BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 1

Lesson 1 Event: Definition & Type

STRUCTURE

1.0 Objective

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Defining Event

1.3 Implications of event

1.4 Characteristics of event

1.5 Classification of event

1.6 Summing Up

1.7 Terminal Questions

1.8 Suggested Further Reading

BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 1

Lesson 1 Event: Definition & Type

___________________________________________________________________

In unit 1 we shall discuss the meaning of event and various types of events.We will
further understand events& its elements which acts as an essential component of event
as a marketing and communication tool. The unit ends with the understanding of the
concept of event management.

1.0 Objectives

After going through this lesson you should be able to:

 Describe the concept of Events
 Describe the types of Event

1.1 Introduction

The dictionary defines an event as ‘anything that happens, as distinguished from

anything that exists’ or ‘an occurrence, especially one of great importance’.

Events are happenings, often used to suggest that what happened was on an
unusual scale, Memorable etc. Most of us participate in events but managing the
events are the difficult task to achieve its objective.

Or
An Event is a live multimedia package carried out with a preconceived concept,
customized or modified to achieve the client’s objective of reaching out and suitably
influencing the sharply defined specially gathered target audience by providing a
complete sensual experience and an avenue for two-way interaction.

In is important to recognize this diversity and treat every event as different; each
event has its own characteristics and requirements to be identified and met.
Regarding each venture as exactly the same is dangerous and can lead to poor
organization, through failure to consider all the relevant factors.

1.2 Defining Event

An event is something that happens, especially when it is unusual or important.

You can use events to describe all the things that are happening in
a particular situation. An event is a planned and organized occasion,
for example a social gathering or a sports match like races or competitions that
are part of an organized occasion such as a sports meeting. According to Philip
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 1

Kotler, Events are defined as “Occurrences designed to communicate particular

messages to target audience”.

We can say event is

Planned Occurrences
activity
directed
towards
Happening
attainment of
a defined goal
or objective
Event

Experience Incident

Occasion

Events can also be defined as something noteworthy that happens according to a set
plan involving networking of a multimedia package thereby achieving the client’s
objective and justifying their need of associating with events.

Event is

 Multimedia package
 Preconceived concept
 Customization or modification to achieve the client’s objective
 To reach out and suitably influencing the sharply defined and specially gathered
target audience
 By providing a complete sensual experience
 An avenue for two way interaction
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 1

So we can conclude that

An event is a
planned
gathering

An event is An event is
memorable temporary

1.3 Implications of Events

 An event is an observable occurrence.

 It can be designed to achieve certain goals.
 It can also be termed as experiential marketing.
 It is objective oriented.
 It provides an avenue for interaction.
 Events area worldwide phenomena.
 Events are gaining worldwide attention and recognition.
 The objective of events may not always be profit generation.

1.4 Characteristics of Events

1. Events offer a“ once in a life” experience as the events entail a unique

experience.
2. Events are aimed at fulfillment of certain aims and objectives.
3. As compared to projects, events generally have a shorter life span as they are
specific occurrences designed to meet certain objectives.
4. Events involve a substantial and a huge requirement of funds and management
of the scarce resources.
5. It requires judicious planning of activities, people and other resources.
6. Undoubtedly, events involve facing an environment of risks and uncertainties.
7. Events involve the important managerial functions such as planning, organizing,
coordination, staffing, reporting, budgeting, forecasting and direction.

1.5 Classification of Event

The competitive threats posed by globalization are forcing business owners to

engage in innovative ways to engage their customers. In fact, there are very few
events that cannot be used for a marketing purpose, as all communicate
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 1

something to the target audience. Events can be used to perform a number of

marketing functions; for example, communication, relationship and loyalty
building, database compilation, targeting, brand enhancement, and promotion.
Following are the categories of events.

The events can be classified as

Classification of Event

Size Variety

Mega Social / life

Events
Cultural
Regional Celebrations
Events
Minor Sports
Events
Entertainment
Hallmark
Events
Political Events

Corporate

Fundraising

Religious

a. Size of Events

Organizing an event mostly is the focused responsibility of Public relation, though it

is never possible for any one person to make it happen. In the marketing area of a
company, the responsibility is assigned to the personnel in-charge of the regional
operations, with the head office Public Relation providing the concept, Plan, and
other support to carry out the exercise. The personal at the regional level hold
sufficient infrastructure and means to execute the plan, thereby carry out the
promotional work. It is naturally logical for an organization to keep the spotlight on
the region. In terms of size, events may be categorized as follows:

1. Mega Events
The largest events are called mega events which are generally targeting
International markets. Maha Kumba Mela, the largest religious gathering in history
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 1

can be best example of Mega Event. During the 2001 event, approximately 70
million Hindu pilgrims converged on the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers in Allahabad,
India for sacred bathing rituals that devotees believe will purify and break the cycle
of reincarnation. The gathering takes place every 12 years. The 2001 Festival,
described as the “Greatest show on earth” was arguable the largest gathering of
humanity ever for a single event. Another example can be Olympics
Held in every four years

Attracts participants and spectators from all over

the world to the host city.

TV audiences of billions.

Generates economic gains for the host country.

Also involves high cost of hosting which can lead

to debts if not managed carefully.

2. Regional Events
Regional events are designed to increase the appeal of a specific tourism destination or
region. FAN fair, the world’s biggest country music festival, held annually in Nashville,
Tennessee, the Kent yucky Derby, Jaisalmer Desert Festival are all example of tourist
destinations achieving market positioning for both domestic and international tourism
markets though their annual events.

3. Local Events
A good example of a local event is a village fete bringing members of the local
community together. Indeed, members of the local community as well as local
businesses would be likely to be involved in planning and running an event of this type.
Purpose : is to engage members of the local community.

4. Minor Events
Most events fall in to this last category and it is here that most event managers gain
their experience. Almost every town, city, states, country host annual events. In the
category of agricultural fairs and expos, there is literally thousands of country, state. In
addition to annual events there are many one time events including historical cultural
musical and dance performances. Meetings, party celebrations, conventions, award
ceremonies, exhibition sporting events and many other community and social events fit
in this category.

5. Hallmark Events
These events annual and permanent and are co-branded with the destination/
community and can make the destination competitive. Events become so identified with
a particular town, city or region that they become synonymous with the name of the
place.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 1

An excellent example of a hallmark event is the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. If

you were to tell a friend that you were going to Wimbledon they’d probably assume you
had tickets to watch the tennis tournament, rather than think you’d be travelling to
south-west London. Attract national and International media coverage

b. On Basis of Variety
1. Political Events
Political Events Political events include a function initiated and organized by a
political organization or political candidate exclusively to advance and promote
political purposes or political candidate.

2. Sports
An event conducted to promote the sports activities which include cricket,
hockey, football, basket ball, karate, etc. is called a sports event. It improves the
relationship between nations as countries participate in international sports meet.
Sports events cause high viewership and also aid in improving and strengthening
political relationships amongst nations.

3. Fund Raising Events

Charitable events are different again; aiming to raise money; but the financial
benefit is for a charity, rather than for any personal gain.

4. Corporate Event
Corporate communication is the practice of developing, cultivating and
maintaining a corporate identity or brand image. A solid corporate
communications team provides initiatives to mold company
image, communicate with internal and external audiences, and sustain a long-
term positive reputation.

5. Religious Events
Religious events are conducted to provoke the religious sentiments of the people
and reinforce the belief systems and mark solidarity towards one’s very own
religion and religious practices, handed over by the ancestors.

6. Educative/Academic Events
This is an event where students, academics and representatives from companies
meet and discuss topics related to education. The goal is to approach the
positions of the three stakeholders in education through the exchange of opinions
and experience

7. Promotional Events
Promotional events can help elevate your business above your competitors. Your
promotional event’s creative theme and the fact that you’re holding an event set
your business apart from your competitors.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 1

1.6 Summing Up

Entertainment(Event includes entertainment

E
involving fun, games and information)

Venue(Place for conducting the event

V
successfully)

Equipment(Technical and non-technical

E equipment used to run the show
successfully)
Event
News(News about the new product,
N movies, activities and offers which are going
to take place)

Team(Event is a team work, group of

T individuals taking different responsibility
to make it successful)

Strategy(different strategy used like

S financial, marketing, technical and human
resources)

1.7 Terminal Questions

1. Define events.
2. Describe different types of events on the basis of size.
3. Describe different types of events on the basis of variety.

1.8 Suggested Further Readings

1. Little Field James E & Kirkpatrik C.A.: Advertising: Mass Communication
inMarketing; Vakils, Feffer & Simons Pvt. Ltd., Bombay
2. Devesh kishore & Ganaga sagar Singh: Event Management, Haranand
Publications pvt. Ltd.,delhi ISBN978-81-241-1630-2
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 2

Lesson 2 Understanding Events

STRUCTURE

2.0 Objective

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Defining Marketing

2.3 Difference between selling and marketing

2.4 Event as marketing tool

2.5 Event communication phases

2.6 Summing Up

2.7 Terminal Questions

2.8 Suggested Further Reading

BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 2

Lesson 2 Understanding Events

In the last lesson we have discussed Event and types events. In this lesson we shall
study Event as beneficial tool for Marketing and Communication for reaching sharply
defined target audience.
___________________________________________________________________

2.0 Objectives
After going through this lesson you should be able to:
 describe the role of event as a marketing tool
 describe the event as communication tool

2.1 Introduction
Whenever an individual attend an event, he expects to get benefits from the
event. Direct contact with all the segments of the target audience, provides
immediate feedback related to success and failure of an event and help the
organizer to develop future marketing plans on the basis of feedback received.

2.2 Define Marketing

The American Marketing Association defines marketing as an organizational

function and set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to
customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the
organization and its stakeholders.

There was shift in the marketing perspective from market-oriented to market-

driven. The main focus of market oriented concept was on product, i.e., we have
a product and it has to be sold. So, we have to persuade the consumers to buy
our product. All efforts of the marketing people were concentrated on selling the
product. They adopted all means like personal selling and sales promotion to
boost the sales. The ultimate goal of all marketing activity is to earn profit through
maximization of sales. Thus, we can say that market oriented approach focused
on product with end result being maximization of sales and profit through selling.

Market driven approach on the other hand considered consumers’ wants and
needs and focused on the delivery of such goods and services that can satisfy
those needs most effectively. Thus, marketing started with identifying consumer
needs, then planning the production of goods and services accordingly to provide
him the maximum satisfaction. In other words, the products and services were
planned according to the needs of the customers rather than according to the
availability of materials and machinery.

Marketing should integrate all of the management decisions so that they focus on
the goals and objectives of the event as well as those of the sponsoring
organization itself. This integration may take many forms. It may be a subtle
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 2

campaign to convince corporate shareholders or association leaders of the

importance of their attendance and their personal vote on an issue. It may be
employed to conduct research to assist in the event’s site selection process.
Marketing can play a vital role in the “search and discover” effort to identify new
markets in which to promote an event. And, of course, it should include the other
classic elements of marketing, such as advertising, telemarketing, and
promotional campaigns, to bring all of the event goals to life. The following
provides the details of these needs.

2.3 Difference between Selling and Marketing

Selling can be defined as the tricks and techniques that are employed to
exchange people cash for goods.
Marketing is getting customers to pay for your product as it does developing a
demand for that product and fulfilling the customer's needs. It is all about
discovering, creating, arousing and satisfying customers need is called
marketing.
Example: Apple has come up with new products which includes improved
applications and systems, are set at different prices depending on how much
capability the customer desires, and are sold in places where other Apple
products are sold.
In order to promote the device, the company featured its debut at tech events
and is highly advertised on the web and on television.

2.4 Event as Marketing Tool

brand

Event as
Marketing
Tool promotes

product service

How Event serves as a Marketing Tool?

BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 2

Establishes personal touch with the consumers

As Marketing Tool Event

Creates Brand Recognition

Cost Effective

Instant Feedback

Generates Lead
Let us discuss each one in detail
1. Establishes personal touch with the consumers: as events are real life setting
builds trust and is engaging. It enables to get message out much faster, more
effectively, and to an audience who is more eager to hear it. It helps product
service or idea to stand out of clutter. It facilitates face-to-face discussion with
consumers adds to loyalty, helping them to establish a much more personal and
intimate relationship with your brand.
2. Creates Brand Recognition: as it speaks of brands and generates brand
recognition through word of mouth publicity. As many as 8 out of 10 people who
take part in a marketing event pass that experience on to someone else. Making
your brand much more accessible to your target audience
3. Cost Effective: Events are a cost effective way to roll out new products or
services. You can get buy-in on a new product much quicker as you have a live,
captive audience to showcase it to. And it can come in at a much lower cost than
going through traditional media.
4. Instant Feedback: event enables the organizers and the clients to get Valuable
feedback much faster and allows them to address any potential questions or
issues. It makes business more flexible and adaptable and improves customer
satisfaction.
5. Generate Leads: simply means getting new opportunities for business. People
who show up to your event because they heard about it in advance and are
interested in what your business has to show. Event further increases their
interest. It is an efficient and quick way of developing contacts that fit in with your
target demographic and are interested collect names and contact details of those
present. Follow up after the event (or they may contact you) even if it’s just for
feedback about their experience.

2.5 Event as Communication Tool

The "event" is a communication tool that involves significant communication

activities like planning meeting, an extended interaction between people, a client
conference, conflict interchange, a compliance-gaining situation, a public speech,
an infomercial, symbolic event, etc.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 2

Event is a personal experience on one hand and emotional bonding on the other.
Event is an experience as it is in real time situation. The attendees attend the
event to be informed, to be aware or persuaded to follow a certain idea, use
product or avail services. An event leads to emotional bonding as it offers
solution to the problem which the target might face motives them to try the
product, service and ideas.

Event is a powerful tool as it influences the reputation, visibility and builds

connection with the target audience.

To communicate effectively, event manager needs to understand how

communication works. Communication involves the nine elements. These
elements can be categorized as
a. Sender and Receiver
b. Message
c. Channel or Tool
d. Communication functions—encoding, decoding, response, and feedback.
e. The last element is noise in the system.

Let’s understand marketing communication process with a help of example of

Mottainai Grandma Rides Delhi Metro. The event was carried out as a CSR
activity alongwith sender the National Book Trust (NBT), Kodansha Ltd. a
Japanese publishing house and its project implementation partner in India, IJ
Kakehashi Services Pvt. Ltd. (IJK) and Japan International Cooperation Agency
(JICA). Let’s understand the communication process of the event.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 2

Storytelling session for children

Encode
Spreading the joy of reading through joy of riding….
Primary school children learn about hygiene & environmental
best practices through Storytelling

The National Book Trust (NBT)

Sender

Kodansha Ltd. a Japanese publishing house and its project

implementation partner in India

IJ Kakehashi Services Pvt. Ltd. (IJK)

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Japan International

Cooperation Agency (JICA)

The objective of the event was to promote environmental

awareness amongst children and people across the society
through interesting storytelling methodology.
Message

Just on the eve of UN World Environment Day which is

celebrated all over the world on 5th June, there could not have
been a better opportunity to educate children about the
importance of environment and significance of respecting nature
and resources.

Ms Jaishree Sethi who conducted the story telling session,

Channel

used innovative ways to engage with the students.

BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 2

The event was conducted inside a metro train at the Dwarka Metro
station and was attended by nearly 150 participants including school
Receiver
students, some of their parents, teachers and officials from DMRC,
NBT, JICA, Kodansha and IJK

The kids grasped with rapt attention the interesting stories told
during the session and took away valuable learnings about health,
Decoding

hygiene and thoughtful waste management.

Mottainai Grandma book is very useful, especially in the Indian
context. The concept of this book is in line with the message of
Swachh Bharat Mission and it advocates the vision of Hon’ble Prime
Minister of India, Mr Narendra Modi.

2.6 Event Communication: Phases

In an event the communication can be divided into following phases:

Lets understand each of these phases in detail.

BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 2

a. Pre- Event: Longer Term: it engages and builds key community of interest and
keeps them interested. The focus of marketing is on the core target audience.
This is done by creating an engaging and valuable relationship through
interesting relevant messages that they share, answer, add to, enjoy, laugh at or
learn from. This is most likely through social media channels, editorial articles
published through specialist magazines, websites, TV programmes or through
bloggers. It’s also a time when event specially engage their members, patrons,
sponsors etc. with specific letters, meetings and networking functions.

b. Pre- Event: Medium Term: aims at creating broader awareness for the event
Continues to build excitement and interest in event includes specific messaging
and calls to action. It broadens target who are interested through use of
magazines, above the line media, advertising, editorial and brochures. The
networking is through local community which aims to raise awareness, engage
volunteers and rally the troops.

c. Pre- Event: Short Term: it is directed towards creating need for call for action,
urgency, excitement and broaden awareness to ‘opportunity seekers’ and
stimulates impulse purchase. It uses local media like advertising, posters, radio,
newspaper and TV.

d. During Event: communication aims to share the buzz and vibe to grow event
reputation and ‘bank interest’ for next event. Strong use of social media, publicity
(PR releases), website updates where possible through social media feeds.

e. Post Event: communication is focused on the celebrating the ‘success’ of the

event before people move on with their lives and onto other events. Visitor
satisfaction and event reputation surveys, social media buzz, attendance,
economic contribution, building owned audience through database follow up.
This phase, immediately after the event is when engagement both peaks and
drops away. Feedback is sought from event attendees and sponsors for product
development and quality control purposes.

Event is more than just distributing information or providing entertainment to invited

guests. It is a valuable tool for uniting people around a happening, around a brand, or
around an idea.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 2

2.7 Summing Up

a. Defining Marketing

Arousing
Discovering,
Creating
and satisfy
customer
needs
Marketing

b. How Event serves as a Marketing Tool?

As Marketing Tool
Event

Establishes personal
Creates Brand
touch with the Cost Effective Instant Feedback Generates Lead
Recognition
consumers

c. Establishes personal touch with the consumers as

Events are engaging

Event helps product service or idea to stand out of clutter

Real life setting builds trust

Events

It facilitates face-to-face discussion with consumers, helping

them to establish a much more personal and intimate
relationship with your brand
Face-to-face adds a whole other dimension of loyalty
Enables to get your message out much faster, more effectively,
and to an audience who is more eager to hear it
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 2

d. Creates Brand Recognition

Word of mouth publicity As
many as 8 out of 10 people who
Generates brand
Speaks of brands take part in a marketing event pass
recognition
that experience on to someone
else

Making your brand

much more
accessible to your
target audience

e. Cost Effective

Events are a cost effective way to roll out new products or

services

You can get buy-in on a new product much quicker

Events

As you have a live, captive audience to showcase it to

And it can come in at a much lower cost than going through

traditional media

f. Instant Feedback
Instant Feedback

Valuable feedback much faster

Allows you to address any potential questions or issues

It makes business more flexible and adaptable

Improves customer satisfaction

BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 2

g. Generate Leads

People who show up to your event because they heard about it in

advance and are interested in what your business has to show
Generate Leads

Event further increases their interest

An efficient and quick way of developing contacts that fit in with your
target demographic and are interested collect names and contact details
of those present

Follow up after the event (or they may contact you) even if it’s just for
feedback about their experience.

2.8 Terminal Questions

1. Define marketing. State difference between selling and marketing.

2. Describe event as a marketing tool.
3. Describe event as a communication tool.

2.9 Suggested Further Readings

1. Little Field James E & Kirkpatrik C.A.: Advertising: Mass Communication
inMarketing; Vakils, Feffer & Simons Pvt. Ltd., Bombay
2. Devesh kishore & Ganaga sagar Singh: Event Management, Haranand
Publications pvt. Ltd.,delhi ISBN978-81-241-1630-2
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 3

Lesson 3 Event Management: Definition & Elements

STRUCTURE

3.0 Objective

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Definition of event management

3.3 Elements of event

3.4 Summing Up

3.5 Terminal Questions

3.6 Suggested Further Reading

BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 3

Lesson 3 Event Management: Definition & Elements

In the last lesson we have discussed event as beneficial tool for Marketing and
Communication for reaching sharply defined target audience. In this lesion we shall
understand the event management and its elements.
___________________________________________________________________

3.0 Objectives
After going through this lesson you should be able to:
 Define event management
 Describe the elements of event management

3.1 Introduction

India, over the past couple of decades has witnessed a phenomenal growth of
the event management industry. Events have always been a part of the Indian
culture and have been organized by one and all, in their amateurish way, but with
the marketing pressures growing and challenges becoming tougher, the live
entertainment industry or the sales promotion techniques called events, have
gripped the attention of all marketing and public

Event management as a subject has attracted considerable attention of several

public relation professionals, due to its being a powerful tool for communicating
to the target publics. Undoubtedly, events offer a direct and quick exposure to the
intended audiences. Today, special events are an important activity as the event
reach out to several people and peculiarly satisfy the desire of most of the people
to participate in the event, who have quite a few objectives to obtain like the
special benefits offered to the visitors, to enjoy some entertainment, to gather
some stimulation, to socialize, and also to become more knowledgeable on
subjects, etc. To organizers also it is a specially created forum to share
information, showcase achievements and products, and even to express
gratitude to the public’s for their supports.

3.2 Definition of Event Management

Before defining event management let us define the two terms event and
management.

So an event is something that happens at a given place and time for a reason
with someone or something involved and management could be defined as the
act of applying necessary skills in all business and all human resourceful
activities to accomplish desired goals and objectives.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 3

The combination of these two leads to the formation of new term event
management which means "Event Management is the process of creatively
applying necessary professional skills in organizing a focused event for a
target audience to achieved a desired objective."

Importance of Event Management

The entire concept of event management is regarded as one of the most intense
or significant form of advertising or marketing. The whole process of event
management necessarily involves the organization process. This involves the
organization of a personal or a professional event. This may generally involve the
seminars, fashion shows, wedding, product launches, exhibitions etc. In short,
the event management involves the whole steps of conducting an event right
from the planning, financing, conceptualizing etc. The present scenario, event
management is an important area which has been evolving over the years along
with the increasing opportunities.

Financial management is another important aspect that the event management

companies will handle for the success of the event. This helps to reduce the
chance of the finance exceeding the budget limits. Organizing a big event is not
an easy task. The organizing person if he is not having enough experience it will
turn out to be a failure. So many planning has to be done like room hiring,
catering special diets, financial planning etc. All these things are taken care of by
Event Management Companies.
a. Events are often “Once in a lifetime” experience for the Participants.
b. They are generally expensive to stage
c. They usually take place over a short time span
d. They required long and careful planning
e. They generally take place only one (However Many are held annually,
usually at the sense time every year)
f. It includes a high level of risk, including financial risk and safety risk.
g. There is often a lot at stake for these involved including the event
management team.

