Master’s Degree programme

in Business Administration
Second Cycle (D.M.
270/2004)

Final Thesis

Event management

Supervisor
Ch. Prof. Francesca Checchinato

Graduand
Claudio D’Alessandro
Matriculation Number 862855

Academic Year
2017 / 2018
Table of contents
Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 3
Chapter 1: Event Management ........................................................................................... 4
1.1 What is Event management ............................................................................................ 4
1.2 The event elements (5Ws) .............................................................................................. 5
1.3 Research and design .............................................................................................................. 9
1.4 Planning the event............................................................................................................... 15
1.5 The event team ................................................................................................................... 17
1.6 Event evaluation .................................................................................................................. 19
1.7 The event budget................................................................................................................. 21
1.8 Promoting the event ............................................................................................................ 23
1.9 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 25
Chapter 2: Events as a promotional tool ........................................................................... 26
2.1 Event Marketing .................................................................................................................. 26
2.2 Objectives of event marketing ............................................................................................. 29
2.3 Measuring effectiveness of event marketing ....................................................................... 32
2.4 Event Sponsorship ............................................................................................................... 35
2.5 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 37
Appendix: Internship report ............................................................................................. 38
Overview of the internship ........................................................................................................ 38
Reason for choosing to undertake the internship....................................................................................... 38
Duties and responsibilities .......................................................................................................................... 38
Required skills, knowledge and attributes .................................................................................................. 39
Overview of the Host Organisations .......................................................................................... 40
Background information and tasks performed ........................................................................................... 40
Organisational Chart ................................................................................................................................... 41
Reaction to internship ............................................................................................................... 41
Evaluation of the internship ........................................................................................................................ 41
Areas where you developed new skills and knowledge .............................................................................. 43
Co-worker relationships .............................................................................................................................. 44
Supervisor relationship ............................................................................................................................... 45
Evaluation of Internship and traditional classroom learning ...................................................... 46
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 48
References ....................................................................................................................... 49

2
Introduction

The first chapter of this thesis examines event management focusing on its main aspects.
After briefly explaining what it is and recent developments, the event elements and the five
steps of the event management process (research, design, planning, coordination and
evaluation) will be described.
Focus will be given to each step highlighting its importance for successful events.
Links between theory and my internship experience will also be provided.
This first chapter aims at giving the reader a good understanding of event management
through both theory and practical examples.
The second chapter focuses on the role events play as a promotional tool.
In particular, reasons behind the so called “event marketing” (the staging of events with which
consumers interact) will be explained emphasizing limits of traditional marketing
communications strategies and reasons behind their decline in effectiveness.
Attention will then shift to objectives of event marketing and measures to evaluate its
effectiveness.
Main measures of effectiveness currently used by organisations will be illustrated also
highlighting their potential limits. At the same time, new alternative measures suggested by
different authors will be introduced.
Finally, a comparison between event marketing and event sponsorship will follow.
The appendix contains the report regarding my internship experience at FCT Flames focused
on event management.

3
Chapter 1: Event Management

1.1 What is Event management

According to Getz (2005) “event management encompasses the planning and production of
all types of events”.
Another definition is the one provided by Goldblatt (2002) which defines event management
as a “profession that requires public assembly for the purpose of celebration, education,
marketing and reunion”.
The author claims that the word “purpose” is key in event management. In fact, it is said that
event managers set a purpose and direct their efforts to achieve that purpose.
Four different purposes are identified by the author:
• Celebration. It includes festivities such as fairs, festivals and other social life events.
• Education. It includes events such as commencements, alumni events, meetings.
• Marketing. Events can be used as a marketing tool to create awareness and increase
sales. This practice is known as “event marketing”.
• Reunion. It includes events with the purpose of remembrance or rekindling
friendships.
Goldblatt (2002) defines an event manager as “the person responsible for researching,
designing, planning, coordinating, and evaluating an event”.
Stakeholders are, instead, “individuals or organisations financially, politically, emotionally, or
personally invested in an event” (Goldblatt, 2002).
Events have played an important role for societies for thousands of years ranging from sport
competitions and feasts to religious celebrations (Getz, 2005).
The event industry has experienced huge growth in the last 15 years in terms of both the
number and size of events.
As a result, colleges and universities are giving more emphasis to this subject contributing to
more educated and versatile event managers (Getz, 2005). In fact, nowadays event managers
have skills that can be used for events in many different settings.

4
1.2 The event elements (5Ws)
When planning an event, event managers will have to take into consideration the five Ws also
known as the event elements (Wolf, Wolf and Levine, 2005).

Who
It refers to the target audience of the event. This may vary depending on the particular event
(Hoyle, 2002).
Event managers need to know who is going to attend the event.
Aspects they may wish to know include age group, gender, if they are singles/couples/families,
if they know each other and number of people expected (Wolf, Wolf and Levine, 2005).
Characteristics of people attending the event will affect decisions such as location and time of
the event.

What
The type of event will impact the way it is planned and designed (Wolf, Wolf and Levine, 2005).
Event managers need to specify the type of event: is it a social event, corporate event or fund-
raiser event?

When
Event managers need to define when the event will take place. Time of the day, day of the
week and time of the year will have to be specified.
Moreover, the length of the event will also have to be indicated (Wolf, Wolf and Levine, 2005).
Event managers need to carefully choose the time of the event. This decision will be affected
by both the audience and type of the event (Hoyle, 2002).
In addition to this, attention should be paid to conflicts or opportunities created by local
holidays.

Where
The location of the event has a key impact on its success. When choosing a location several
factors need to be considered: capacity, logistics, proximity (Wolf, Wolf and Levine, 2005).
Events can be indoor or outdoor. Considering outdoor events, the weather is the main threat.
As a consequence, additional safety measures may have to be taken such as the use of tents.

5
Indoor events, by contrast, are not subject to weather conditions but they will need to respect
the rules of the chosen location (church, school, etc.)

Why
The purpose/reason of the event needs to be specified. “Successful events are based on a
strong purpose” (Events Management, 2006). Examples include marking an historic occasion,
marking an opening, hosting a sporting event, encouraging people to visit a town.
9917.ch02 3/13/02 7:21 AM Page 34

Figure 1: The 5 Ws (event elements).

Emphasize Benefits

Describe Overriding Reasons for Events

1. Why?
Use Personal Approach

Appeal to Needs

National, Regional, State, Local Audience

Disciplines and Interests of Audience

2. Who?
Audience Awareness of Nature of Event

Level of Experience (Novice to Expert)

Market Schedules/Patterns

Time of Day
3. When?
Day(s) of Week

Time of Year (Seasonality)

Uniqueness of Venue

Convenience
4. Where?
Travel Accessibility

Availability of Local Support

Explain Purpose of Event

Determine and Create Expectations

5. What?
Prioritize and Identify Program Features

Review the "Who?" Principles

Figure 2-2
The five Ws of marketing are critical to developing all
Source: (Hoyle, 2002). promotional strategies. They must form the basis of all market
research and development of the marketing message.

34

6
A vision and mission for the event also need to be defined. The vision is a short statement
which broadly describes the objectives/aims of the event while the mission is a statement
providing more information about how the vision will be delivered (Events Management,
2006).

The objectives should be consistent with the SMART principle. As a consequence, they should
be:
• Specific. They should be specific about what to achieve (for instance number of people
attending the event).
• Measurable. There should be a system that allows to measure the objective (for
instance the number of tickets sold as a way to measure the number of people
attending the event).
• Achievable. Realistic targets should be set.
• Relevant. Objectives should be relevant to the event (for instance if the event aims at
involving the community, attracting tourists may not be a relevant objective).
• Time-based. A deadline for the achievement of each objective should be indicated.

