Event Planning: The Basics

What is the business of event planning?
We gather people to celebrate, to mark occasions both great and small, through which we seek to motivate and communicate with our audience. We are only successful if we get through to and touch the humanity of our audience

we are in the business of ...
human emotions

events are how we ...
define and record our individual and collective history

ceremonies
are used in all societies to capture and commemorate moments in time, to share humanity or traditions with loved ones, friends...

what is an event?
-temporary in nature
-gatherings of people
-often display a ritual
-are unique occurrences

events industry
Our shared humanity is built around ritual in conjunction with the milestones of life: birth, marriage, the change of seasons, anniversaries, death - and the worship of idols, gods, and celebrities. The way we celebrate helps to us who we are, both intimately and publicly

events are displays of ...
rituals
-rituals are reflections of societies needs (Maslow's hierarchy of needs)

events are formal and informal
-formal: ex princess diana funeral ceremony
-informal: gathering of people on streets to grieve

events are central to our
culture

government support and promote events as part of their ...
strategies for economic development, nation building and destination marketing

corporations/businesses embrace events as ...
key elements in their marketing strategies and image promotion

community groups and individuals express their ...
interests and passions through events

types of events are classified by ...
size

types of events (size):local/community events
festivals and events targeted mainly at local audiences and staged primarily for thier social, fun and entertainment value - benefits: pride in the community, strengthening a feeling of belonging and creating a sense of place

types of events (size): major events
are capable of attracting significant visitor numbers, media coverage and economic benefits. Formula One Grand Prix, The Open Championship (ex: many international sporting championships fit into this category)

types of events (size): hallmark events
are identified with the spirit of a town, city or region that they become synonymous with the name of the place: Carnaval in Rio, Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Octoberfest in Munich.

types of events are also classified by ...
form or content

types of events (form or content): cultural events:
can be major events, musicals Phantom of the Opera, Cats.
Cultural Events are increasingly linked with tourism to generate business activity and income for thier host communities.

types of events (form or content): sports events:
Testing of sporting prowess through competition is one of the oldest and most enduring of human activities, with a rich tradition going back to the ancient Greek Olympics and beyond. Sports events are an important and growing part of the events industry, encompassing the whole spectrum of individual sports an dmulti-sport events such as the Olympics.
Attract tourist visitors and generate media coverage and economic impact.
Placed at the forefront of most government events strategies and destination marketing programs.

types of events (form or content): business events
Incude meetings, conferences, exhibitions, incentive travel and corporate events

key ingredients in the realization of all events:
Originality, theatricality, spectacle, and scale

technology and innovation ...
play a strong part but spectacle and technology are simply a means to an end. They will not compensate for a lack of narrative, content, or passion.

an event is ...
an experience, carefully crafted to deliver an impact on the person in attendance. The activities, environment, and layers of multisensory effects are integrated into an event design that is staged and choreographed with precision and polish. The best event experience is one in which the mechanics are imperceptable to the attendee and the intended impact is delivered effectively and invisibly.

It is the job of prosessional event coordinator to
package and manage the event experience.

economic impact
Meetings and events contribute more to the GDP than the air transportation,motion picture, sound recording, performing arts and the spectator sport industries.

Meetings and events create value for ...
individuals, businesses and the citiesthat host them.

PARt 2

Festivals and events are among the most successful tools available to communities, states, regions and even countries to:
-Increase tourism
[Create powerful and memorable branding and imaging opportunities
-Bond people
-Encourage positive media coverage
-Enhance economic wellbeing
-Add to the quality of life for those who live in its immediate environment

The special events industry today, worldwide, includes ...
four to five million regularly recurring festivals and events large enough to require municipal support services

government perspective: national government
-Major celebrations of national significance
-Major international political/economic events e.g. G20
-Promote trade through foreign affairs departments

government perspective: regional development agencies
-Bidding and staging of major events
S-taging or assisting events as part of their portfolio — for example, major festivals, sporting competitions, events celebrating ethnic diversity, or flagship tourism events.