3.3 Elements of Event

Key elements of event are as follows:

a. Event Organizer : The event business requires physical presence of various

professionals and running around is a routine affair in this field. The client
employee may not appreciate he designs and executes all activities concerning
an event. Organizer could be the division of an advertising / media house or a
professional event organizing company or a team of people within the
organization give the responsibility for carrying out the event. The need for event
organizers is increasing day by day as they deal with legal hassles such as
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 3

permissions to be taken from govt. agencies require lot of patience and hard
work. The organizer is also responsible for developing the networking with
media, facility providers and suppliers. The immense amount of experience and
expertise in organizing specific events that the client may never have, also
weighed heavily in favor of professional event organizer.

b. Target Audience: target audience is the customer who forms the focus of the events.
The event design varies with demographic profile of the target audience as well as
the no. of targeted audience. The costing of an event will definitely vary with both the
profile and number of audience targeted. The venue and other related costing are
decided on the basis of no,. of expected audience. Hence, not only the profile but
also the no. of target audience is important in designing successful events.

c. Client: clients are the people or organization who acts as sponsors at any event.
They Sponsor the event either partially or fully to make it affordable for the target
audience. For events as more effective marketing communication tool to create for
themselves a desires position in the mind of the target audience.

d. Media: is the specific communication mix designed to act as the front end for the
event to first inform then entice the target audience to attend the event. Media
Campaign has three stages:

i. Pre Event – It involves informing the target audience and is essentially

advertising in its genuine sense. Live converge &reporting of an event is
possible on media such as radio, TV, internet.
ii. During Event – Feedback can be obtained during a live coverage to further
enhancement for productivity from the event in terms of reach & Interaction.
iii. Post Event – It involves reporting of the success to reap the post event
benefit is a common Phenomenon. This is achieved by arranging press
conference , interviews ,Reviews and participate in talk shows by the
celebrities or core talent involved in the event

e. Venue: is the site at a desired location with the required audience capacity and
available foe a specific time where the event concept is carried out. In house
Venue– Any event that is executed within the premises of the company or institution
or in private homes or properties belonging to the client is called an in house venue.
Out House Venue – Any venue which is neither the client nor the professional event
organizer have any ownership rights is called an external Venue

f. Event Infrastructure: The essential elements are:

i. Core Concept – Fundamental underlying ethos and evolution of the various

major categories of event. Core concept is like tree that lay down the base
for all allied activity involved in event management
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 3

ii. Core People – People whom performing, acting or participating in the

process of influencing the audience to create a desired impact in terms of
favorable position for the client brand in audience mind.
iii. Core Talent – Core people should have specific expertise, reputation or
Knowledge. Core talent attracts &Influence the audience.
iv. Core Structure- The presence of formal or informal organization to manage
the event category as a whole is important to make it lucrative from its
marketing point of view. Proper organization structure in which roles &
responsibilities are clearly assigned to different member of the organization
along with proper delegation of authority to carry out these roles.
g. Sponsor: Sponsoring something (or someone) is the act of supporting an event,
activity, person, or organization financially or through the provision of products or
services. The individual or group that provides the support, similar to a benefactor, is
known as sponsor.

h. Logistics: is all about moving goods and merchandise from one destination to the
other in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. For small or local events you
can do logistic management all by yourself. However, for large events, especially
national level or international level events you will have to take the services of a
logistic manager (also known as clearing and forwarding agent).

3.4 Summing Up

Key Elements of Elements

Event Target
Clients Media Venue Event Sponsors Logistics
organizers Audience
Infrastructu
re

3.5 Terminal Questions

1. Describe the elements of the event.

3.6 Suggested Further Readings

1. Little Field James E & Kirkpatrik C.A.: Advertising: Mass Communication
inMarketing; Vakils, Feffer & Simons Pvt. Ltd., Bombay
2. Devesh kishore & Ganaga sagar Singh: Event Management, Haranand
Publications pvt. Ltd.,delhi ISBN978-81-241-1630-2
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 4

Lesson 4 5 C’s Event Management

STRUCTURE

4.0 Objective

4.1 Introduction

4.2 5 C’s of event management

4.3 Summing Up

4.4 Terminal Questions

4.5 Suggested Further Reading

BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 4

Lesson 4 5 C’s Event Management

In the last lesson we have discussed event management and its elements. The
activities required for marketing and managing events require certain steps to be
followed that can be called the five C’s of events will be dealt with in this lesson.
____________________________________________________________________

4.0 Objectives
After going through this lesson you should be able to:
 Describe the 5C’s of event management

4.1 Introduction
Activities that are required for marketing and managing the events, the steps
needed to be followed for successful accomplishment of objective through events
are known as the 5 C’s of Events. Event from conceptualization to its end can be
divided into five known as 5 Cs.

Conceptualization Costing Canvassing Customization

Carrying out

4.2 5 C’s of Event Management

It involves the following:

– Conceptualization of the creative idea and ambience
– Costing involves calculation of the cost of production and safety margins
– Canvassing for sponsors, customers and networking components
– Customization of the event according to brand personality, budgets, etc.
– Carrying out involves execution of the events according to the final
concepts.

a. Conceptualization
 Conceptualization involves a complex churning in which as many
permutations and combinations are worked out as possible. The original
concept undergoes modifications on the basis of the inputs obtained from the
other C’s. The final concepts get defined once the constraints posed by
budget, client’s requirements, target audience profile, etc. are objectively
stated.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 4

 It involves conception of the idea and the theme for the event. It also takes
into consideration the objective and the elementary need for hosting the
event.
 Planning the theme of the event with due consideration to the objective, target
audience, venue for the event, time constraints, media coverage and planning
the core elements of an event.
 It is concerned with idea formation with a differential approach to attracting
and targeting audience.

b. Costing
 It will involve preparation of cost estimates and the sources of acquiring
funds.
 Initial Concept

c. Canvassing
 It involves obtaining sponsorships.
 Fund raising, networking and advertising to generate the required mileage for
the success of the events.

d. Customization
 Client satisfaction is targeted. Reinforcing client requirements to suit the
needs of the client and the fulfillment of objective.
 It involves a custom approach, tailor-made approach aimed at facilitating the
achievement of the mission and vision of the client.

e. Carryout
 It includes set of activities and operations that lead to accomplishment of
objective.
 It is a stage where the event’s activities are in progress.
 Implementation of event plans and deviations, if any from the scheduled
activities, are remedied through a suitable course of action.
 It involves accomplishment of the objectives.

4.3 Summing Up
Conceptualization

Aim of the Event

Date of Event
Place of Event
For whom the event is planned
How to reach the target and media
coverage
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 4

Preparation of cost estimates and the sources of acquiring

funds.
Preparation of budgets.

Costing
Provision for risk coverage and managing uncertainties
also forms part of the activities.
Budgeting for profit margins, safety margins estimates etc.
will ease out the financial management issues.

It involves obtaining sponsorships.

Canvassing

Fund raising, networking and advertising to

generate the required mileage for the success
of the events.
Customization

Client satisfaction is targeted. Reinforcing client requirements

to suit the needs of the client and the fulfillment of objective.
It involves a custom approach, tailor-made approach aimed at
facilitating the achievement of the mission and vision of the
client.

4.4 Terminal Questions

1. Describe 5C’s of event management.

4.5 Suggested Further Readings

1. Little Field James E & Kirkpatrik C.A.: Advertising: Mass Communication
inMarketing; Vakils, Feffer & Simons Pvt. Ltd., Bombay
2. Devesh kishore & Ganaga sagar Singh: Event Management, Haranand
Publications pvt. Ltd.,delhi ISBN978-81-241-1630-2
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 1

Lesson 1 Organizational Structure

STRUCTURE

1.0 Objective

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Organization Structure of Event Management Company

1.3 Committee System

1.4 Meeting Management

1.5 Summing Up

1.6 Terminal Questions

1.7 Suggested Further Reading

BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 1

1. Organizational Structure
___________________________________________________________________

In the unit we discussed meaning of event and event management. In present lesson,
we shall study discuss the Organization structure of an Event Management Company.

1.0 Objectives
After going through this lesson you should be able to:
 Explain the organization structure of an event management company
 Describe Meeting and committee management

1.1 Introduction
The importance of organizational structure is particularly crucial for
communication. Organizational structure enables the distribution of authority.
When a person starts a job, he knows from day one to which he will report. Most
companies funnel their communication through department leaders. For
example, marketing employees will discuss various issues with their director. The
director, in turn, will discuss these issues with the vice president or upper
management.

1. 2 Organization structure of an Event Management Company

The work involved in planning, organizing and conducting a major event can be
sufficiently great to require the recruitment of a large team of people. Members of
the team may be involved on a full-time, part-time, contractor, casual and
voluntary basis.
An Organizing Team is a group of individuals that supports the goals of the event
and assists with its planning and execution.
Your organizing team is so important because they make the event happen.
There is no one, best way to structure an event organization, as much depends
on the environment and unique circumstances facing the organizers. Each event
is as individual as the objectives it aims to achieve – and the people that deliver
it.
Since organizational structure of a company is different from organization to
organization therefore in some event management company’s event manager
may also be an event planner and event coordinator or he may be known as
general manager instead of event manager. Similarly Attendees manager may
be known as the Hospitality manager or by some other name. Just like events,
the number, name and profile of designations changes from company to
company. The number of people involved in organizing an event depends upon
the size and scale of the event.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 1

An event management company can have following event professionals:

Pre-event: Those who responsible for the primary functions during the planning
stage, such as Finance, marketing, entertainment, catering, security, liaising with
statutory authorities.
During the event: Both during normal functioning and in case of emergency as
well.
Post event: After the event the team disperses and is left with only few staff.

1.3 Committee System

Committee is a group of people appointed or elected to administer, discuss, or
make reports concerning a subject on which its members are authorities.
Committees exist both in business and non-business organizations. In many
organizations, committees constitute an important part-of the organization
structure. A committee may review budgets, formulate plans for new products or
make policy decisions. Or the committee may only have a power to make
recommendations and suggestions to a designated official.
The committee is the cornerstone or key successful organizations. Committee
members get satisfaction from their work when they can see results developing
from their time and efforts. Most of the actual work of organizations is enacted by
and through committees, Effective meetings are planned. Assignments are
delegated to committees to be investigated, discussed, and plans of action
devised to be reported back to the entire organization. Therefore, the committee
action is one of most important working forces within an organization.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 1

The goals or mission of a functioning committee sets the stage for an effective
operation. In any group meeting, both time limitations and the size of the group
participating necessitates rules of procedure in order to accomplish this business.
This limits the extent of individual action and involvement. The committee serves
as an excellent opportunity for the development of leadership training. The
informality, as well as the fact that only one project or activity is being considered,
tends to produce a unity of purpose. Keener insight is developed if all members
have a chance to express their views. In the hands of a skilled chairman each
member is given a responsibility and therefore becomes an active, involved
individual. The success of any student group is contingent upon the nature, extent,
and thoroughness of committee action. Committees provide a natural situation for
the development of leadership through a democratic environment.
Principles for Effective Committees:
They help in taking collective decisions, coordinating the affairs of different
departments and meeting communication requirements in the organization.
Generally, committees are constituted to achieve one or more of the following
objectives
1. They are the informal work groups of any large body, involving the resources
and wisdom of the students in decisions by defining problems, discovering
solutions, and communicating these to the larger body.

2. The lifeblood of a continuing program is involvement, and committees provide

this opportunity
3. Committees have value only if their members understand the job to be done,
prepare to do it, meet on time, participate fully, and report their best thinking to the
entire group.
4. There must be a committee-developed plan of action in terms of organization,
schedule, assignment, facilities, self-evaluation, and responsibility.
5. Members must know and understand the extent of their authority as well as
responsibility.
6. Students need a voice in decisions about activities of their organization.
Members need a chance to formulate ideas in small groups with a flexible agenda.
The results achieved by committee work are no better than the work done by
committee members. The process calls for thoughtful, responsible effort by
individuals.
7. Divergent views must be clearly presented and every member given an
opportunity to voice an opinion.
8. Each committee member needs a specific assignment. A sense of being an
active part of the committee provides incentive.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 1

9. A permissive environment, where each member is encouraged to participate

and is allowed full expression, creates a positive, constructive atmosphere. Self-
satisfaction is developed from being understood and accepted and is essential to a
feeling of well being. To be able to give and take within a group with a common
purpose will help stimulate and motivate accomplishment.
According to the nature of their constitution and functions, committees can
be classified as follows:
1. Executive Committee: This committee coordinates the work of officers and
committees by forming an executive or steering committee to direct the overall
plans.
2. Staff Committees: if a committee is appointed merely to counsel and advice, it
is known as a staff committee. For instance, a committee composed of the heads
of various departments.
3. Special Committee (ad hoc): When there is a specific task to be undertaken,
or a special need arises, the chairman appoints a temporary committee to do the
job within a time limit. The committee is dissolved when the task is completed.
Role of Committees

 Within the organizing team, you will make decisions about the event and
event planning. Therefore you need a good decision-making process and
communication process so that everyone’s input and effort is valued and
considered.