7
The case FCT Flames: WW1RR
World War I Remembrance Relay (WW1RR)
FCT Flames is organizing an event to commemorate the Centenary of World War I with
the intention to involve as many countries as possible. Almost 100 countries were
involved in WW1 and, as a result, may have an interest in participating in the event to
remember those who lost their lives.
The event consists of a Torch Relay which will begin in each country the 1st of November
and end in the country’s capital the 11th of November. For the event a special torch will
be created.
In addition to this, in Australia, smaller events will be organized at schools.
These events, apart from their remembrance purpose, will also have an educational role.
In fact, they will represent an opportunity for students to learn the history of World War
I also thanks to the participation of authors of books and individuals/families sharing their
stories regarding for example ancestors who served during the conflict.
WW1RR is an event open to people of any age, gender, race.
Several different stakeholders can be identified: Country leaders, Ministers of defence,
Veteran associations, Police forces, Schools.

8
■ Communicate effectively with event stakeholders

All successful events have five critical stages in common to ensure their con-
sistent effectiveness. These five phases or steps of successful event manage-
ment are research, design, planning, coordination, and evaluation (see Figure
2-1). In this chapter we explore each phase, to enable you to produce suc-
1.3events
cessful Research and design
every time.

Research is the first phase of the event management process which consists of 5 steps:
Research
research, design, planning, coordination and evaluation (Goldblatt, 2002).
Excellent event research reduces risk. The better research you conduct prior
to the event, the more likely you are to produce an event that matches the
planned outcomes of the organizers or stakeholders. For many years public re-
Figure
lations 2: The event
professionals management
and process.
other marketing experts have realized the value of

H
ARC
SE
RE 2
1 DE

SI
GN
EVALUATION

PLA 3
5

NN
IN
G

Figure 2-1 ATI

ON
COORDIN
Event Management Process
4

Source: (Goldblatt, 2002).

Accurate research allows to discover several aspects regarding potential customers including
their needs, expectations, desires, how to best reach them and how to gain a competitive
advantage (Hoyle, 2002). As a result, research is crucial for the success of the event. It allows,
in fact, to reduce the risk of nonattendance (Goldblatt, 2002).
Unfortunately, according to Getz (2005) the importance of this phase is usually
underestimated. This is due to two main reasons: event managers overestimating their
knowledge of what customers want and a lack of resources.
Three main research techniques can be identified: quantitative, qualitative or a combination
of both. Quantitative and qualitative research can be used either for preevent or postevent
research (Hoyle, 2002).
Several factors affect the choice including objectives of the research, resources and time
available to conduct the research (Goldblatt, 2002).
Quantitative techniques are mainly used to identify demographic information of the target
audience including gender, age, income. They tend to be relatively cheap and easy to analyse.

9
Qualitative techniques, by contrast, allows to discover “what is beneath the numbers in
quantitative research” (Goldblatt, 2002). However, while it’s true that qualitative research
provides a deeper understanding of the market it’s also more expensive.
Event managers can also rely on a combination of both qualitative and quantitative techniques
to gather a larger amount of information.
Moreover, they need to ensure that research has both validity and reliability.
Validity means that it measures what it is supposed to measure while reliability means that it
will remain accurate over time (Goldblatt, 2002).
For example, suppose that you want to know if senior citizens will attend your event. Your
research has validity if you include senior citizens in your sample. Then, it will have reliability
if you will obtain similar results with a different group/sample of senior citizens.
Conducting a SWOT Analysis is also part of the research process (Events Management, 2006).
It allows, in fact, to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with
the event which, in turn, may affect your plan and/or decisions.
Strengths and weaknesses are internal factors. They can be identified through focus groups
9882.ch02 10/23/01 11:27 AM Page 43
and/or interviews with relevant stakeholders (qualitative research). Actions should then be
taken to reduce/minimize weaknesses. If there is no way to eliminate them and they are too
many, event managers may even consider to cancel the event (Goldblatt, 2002).
The figure below provides some examples of both strengths and weaknesses.
Resear

Figure 3: Potential Strengths and Weaknesses associated with an event.

Table 2-2 Event Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths Weaknesses

Strong funding Weak funding

Good potential for No potential for
sponsors sponsors
Well-trained staff Poorly trained staff
Many volunteers Few volunteers
Good media relations Poor media relations
Excellent site Weak site

Source (Goldblatt, 2002).

Opportunities and Threats

Opportunities and threats are two key factors that generally present them
selves
Opportunities and either
threats during
are, by an event
contrast, externalorfactors.
after itParticular
has occurred.
attentionHowever,
should be during the r
search process they should be considered seriously, as they may spell pote
paid to them. They can, in fact, have huge impact on the success or failure of an event.
tial disaster for the event. Opportunities are activities that may be of bene
to an event without significant investment by your organization. One examp
is that of selecting a year in which to hold an event that coincides 10 with yo
community’s or industry’s 100th anniversary. Your event may benefit from a
ditional funding, publicity, and other important resources simply by alignin
 is that of selecting a year in which to hold an event that coincides with your
community’s or industry’s 100th anniversary. Your event may benefit from ad-
ditional funding, publicity, and other important resources simply by aligning
yourself with this hallmark event. Other possible beneficial outcomes, some-
times indirect, such as the potential of contributing to the event host’s politi-
Opportunities
cal image, canare
beconsidered
defined asopportunities.
“activities that may be of benefits to an event without
significant Threats
investmentare by
activities that prevent
your organization” you from2002).
(Goldblatt, maximizing the potential of
an event. The most obvious threat is weather; however, political threats may
Threatsbeare,
justinstead, activities that
as devastating. Localmay preventleaders
political achieving maximum
must buy intosuccess. They event
your civic need to be
examinedto ensure cooperation
carefully and actionswith all be
should agencies.
taken toPolitical infighting may
minimize/eliminate them.quickly de-
stroy your planning. A modern threat is that of terrorism. The threat of vio-
The figure
lencebelow provides
erupting at ana list
eventof potential
may keepopportunities
people fromand threats. A celebrity can-
attending.
celing or not attending can also create a significant threat to the success of an
event. Typical opportunities and threats for an event are listed in Table 2-3.

Figure 4: Potential Opportunities and Threats associated with an event

Table 2-3 Event Opportunities and Threats

Opportunities Threats
Civic anniversary Hurricanes and tornadoes
Chamber of Commerce promotion Political infighting
Celebrity appearance Violence from terrorism
Align with environmental cause Alcoholic consumption
Tie-in with media Site in bad neighborhood
Winning elections Celebrity canceling or not attending
Devoloping more loyal employees

Source: (Goldblatt, 2002).

A tool which helps to identify threats and opportunities is the so-called environmental
scanning (Hoyle, 2002).
It allows to identify existing markets, competitors and complimentary events. This requires a
lot of research and input from stakeholders is necessary.
The environmental scanning is also known as PESTLE analysis.
The PESTLE acronym indicates the forces which need to be reviewed (Hoyle, 2002):
• Political. It consists of political and legal matters that could influence events. These
forces may vary considerably from country to country and also at different levels.
• Economic. It refers to the state of the economy (prosperity, recession) and other
economic aspects which may encourage or discourage people from attending events.
• Social. It includes demographic aspects, cultural and value changes. Demographics
refers to factors such as age, gender and race.

11
• Technological. It refers to technological innovations that may affect events.
Technological innovations affect both event managers (in terms of productivity and
competitive advantages) and consumers (in terms of expectations for high-tech
services).
• Legal. It is closely linked with political forces.
• Environmental. It refers to environmental practices that may affect events. “All events
must be environmentally responsible and practice green management” (Hoyle, 2002).

