Event Management Notes
Event Management Notes
Event Management
Grading of Assignments
HD: 85-100%
D: 75-85%
C: 65 – 74%
P: 50-64%
Assignments
Assessment Task 1: Critical Review Paper (Individual)
Weight: 20%
Due: 5:00pm Tuesday 31 August
Assessment Task 2: Event Management Plan (Group)
Weight: 30%
Due: 5:00pm Monday 25 October
Assessment Task 3: Exam (Individual)
Weight: 50%
Due: Exam Period
Event Definitions
Defining an Event
“Events are temporary and purposive gatherings of people” (Bladen et al., 2018, p. 3).
“To the customer or guest, a special event is an opportunity for an experience outside the normal
range of choices or beyond everyday experience” (Getz, 2005, p. 16).
“A special event is defined as “those non-routine occasions which have leisure, cultural, personal or
organisational objectives set apart from the normal activity of daily life, whose purpose is to
enlighten, celebrate, entertain or challenge the experience of a group of people” (Shone & Parry,
2004, p. 3).
Special Events
A special event is a one time or infrequently occurring event that provides an opportunity for a
leisure, social or cultural experience outside the normal range of choices (Getz, 2005)
Special events are always planned, always arouse expectations, and always motivate by providing a
reason for celebration (Goldblatt, 1997)
Special events are that phenomenon arising from those non-routine occasions which have leisure,
cultural, personal or organisational objectives set apart from the normal activity of daily life, whose
purpose is to enlighten, celebrate, entertain or challenge the experience of a group of people
(Shone and Parry 2004, p.3)
Event Typologies
Categorising Events
There are various ways to conceptualise the events industry:
Event size: e.g. local/community events, major public events, mega events
Event themes: e.g. sporting, business, cultural/arts/music
Audience: e.g. B2C or B2B
By profit vs. not for profit
Mega-Events
A “must see” event
Volume exceeds 1 million visitors
Capital costs exceed $500 mil
Extraordinary high levels of tourism particularly international tourism, media / coverage, prestige
and economic impact
Usually undertaken via a bidding process/moves around
Examples: Olympics, Rugby World Cup, FIFA World Cup Qatar
Hallmark Events
Hallmark events become synonymous with a place, city or region (would not be the same if they
moved to/or were replicated in another place)
Closely linked to the spirit or ethos of a place
Success relies on uniqueness, status, tradition, or timely significance
Developed primarily to enhance the awareness, appeal and profitability of a tourism destination in
the short/long term
“Widespread recognition and awareness”
Examples: Sydney Mardi Gras, Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Wimbledon, Octoberfest
Major Events
Significant national and international visitor numbers
Significant national media coverage, may have reduced media coverage in other countries
Significant economic benefits
Examples: Sydney Royal Easter Show, Sydney Festival
o Example: South Korea aims to host the most eco-friendly Winter Olympics ever (being
powered by wind)
4. Social factors
o Example: Gender diversity bathrooms at events for all forms of gender
5. Technological factors
o Example: Woodford Folk Festival bracelet issued on entry containing a chip to load money
for use around the site
o Example: LED wristband at Coldplay concer
6. Economic factors
7. Organisational factors
Event Conceptualisation
In creating an event concept or proposal, we need to ask:
WHY - is the event being held?
WHO - is the event directed at?
WHAT - idea will best achieve the goal?
WHERE – what venue will best support the event?
WHEN – what is the best season, day and time?
They WHY
Identifying a purpose
Purpose, vision, missions, goals and objectives to achieve desired outcomes
= guide subsequent management decisions regarding the event
Strategic Management section of this lecture
The WHO
The intended audience:
Tourists; members of a local community; members of a particular industry/profession; individuals
with a special interest; etc.