 Many organizing committees meet regularly and discuss the issues at hand,
gaining ideas, insight and energy from members of the team.

 Many organizing committees have a co-ordinator or co-coordinators who

facilitate meetings and co-ordinate the work that all the other team members
are doing.

1.4 Meeting Management

Meetings are an essential part of the life of every organization and your ability to
run effective meetings with your management skills is a critical part of your
success in meeting management.

Meeting management tends to be a set of skills often overlooked by leaders and

managers. Keep in mind that meetings are very expensive activities when one
considers the cost of labor for the meeting and how much can or cannot get done
in them. So take meeting management very seriously.

Benefits of Meetings

 People can communicate on an open platform

BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 1

 Ideas are expressed and discussed

 Allow for employees to demonstrate creativity and problem solving ability
 Promotes cooperation amongst co-workers
 Increased motivation to complete tasks

Effective meetings leave your employees feeling energized and excited about
their work.

Reasons to Hold a Meeting

1. The interaction of opinions is necessary to create an idea, plan or project
2. Group dynamics are essential to the accomplishment of the purpose
3. Time restrictions limit other options
4. The subject is sufficiently complex as to require interaction and explanation

Characteristics of Effective Meetings

 Purpose and goals are set in advance
 Appropriate people are attending
 Agenda (with timeframes) is prepared and distributed in advance
 Background information is distributed in advance; participatory assignments are
made
 Meeting is actively managed
 Meeting ends with wrap-up, including action items and assignments
 Written minutes are distributed promptly

The process used in a meeting depends on the kind of meeting you plan to have,
e.g., staff meeting, planning meeting, problem solving meeting, etc.

Rules for Meeting Management

1- Selecting Participants

 The decision about who is to attend depends on what you want to

accomplish in the meeting.
 Don't depend on your own judgment about who should come. Ask several
other people for their opinion as well.
 If possible, call each person to tell them about the meeting, it's overall
purpose and why their attendance is important.

2. Developing Agendas

 Develop the agenda together with key participants in the meeting.

 The agenda should be organized so that these activities are conducted
during the meeting.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 1

 Next to each major topic, include the type of action needed, the type of
output expected (decision, vote, action assigned to someone), and time
estimates for addressing each topic
 Ask participants if they'll commit to the agenda.
 Think about how you label an event, so people come in with that mindset.

3. Opening Meetings
 Always start on time; this respects those who showed up on time and
reminds late-comers that the scheduling is serious.
 Welcome attendees and thank them for their time.
 Review the agenda at the beginning of each meeting, giving participants a
chance to understand all proposed major topics, change them and accept
them.
 Note that a meeting recorder if used will take minutes and provide them
back to each participant shortly after the meeting.
 Model the kind of energy and participant needed by meeting participants.
 Clarify your role(s) in the meeting.
4. Establishing Ground Rules

There is a few basic ground rules that can be used in most of the meetings.
These ground rules cultivate the basic ingredients needed for a successful
meeting.

 Four powerful ground rules are: participate, get focus, maintain momentum
and reach closure. (You may want a ground rule about confidentiality.)

 List your primary ground rules on the agenda.

 If you have new attendees who are not used to your meetings, you might
review each ground rule.
 Keep the ground rules posted at all times.

5. Time Management
 One of the most difficult facilitation tasks is time management -- time
seems to run out before tasks are completed. Therefore, the biggest
challenge is keeping momentum to keep the process moving.

 You might ask attendees to help you keep track of the time.

 If the planned time on the agenda is getting out of hand, present it to the
group and ask for their input as to a resolution.

6. Evaluations of Meeting Process

 It's amazing how often people will complain about a meeting being a
complete waste of time -- but they only say so after the meeting. Get their
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 1

feedback during the meeting when you can improve the meeting process
right away.

 Evaluating a meeting only at the end of the meeting is usually too late to
do anything about participants' feedback.

 Every couple of hours, conduct 5-10 minutes "satisfaction checks".

In a round-table approach, quickly have each participant indicate how they
think the meeting is going.

7. Closing Meetings

 Always end meetings on time and attempt to end on a positive note.

At the end of a meeting, review actions and assignments, and set the
time for the next meeting and ask each person if they can make it or not
(to get their commitment)

 Clarify that meeting minutes and/or actions will be reported back to

members in at most a week (this helps to keep momentum going).

 Vote of Thanks.
Meetings are used in many ways in the world today. The only way that
meetings can be made effective is if they are managed correctly.

1.4 Summing Up

Executive Committee: Coordinates the work

of officers and committees by forming an
executive or steering committee to direct the
overall plans.

Staff Committees: is appointed merely to

Types of counsel and advice, it is known as a staff
Committee committee. For instance, a committee
composed of the heads of various
departments.

Special Committee: when there is a specific

task to be undertaken, or a special need
arises, the chairman appoints a temporary
committee to do the job within a time limit.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 1

Rules for Meeting Management

Developing Agendas
Selecting Participants:The • Develop the agenda together with key
decision about who is to attend participants in the meeting.
depends on what you want to • The agenda should be organized so that
accomplish in the meeting. these activities are conducted during the
meeting.

Establishing Ground Rules Four

Opening Meetings powerful ground rules are:
• Always start on time; this respects participate, get focus, maintain
those who showed up on time and momentum and reach closure. (You
reminds late-comers that the may want a ground rule about
scheduling is serious. confidentiality.)

Time Management One

of the most difficult facilitation tasks
is time management -- time seems Evaluations of Meeting Process
to run out before tasks are
completed.

Closing Meetings
Always end meetings on time and attempt to end on a
positive note.
At the end of a meeting, review actions and assignments,
and set the time for the next meeting and ask each person
if they can make it or not (to get their commitment)

1.5 Terminal Questions

1. Define organization structure. Describe the organization structure
of an event management company.
2. Write short notes on:
a. Committee System
b. Meeting management
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 1

1.6 Suggested Further Readings

1. Little Field James E & Kirkpatrik C.A.: Advertising: Mass Communication
inMarketing; Vakils, Feffer & Simons Pvt. Ltd., Bombay
2. Devesh kishore & Ganaga sagar Singh: Event Management, Haranand
Publications pvt. Ltd.,delhi ISBN978-81-241-1630-2
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 2

Lesson 2 Understanding Events

STRUCTURE

1.0 Objective

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Event Personnel

2.3 Summing Up

2.4 Terminal Questions

2.5 Suggested Further Reading

BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 2

2. Event Management Personnel: Role and

Responsibility
___________________________________________________________________

In the last lesson we studied organization structure of an Event Management Company.

In this lesson we will discuss the roles and the responsibility of the personnel involved in
the event management company.

2.0 Objectives
After going through this lesson you should be able to:
 Describe the roles and responsibilities of the personnel involved in an event.

2.1 Introduction
A company can not be a leader in the industry unless and until it has a strong
leadership and good team. Event Company is a group of business and creative
people. So let’s see who does what in an event management company.

2.2 Event Personnel

1) Event Manager/Event Planner

He has following responsibilities:
1. He is responsible for planning and producing the whole event.
2. He is responsible for procurement management and resource management.
3. He formulates, prepares and implement risk management plan (risks related to
event planning and production)

2) Event Coordinator

He is responsible for coordinating with all event professionals and ensures that
business operations are efficient and effective.

3) Information Manager
He has following responsibilities:
1. He manages the information acquired through different sources.
2. He is responsible for the documentation of all business operations carried out
pre-event, at-event and post-event.
3. He maintains database of service providers, delegates, guests, organizers,
sponsors, partners, clients, target audience, media people and various govt.
departments officials.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 2

4. He formulates, prepares and implements the risk management plan. (risks

related to information management like loss of data)
4) Logistic Manager
He has following responsibilities:
1. Responsible for custom clearances and other clearances.
2. Responsible for warehousing of cargo
3. Cargo Insurance
4. He is expected to move goods and merchandise from one destination to the
other in the most efficient manner.
5. He is responsible for procurement management and resource management.
6. He formulates, prepares and implements the risk management plan. (risks
related to logistic management like cargo theft etc.)

5) Security Manager
He has following responsibilities:
1. He is responsible for formulating, preparing and implementing the security plan
and strategies. i.e. how to protect delegates, guests, service providers,
organizers, sponsors, partners, clients, target audience, goods and merchandise
etc.
2. He does procurement management and resource management.
3. He formulates, prepares and implements the risk management plan. (risks
related to security like stampede, brawl etc)

6) Infrastructure Manager
He has following responsibilities:
1. He does procurement management and resource management.
2. He is responsible for setting up and dismantling the infrastructure for the whole
event like:
1. Construction of boundary walls, entrance and exit gates, driveways, walkways
and parking lots
2. Construction of AC/Non AC hangers/ halls, seating arrangement, stage
design/ set up.
3. Construction of green rooms, staff rooms, storage rooms, power rooms, toilets,
sewage systems, stalls, counters, booths and kiosks.
4. He is responsible for setting up electricity, water and phone connections.
5. He is responsible for conservancy (i.e. cleanliness).
6. He formulates, prepares and implements the risk management plan. (risks
related to infrastructure management like sudden shortage of workers, materials,
power failure etc)
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 2

7) Technical Manager
He has following responsibilities:
1. He does procurement management and resource management.
2. He handles all the technical aspect of an event.
3. Setting up console, spot towers, sound and light system.
4. Setting up audio-visual aids, pyrotechnics and special effects
5. Construction of green rooms, staff rooms, storage rooms, power rooms, toilets,
sewage systems, stalls, counters, booths and kiosks.
6. He formulates, prepares and implements the risk management plan. (Risks
like technical fault, equipment failure etc)

8) Program Manager

He has following responsibilities:

1. He does procurement management and resource management. i.e.
determining needs and then locating, selecting, negotiating, contracting, training,
managing and paying the Programme participants (like anchors, speakers,
performers, DJ's, make up artists, hair stylist, photographer, florist etc)
2. He responsible for the decoration of the whole venue.
3. He decides food and beverages that will be served in the event.
4. He formulates, prepares and implements the risk management plan. (risks
related to Programme management like last minute turned down by a performer)

9) Food and beverage Manager

He has following responsibilities:
1. He does procurement management and resource management.
2. He handles the catering of the whole event.
3. He formulates, prepares and implements the risk management plan. (risks
related to catering like shortage of food, tableware etc)

10) Attendees Manager

He has following responsibilities:
1. He does procurement management and resource management.
2. He is responsible for ticketing, hotel booking, reservation, welcoming guests
and providing hospitality to the guests.
3. He does compliance management. He takes care of the guests and the
service providers.
4. He arranges transportation for the guests and service providers to and from
the hotel and the event venue.
5. He arranges sight seeing tours for the guests and the service providers.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 2

6. He is responsible for on site crowd management like delegates registration,

visitors registration, selling tickets/passes, providing inquiry and cloak room
facility to the guests and the visitors etc.
7. He formulates, prepares and implement the risk management plan (risk related
to crowd management like brawl, stampede, medical emergency, fire etc.)