12
The case FCT Flames: research for WW1RR

Considering the type of event (Torch Relay intended to involve as many countries as
possible) research needed to be done to test the opportunity to extend the event to
different countries.
In particular, information regarding events already organized by countries for the
Centenary of World War I was required.
The following SWOT analysis is the result of an evaluation of the event and its
characteristics together with research results.
Strengths Weaknesses
- FCT Flames’ expertise in creating - Very little market presence (low
torches and running relays awareness of the company)
(possibility to transfer knowledge) - High startup costs (new machinery
- Event layout can be customized need to be bought to produce
according to countries wants and torches designed for the event)
needs. It can be as short or long as - Small number of permanent staff
possible. working on the event
- Website of the event under
construction
- Little funding
- Organizing the event in multiple
countries may be difficult and time
consuming

Opportunities Threats
- Can be used as a marketing event - Countries celebrating end of World
to increase company awareness War I on a different day or not
among people celebrating at all
- Build relationships for future events - Logistic issues concerned with
- Governments may offer grants providing torches around the world.
considering the purpose of the Shipping may be difficult.
event - Weather conditions during the
- 11th of November is going to be a event (for instance bad weather)
Sunday, therefore more people may - Other events already planned for
attend the event the Centenary
- Time Constraints

13
 As part of the research process, to assess interest of different countries to host the event.
letters have been written to Ambassadors of specific countries in Australia and Australian
Ambassadors in these specific countries. The objective was to inform them about the event
asking their support in getting the right contacts (who to contact in the country to propose
the event).
Additionally, considering the intention to organize smaller events by local schools in
Australia, letters have been written to schools’ principals to assess their interest to host
the event.
In this case letters were focused on the event and its purposes (remembrance and
education).
Moreover, always for Australia, letters to RSL (veteran associations) have been written
assessing their interest in the event and potential support they may provide.

The research phase is followed by the design phase (Goldblatt, 2002).

This stage requires creativity to come up with original ideas that will ultimately contribute to
the success of the event.
Different techniques can be used:
• Brainstorming. Group meetings where people are encouraged to brainstorm can be
particularly useful to come up with innovative ideas. Participants must be aware that
there are no bad ideas. This will encourage them to come up with original ideas not
restricting them. Exercises to stimulate creativity may be used as warm up activities.
• Mind mapping. It allows to put together ideas generated during brainstorming sessions
that will guide decision making. It is an effective tool to synthesize ideas allowing to
link them to the 5Ws.

14
 1.4 Planning the event
After research and design, the next phase of the event management process is planning
(Goldblatt, 2002).
Planning is closely related to the first two phases. In fact, the better the research and the
design, the easier and faster the planning.
Unfortunately, due to poor research and design, it tends to be the longest phase.
Three aspects have to be considered: timing, space and tempo. This will help figure out how
to use resources in the best way.
Time refers to the amount of time available to plan the event. It plays an important role in
deciding whether or not to proceed. In fact, if not enough time is available event managers
may decide not to continue.
Space refers to the place/venue where the event will take place. A checklist may be used to
ensure that the venue matches goals and objectives of the event. For example, characteristics
of guests (for instance age) will significantly affect the choice. Additionally, other factors will
have an impact including parking and transportation options.
Finally, tempo refers to “the rate or tempo at which events take place during planning and the
9882.ch02 10/23/01 11:27 AM Page 50

event itself” (Goldblatt, 2002).

50 Chapter 2 Models of Global Event Management

Figure 5: The planning process

Approval Time
of
Event

Select venue
Space to match
time restrictions.

The
process
must Tempo
match time
frame.

Event Date(s)

Source (Goldblatt, 2002).

Figure 2-5
Time/Space/Tempo Laws

TIMING
The law of timing refers to how much time you have in which to act or react.
The first question that many event managers ask the client is: When would you 15
like to schedule the event? The answer to that question tells you how much
time you have to prepare. Often, that timetable may seem incredibly short.
The length of time available for planning and for actual production will
Event managers need to come up with either a schedule of activities of the planning process
and the event itself. This will help identify potential delays and make appropriate adjustments.
Gantt charts are useful tools that can be used for the schedule of the activities of the planning
process. These are simple and visual graphs indicating the start, length and end time of each
task/activity (Getz, 2005).
Moreover, they can also be used for the schedule of the event program.
A business plan for the event should then be prepared (Getz, 2005). This has different
purposes such as communicate vision and purpose of the event, show how much money is
needed and help raising funding.
The business plan should include the following information:
• Background of the organisation. Origin, development and organisational chart should
be included.
• Event’s purpose, objectives and program. The reason for the event and its objectives
should be mentioned. Moreover, the program of the event should also be provided.
• Relevant stakeholders. Who they are and benefits they will receive through the event.
• SWOT analysis. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with the
event identified during the research phase.
• Participants profile. Information about people attending the event.
• Budget. Sources of cost and revenue.
• Marketing strategies. Marketing tools that will be used to promote the event and
create awareness.
• Risk management. Risks associated with event need to be identified and plans to
mitigate/minimize them should be provided.
Anyway, there is no right or wrong format (Events Management, 2006). As a result, any
information perceived to be important should be included.
The complexity of the event will impact the size of the final business plan.
If information included in the business plan change before the event, these should be
immediately updated to reflect the new situation

16
1.5 The event team

Human resources are one of the most important determinant of the success of an event
(Goldblatt, 2002). In fact, events are aimed at creating positive experiences and the staff
behind them plays a decisive role in achieving this.
As a consequence, selecting the right team with the right skills is crucial (Events Management,
2006).

The first step consists of defining job descriptions for the different roles that need to be filled.
Job descriptions usually indicate position title, responsibilities and duties, tasks, personal
attributes and knowledge/skills required (Getz, 2005).
Recruitment follows. The recruitment process usually consists of different phases (Getz,
2005). First of all, applications will be reviewed to identify those meeting the job requirements
(this phase is known as screening). Then, candidates meeting job requirements will be
interviewed.
Finally, selected people will receive a job offer specifying job descriptions and working
conditions.

It is important to start early the recruitment process in order to have enough time to advertise
job positions and conduct interviews (Goldblatt, 2002). Moreover, it is recommended to
diversify the staff in order to better represent your guests.
Different roles may need to be filled including event director, event manager, event assistant,
finance assistant, marketing manager, venue manager and programme manager (Events
Management, 2006). An organisational chart should be developed clearly showing the chain
of command.

17
Figure 6: Example of organisational chart of an event team

Source (Events Management, 2006).

The organizational chart will allow people to know whom they report to, who reports to them
and their level of autonomy (Goldblatt, 2002).
In addition to the core event team other people may be needed. Examples include the steering
group (a group made up of representatives of the different partners ensuring that their
interests are delivered) and sub-groups (groups created to address particular issues/areas)
(Events Management, 2006).
Moreover, the services of additional staff may be required: security, medical, catering and
first aid.
An important role in events is usually played by volunteers. Many events, in fact, are actually
entirely volunteer-driven (Goldblatt, 2002).
Volunteers can be defined as people “who enlist or offer their services to the organization of
their own free will, and usually without expecting to be paid” (Getz, 2005).
Providing volunteers induction and training is essential. Training must be comprehensive.
Volunteers may be provided a handbook including policies and procedures. This will help to
reduce time of training. Training may also occur in the form of group orientation.
Finally, constantly rewarding volunteers for their performance may help build loyalty among
them.

18
1.6 Event evaluation
The evaluation of the event is the last phase of the event management process (Goldblatt,
2002). Event managers need to define what they want to evaluate and how they are going to
do it.
This phase has several different purposes (Getz, 2005):
• Measure success or failure
• Measure impacts of the event
• Identify and solve problems
Moreover, evaluating an event will also help plan the next event (Events Management, 2006).
Three main forms of evaluation can be identified: the written survey, the use of monitors and
the telephone/mail survey after the event (Goldblatt, 2002).
For what concern the written survey this is usually conducted immediately after the event.
The survey will help understand participants’ satisfaction. Its main drawback is that
participants may not have enough time to develop an unbiased feedback.
Event evaluation can also occur through the use of monitors. These are trained people that
observe an aspect of the event and provide a feedback to the event manager. The main
advantage is concerned with the objective evaluation thanks to the use of a trained person.
In some cases, members of the event team or volunteers may be used in the observation
process. In this case it is important to provide them appropriate training.
Observation has several advantages over surveys (Getz, 2005). In particular, some aspects of
the event (such as participants’ behaviour under different conditions) can be evaluated only
through observation. When using observation, an evaluation checklist is recommended.
Finally, evaluation can also occur through telephone or mail surveys. These surveys are usually
conducted a few days after the end of the event allowing participants to express an unbiased
feedback.
In addition to these forms of evaluation another one, the use of preevent and postevent
surveys, is growing in popularity (Goldblatt, 2002).
This is especially useful in identifying differences between expectations and reality.
Participants will be asked to fill a survey before the event where they will express their
expectations. They will then fill a survey at the end of the event.
Comparison of the two surveys will help identifying whether or not expectations have been
met.

