 10 questions. You don't want to irritate your guests. Ask only relevant questions and keep the questionnaire short to 5-6 questions. Of course the type of questions you will ask may change from event to event. And don't forget to mention the following line in you feedback form: "Thank you for taking the time to complete this feedback form".

to sum up  

1.analysis[ market research,market analysis, competitor analysis, PESTLE analysis,SWOT matrix, product/service report] to make a an analysis report.

2. planning[why(scope),what(program),when(date and time),where(venue),who(organizers,partners,audience &speakers)]

3.marketing[ set adv. objectives,promotional activities, marketing channels,proposal,budgeting,KPIs]

4.implementation[hire,activity sheet, checklist,manage people,procurement and budget management]

5.evaluation

 

in a small scale events you can follow this steps directly

• understanding event objectives
• establishing timelines
• selecting a venue
• planning for catering
• managing budgets
• acquiring permits
• coordinating transportation
• selecting speakers and presenters
• equipment and facilities
• managing risk