11) Quality Assurance Manager

He is responsible for formulating, preparing and implementing those policies and

procedures which are necessary for maintaining event quality. An event must live
up to its clients and target audience's requirements and expectations. Event
quality management is the process of quality measurement, quality assurance (or
quality control) and quality improvement. Quality assurance means making sure
that the event meets or exceeds the customers' requirements and expectations.
Quality can be improved by improving various business operations.

12) Marketing Manager

He has following responsibilities:
1. He does procurement management, resource management and
communication management.
2. He formulates, prepares and implements marketing plans and strategies.
3. He does market research.
4. He ascertains demands and potential of the market.
5. He is responsible for the identification of the new market (.i.e.. business
development)
6. He develops and maintain good pleasant relationship with the service
providers, organizers, sponsors, partners, clients media people, various govt.
department officials and the public at large.
7. He generates revenues for the company through promotion, sponsorship,
partnership, selling exhibit stalls etc.
8. He formulates, prepares and implements the risk management plan. (risks
related to marketing like sponsorship withdrawal)
Under Marketing manager we can have:
1. Marketing Executives (or client servicing executives)
2. Telemarketing Executives
3. Media Planners
4. Media Buyers
5. Market Research Executives
6. PR executives

13) Finance Manager

He is generally a chartered accountant and handles all the legal and financial
aspects of the company and the event.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 2

14) Legal Aspects

1. He gets various permissions and licenses from the concerned licensing
authorities.
2. He reviews contracts and agreements and other legal stuff.
3. He deals with company's laws, labor laws etc.
Financial Aspects
1. He manages cash flow in an event i.e. he keeps account of each and every
expense and payment made pre-event, at-event and post event.
2. He maintains record of the revenues generated.
3. He deals with insurance, banking and taxation like income tax, TDS, Sales tax,
entertainment tax etc.
4. He prepares cost sheets.
5. He does cost volume benefit analysis.
He also formulates, prepares and implements the risk management plan. (Risk
related to finance, laws etc)

15) HR Manager
He has following responsibilities:
1. He formulates, prepares and implement the HR policies. HR policies
regarding:
2. Payments, reimbursement, compensation, penalties, termination of
employment.
3. Behavior at the workplace, dress code, harassment (including sexual
harassment), disputes, conflict of interests etc.
4. Working hours, over time, attendance, holidays, leaves (sick, personal,
annual, paid, unpaid leave)
5. Computer usage, phone usage, nepotism etc.
6. He is responsible for hiring, retaining, firing, training and motivating
employees.
7. He does performance appraisal.
8. He gives incentives and punishment.
9. He issues salary to the employees.
10. He resolves conflicts and disputes between higher, middle and lower
management employees.
11. He resolved the problems faced by employees.
12. He is responsible for developing and maintaining healthy work environment.
Note: Under HR manager we can have several HR executives.

15) General Manager

He has following responsibilities:
1. He sets mission and vision of the organization.
 BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 2

2. He formulates, prepares and implements business plans and strategies.

3. He formulates, prepares and implements risk management plans (risk
related to business like sudden price inflation)
4. He is responsible for overall general management.

2.3 Summing Up
Event Manager/Event Planner

1. He is responsible for planning and producing the whole

event.
2. He is responsible for procurement management and
resource management.
3. He formulates, prepares and implement risk management
plan (risks related to event planning and production)
Event Coordinator

He is responsible for coordinating with all event

professionals and ensures that business operations are
efficient and effective.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 2

1. He manages the information acquired through

different sources.

2. He is responsible for the documentation of all

business operations carried out pre-event, at-event
and post-event.

Information
Manager 3. He maintains database of service providers, delegates,
guests, organizers, sponsors, partners, clients, target
audience, media people and various govt. departments
officials.

4. He formulates, prepares and implements the risk

management plan. (risks related to information management
like loss of data)

Logistic Manager is responsible for

custom clearances and other clearances.

warehousing of cargo

Cargo Insurance

Moving goods and merchandise from one destination to

the other in the most efficient manner.
procurement management and resource
management.

formulating, preparing and implementing the risk

management plan. (risks related to logistic
management like cargo theft etc.)
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 2

2.3 Terminal Questions

1. Describe the role of different personnel involved in event management
company.

2.4 Suggested Further Reading

1 Little Field James E & Kirkpatrik C.A.: Advertising: Mass Communication

inMarketing; Vakils, Feffer & Simons Pvt. Ltd., Bombay
2 Devesh kishore & Ganaga sagar Singh: Event Management, Haranand Publications
pvt. Ltd.,delhi ISBN978-81-241-1630-2
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 3

Lesson 3 Account Planners and Liaisoning

STRUCTURE

3.0 Objective

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Account Planner

3.3 Roles and Responsibilities of Account Planner

3.4 Skill Set

3.5 Liaisoning

3.6 Liaison Officer: Skill Set

3.7 Liaison Officer Roles and Responsibilities

3.8 Summing Up

3.9 Terminal Questions

3.10 Suggested Further Reading

BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 3

3. Account Planners and Liaisoning

In the last lesson we have discussed the roles and responsibilities of different personnel
involved in event management company. In this lesion we shall understand the account
planning and laisioning-
______________________________________________________________________
3.0 Objectives
After going through this lesson you should be able to:
 Define account planning and liaisoning
 Describe the process of account planning

3.1 Introduction

Account planning is a function of event management company in which all kinds

of research relevant to clients' businesses is synthesized, and in which strategic
planning is coordinated. The account planner will often be the primary point of
contact for qualitative research suppliers dealing with the agency.

3.2 Account Planner

Account planner promotes their companies business, works directly with
customers on events they wish to hold, and play a large role in assisting with the
planning of events.

He is the one who works on the concept of account based marketing

(ABM) which centers around the idea of targeting a specific list of key
accounts whose needs perfectly fit your product offering and thus add
most value to the company. The campaigns for each acco unt are then
personalized to ensure maximum engagement. ABM strategy is ideal for
companies who have a strong grasp on their product-market fit and thus a
clear understanding of which accounts would be ideal clients. When
executed properly, ABM is mutually beneficial for both the supplier and the
customer since the strategy is specifically designed to directly address the
client’s needs, which in turn results in valuable long-term partnerships.

Skills for an Effective Account Planner

A good account planner will be a strategic, critical thinker and researcher
who is more in tune with the consumer than the client.
In short, account coordinators, executives and managers know what the
client wants (or needs) and account planners know what the consumer
wants.
The account planner drives the strategic direction of each campaign, and
ensures the creative work not only fits the brand but is also strategically
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 3

focused. The account planner is a key role, but many agencies place the
burdens of account planning on the account manager or director.

3.3 Roles and Responsibilities of an Account Planner

1 Gaining a comprehensive context for event management company by analysing a

wide range of information in great detail, including demographics, socio-economics
and the market for the client’s product and market share

2 Commissioning research from outside organizations to inform event strategies

3 Running qualitative research groups; using a variety of market research data to

monitor cultural and social trends and their impact on consumers’ attitudes,
behaviors and perceptions

4 Providing the creative team with a clearly defined brief that contains concise
information on the product, audience and strategy so that they can develop creative
ideas applicable to the media channels that will promote the idea most effectively.

5 With increasing public awareness of marketing strategies, a key challenge for

account planners is to develop innovative ways to reach consumers.

6 With increasing public awareness of marketing strategies, a key challenge for

account planners is to develop innovative ways to reach consumers.

3.4 Skill Set

1. Excellent research and analytical thinking skills
2. Creative and able to think around problems
3. Excellent written and verbal communication skills
4. Strong presentation skills
5. Good memory for facts and figures
6. Able to meet deadlines
7. IT literacy
8. Interest in cultural trends

3.5 Liaisoning

The French-sounding word liaison refers to a relationship, a link between people

or groups who aids communication. There are two main definitions for
liaison that stem from Old French and before that, the Latin word for "to bind."

Liaison is one of the three roles in the interpersonal managerial category,

which is concerned with interactions between the manager and other people. The
interpersonal roles cover a manager's connections within organizational and
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 3

social hierarchies, whether the relationships are up, down, or across relative
statuses.

Managers act as liaisons when making contacts with people outside of their area
of responsibility, both inside their organization and outside in the world at large.
Being a liaison involves networking, but it is far more than just amassing the most
friends on your profile. It is about linking people with resources. What do
resources mean in the context of the liaison role? Resources could be other
people, money, information, space, influence, or goods and equipment.

The liaison role should not be confused with the resource allocator role of the
decisional managerial category. Where resource allocation is deciding where
and how to distribute resources within the manager's area of responsibility, the
liaison role is not in play within the manager's own domain and does not involve
direct provision of resources. Rather, the liaison introduces contacts to
possibilities and smoothens the way toward connecting them with resources, but
it is left to the contact to follow through with implementation.

3.6 Liaison Officer: Skill Set

He should be
 organized, efficient, and communicative
 coordination skills between organization and another entity. In this role, you
will act as the middle person between our business and the other entity to
streamline operations, resolve issues, improve communications, and generally
ensure that the relationship is as beneficial as possible.

3.7 Liaison Officer Duties and Responsibilities

 Maintain thorough knowledge of the business, as well as an understanding of
how that impacts the other entities of contact
 Monitor, coordinate, and communicate strategic objectives of the business
 Collaborate and communicate successfully with other entities outside of the
business
 Work with other staff members to develop a greater understanding of the
business and any issues that arise
 Develop and foster relationships with the community, stakeholders, and other
entities
 Collect, analyze, and utilize data and feedback to identify opportunities to
improve the relationship between the business and the other entity
 Compile reports about particular incidents, events, or updates about important
issue for the business
 Proactively solve conflicts and address issues that could occur between the
business and the other entity
 Promptly respond to incidents and other events as necessary
 Act as a positive representation of the business to the community
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 3

3.8 Summing Up

a. Account planner: Skill set

Excellent
research and
analytical
thinking skills Creative and
Interest in able to think
cultural trends around
problems

Excellent
Skill written and
IT literacy verbal
Set communicatio
n skills

Strong
Able to meet
presentation
deadlines
skills
Good memory
for facts and
figures

b. Liaison Officer: Skill Set

He should be
organized, efficient, and communicative

coordination skills between organization and another entity. In this role, you will act as the middle person
between our business and the other entity to streamline operations, resolve issues, improve
communications, and generally ensure that the relationship is as beneficial as possible.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 2, Lesson 3

3.9 Terminal Question

1. Write short notes on:
a. Liaison Officer
b. Account planner

3.10 Suggested Further Reading

1 Little Field James E & Kirkpatrik C.A.: Advertising: Mass Communication

inMarketing; Vakils, Feffer & Simons Pvt. Ltd., Bombay
2 Devesh kishore & Ganaga sagar Singh: Event Management, Haranand
Publications pvt. Ltd.,delhi ISBN978-81-241-1630-2
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 1

Lesson 4 Business Operations and Accounting

STRUCTURE

4.0 Objective

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Business Plan

4.3 Stages in Business Planning

4.4 Business Plan for an Event

4.5 Operational Plan

4.6 Key components of operational planning

4.7 Guidelines for Operational Planning

4.8 Cash accounting & Accruals accounting

4.9 Summing Up

4.10 Terminal Questions

4.11 Suggested Further Reading

BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 1

4. Business Operations and Accounting

___________________________________________________________________

In the last lesson we studied the role of account planner and liaisoning. In this lesson
we will study business operations and accounting.