19
During the evaluation phase effectiveness and efficiency will have to be considered (Getz,
2005). Effectiveness is related to goal achievement. Event managers will have to determine if
goals/objectives set at the beginning have been reached.
Efficiency, by contrast, is concerned with resources used to achieve goals. Event managers
need to know if less resources could have been used to achieve the same goals. They are
interested in knowing if there has been a waste of resources.
Different impacts of an event may be evaluated: economic, environmental, social and cultural
(Getz, 2005).
The economic impact may be evaluated considering aspects such as generation of
employment opportunities, average visitor spending and total visitor expenditure. Pollution
and waste generated are, instead, the main factors considered when evaluating
environmental impacts.
A cost-benefit evaluation may also be conducted. To do this, tangible and intangible costs and
benefits will have to be compared.
Finally, event mangers may also be interested in determining the return on investment (ROI)
for sponsors. Two main measures may be used: recognition by visitors of the sponsor and
purchase of sponsors’ products during the event.
Considering the importance of the evaluation stage, this should be conducted after every
event (Getz, 2005).
Some recommendations can be provided to improve its effectiveness:
• An evaluation committee should be set up.
• Clear goals and objectives should be set up. These should follow the SMART principle.
• Involve stakeholders in the evaluation process.
• Use the evaluation of an event as a starting point when planning the next event.

20
1.7 The event budget
Preparing the budget is said to be the most challenging aspect of event management. This
mainly because its preparation relies on limited information or assumptions (Goldblatt, 2002).
As already mentioned before, different events have different purposes. As a result, they can
be grouped in one of the following three categories when it comes to their profit orientation:
• Profit oriented events. These events are characterized by revenue exceeding expenses.
They are organized to make a profit.
• Break-even events. These events are characterized by revenue equal to expenses.
• Loss leaders or hosted events. These events are characterized by losses exceeding
revenue. Their purpose is usually that of promoting a cause.
The event budget should include two main sections: the revenue plan (sources of revenue)
and the expenses plan (sources of cost) (Events Management, 2006).
Several sources of revenue can be identified: entry fees, advertising, sponsorship and public
funds/grants. Over the years, because of an increase in the cost of organizing events, many
new sources of revenue have been adopted.
For what concern entry fees, these should be realistic. In fact, people attending the event
must perceive they are getting value for money. As a result, research may be conducted to
discover entry fees charged by similar events.
Event managers can choose from a wide variety of pricing structures (Getz, 2005). They may
decide, in fact, to charge a single-entry fee for everyone, different entry fees according for
examples to age or time. Finally, they may even opt for a free entry but decide to charge
specific attractions.
For what concern sponsorship, this is defined as “cash and/or in-kind fee paid to a property
(such as an event) in return for access to the exploitable commercial potential associated with
that property” (Getz, 2005). A sponsor can be an agency, group or individual providing
resources in exchange of benefits. This practice can be beneficial for events in many ways.
First of all, it leads to an increase in revenue. Then it can enhance the image of the event (for
example through the association with companies with a positive image). Additionally, it can
represent a source of new contacts.
Finally, for what concern public funds/grants these are usually provided by public agencies to
foster particular causes. Specific criteria need to be met by applicants to ultimately receive
these funds (Events Management, 2006).

21
As mentioned before, the event budget consists of two main sections: revenue and expenses
plan.
For what concern expenses several sources of cost can be identified. Advertising, food and
beverage, entertainment, licenses, staff, research and site rental are just some of them
(Events Management, 2006).
Event managers should be able to cut costs in a way that will improve the cash flow (Goldblatt,
2002). One way to do this is prioritizing expenses. This, in fact, will help identify costs that can
be cut without significantly impacting on the event.

The case FCT Flames: budget for WW1RR

Administration, marketing, travel and torch production will be the main sources of cost.
In particular, for what concern torch production, a new machinery will need to be bought
(estimated cost: 50,000 AUD).
No entry fee will be charged. As a result, sponsorship and public funds/grants will be the
main sources of revenue to cover cost.
FCT Flames may benefit from a grant in Australia under the Armistice Centenary Grants
Program which offer up to 50,000 AUD to projects aimed at commemorating the 100th
anniversary of the Armistice.
Outside Australia, governments of different countries may offer similar grants which will
help fund the event in the specific country.
Moreover, considering that WW1RR is an event for social good any profit will be given back
to veteran associations within each country.

22
1.8 Promoting the event
The success of an event largely depends on its promotion (Hoyle, 2002). In fact, promotion
helps to create awareness and a desire among people to attend the event.
To promote an event successfully it is necessary to have a good knowledge of the audience
(people that will attend the event) in order to choose the most appropriate marketing tools
(Events Management, 2006).
As a result, the first step consists of analysing the target markets and where they are located.
The choice of marketing tools will also be affected by other factors including time and money
available.
Several different marketing tools can be used when promoting an event such as advertising,
public relations, media releases and media sponsorship (Hoyle, 2002).
Advertising is probably the most popular technique when promoting events. It includes many
forms such as newspapers, radio and the internet.
When choosing the advertising instrument, the audience and people reached by the
advertising media should be considered. For example, local newspapers and flyers may be
appropriate when promoting small, local events. By contrast, other instruments should be
used to promote larger events in order to reach a larger audience (for example broadcast
media). Internet, in particular, can be especially useful in order to target people living far away
(Events Management, 2006).
Using Internet as a promotional tool is increasing in popularity (Hoyle, 2002).
First of all, it allows to communicate. Then, it makes possible to cut costs thanks to cost-saving
techniques for marketing. Finally, it allows to conduct research regarding target markets,
venues and vendors.
Create a web page for the event can be helpful to create awareness. In this case the choice of
the event domain is very important. It should, in fact, include the name of the event or at least
part of it to be easily found by people.
Public relation is another popular promotional tool. In addition to create awareness it can also
be used to offset negative publicity (Hoyle, 2002). Its main advantage is that “it presents to
your public what others say about you” providing greater credibility compared to paid
advertisement (Hoyle, 2002).
Press releases and media alerts are just some examples of public relations.

23
The case FCT Flames: promoting WW1RR

Since WW1RR is a global event, promotion will be crucial for its success.
A mass media strategy will be needed. Marketing tools that will be used include: social
media, radio, veteran associations, government announcements.
Anyway, the promotion of the event (one of the major expense) will largely depend on the
ability to attract revenue from sponsors and/or public funds/grants.
A website of event is under construction. It will include information regarding the event,
its structure, its meaning and how to take part in it. The website will be an important tool
to help promote the event to a larger audience creating awareness.
Moreover, it will be a cost-effective tool of promotion.

24
1.9 Conclusion

This chapter has examined the subject of event management consisting in the planning and
production of all types of events (Getz, 2005).
As it has been possible to learn, while events have played an important role for societies for
thousands of years, this industry has experienced huge growth in the last few decades.
As a result, universities and colleges are placing increasing attention to this industry
contributing to always more versatile event managers.
The different stages of the process of event planning have been described highlighting the
importance of conducting appropriate research.
In fact, the importance of this stage usually tends to be underestimated because of a lack of
resources or overconfidence of event managers in their knowledge (Getz, 2005).
It is therefore crucial recognize the role played by research in planning successful events.
At the same time, the importance of post event evaluation has been highlighted.
In fact, even if it is the last stage of the process it allows to measure the impact of the event
and its success/failure. Moreover, it represents the first stage in planning the next event.
Unfortunately, once again, its importance tends to be underestimated.
As a consequence, greater attention should be paid to this stage.

