Book Review

Events Management: An Introduction, C. Bladen, J. Kennell, E. Abson, and N. Wilde. Routledge,

Heather Kennedy-Eden
Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA 46202

With the growing need for event management and production classes at a university level, this book
provides an introductory text into the industry, a basic understanding of event management and the
different facets of events. The book has 15 chapters along with numerous images, figures and tables to
provide further understanding and help with visual comprehension of terms and contextual meaning. The
use of 40 case studies throughout the book offers real-life industry examples and provides a background
for discussion and assignments in class. There are also helpful inserts within the chapters called Industry
Voice which give the perspective of someone in the events industry, what their job entails and how they
perform those functions with advice on things they have learned from their experiences. The chapters are
clearly laid out with the specific aims of the chapter listed at the beginning, study activities throughout the
chapter, chapter summaries at the end followed by suggested further reading on the topic. The book also
comes with student and lecture resources available online with helps for the classroom like PowerPoint
presentations for each chapter

The book begins with a discussion on the historical aspect of events. Events, as the book states, are
central in the comprehension of human history. As we think about human history, most people would not
look at it through a lens of a series of special events or productions but it does provide an interesting
perspective historically. The book emphasizes that events are ‘artefacts of human culture’ (p.3) that are
now a fast-paced and influential industry. It references the early festivals in Christian and Jewish texts
with events often being centered around religious ceremonies and memorials.

The book then changes to modern day event management and focuses on the mechanics of event
management with topics like managing events, event design and production, event operations, human
resources, finance, marketing and risk management. It talks about events as projects and how each event
requires strategic management with consideration to characteristics like budget, life-cycle, teams, cross-
functionality, one time tasks, and leadership. Event Managers will need to wear many hats throughout the
event management process where they may be managing groups who are planning coordinators,
operations coordinators, or administrative team members or perhaps the event manager themselves may
be performing all of these roles. From setting the scope for the event, listening to stakeholders to post-
event evaluations, the book gives a brief synopsis on what each task entails.
Event Operations comes next with insight into the operational planning that takes place with all events.
This entails understanding the many aspects of the event and determining what resources, skills, and
equipment needs are required. Having an understanding of the legal requirements, accessibility issues,
insurance and contracts are paramount to successful event management. The breadth of logistics
understanding is clearly stated as it discusses the venue, suppliers, crowd management and emergency
procedures.

The event marketing chapter describes event planning with the use of a marketing plan. It establishes the
need to set goals, conduct a situation analysis (SWOT), create a marketing strategy, and allocate
marketing resources. Understanding the expectations of the event’s attendees is critical so it discusses
using questionnaires and observation as tools of research as well as secondary data. Stakeholders also
have vested interest in the event, so it is important to know what they seek to gain from the experience.
While in the marketing phase, the event objectives need to remain a focus so that the marketing mix will
work with those objectives to achieve the intended outcome. Sponsorship can also contribute to the
success of an event, so how to develop a sponsorship plan is outlined along with health, safety and risk
management aspects of events.

The next section of the book goes into detail on the different types of events that are popular in the event
industry. Sporting events, mega, public and third sector, corporate, cultural events and festivals are
discussed in length in each chapter. These chapters take you through the nuances of each type of event
and the logistics and challenges involved. Social and economic impacts are discussed along with bidding
for events, fund raising and managing volunteers. Examples and case studies from events like the
Olympics, Comicon and Mardi Gras help show how the intricacies of events differ and yet still have some
characteristics that are shared between events.

The last two chapters deal with sustainability and media in events. Sustainability in events is a current
hot topic as many organizations try to have a more focused green outlook in reference to the impact of
their event on the environment. The chapter takes into account the personal, external, and organizational
impacts but focuses mainly on the external impacts between the event and the economy, environment,
society, and local culture. The media at the event pertains to the communication methods used to inform
or entertain the audience. The role of the media and the importance it plays for the event are discussed as
well as the different aspects of working with and managing the different forms of media.

Overall, this book provides a good base level understanding of events management and the different
facets involved with managing various types of events from start to finish. It would be a good text book
for entry level event management classes because it gives a basic understanding of terms and ideas
without going into depth on the specifics. The use of case studies and industry voices brings in examples
that students can apply their knowledge to everyday examples and helps in developing a deeper
understanding of the concept. One area that the book lacks is a section on people management and ways
to deal with the different personalities and types of people that come to events. Because the people who
attend events help create the personality of the event, it is important to have an understanding of the
challenges that attendees themselves can be, so I would have liked a chapter on dealing with people,
generational differences, perceptions and learning styles. I think this book works as a primer for a
beginner event management professional as well as a sound text for introductory event management
classroom use.