4.0 Objectives
After going through this lesson you should be able to:
 Define business operations.
 Define accounting.

4.1 Introduction
The Operational Plan is the third part of your completed Strategic Plan. It defines
how you will operate in practice to implement your action and monitoring plans –
what your capacity needs are, how you will engage resources, how you will deal
with risks, and how you will ensure sustainability of the project’s achievements

4.2 Business Plan

A business plan is:
 A report showing the plans of the business, often used to attract finance from
investors and creditors
 A document that is designed to provide information about a new business or
venture to persuade financial backer to invest in a business
The business plan describes out the market opportunities the business intends to
exploit, how it will do so and what resources are required

A business plan is essential to:

 Persuade people to invest in an enterprise

 Convince creditors about the credit worthiness of the enterprise
 To persuade banks and others to lend or invest money it is necessary
 Demonstrate the lender/investor has a good chance of being repaid or
getting a good return on their investment
 Build confidence about the firm and owners’ capabilities
 Demonstrate that there is a good market for the product or service

Internal uses of a business plan

 Clarify objectives
 Provide a sense of direction, purpose and urgency
 Plan all aspects and ensure that nothing is overlooked
 Provide a checklist to help run and control the business
 Monitor progress and success
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 1

 Improve performance
 Improve motivation and communication
 Allocate responsibility
 Better control and co-ordination and greater consistency
 Failing to plan makes an organisation reactive, vulnerable to threats and
closed to opportunities

4.3 Stages in Business Planning

(1) Situational analysis

 Analyse the external environment
 Analyse the internal environment
(2) Objectives
 Define the business and mission
 Set corporate objectives
(3) Strategy
 Formulate strategies
(4) Tactics
 Make tactical plans
(5) Actions
 Implement the plan
(6) Control
 Build in procedures for monitoring and controlling

Characteristics of effective business plans

Business plans are more effective if…

 They are carefully researched

 They contain detailed market analysis
 They are used as a reference point for decisions
 Actual performance is compared with objectives and objectives are
regularly updated
 They evolve over time to ensure that growth targets are realistic and
challenging

4.4 Business plan for Event (Format)

1. Cover Page
 Name of Event:
 Name and address of event organizer:
 Contact telephone/facsimile numbers, e-mail address:

2. Table of Contents
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 1

3. Executive Summary

This is the first item that will be read. It should be no more than one page in
length and should include a Mission Statement and explain the aim of the event.
The summary should briefly explain the contents of the business plan and give
a good overview of the event.
The executive summary should be concise and should contain an overview of
the following:
 What the event is
 The event’s vision & mission
 Its objectives
 When and where it will take place
 Why the event has been developed
 Who the event aims to attract (the market)
 What the key benefits of hosting the event are – to the community, sector,
stakeholders, etc
 Who developed the event and Business Plan
 Statement as to the estimated event income and expenditure
 Business Plan review (i.e. plans for monitoring and updates)
 What the main sections of the Business Plan are.

4. Purpose of the application or proposal

Here you should indicate why you are seeking grant funding or sponsorship
and How the money will be spent. This could be to build or replace
infrastructure, for Prize money, or to help cover costs and ensure the
success of the event.
In this section you will have to insert the background and history of the Event
Company.
a. Event Management/Experience – outline who you are and what your
relevant experience and track record is.
b. Event History – is this the events first year; where did the idea come
from; have there been similar events; has it previously been staged
elsewhere; what kind of event is it; who does it attract?

5. Description of the Event

Describe what the event is about, its history and its current status, whether it
is a Local regional, state or a national event, and whether it is part of a circuit
of events or a one-off event.
6. Location of the Event

Give the address and description of the event venue. Include in your
response such things as seating or spectator capacity, availability of space
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 1

for vendor stalls, sponsor’s displays, ease of access, event secretariat,

catering facilities, and facilities to accommodate participants or competitors
and if a horse event, their horses; include car and coach parking capacity.
The existing infrastructure such as power, water, public toilets are important.
Access to medical assistance and public transport is also important. Include
photographs if possible.
7. Management Structure and Team support

Here you outline the legal structure of the organizing body. Indicate whether
incorporated or not, or registered for GST. Give details of the Management
team/the Event Secretariat and any specialist technical support, or key
advisors, if applicable. Mention affiliations with any other relevant body. This
section would include the previous experience of the organizing body and its
members. It should also identify the number of people required to run the
event and availability of personnel/community volunteers to do so, to
demonstrate that you have sufficient human resources to stage the event.
8. Operation and Value Adding

Outline the duration of event including its start and finishing time. Include
details of any extra activities you would hold that would add value to the
main event. These might attract greater numbers to the event and could be:
 A concert following the event
 An exhibition or art show
 Market stalls

9. Marketing Plan

This should include the following:

 Identify your Target Markets
 Give details of any Branding policy i.e., if you have a logo
 Marketing budget, strategies and action plan, i.e. implementation and timing.
 This section should include details of advertising and promotional activities such
as the
- production and distribution of fliers and posters,
- radio and TV advertising,
- press releases in local papers and
- any co-operative marketing activities with the Kerala Tourism In the plan you
should
 Name the activity i.e. production of a flier or poster, press release or radio or TV
ad, advertisements in magazines, local newspapers etc
- When it/they will be produced and distributed
- Where it will be distributed, in the case of radio or TV let the sponsor
know the area of coverage of the network such as Imparja or other TV
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 1

station, and if there is any interstate promotion planned either in regional

centres or capital cities.
- Cost of production and distribution plan
- Activity Distribution Timing Responsibility Cost

• What action? i.e. production of flier, preparation of media release etc

• Where fliers to go to – local, interstate?
• Where will media releases be sent? (date by which this should be done)
• Who will have responsibility for implementing the task

NOTE:

Your marketing plan is important to sponsors. They will evaluate your proposal
in terms of their return from investing in your event, which means they will look
at the plan to see where they will benefit and how much publicity they are likely
to receive from your advertising campaign.
• Participants

Identify who will be the participants – what are the likely numbers of competitors
based on previous events, (if relevant) how you will attract competitors and
where will they come from.
• Trends in the market and projections of attendance based on previous
events

Provide attendance figures at the event over the past three years, or estimates
if there are no exact records. Estimate projected attendance for this event and
the potential for future events. Comment on any obvious anomalies i.e. Year of
the Outback may have been a special occasion and given an exceptional boost
to numbers, alternatively on the down side, rain may have had a big impact and
almost washed the event out causing a big reduction in numbers If there are
reasons why attendance for this event is expected to be different from that of
previous years, explain why you believe this will be the case.
• Incentives to attract spectators

Indicate if you are offering incentives such as packages built around

accommodation, event fee if applicable and entry to any additional activities
taking place over the same weekend.
10. SWOT Analysis

Include a SWOT analysis. Here you examine and list the strengths,
weaknesses threats and opportunities of your event.

 Strengths
 Weaknesses (these are within the organization/event)
 Opportunities
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 1

 Threats (these come from outside)

This will help to show why the event will be a success and ought to be more
favourably regarded than other events that are competing for the same
sponsorship dollars.
This analysis is a useful tools for the organization because by identifying
areas of weakness within an organization and threats from outside, such as
lack of transport, or too much competition, organizers themselves are made
aware of those things that may potentially threaten the success of the event.
By examining the opportunities they may also find ways of adding value to
their event. It shows funding bodies that the organisation is doing its
homework and making a realistic appraisal of the event’s potential.
11. Monitoring Performance

Outline any debriefing process undertaken at the end of the event.

Describe any monitoring procedures you have in place or intend to
implement, such as a visitor survey form that will measure the success of
this event and provide information that will assist when planning future
events. This will be encouraging to sponsors and demonstrate the event
organizers’ determination to maintain a high standard by identifying areas
where improvements might be needed. You should develop and
implement a reliable means of assessing attendance figures if this is not
already in place.
12. FINANCIAL DATA

 Grants and Sponsorship

Indicate how much money you are seeking and whether it is from a grant or
through sponsorship. Sponsorship can be in a number of forms:
- Money
- Donation of trophies, prizes
- In kind assistance i.e. use of equipment, provision of services from local
contractors
- Provision of materials if infrastructure is required to be built
- Sponsorship proposals

When preparing a sponsorship proposal give a clear outline of the

arrangements – what you are asking for, how much, what will the money it be
used for and how sponsors will benefit in return. Consider offering different
levels of sponsorship, such as Gold, Silver or Platinum. Each of these offers the
sponsor a different level of exposure and benefits relating to the amount of
money offered. Gold sponsorship for instance may secure naming rights to the
event as well as being recognized in all advertising activities and receiving a
number of complimentary tickets to the event. Silver and Platinum levels of
sponsorship will be offered less.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 1

Remember when sponsors are considering proposals they evaluate what they
will receive in return for their sponsorship dollars. They will be looking for and
expect to be given recognition and publicity.
Their return may take the form of:

 The opportunity for naming rights for the overall event

 Individual event naming
 Media exposure
 Recognition in all promotional literature and press releases – use of
their logos on all literature
 Enhancement of their corporate image because they are being
seen as good corporate citizens supporting local communities
 Acknowledgment in signage around the event area at the event
 The opportunity to put their own signage around the venue
 Allocation of seats and complimentary tickets to the event and any
value added attractions or activities
 Meals, hospitality at the event
 Opportunities to showcase their product at the event i.e. space
available for sponsors tents (this is not always the case and
depends very much on the type of event and company offering
sponsorship)
 An official role such as presentation of the trophies.

 Grant Funds
Grant Funding applications often require an indication of the benefits the grant will
bring to the community. You will need to identify what these. They could be:
- Economic benefits to businesses in town
- An opportunity for the community to work together as a team
- Employment opportunities – through benefits to local businesses
- Social benefits to the community especially in remote areas
- General publicity for the town - increasing tourism and bringing tourism
dollars into the town
- An opportunity to put money towards improving community facilities
- Support for local organizations, eg RFDS, RDNS, Schools, Youth Groups or
other groups

 Income and Expenses Statement

a. Pricing

The price of your event entry tickets directly affects the financial success of the
Event. Therefore it is important to consider the total costs of staging the event
including a margin for profit when determining your pricing strategy for
competitor and spectator entry fees, catering, space hired to vendors or sale of
souvenirs etc.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 1

b. Income Sources

- Competitor Entry Fees

- Hire of space to vendors
- Catering – Food & Drinks
- Donations
- Sale of souvenirs
- Raffles
- Other value adding activities e.g. Concert tickets,
- competitions
- Other

c. Expenses
- Catering costs
- Gate takings Security (if necessary)
- Hiring costs (from infrastructure
- table)and including sponsors tents
- Capital costs
- Public Liability and other Insurance
- Production of promotional items
- Marketing expenses (from
- Marketing Plan
- Public address system
- Gifts to Special Guests

d. Profit and Loss Statements

- Give a three-year summary of the profit and loss statement of the event,
or for the years the event has been run if less than three years
- Give income statements for past three years of for the years the event
has run if less than three years.
- Include any explanatory comments on the reports if necessary.

13. Supporting Documentation

Provide supporting documents, which may include the following:

o Copies of licenses or approvals,
o Proof of Public Liability Insurance Cover
o Copies of any contracts or agreements relating to the event
o Examples of promotional material and media releases relating to previous
events
o Other appropriate documentation
o Photographs of event site.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 1

4.5 The Operational Plan

Operational planning is the process of assuring that specific tasks are carried out
effectively. An operational planning is a subset of strategic work plan. An
operational plan is the basis for, and justification of an annual operating budget
request. Therefore, a five-year strategic plan would need five operational plans
funded by five operating budgets.
Like a strategic plan, an operational plan addresses four questions:
 Where are we standing now?
 What do we want to achieve?
 How do we get there?
 How do we measure our progress?