25
Chapter 2: Events as a promotional tool

2.1 Event Marketing

Changes in the marketing environment and consumer behaviour have led to a decrease in the
effectiveness of traditional marketing communication strategies (Wohlfeil and Whelan, 2005).
As a result, marketers have increasingly replaced these traditional and ineffective
communications strategies with more innovative strategies.

In particular, they have focused on event marketing which consists of the staging of events
with which consumers interact. These events would allow to establish emotional attachment
to the brand.
In fact, as indicated by Close et al. (2006) “events provide an opportunity to engage the
consumer with a company, its brands, and the community”.

Tuckwell (2013) defines event marketing as “the design and development of a live themed
activity, occasion, display, or exhibit (such as sporting event, music festival, fair or concert) to
promote a product, cause, or organization”.
The author claims that event marketing is part of the so-called experiential marketing
programs.
He defines experiential marketing as “a form of marketing that creates an emotional
connection with the consumer in personally relevant and memorable ways”.
This connection, established through one or more senses (taste, smell, hearing), takes the
form of experiences.

Tuckwell (2013) states that experiential marketing, compared to traditional marketing

communication strategies, is characterised by a two-way communication.
In fact, as explained by Wohlfeil and Whelan (2005) traditional communication tools are
characterized by only one way of communication (from the company to consumers) while
event marketing (and experiential communications in general) is characterized by interactivity
involving consumers. This allows finally to establish relationships between the brand and
consumers.

26
Experiential marketing has experienced fast growth in recent years thanks to the increasing
importance placed on the concept of consumer engagement.
Tuckwell (2013) claims that, in Canada, investment in event marketing and sponsorship
(another component of experiential marketing) has increased from $ 1.1 billion to $ 1.55
billion between 2006 and 2010.
Moreover, taking Germany as an example, the percentage of the marketing budget accounted
for by event marketing among German companies has increased from 5% to 22% between
1993 and 2000.
As mentioned at the beginning, two main factors have contributed to the growth of event
marketing: changes in the marketing environment and consumer behaviour (Wohlfeil and
Whelan, 2005).

Event-Marketing
Figure 7: Event marketing: factors behind itsas Innovative Marketing Communications
growth 183

Changes in Marketing Changes in Consumer

Environment: Behaviour:
•Changes in Societal Value System
•Saturation and Fragmentation of Markets
•Shift from Maintenance to Experiential
•Competition of Communications
Consumption
•Information Overflow
•Romantic Consumption Ethic

Experience-Oriented
Marketing Communications:
•Emotional Benefit Strategies
•Experiential Marketing

Event-Marketing:
•Experience-Orientation
•Interactivity
•Dramaturgy
•Self-Initiation

Figure 1. Factors Influencing the Need for Event-Marketing

Source: Wohlfeil and Whelan (2005).

The German event-marketing concept emerged in the late 1980s in response

For what to significant
concern simultaneous
changes changes
in the marketing in both the
environment marketing
three environment
main factors and
are identified:
consumer behaviour (see figure 1), which were caused by the effects of
1. Saturation
commonofmarketing
markets. Many industries
activities have reached
on German societya (Levermann
state of maturity or Mannion
1998; decline. As
a and McLoughlin
result, an increase1995; Kroeber-Riel
in market share can1987,
only 1984). Becauseat those
be achieved residualof
the expense
effects demanded from marketers to adapt to those changes by developing
and using new innovative marketing concepts (Brown 2002; Cova 1996),
event-marketing strategies were designed to take advantage of the increasing
need for experiential consumption in affluent societies (Opaschowski 1998;
Patterson 1998; Cova 1997). However, although marketers in all affluent
societies are confronted with similar trends as their German counterparts 27
(Cova and Cova 2002; Firat and Shultz 1997; Meenaghan 1995b; Weinberg
1993), event-marketing strategies in the context of this paper have only
 competitors. This level of saturation, at the same time, is encouraging many companies
to develop new markets.
2. Competition of communication. This reflects the overuse of traditional marketing
communication strategies in response to an increasing number of similar products in
terms of features and quality.
3. Information overflow. Because human capacity to process information is limited,
• Any event that helps market a product/service, idea, place or person
consumers tend to ignore information they are not interested in.
• Any event that communicates with a target audience
• Any event which has the potential to communicate
For what concern changes in consumer behaviour two main factors are identified:
1.
As Changes in societalinvalues
these demonstrate, defining a marketing event it becomes clear that, in fact, all events can
2. Shift as
be seen to(or
experiential consumption.
more importantly The
used as) author claims
‘marketing’ that
events. Anthere
eventhas been
is an a shift from
‘occurrence’ with an
“maintenance
audience. consumption”
If an audience whicha is
exists then concerned
message with the is
or experience purchase of existential
being shared, transmitted,
generated and therefore,
necessities all events consumption”
to “experiential can potentially communicate something.
concerned with However,
enriching to be able
emotional
to usefully developRegarding
experiences. event marketing theoryand
this, Wood it is Masterman
necessary to (2008)
limit the type of event
highlight to those that
“consumer’s
are created for primarily marketing purposes. This therefore, excludes events which exist for
desire for novelty, individualism and added value.
some other purpose but are used later for marketing (for example sponsorship of pre-developed
events) or events which may have some marketing application but are primarily developed for
Changes in the marketing environment and consumer behaviour have led to a need for
other reasons (eg. community festivals). The agency, Jack Morton International (2006), provide
marketing communications focused on experience.
a useful working definition of marketing events. “Live events where audiences interact with a
The picture below provides examples of typical experiential marketing events (Wood and
product or brand face to face”. Examples of typical experiential marketing events covered by this
Masterman,
definition2008).
are given in Table 1.

Figure 8: Typical
Table1: experiential
Examples marketing events.
of marketing events

Incentive/reward events Product launches Open days

Conferences Product sampling Publicity events

‘Created’ events Road shows Press conferences

Competitions/contests Exhibitions Corporate entertainment

Charity fundraisers Trade shows Product visitor attractions

Source Wood and Masterman (2008).

Experiential events can generate short term impact but also build longer term changes in attitude
and belief (Sneath et al, 2005) therefore, as with any aspect of strategy, it is necessary to measure
and evaluate the effectiveness of this communications method (Chattopadhyay, & Laborie,
2005). It would seem logical that the evaluation cycle begins with clearly stated objectives
developed from an understanding of what can be achieved followed by unbiased and reliable
28

3
2.2 Objectives of event marketing

As already mentioned, events are nowadays part of the integrated marketing communication
strategy of many companies (Crowther, 2011).
Events as a marketing tool are used by organisations to achieve a great variety of objectives
including increasing sales, promoting the brand and increasing brand awareness.
According to Gupta (2003), objectives can range from corporate to marketing objectives.
In fact, the author mentions that in addition to increasing awareness and sales other popular
illustrates
objectives the range
include of objective
improve areas that
public image, marketing
contribute to events can realise. The
the development objective
of the areas
community
are diverse, spanning tactical to strategic. Beneath each overarching heading there exists a
andvariety
differentiate the company
of focussed from
objectives competitors.
which will vary depending upon sector and organisational
context. It should be noted that the usefulness of events stretches beyond what purists would
categorise as marketing and overlaps with sales, the author recognises the obvious distinction.
Figure 9: Objectives of event marketing.
Figure 2: Marketing Event Objectives

Source: Crowther (2011).