Event managers need to understand the needs of whatever
markets they are targeting
o Social motives
o Personal motives
o Organisational motives
o Physiological motives
Previous event audience research can condition future event
design decisions
Understanding your customers: what’s important and what’s
not – Top Reasons for Visiting the Sydney Royal Easter Show
The WHAT
Experience design elements need to be linked with the organisation’s
vision/mission/goals/objectives and an understanding of its audience and their needs
Design Elements
o Theme
o Atmosphere
o Emotional ‘flow’
o Entertainment
o Program activity mix
o Duration/timing
o Level of attendee involvement
o Audience characteristics
The WHERE
Venue choices should be matched with:
o The purpose
o Event theme – atmosphere/style
o Market needs, e.g. comfort, accessibility
o Operational concerns, e.g., catering, staging, power facilities, budget
The WHEN
Key consideration in deciding on the duration and timing/date of the event:
o Nature of audience e.g., senior executives vs. sales staff
o Audience access e.g., holiday periods
o Weather
o Timing of competing events
o Destination’s capacity to ‘absorb’ the event (seasonality)
Event Scope
Scope: a concise and accurate description of the event that is to be created and delivered that
reflects the specified requirement as agreed between the event’s stakeholder(s) e.g.
o Client
o Event management company
o Sponsors
o Funding bodies
EXAMPLE:
An exhibition of between 170-200 exhibitors
Duration- two days (8am-8pm)
Program – Exhibition plus four seminars per day (x30 minutes)
Proposed attendance 2500 – 3000 per day
Market:
o Exhibitors – franchise companies
o Attendees – small independent business owners; individuals seeking to move out of
employment into their own businesses; existing businesses seeking diversity
Issues in Scoping
o Need for stakeholder involvement
o Scope creep
o Scoping as the basis for creating a ‘statement of work
New Events
Concept development and feasibility study
Concept development and pitch based on client brief
Tender response to organisations seeking to create new events
Existing Events
Review, refine or modify existing event
Bid for an event
Respond to tender/client brief for delivery of existing event
Bidders are required to demonstrate their capacity, financial and technical capability for completing
the project within the required timeframe, have had previous experience on similar sized projects
and demonstrate a commitment to WHS and environmentally sound principles.
Bidding
Event that are ‘mobile’
Organisations/countries/cities/towns can seek to attract these ‘mobile’ events through making a
formal bid
Bidding bodies respond to a given set of criteria outlined in the Candidature document
Will facilitate a site inspection as part of the process
Event Feasibility
New Events
Concept development and feasibility study
Existing Events
Review, refine or modify existing event
Bid for an event
Respond to tender/client brief for delivery of existing event
Market feasibility: projected demands (no. of attendees based on analysis of the market),
competition (number, quality differences, customer loyalty), market trends affecting demand
Financial feasibility: estimated costs vs projected return, sources of revenue/budget, financing
model, available financial support (grants, sponsorship)
Operational feasibility: HR needs vs availability at given time/place (skills, quantity), venue
requirements & capacity, infrastructure/ accessibility, equipment/services (e.g. F&B, outsourcing)
+Scheduling feasibility: is there sufficient time to plan and implement the event
Other: political, economic, social/cultural, technological, environmental, legal/regulatory contect;
e.g. sensitivity of concept to change in any exchange rates
PESTLIED Model
Political C-PESTEL
Economic Competitive
Social Political
Technological Economic
Legal Sociocultural
International Technological
Environmental Environmental
Demographic Legal
Strategic Planning
Strategic Planning
Vision: What the event aspires to be
Mission: Describes the event’s purpose
Goals: The strategic plans, the things the event would like to achieve
Objectives: The way to obtain your gaols
Value Statements
= Event’s core beliefs
Stand alone or included in mission
Purpose Statements
For events that are:
Straightforward/non-complex
Have a small number of stakeholders and/or
Are one-off events
Examples:
University Open Day – Grow student enrolments by engaging, informing and exciting potential
students (and their families) regarding the university’s capacity to meet their ‘whole of person’
needs
Brain Awareness Week – Brain Awareness Week is an international effort organised by the Dana
Alliance for Brain Initiatives to advance public awareness about the progress, promise, and benefits
of brain
Goals
Goals provide direction to those engaged in the event
They expand on the mission statement
For some events, the step of creating goals prior to setting objectives might not be considered