Operational plans should be prepared by the people who will be involved in

implementation. There is often a need for significant cross-departmental dialogue
as plans created by one part of the organisation inevitably have implications for
other parts. A operational planning allow us:
 Achievement of Goals
 Concentration of effort
 Clarity around cost/expenditure issues
 Confidence of staff
 Enhanced partnership working
 Assurance of success for Health
 Improvement/Development for Leads/Managers
 Clarity around cost/expenditure issues

4.6 Key Components of Operational Planning

1. Human Requirements- The human capacity and skills required to implement

any project, and your current and potential sources of these resources. A
good and quality human resource give power to achieve any goal within the
time limit.
2. Financial Requirements- Finance is always needed for any planning and
project. With operational planning we able to find the way of manage finance
resource.
3. Risk Assessment- What risks exist and how they can be addressed. calculate
your all the risk available.
4. Exit Strategy- In exit strategy you plan when and how you will exit your project
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 1

4.7 Guidelines for Operational Planning

Following are the Guidelines for Operational Planning:

1. What is the optimal operational plan (row material acquisition, product

sources, inventory levels, distribution, system configuration, route and mode
of distribution etc.) to meet the specific system objectives, consistant with
some long term plan, with existing facilities in the next planning period.
2. What is the best operating plan on which, to base plan for production.
3. What specific operations or sequences of operations should be performed
with existing facilities or meet specific output requirement in the next
operational period?

4.8 Cash accounting & Accruals accounting

Cash accounting includes only the transactions that actually take place within the
period covered by the account. Under this system, receipts and payments are
recognised only when cash is received or paid. The emphasis is on the objects
and purposes for which funds have been received and paid out during a particular
period. Cash accounting is also used when the system lacks enough
sophistication to implement accruals accounting and the benefits of changing
methods do not justify the costs involved.

Accruals accounting reflects all the financial transactions proper to the period of
the account, regardless of whether the account has actually been paid during that
time. Accruals accounting recognises transactions when they occur, irrespective
of when cash is paid or received. Transactions are recorded in the accounting
record and reported in the financial statements of the period in which the service
was received (expenditure) or rendered (revenue).

Financial statements prepared on an accrual basis indicate past transactions

involving payment and receipt of cash, as well as future obligations to pay and
payments to be received in the future. This method facilitates economic decision
making, by making it easier to account for the use of resources, focus on
performance and measure outputs.

4.9 Summing Up

a. Event Business Plan

Key areas to be addressed in an Event Business Plan include:
 The event’s vision and mission – i.e. what it ultimately aims to achieve
 Who the key stakeholders are
 The relevant experience and track record of the organisers
 The event’s background and an overview of plans
 The audience/spectator/participant profile
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 1

 A development plan – key aims and objectives going forward

 Marketing and communications planning
 Allocation of CDM 2015 responsibilities
 Event requirements – staffing structure, facilities, services, venues, etc
 How much the event will cost – budget projections
 How will it be paid for – identifying income streams
 Management and business controls
 Risk management and contingency plans
 Future considerations
 This business plan naturally extends to the development of an Event Action
Plan which will be a live management tool that details key event milestones and
activity against a timeline.

Event Action Plan

This action plan will vary depending on the type of event but should cover
issues such as:

 Identifying event partners and contributors

 Allocating managerial responsibilities
 Licensing, legal or insurance issues
 Key meetings – i.e. steering group or sub-committee meetings
 Emergency and contingency planning
 Venue specific activities
 Programme specific activities
 Pre-production/production milestones
 Event build (including CDM plan)
 Live event
 Event ‘take-down’ or ‘de-rig’ (including CDM plan)
 Post Event evaluation & reporting
 Use the Event Responsibilities page and the Event Location
checklists to help you identify what elements are relevant to your event,
who is doing it, what is it that they will do & by when.
 Any such Event Action Plan needs to be actively monitored and
updated and any key inter dependencies should be suitably reviewed as
the plan progresses.

4.10 Terminal Questions

1. Define business plan. Describe the key areas to be addressed in business plan?
2. Describe key areas to be addressed in event action plan.
3. Describe operational paln.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 1, Lesson 1

4.11 Suggested Further Reading

1. Little Field James E & Kirkpatrik C.A.: Advertising: Mass Communication

inMarketing; Vakils, Feffer & Simons Pvt. Ltd., Bombay
2. Devesh kishore & Ganaga sagar Singh: Event Management, Haranand
Publications pvt. Ltd.,delhi ISBN978-81-241-1630-2
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

Lesson 1 Event Proposal Planning: Licenses, Permissions

and Legalities
___________________________________________________________________
In unit 3 we shall discuss the steps involved in event planning such as licenses,
permissions etc. The following lessons will deal with event budget, event promotions
and risk management.

1.0 Objectives

After going through this lesson you should be able to:

 Define event planning.
 Describe the steps involved in event planning.

1.1 Introduction
Event planning is one of the most important stages in process of event
management. Event planner is responsible for creating the condition in which the
event takes place within the limit of the budget of the client. The event
conceptualization is impacted by certain elements of an event. A number of
elements are needed to be considered in event conceptualization. They include
the purpose of the event, the theme of an event, the venue of the event, the
audience of the, the timing of the event and the financial limitation.

The golden rule is that everything must be planned; if an event is to happen, it

can only do so as the result of carefully planned action. The steps for success
have to be identified and carried out in a prearranged fashion. The best
preparation for good word tomorrow is to do good word today.

1.2 5 'W's (i.e. Why, What, When, Where, Who) Event Plan

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

BA(JMC) 355 1
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

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

 Event Name: What will be the name of the event? For e.g.: 'Auto Expo
2007".
 Food and Beverage Menu: It contains the list of food items and
beverages you will serve during the event to guests and target audience.
Always consult a caterer while deciding your food and beverage menu as
he knows the best which wine is served with a particular course (i.e.
meal). Keep event theme, preferences and religion of target audience and
guests in mind while deciding the menu. If majority of your target audience
are vegetarian, then it is not a good idea to serve non-veg in the event.
Similarly, if majority of your guests are very health conscious then there
should also be some low calories food items in your menu. You do not
want them to go back empty stomach. Also, keep climatic conditions into
account. Do not serve out of season food items and beverages. Like
serving ice cream/cold drink in winter, food (like spicy food) that provides
warmth during summer or food that provides coolness during winter.
 Event Profile: What the event is all about? For e.g.: This event is an
International exhibition on new models of Cars and its accessories
 Guests Profile: Who will be your chief guest and other guests? Your
guest list must include organizers, sponsors, partners, clients and
specially media people. Use your imagination to create good titles to woo
your guests. Like 'Guest of honor', star guest etc. Never give special
treatment to one particular guest or guests' group.
 Event Theme: Theme means subject. An event can be based on a
particular theme like : hollywood, hawaaian, egyptian, balloon, clock, red,
white etc. Theme based events are generally parties or wedding. Like we
can have party based on flowers theme. Such type of parties is known as
theme parties. In a theme party, everything from dress code, decoration,
games, music, gifts, favors to food and beverages are based on a
particular theme.
 Service Providers: Who will be your service providers? Any professional
providing any type of service in lieu of money is a service provider. For
e.g.: DJ, anchor, florist, videographer, photographer, make up artist,
performers, decorator, models, technicians, usher etc.
 Obligations: These are the compulsions on the guests like dress code or
the knowledge of salsa dance.
 Type of Entry: Decide how will be the entry. Entry will be by ticket, pass or
through invitation only.
 Favors: These are the gifts given to guests. We can give gifts to guests
when they enter a party, when they win a game or when they leave the
party.
 Entry Fees: What will be the entry fees? If you are going to charge entry
fees, then be prepared to pay entertainment tax. Your entry fees should
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

be according to your target audience's status. If you overcharge you won’t

get any audience.
 Event Highlights: These are those activities which you do to catch
yourtarget audience and media's attention of your fashion show by Tom
Cruise.
 Promotional Campaign: How you are going to promote your event,
organizers, sponsors, partners and clients pre-event, at-event and post-
event.
 Programe Menu: It is the list of various activities that will occur as a part
of the event. Sample Programe Menu of a Conference.
 Event Budget: To determine your event budget find out what will be the
cost for producing and marketing the event. To determine production cost,
create a list of logistics used in the event and then sum up there
hiring/usage cost. You can determine marketing cost based on historical
data like past advertising expenditure for same or similar events. If you are
a first timer, then take help from an ad agency. Based on production and
marketing cost, determine your operating cost (i.e. cost to run the
business). Based on operating cost decide your own fees and the staff
salary. If you are organizing event for a client, then the client will bear the
production and marketing cost of the event. If you are organizing your own
event then you will bear the production and marketing cost. As an event
manager, you must be able to recover your production, marketing and
operating costs plus you must be able to make considerable profit also.
Developing event budget and managing cash flow pre-event, at-event and
post event is quite difficult and requires help from an experienced
professional. Better, leave this job to an Accountant if you are organizing a
corporate event or an event on a very large scale.

c. When
When you are going to organize the event (i.e. date and time)? Keep
following things in mind while selecting date and time for the event:
1. Select date and time according to target audience convenience and
availability. For e.g.: do not organize events during work days,
examination days or festival times. The best time to organize events is
during weekends like Saturday or Sunday.
2. Make sure that your event's date and time, don't clash with other event's
date and time specially bigger event's date and time. For e.g.: it is not a
good idea to organize your music concert on a day when there are any
diwali feast are organized.
3. Keep climatic conditions into mind while selecting date and time for your
event. It can be disastrous to organize event outdoor on a day when the
weather is stormy or heavy rain is expected. Here you can take help of
your own experience if you are familiar with the climatic conditions of the
region where you intend to organize the event or you can take the help of
the meteorological department for the weather forecast. Find out how the
weather will be on the day of your event.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

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

d. Who
Who will be your organizers, sponsors, partners, clients and target audience?
How many target audience you are expecting to visit the event and why? You
must have very good reason to this 'Why' as you will have to convince your
prospective organizers and sponsors that why particular number of people will
attend the event. How exactly are you going to market and produce the event.
Who are your guests? Who is holding the event? How many people are
expected to attend? Do any of the attendees need any additional
arrangements e.g. the elderly, disabled, or children?

1.3 Nature of Planning, Significance of Planning, Types of Planning

Planning is the process of deciding in advance what is to be done, where, how

and by whom it is to be done. Planning as a process involves anticipation of
future course of events and deciding the best course of action. Planning is the
selection from among alternatives for future courses of action for the enterprise
as a whole and each department within it. Planning is the process which
identifies aims and objectives, and establishes the methods, and establishes the
methods of achieving them. Project planning should be undertaken in a
structured and logical manner there are lots of excellent examples of
methodology from other industries like construction or information technology.
Leisure event organizers should learn from them.

a. Nature of Planning

The nature of planning can be highlighted by studying its characteristics. They

are as follows:

a. Planning is a mental activity. Planning is not a simple process. It is an

intellectual exercise and involves thinking and forethought on the part of the
manager.
b. Planning is goal-oriented. Every plan specifies the goals to be attained in
the future and the steps necessary to reach them. A manager cannot do any
planning, unless the goals are known.
c. Planning is forward looking. Planning is in keeping with the adage, “look
before you leap”. Thus planning means looking ahead. It is futuristic in nature
since it is performed to accomplish some objectives in future.
d. Planning pervades all managerial activity. Planning is the basic function of
managers at all levels, although the nature and scope of planning will vary at
each level.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

e. Planning is the primary function. Planning logically precedes the execution

of all other managerial functions, since managerial activities in organizing;
staffing, directing and controlling are designed to support the attainment of
organizational goals. Thus, management is a circular process beginning with
planning and returning to planning for revision and adjustment.
f. Planning is based on facts. Planning is a conscious determination and
projection of a course of action for the future. It is based on objectives, facts
and considered forecasts. Thus planning is not a guess work.
g. Planning is flexible. Planning is a dynamic process capable of adjustments
in accordance with the needs and requirements of the situations. Thus
planning has to be flexible and cannot be rigid.
h. Planning is essentially decision making. Planning is a choice activity as
the planning process involves finding the alternatives and the selection of the
best. Thus decision making is the cardinal part of planning.