Marketers have the opportunity to identify primary and secondary objective areas that they
seek to realise through the event episode. For example, there may be some primary
In addition
objectivestoaround
this, Crowther (2011)
profile raising, specifies
lead that and
generation, marketers have to make
brand development. Thea event
distinction
opportunity may also provide opportunity for customer relationship management, and
between primary
customer and secondary
and stakeholder feedgoals.
forward about new product development. Management
An event, in fact, may have certain primary
decisions relating to event design, goals
delivery, and (for example
evaluation increasing
must brandfrom
flow directly awareness)
these
objectives, as expressed by Nancy Neipp from Cisco, "If the purpose of the event is to
and,generate
at the same
sales,time,
then different secondary
you'd better set up angoals
event(for example
that's increasing
a conduit sales).
for sales." (Fahmy, 2010).
The message is to ensure that every facet of the event(s) is infused by strategic intent, and not
preoccupied with operational convenience. 29
5.2 Event Platforms
This distinction between primary and secondary goals will be useful when choosing the event
but also when evaluating the effectiveness of the event in achieving its goals.

Talking about brand awareness, events are said to be an effective tool through which
communicate your brand, increasing awareness among participants (Crowther, 2011).
To achieve an effective brand communication, matching the event with the values and
characteristics of the brand is necessary.
The ability of an event to increase brand awareness is supported by several different authors.
Karpinska-Krakoviak (2015) emphasizes the ability of an event to expose participants to the
brand. This allow to increase visibility and familiarity.
Moreover, Crowther (2011) claims that an increase in brand awareness can also be achieved
through word of mouth of participants.

Organizations may then plan events with the intention to increase sales.
Events, in fact, are believed to create an environment through which achieve this objective
thanks to their interactive character allowing participants to see and even try company’s
products (Crowther, 2011).
For this purpose, particular types of events may be organized such as trade and consumer
shows.

Events can also be used to strengthen relationships with consumers. In fact, as mentioned
before, event marketing is characterized by interactivity which allows to build relationships
between the brand and consumers (Wohlfeil and Whelan, 2005).
Regarding this, Crowther (2011) claims that events “rich in relational qualities, present an
apposite vehicle to facilitate meaningful relationships with prospective clients, facilitating
their likelihood to display loyalty”.

Finally, events can be used by organisations with the intention to involve the community. In
fact, nowadays organisations realize that profit is not the only measure of success and
recognize the importance of being socially responsible.
Involving the community is part of social responsibility.

30
Marketers, after defining the objectives of event marketing, have to choose the event through
which they will be able to achieve these objectives (Gupta, 2003).
In doing this, the first step consists of choosing the level of event consistent with the
objectives.

Several options are available:

• Global event
• International event
• National event
• Regional event
• Local event
Moreover, when matching the level of event with its objectives, marketers will also have to
take into consideration budget available.

Finally, they will have to choose the specific event.

A fit between the personality of the brand and the event is crucial.
For this purpose, organisations should conduct research regarding the fit between the brand
and the event estimating potential benefits of hosting that particular event.

31
2.3 Measuring effectiveness of event marketing

As explained previously, events are used by organisations to achieve a great variety of

objectives.
Being able to measure the effectiveness of event marketing is therefore fundamental.

Organizations, when it comes to measure event marketing effectiveness, usually focus on

(Gupta, 2003):
• Changes in level of awareness. Organizations will try to discover if level of awareness
of their brand has increased thanks to the event. They are interested to discover
whether or not the event has had a positive impact in terms of brand awareness
among consumers.
• Sales results. Organizations will focus on the impact of the event on sales. They may
have set specific sales goals. As a result, they will evaluate whether or not these targets
have been reached.
• Changes in attitude. Organisations will look for changes in attuite toward the
organisation/brand among consumers.

Unfortunately, there is no agreement about what should be evaluated when measuring the
effectiveness of event marketing.
In fact, as explained by Wood and Masterman (2008) awareness may not be an appropriate
measure. The two authors claim that measuring awareness may not be really useful because
participants will probably be already aware of the organisation/brand.
At the same time, the two authors claim that measuring awareness may be useful among non-
participants.

Wood and Masterman (2008) claim that organisations, in evaluating event marketing
effectiveness, usually measure aspects at the event or soon after the event.
The two authors claim that, to have a clear understanding of the impact of event marketing,
attention should be paid to the consumer experience at the event and, more importantly,
consumers’ long-term response to the event.

32
In particular they identify three levels of event marketing evaluation:
• The event
• Consumer experience at the event
• Consumer response to the experience

For what concern the first level of evaluation (the event), this can be measured through
attendance and media coverage. The main advantage is the focus on the event. At the same
time, it is said that in this way organisations are not measuring effectiveness.

Talking about the consumer experience at the event, the two authors state that it can be
measured through a benefit-cost analysis. This second level of evaluation allow to focus on
the consumer and the experience. At the same time, its main limit is assuming that a positive
consumer experience equals to effective event marketing.

Finally, focusing on consumer response to the experience (third level of evaluation), it can be
measured assessing feelings, attitudes and behaviour. In particular, changes in attitude (for
example preference) and behaviour (for example purchase intention) as a result of the
experience will be examined. This allows to focus on outcomes. At the same time, it may be
difficult to isolate the effects of the event in the long term.

Martensen et al. (2007) have developed a model for the effectiveness of event marketing.
Their model investigates the impact of the event on brand attitude and buying intention.
According to this model, brand attitude and buying intention are influenced by event attitude,
brand emotions and event emotions. This are linked to brand involvement, event involvement
and the fit between the brand and the event.
The authors have tested their hypotheses through theoretical arguments and empirical
research.
All their hypotheses have been proved by empirical research.
Martensen et al. (2007) identify two routes that create buying intention: the brand-related
route and the event-related route.
They discovered that emotional responses resulting from an event impact the upper part
variables.

33
This means, for example, that positive event emotions result in positive brand emotions. By
contrast negative event emotions lead to negative brand emotions.
Interestingly, the authors observe that the link between negative emotions is stronger than
that between positive emotions.
The link between emotions and attitude is proved: positive brand/event emotions lead to
positive brand/event attitude. The opposite also occurs with negative brand/event emotions
leading to negative brand/event attitude.
Moreover, a link between event attitude and brand attitude has also been proved.
According to this model buying intention is influenced by brand attitude and positive brand
emotions.
Brand attitude, instead, is influenced by brand emotions (positive/negative) and event
attitude.
As a result, it is clear how an event can have an impact on brand attitude and buying intention.

34
2.4 Event Sponsorship

As explained before, event marketing is considered part of experiential marketing programs.

According to Tuckwell (2013) event sponsorship is another component of experiential
marketing.
The author defines event sponsorship as “the financial support of an event, say a sports event,
theatre production, or cause marketing effort, in return for advertising privileges associated
with the event”.

Different benefits can be identified (Tuckwell, 2013):

• Emotional connection between the company/brand and fans
• Reach target market more effectively than advertising
According to Gupta (2003) event sponsorship is an increasingly popular tool aimed at
increasing brand awareness, improving brand and corporate image.
Regarding this, the author observes that event sponsorship as a promotional activity has
experienced huge growth in recent years.

It is important to be aware that event marketing and event sponsorship are not the same.
In fact, as explained by Wohlfeil and Whelan (2005) the main difference is that event
sponsorship consists of supporting independent and external events form a financial and
logistic point of view. This is done to improve public image.
Event marketing, by contrast, consists of “staging self-initiated marketing events” to promote
the company and or the brand.
One of the key characteristics of event marketing is, in fact, self-initiation.
As a consequence, the event is totally built around the company/brand objectives.
Ownership of the event would also help avoiding problems associated with sponsorship such
as ambush marketing.
This is defined as “a strategy used by non-sponsors to capitalize on the prestige and popularity
of an event by giving the false impression they are sponsors” (Tuckwell, 2013).

Different studies have focused on the effects of event sponsorship (Gupta, 2003).
Three main measurement methods can be identified:

35
 1. Exposure-base methods
2. Tracking measures
3. Experiments

Exposure-based methods focus on the extent of media coverage resulting from the sponsored
event and estimate of direct and indirect audiences.
Tracking measures, by contrast, use consumer surveys to measure awareness and familiarity
resulting from the sponsorship of the event.
For a successful event sponsorship, a fit between the sponsored event and the
company/brand is said to be essential.