necessary
Sample Goals
Blues at Bridgetown (Blues Music Festival, Western Australia)
o Bring recognised national & international artists to perform and conduct workshops;
o Conduct workshops for local, regional and WA artists;
Objectives
Quantify the progress towards an event’s goals
They set performance benchmarks
They should be SMART:
o Specific
o Measurable
o Achievable / Agreeable
o Realistic / Relevant
o Time-specific
Organisational Structures
Organisational Structures
Indicate power and communication channels
Establish formal relations between departments/ committees/individuals
Impact on efficiency
Provide a visual representation of how tasks will be groups
Are expanding and shrinking rapidly in event management
Advantages: small amount of full-time staff; external expert knowledge; accuracy in costing; “quick”
decision making
Important: quality control issues; team-feeling; admin work
Functional Structure
Departmentalise tasks
Opportunity to specialise
Can be added to as event/organisation develops
Can be problematic for coordination
Establishes ‘territorialism’
Tennis Tournament
Matrix Structure
Program-based; Breakdown into projects and functions
Mainly used at large-scale major / hallmark / mega events
Advantages: functional expertise across the venues; less decision-making bottlenecks /
communication issues; allows groups to engage directly with tasks
Important: focus on good coordination across venues by
senior management
Events as Projects
Events as projects
A project is a temporary group activity designed to produce a unique product, service or result.
- A project is temporary in that it has a defined beginning and end time, and therefore defined scope
and resources.
- A project is unique in that it is not a routine operation, but a specific set of operations desined to
accomplish a singular goal
Events & projects are both: Events differ from projects in:
- Temporary - Executed and consumed at the same time
- Unique - Co-created with participants and
- Executed by teams adjustments can be made during the
- Outcome based execution
- Time sensitive – executed on specific dates
that cannot be adjusted
Project management
Project management is the application of knowledge, skills and techniques to execute projects
effectively and efficiently (The Project management Institute, 2015).
Project management is a system that describes the work “before the event actually starts, the event
itself, and finally the shutdown of the event” (Allen, Ot’Toole, Harris & McDonnell, 2008, p.160)
Events can be viewed as a series of tasks (or related ‘packages’ of work). A useful method of
organising these tasks is called the Work Breakdown Structure
A WBS involves breaking an event down into major tasks. These tasks are then further broken down,
a process that continues until a level of detail has been reaches that is deemed appropriate for the
needs of an events organisers.
Benefits of a WBS
Increases the probability that all tasks are identified
Assists with work allocation and control of work execution
Allows for a resource list to be created
Facilitates decision making i.e. which tasks should be done ‘inhouse’ and which should be
contracted out
Event Budgeting
Key Terminology
Financial accounting vs. Management accounting
Income statement / Profit and loss account
Balance sheet
Cash Flow
Revenue = Income
Expenses = Cost = Expenditure
Is the event financially viable? Will the event result in adequate ROI (Return on Investment)?
Break-even Chart
Sample Budget
Music Festival – Musica Viva
4. Monitoring Expenditure
5. Budget Review
An evaluation of the budget post event allows an event manger/organising body to see:
o Areas where under-spending/overspending took place
o Areas where income was up/down
o Overall, how accurate the projection process was
o Performance against previous years
o Overall financial position of event going forward
Information from the review process can be used to:
o Alter future budget projections to make them more ‘realistic’ or redirect financial resources
o Make the argument for tighter expenditure controls & identify in which costs must be
contained
Transparency
Reporting requirements to public funding bodies
Budget Blowouts
Reducing the risk of budget blowouts
o Regularly update the budget to act as true record of the financial ‘status’ of the event
o Lock suppliers into contracts
o Include suppliers into contacts
o Include an amount for contingencies
o Beware of the disconnect between ‘creatives’ and budgets/financial matters
Defining HRM
HRM – the process of matching people to jobs and developing a satisfied and effective workforce
HRM is central to planning – high costs
HRM has a direct impact on organisational performance
“People decisions are the ultimate – perhaps the only – control of an organisation. People determine the
capacity of an organisation. No organisation can do better than the people it has.” (Peter Drucker, 1990).