government perspective: local government
-Local authorities involvement in events is increasing
-Creating quality of life for their constituents
-Some of the biggest players in the events field, providing funds and support for a wide range of local events

the role of government in events:
-venue owner/manager
-consent authority and regulatory body
-service provider
-funding body
-event organiser
-event/destination marketer

The relationship between entertainment and commerce has a long history that dates back to mediaeval times, when town markets and fairs attracted not only traders and their customers but also a colorful bevy of jugglers and acrobats

many cities and towns create ...
civic areas and public celebration spaces

governments see events as tools for ...
urban regeneration and renewal.
-can also provide impetus for development and bring new life to communities

corporate use of events can be focused ...
-internationally: aimed at the business and staff
-externally: aimed at customers/clients

corporate perspective: association conferences
meetings, congresses and conferences

corporate perspective: ROI (5 levels of evaluation)
-reaction and planned action
-learning
-job applications
-business results
-return on investment

community perspective: individual perspective
community members want to participate and to be entertained

community perspective: major events and the community
-community members are more concerned with the wider impacts of the event
-less direct relationship

community perspective: strategies for community engagement:
-participation facilitation
-community input and feedback facilitation
-inclusive programming
-incentives
-outreach
-community development
-local business engagement

summary of government perspective:
-A number of disparate roles and functions in events, often integrated through the use of event strategies

-Governments may also create dedicated celebration spaces, and use events as tools for urban renewal.

-Event managers need to be aware of government regulations and requirements, and to see governments as key stakeholders and potential partners in events.

summary of corporate perspective:
-Corporate sector uses events to achieve both internal and external goals and objectives, as well as sponsoring public events in order to obtain commercial benefits.

-Event managers need to be aware of corporate objectives, and of the increasing need of companies to identify the return on investment (ROI) of events.

PART 3

positive impact of events must be ...
maximized and developed

negative impacts need to be ...
addressed through awareness and intervention

the task of the event manager is to ...
balance the impacts of events in the interests of all stakeholders

great emphasis is placed on the financial impacts of the events because ...
of the need of employers and government to meet budget goals and justify expenditure and partly because such impacts are the most easily assessed.

social and cultural benefits ...
are vital contributors to the calculation of an event's overall impact but describing them may require a narrative rather than a statistical approach

social and cultural impacts: positive
-shared experience
-revitalizing tradition
-building national/community pride
-validation of community groups
-introducing new ideas

social and cultural impacts: negative
-community alienation
-negative image
-bad behavior
-substance abuse
-managing crowd behavior
-the threat of terrorism

environmental impacts: positive
-show casing of the environment
-increasing awareness
-infrastructure legacy
-improved transport and communication
-urban renewal

enviornmental impacts: negative
-environmental damage
-pollution
-destruction of heritage
-noice disturbance
-traffic congestion

political impacts: positive
-international prestige
-improved profile
-social confidence and pride
-development of administrative skills

political impacts: negative
-risk of event failure
-misallocation of funds
-lack of accountability
-propaganda
-loss of community ownership and control
-legitimation of ideology

tourism and economic impact: positive
-destination promotion and increased tourist visits
-extended length of stay
-increased tax revenue
-business opportunities
-commercial activity
-job creation

tourism and economic impact: negative
-community resistance to tourism
-loss of authenticity
-damage to reputation
-inflated prices
-financial mismanagement and loss

the government increasingly became aware of the economic benefits ...
of staging events

governments pursue events because of the 'spillover effects' for related industries:
travel, accommodation, restaurants

long term benefits for government of hosting events
increased tourism spending

what events should be funded:
-Identify all expenditure involved in the staging of an event
-Determine their impacts on the wider economy
-Expenditure from events can be direct or indirect
-Community perceptions of event impacts
-Monitoring long-term impacts