Tuckwell (2013) identifies 5 areas where event sponsorship can be used:

• Sports sponsorship. Organizations may decide to sponsor amateur or professional
sports events. Moreover, sports events can range from local to global events. Sports
sponsorship is the largest in terms of money invested by companies.
• Entertainment sponsorship. It includes events such as concerts.
• Festival and fair sponsorships.
• Culture and the arts sponsorships. These include dance, film, music, painting, sculpture
and theatre. Usually, the audience of these events is characterized by an above
average education level and income.
• Cause marketing sponsorships.

36
2.5 Conclusion

This chapter has examined the role of events as a promotional tool.

As it has been possible to learn, because of a decrease in the effectiveness of traditional
marketing communications strategies, companies have focused on more innovative strategies
believed to be able to establish an emotional connection between the brand and consumers.
These strategies are known as experience-oriented marketing communication strategies
characterized by a focus on experience, interactivity and self-initiation (Wohlfeil and Whelan,
2005).
Event marketing (defined as the staging of events to promote the brand, organisation and its
products), in particular, has experienced huge growth in recent years.
This mainly because a belief regarding its ability to achieve a great variety of objectives
including increasing sales, brand awareness and improving public image.
Unfortunately, studies focusing on its effectiveness in achieving these goals have obtained
inconsistent results (Gupta, 2003).
Moreover, authors tend to disagree regarding how event-marketing effectiveness should be
measured.
As a result, more studies are needed to actually prove event marketing ability to achieve the
previously mentioned objectives.
Moreover, more studies are needed to prove “its ability to communicate a more sophisticated
specific message” (Gupta, 2003).

37
Appendix: Internship report

Overview of the internship

Reason for choosing to undertake the internship

I did my internship by FCT flames which is a company specialized “in the design, manufacture
and operation of spectacular flame effects for ceremonial, sporting and other events”.
The company and the tasks of the internship were the two main reasons that convinced me
to undertake this internship.
First of all, I would have had the opportunity to work for the company behind the torches and
flames effects of the Olympic Games. I thought that this would have been a rare and unique
opportunity especially considering that I am a big fan of the Olympic Games.
Secondly, I would have had the opportunity to work on the marketing aspects of different
events the company is planning with one in particular (World War I Remembrance Relay)
which aims to involve several different countries all over the world to remember those we
lost in the first World War. The idea of working on different events with even an international
one with a good motive fascinated me.

Duties and responsibilities

During my internship, I predominantly worked on the marketing aspects of the current events
the company is working on. I mainly worked on the WW1RR event but I also had the
opportunity to work on few other smaller events with one that even involved a Nobel Peace
Prize winner (Muhammad Yunus).
I was involved in market research, development of marketing and social media plans and the
writing of press releases, brochures and flyers.
Moreover, I’ve been involved in the business development of the company too. Regarding this
I was required to identify new business opportunities in the soccer industry, create databases
of potential events, give a brief description of how the company could be involved and how
to target these events.

38
Required skills, knowledge and attributes
The internship required several different skills.
First of all, creativity. This skill was particularly important in tasks such as writing brochures,
flyers and press releases to promote the event. Thinking outside the box was crucial to come
up with new and innovative ideas.
Secondly, analytical thinking. In fact, a lot of research had to be done and then analysed to
plan the next steps. This skill was particularly important when performing tasks such as
developing marketing and social media plans that required a lot of research (about the
environment, competitors but also in general about the use of social media, their purpose and
so on).
Another important required skill was communication. In fact, a lot of group works have been
performed requiring good communication skills to perform effectively.
In terms of knowledge, marketing knowledge was required. In particular, it was important to
be familiar with basic concepts such as SWOT analysis, marketing plan, social media plan and
in general the different steps and ways to promote an event. I already had a marketing course
during my bachelor that gave me the foundations of the subject.
Moreover, during the internship I was having a marketing course which allowed me to expand
my knowledge. This inevitably helped me.
In terms of personal attributes being open minded was particularly important to be able to
think out of the box, not limit your thoughts and find more/new solutions to problems.
In fact, Mark from the first day told us that he didn’t want us to say that something was not
possible but to find a way to make it possible. He wanted to push us beyond our limits and
being open minded was crucial for this.

39
Overview of the Host Organisations

Background information and tasks performed

FCT Flames is part of the FCT Group created in 1984 which also includes FCT Combustion and
FCT ACTech. Overall the FCT Group has roughly 30 employees. (Fctflames.com)
It is located in Thebarton, Adelaide but it also has a subsidiary in the USA (Philadelphia).
As mentioned at the beginning FCT Flames “specialises in the design, manufacture and
operation of spectacular flames effects for ceremonial, sporting and other events”
(Fctflames.com)
The company “has a focus of being the world’s leading flame and combustion expert”
(Fctflames.com).
It has been involved in most of the Olympic Games since Sydney 2000 giving the company “a
proven track record in successfully delivering projects around the world” thanks to highly
skilled engineers giving special attention to every stage of the process to satisfy the needs of
customers.
Moreover, the company has also provided flames for events other than the Olympic Games
such as arts festivals, operas and community events.
FCT Flames aims to provide a unique and memorable experience through its flames effects
that are one of the most visible aspects of an event.
It provides several different types of products:
• Batons
• Relay Torches
• Custom Design Torches
• Portable Cauldrons
• Stadium and Olympic Cauldrons
• Custom engineered Flames
• Engineered Flame Effects

40
Organisational Chart

Executive:
• David Retallack (CEO)
• Mark Ryan (General
Manager of Business
Development)

Reaction to internship

Evaluation of the internship

Overall, I can say to be satisfied with my internship.
It has been my first internship and at the beginning I was a little bit scared not to be able to
perform well. In particular, I was afraid that my knowledge (in particular marketing
knowledge) was not enough to perform well.
This experience allowed me to really understand what it’s like to work in a company. It has
been a great opportunity to learn by doing and apply knowledge gained from University
courses.
I had the opportunity to work on different events performing a great variety of tasks gaining
more experience. Some tasks were particularly challenging while others were less. Anyway, I
always performed at my best recognizing that every task was part of the job and also realising
later that some tasks could appear boring at the beginning but useful later on.
In addition to this, I had the opportunity to work not just on marketing but also on business
development. This allowed me to explore different fields to better understand the career path
I want to choose in my future. Moreover, since I was focusing on soccer events (soccer is my

41
favourite sport) it made me realize the importance of working on something you like. In fact,
while I was working on this task it didn’t feel like I was working, making everything easier and
faster.
The flexibility of the internship and the opportunity to decide which days to go have been
really important considering I was also having courses at the same time. This allowed me to
manage the two things (University and Internship) in the best way possible to perform well in
both.
The location of the internship was really good. Only a few tram stops away from where I live.
This allowed me to reach the workplace in a very short time and not be stressed by a long
journey which could have influenced negatively my mood and my performance at work.
The atmosphere at work was very relaxed and friendly also thanks to the fact that it’s a small
company. As a consequence, everyone knows each other and it’s really easy to build
relationship with colleagues which affects positively the work performance.
What disappointed me a bit is the high number of other interns and a lack of feedback from
the employer in some circumstances.
For what concern the high number of interns it resulted in starting some tasks which were
continued (and in some cases even finished) by other interns or continuing tasks started by
others.
Moreover, especially at the end, we were often asked to work in groups because there weren’t
enough tasks for every one. Working with other interns has been great because it has been
an opportunity to be exposed to different ideas, point of views and it was really useful for
brainstorming sessions but I also believe that it may have reduced our commitment and
performance because in many situations we knew we would not have had the opportunity to
finish the task we started. In fact, another intern would have finished it.
For what concern the lack of feedback it was in part related to the high number of interns. In
fact, we were performing several different tasks especially at the beginning and it was not
always easy for Mark to check our work and give us a feedback.
I believe that Mark should improve in this. In fact, receiving a feedback is a really important
part of the learning process. It allows you to understand whether or not you performed well
and if not to make an adjustment.