Skills/expertise needed
Reference to similar events
Human resource strategies adopted
Industry norms (e.g. 1-100 patrons for security staff)
Use of technology e.g. electronic ticketing
Service levels (e.g. desired queuing times)
Legal Obligations
Event managers must be aware of their legal obligations to employees:
o Salary and conditions (state/territory depts, of industrial relations)
o Equal Employment Opportunity (Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity
Commission)
o Dismissal (Australian Industrial Relations Commission)
o Safety in the Workplace (Workplace Safety Australia)
o Training: provision of specific job skills or knowledge that allow people to perform or
improve current job performance
Vs.
o Professional Development: the acquisition of new skills or knowledge that prepares
someone for future job responsibilities
o What training is needed?
Training needs assessment
Identify gapes between current performance and desired performance
Look at job description; performance appraisal results; staff feedback
o Training options include:
Existing staff/volunteers as trainers – in house
Sending staff/volunteers to outside bodies for training
Commissioning outside bodies to provide training
Why volunteer?
Motivation
Motivation is key
Motivated staff are committed, enthusiastic, energetic and dedicated to achieve goals
Differences in motivation:
o Intrinsic factors
o Extrinsic factors
What are people’s needs, strengths and goals
Knowledge Management
Event Evaluation
Lecture 9: Critical Issues in Event Management (1): Risk & Crisis Management
Risk Management
Why document?
To provide evidence of a systematic approach to risk identification and analysis
To provide a record of risks and to develop the organisations knowledge and database;
To provide an accountability mechanism and tool
To provide the relevant duty holders – decision makers with a risk management plan for approval
and subsequent implementation
To facilitate continuing monitoring and review
To provide an audit trail and
To share and communicate information
The AS/NZS ISO 31000 Risk Management Standard states the main elements of risk management
process are as follows:
o Communicate and Consult
o Establish the context
o Identify the risks
o Analyse risks
o Evaluate risks
o Treat risks
o Monitor and review
Risk Analysis/Measurement/Assessment
As risk arises out of uncertainty, when deciding on a particular course of action there is a need to
manage risk by considering its two main elements
‘Whatever type of analysis is used some sort of measurement of consequence and likelihood is
necessary.’ (HB436:2004, p.48). Handbook RM Guidelines
o What is the LIKELIHOOD of something happening? And
o What are the CONSEQUENCES if it does eventuate?
Treating Risk
The Three basic ways to treat risk:
o ACCEPT the risk
o AVOID the risk
o REDUCE the likelihood or the consequence of the risk
WHS Compliance
WHS Act (NSW Work Health & Safety Act 20111 No 10) and WHS Regulations 2011 apply in NSW
from 1 Jan 2012
Clarity around the responsibilities and penalties for failure to discharge duty of care, whether or not
an injury occurs
Personal Protective Equipment Have people wear protective clothing while near the hazard
= This acts as evidence that proves you actively fulfilled your Duty of Care
Crisis Communication
Crisis Communication
Public safety is a number one priority for event managers and arming individuals with information is
essential to avoid panic and useless speculation
Communicating with your audience, stakeholders & internal team in a crisis cannot be left to the
last minute, or left to chance
Communication needs to be well-planned, strategic, activity not a reaction to an unplanned
situation
It is also necessary to stop and consider who will listen, and respond to enquires as they come in
This could be things like monitoring social media channels, or answering phone lines
Safety is our priority, however we also need to ensure we open communication lines so that the
trust in our event, and our organisation is not diminished