42
Areas where you developed new skills and knowledge

The internship allowed me to develop several new skills.

First of all, soft skills.
Communication is the first one. In fact, as mentioned previously a lot of group works have
been performed. These have been a great opportunity to improve my communication skills
and my English level. In addition to this, I’ve also been able to improve my communication
skills thanks to the many presentations I did where I had to present my works. Moreover, since
I’ve been in charge of some group activities I’ve been able to improve my leadership skill which
is one of my weakest point.
Working in team also allowed me to improve my teamwork skills.
Several group works have been performed with people from several different countries
(Turkey, Hungary, France, Australia are just some). Thanks to this I am now much more
experienced when it comes to interact and work with people of different nationalities. In
particular, I had the opportunity to apply knowledge gained from my cross-cultural
management course which allowed me to identify cultural differences and adjust, as a
consequence, my behaviour. All of this allowed me to improve my cultural sensitivity skills.
Finally, I improved my ability to work under pressure and manage time effectively. In fact, in
several circumstances I had to meet a deadline. Consequently, I had to be able to manage
pressure and time effectively.
In addition to this, I also improved my computer skills. Specifically, I improved my Microsoft
Office knowledge and I also had the opportunity to use a CRM software, even if for a short
time, learning its basics
All these skills are really important in a workplace and I believe that thanks to this internship
I definitely improved in all of them which will come useful in my future work experiences.
In terms of knowledge I definitely improved my marketing knowledge. I had the opportunity
to work on marketing and social media plans, press releases and brochures/flyers. These were
all new experiences for me since I only studied them from a theoretical point of view during
my marketing courses. As a result, this internship allowed me to apply knowledge gained from
University and gain practical experience. I realized the difference between theory and practice
and the importance of experience. In fact, some marketing concepts may be easy from a
theoretical point of view but much more complicated when it comes to practice. As a

43
consequence, gaining practical experience is crucial and this is exactly what the internship
allowed me to do.

Co-worker relationships
One of the best part of the internship has been the relationship built with other workers and
especially the other interns.
For what concern the current employees of the company interactions with them was
restricted to lunch break since we were all having lunch in the kitchen of the company. As a
consequence, it was common to end up having lunch together with some of them. It was very
easy to chat with them and since the beginning they proved to be very interested in who I
was, what I was studying and what I was working on at FCT.
This made me feel part of the company. At the same time, chatting with them, I had the
opportunity to get to know better their job at FCT which gave me a much more comprehensive
understanding of the company since they are all mainly engineers. They are those who design
and build torches and flame effects.
For what concern the other interns, building relationship with them has been even easier since
we were working together all day. Moreover, I already knew some of them before starting the
internship because we are all part of the same double degree program.
From the first day, a good working atmosphere has been established and day after day we had
the opportunity to better know each other which has been beneficial for our teamwork,
morale and our performance too. In addition to this, since they are from many different
countries I had the opportunity to discover new cultures. For example, it was the first time I
met someone from Turkey, Iran and Brazil.
Finally, working with people of different nationalities has been a good training considering
that I aspire to work for a multinational company.

44
Supervisor relationship
The relationship with both Alice and Mark has been very good from the first day.
They are both very friendly and recognized that we didn’t have much experience adjusting as
a consequence their expectations.
Alice, in particular, was always available to help us and she always tried to encourage us when
we thought we were not doing well.
Mark was also always ready to help us, even if he was often very busy, and from the first day
he tried to push us beyond our limits encouraging us to think out of the box and never give a
no as an answer but trying to find a solution.
I think that Mark is a very prepared person form a professional point of view and that he’s
able to make people committed to their job and get the best from them.
Both Alice and Mark proved from the beginning to be interested in knowing more about
ourselves and our cultures which helped to build a relationship faster.
What disappointed me a bit was a lack of communication between Mark and Alice regarding
the projects we were working on.
For example, sometimes, when Mark was away, I was asking clarifications about the event to
Alice to be able to proceed with my task but she was not always able to give me an answer.
Moreover, especially at the end, it happened a few times that I (and other interns as well) had
to wait, in some cases even an hour, before being assigned a task.
This happened especially during days where Mark was not coming to FCT and didn’t give Alice
tasks for us or during the very last days when there was a general lack of tasks.
I found this very frustrating because I believe that an employer should always give tasks on
time and even if I recognize that things like this may happen in the workplace I had a feeling
that it was starting to happen too many times which left me a little bit disappointed
Another thing that disappointed me was the lack of feedback in some circumstances. In fact,
I didn’t always get a feedback from Mark for my works which I think would have been useful
to know if I was doing right and if not to know where I was wrong and avoid, as a consequence,
to do the same mistakes again.
As mentioned previously, I believe that the feedback is a very important part of a learning
process and that this represents an area where Mark should improve.

45
Evaluation of Internship and traditional classroom learning
The internship allowed me to apply knowledge gained from two main courses: marketing and
cross-cultural management.
For what concern marketing, I had the opportunity to work on concepts that I had studied
only from a theoretical point of view.
In particular, I had the opportunity to work on SWOT analysis, marketing and social media
plan and brochures/flyers.
These have all been new and really challenging tasks that made me realize the difference
between theory and practice. In particular, I realized that concepts that can seem to be very
simple from a theoretical perspective can be much more complicated when it comes to
practice requiring extensive research (as in the case of SWOT analysis and marketing and
social media plan) and creativity (as in the case of flyers and other promotional material).
When I was working on the SWOT analysis and marketing plan I realized the amount of
research that has to be done to be able to complete them.
First of all, a very good knowledge about the event (or company) is required and then
extensive research has to be conducted about competitors, environment and so on.
At the same time, when I was working on flyers and other promotional material I realized the
importance of creativity. As a consequence, being aware of promotional methods from a
theoretical point of view is useful but not enough. In fact, experience/practice is required.
Anyway, being familiar with the theory of these concepts has been useful because I already
knew their content and type of research that needed to be done.
As mentioned before, this internship also allowed me to apply knowledge gained from my
cross-cultural management course.
This, to be honest, was a little bit unexpected and made it possible by the high number of
interns from different countries.
In particular, I was more aware of cultural differences and the need to adjust my behaviour
when interacting with people from different cultures.
The course I had at the University, also thanks to the role plays and case studies we did, had
already allowed me to improve my cultural sensitivity skills but working with people from
different countries on a long term really helped me to apply the knowledge gained from
classroom improving significantly my cultural sensitivity skills.

46
I believe that nowadays, where people move more and more to other countries, being
culturally sensitive is a really important skill.
Both University and the Internship allowed me to improve in this. I first had the opportunity
to gain theoretical knowledge at University and then apply that knowledge in the workplace.

47
Conclusion
To sum up I can say to be satisfied with my internship.
It has been a great opportunity to understand the inner mechanisms of a company, apply
knowledge gained from University courses and, finally, learn by doing gaining practical
experience.
I had the opportunity to work on several different tasks concerned with not only marketing
but also business development allowing me to gain experience in both fields, be more
versatile and also helping me better understand the path I want to follow in my future.
All of this has allowed me to improve several different skills which make me more prepare for
my future work experiences and also more attractive to companies I will apply to work for.
I believe I improved from both a personal and a professional point of view.
In particular, I believe that I am significantly more culturally sensitive and able to work with
people from different countries which is a crucial skill nowadays in an always more globalized
world.
Even if there have been some aspects that disappointed me (such as a lack of challenging tasks
at some times and a lack of feedback in some circumstances) I realized that things like this can
happen in a workplace.
I am thankful to Mark that gave me the opportunity to undertake my internship by FCT Flames
and I look forward to starting my next work experience and apply knowledge gained from
University and this Internship as well.

48
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