1.4 Significance of Planning

According to G.R. Terry, “Planning is the foundation of most successful actions of

all enterprises.” An enterprise can achieve its objectives only through systematic
planning on account of the increasing complexities of modern business.

a. Minimizes uncertainty-The future is generally uncertain and things are likely

to change with the passage of time. Planning helps in minimizing the
uncertainties of the future as it anticipates future events.

b. Emphasis on objectives -The first step in planning is to fix the objectives.

When the objectives are clearly fixed, the execution of plans will be facilitated
towards these objectives.
c. Promotes coordination- Planning helps to promote the coordinated effort
because of pre-determined goals.

d. Facilitates control- Planning and control are inseparable in the sense that
unplanned actions cannot be controlled. Control is nothing but making sure
that activities conform to the plans.

e. Improves Competitive Strength-Planning enables an enterprise to discover

new opportunities, which give it a competitive edge.

f. Economical operation-Since planning involves a lot of mental exercise, it

helps in proper utilization of resources and elimination of unnecessary
activities. This, in turn, leads to economy in operation.

g. Encourages innovation- Planning is the deciding function of management.

Many new ideas come to the mind of a manager when he is planning. This
creates an innovative and foresighted attitude among the managers.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

h. Tackling complexities of modern business-With modern business

becoming more and more complex, planning helps in getting a clear idea
about what is to be done, when it is to done, where it is to be done and how it
is to be done.

1.5 Types of Planning

Planning is of several kinds depending upon their nature. The various types of
plans are as follows:

a. Financial and non-financial Planning-Financial planning relates to the

monetary aspect of the concern. On the other hand, non-financial planning
relates to the physical resources of the concern.
b. Formal and informal planning- A planning in black and white is known
as formal planning. Informal planning is only thinking about it and nothing
more.
c. Short-range and long-range planning- Short-term planning relates to a
period of less than one year. It is to accomplish objectives in the near
future. Medium-term planning covers a period of over one year but less
than three years. A planning between three to five years is known along-
term planning.
d. Standing and ad hoc Planning-Standing plans are permanent in nature
and are meant to be used over and over again. They ensure quick
decision and action whenever need arises. On the other hand, ad hoc
plans are generally for specific matters and are prepared only when some
need arises.
e. Administrative and operational Planning-Planning is generally done at
various levels of management like top level, middle level, and lower level.
Administrative planning associates with middle level managers and
provide guidelines to operational planning. On the other hand, operational
planning associates with lower levels of management and deals with
actual execution of operations. Top level planning is concerned with fixing
of objectives.
1.6 Requirement of a Good Plan
An effective and sound plan should have the following features:
a. Clear objective-The purpose of plans and their components is to develop
and facilitate the realization of organizational objectives. The statement on
objectives should be clear, concise, definite and accurate. It should not be
colored by bias resulting from emphasis on personal objectives.
b. Proper Understanding-A good plan is one, which is well understood by
those who have to execute it. It must be based on sound assumptions and
sound reasoning.
c. Flexible-The principle of flexibility states that management should be able to
change an existing plan because of change in environment without undue
extra cost or delay so that activities keep moving towards the established
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

goals. Thus, a good plan should be flexible to accommodate future

Uncertainties.
d. Stable-The principle of stability states that the basic feature of the plan
should not be discarded or modified because of changes in external factors
such as population trends, technological developments, or unemployment.
e. Comprehensive- A plan is said to be comprehensive when it covers each
and every aspect of business. It should integrate the various administrative
plans so that the whole organization operates at peak efficiency.
f. Economical-A plan is said to be good, if it is as economical as possible,
depending upon the resources available with the organization.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

1.7 Steps Involved in Planning an Event

Steps Involved in Event Planning

Step I: Planning Stage

• Hold A Brainstroming Planning Meeting
• Aims and Objectives
• Target Market
• Locate and Confirm Your Venue
• Event Brief
• Look for Partners
• Budgeting

Step II: Managing the Event Involves

• Volunteer Management
• Gantt Chart
• Checklist
• Rundown /Minute to Minute Schedule of the Event
• Event Display
• Media Marketing
• Risk Management

Step III: Event evaluation techniques include:

Conducting surveys or providing feedback forms during and
after the event to gauge attendee satisfaction „
Evaluating your success against the aims and objectives you
identified at the beginning of your event planning process
Preparing a SWOT analysis to examine the strengths
weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with your
event

Lets discuss each of the steps mentioned above in detail.

1. Hold a Brainstorming Planning Meeting
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

 Plan a meeting with your team at least four to six weeks prior to when you
hope to host your event.
 It gives enough time to the team to develop plan, set goals, reserve a venue,
recruit partner organizations, confirm speakers, set the agenda and finalize
other arrangements.
2. Target Market
 It answers the question ‘Who’ i.e. who will be your organizers, sponsors,
partners, clients and target audience? How many target audience you are
expecting to visit the event and why?
 Target market might be decided demographically based on age, sex etc. or
special interest groups like school teachers, food lovers, fashion enthusiasts,
music lovers etc.

Pre-event survey is one of the tools to know what the prospective attendees
expect of the event. Pre-event Surveys makes it possible to identify the needs,
interests and hopes of the potential participants thus enabling the organizers to
tailor the event to meet attendee’s expectations.

3. Locate and Confirm Your Venue

 Where you hold the event depends on your budget, the expected size of your
audience and the impression you want to give.
 There are various things to consider when picking the right venue for Media
Fest.

How to Select Venue

Size and capacity
Identify a space that can accommodate your anticipated number of audience
members.
Accessibility
The venue should easily access. It has parking lot and well connected via public
transport
A/V equipment
Does the space have suitable screening and audio equipment available? This
includes a screen (or white wall), a projector, a laptop or DVD player,
microphones, speakers, and all of the right cords that connect them.

Other considerations
Check if the space has access for people with disabilities, heating/ air
conditioning, comfortable chairs, child-care accommodations and so on.z
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

4. Event Budget is the projection (forecast) of the income and expenditure that the
event will incur based on plans made and information gathered.

Points to Remember while Preparing Event Budget

Duration available for planning the event

Working process of the event

Objectives to be accomplished

Source of funds for the events

Involvement of event management team

members

Type of the event

Contigency Fund
5. Event Brief
Event Brief is defined as an overview of the event planned. It is written before the
practical plans are made and many days prior to the date of the event and includes any
details relevant to the event and how you expect it to run such as key dates, limitations
etc.

Event Brief
• Identify and mention your target
• What is the purpose of the event
• Venue, Date and Time of the event
• Theme of the Event
• No of Guests
• Budget
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

6. Look for Partners

 After setting objectives and identifying target audience next step is to look out for
partners who can help you to get best out of your event.
 As the theme of your Media Fest is ‘Environment’ you can partner with the
Environment Ministry, NGOs etc. to have bigger impact and move more closer to
your objectives.
 It is important to invite other organizations and influential individuals as your partners
not only to make your event successful but to ensure positive and sustained change
in the community. Partners can also help you to take your event to places, help in
better planning and implementation. It can also lead to long term collaboration.

How to look for Sponsors/ Partners?

Step 1 – Brainstorm: Create a long list of businesses/organizations that you think would align well with your
event.

Step 2 – Research: Look at the organizational/business values and mission. Do they align with yours?

Step 3 – Determine Purpose: What are you looking to have the sponsor contribute? There are two ways to
work with a sponsor.
1. Sponsor provides a monetary contribution to your event
2. Sponsor and organizer agree upon a trade value o An example of this would be a media sponsor running ads
for your event through their outlets and the organizer would provide credit to that sponsor through including
their logo on advertisements, social media mentions, event announcements, etc.

Step 4 – Outreach: Now that you have a solidified list of potential sponsors, it’s time to start outreach. It is
important to be prepared for the conversation of what you expect from the sponsor and the benefits you would
provide them.

Step 5 – Agreement: It is important you create and execute some sort of agreement between you and the
sponsor. This agreement should include the terms you discussed during outreach. Have one member of your
organization and one representative of the sponsoring business sign and date after the terms. Overall, it’s
important to remain flexible during this process. Sometimes businesses are not able to provide everything you
have in mind, but will still try to contribute in some way when possible
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

Step II:
Now that we are done with the planning part, let us now start managing our event.
Managing means to handle, direct, govern or control in action or use.

Managing the Event Involves

Volunteer Management

Gantt Chart

Checklist

Rundown /Minute to Minute Schedule of the Event

Event Display

Media Marketing

Risk Management

1. Volunteer Management: The size of the event determines the size of the
organizing committee as it makes the committee responsible for an event's
planning and management can include better workload sharing and a wider range
of ideas.

Good volunteer management

involves the following steps

Recruitment „

Selection and Screening

Training and Induction

„Rewards and Recognition

2. Gantt Chart

A Gantt chart is defined as a useful graphical tool which shows activities or tasks
performed against time. It is also known as visual presentation of a project where the
activities are broken down and displayed on a chart which makes it is easy to
understand and interpret.

A Gantt chart is generally used in the early planning days and in the lead -up an event.
In this type of planning sheet, dates are listed across the top of the chart, and rules are
used to illustrate how long each task will take. The benefit of this type of chart is that the
inter dependence of the tasks can be clearly seen.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

For example, once you have plotted the process of recruiting, inducting, training, and
roistering staff for an event, you may realize that the recruitment process needs to start
earlier than expected to enable staff to be completely ready for the big day.
In the case of arrangements with sponsors, for example, these need to be finalized
before any work can be done on print or promotional material because sponsors need
to approve the use of their logos. If one sponsor pulls out of the arrangement, this
change will have an impact on print production, which will, in turn, affect promotional
activities and ticket sales. Project planning software, including specialized event
planning software, is available, whereas for smaller events a spreadsheet is probably
sufficient. The trick is to identify the tasks that can be clustered together and to choose
the ideal level of detail re-quire in planning the event.

Another point to take into account is that change is an integral part of event planning,
and it may be necessary to make significant changes that immediately make all your
charts redundant. An experienced event manager is able to ascertain the level of
planning required to ensure that everyone is clear about his or her roles and
responsibilities, while remaining reasonably open to change.

Each of these major tasks could also be used as the basis for a more detailed plan. This
has been done in Figure, which shows the planning process for recruiting and training
staff for the preceding event. This Gantt chart is clearly an example of a fairly detailed
level of planning although, even here, the training aspect is not covered fully, because
there would to many steps involved, including writing training materials and seeking
approval of the content from the various functional area managers.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

Maps to Models

Maps are a useful way to represent an event, particularly to contractors who may want
to set up the site. It may be necessary to develop more than one map or plan. Now a
day there are most of computers software programs that can be used to generate
computer images giving the different parties involved in the events better understanding
of the facilities.

The Various people might include the following

 Builders and designers

 Telecommunication and electrical contractors
 Emergency response team
 Spectator service hosts
 Artists, Entertainers and exhibitors.
 Event audience.

Models are also extremely useful since most clients find it difficult to visualize three
dimensional concepts. Models can also assist in many aspects of once event
management, such as crowd control. In this instance bottlenecks and other potential
problems are likely to emerge from viewing the dimensional illustration.

3. Event Checklist
An event planning checklist is a planner’s best friend, an invaluable tool for
successfully managing the events. As it aids in planning, creates the list of task that
needs to be done and reduces chances of failure. It helps to ensure consistency and
completeness in carrying out a task. A basic example is the "to do list.”
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

Preliminary Prep Hold a brainstorming / planning meeting.

6-8 weeks prior to event Recruit partners and/or co-sponsors.

Determine your general objectives and target audiences.

Initial planning Book the venue and determine the date of your event.

6 weeks prior to event Refine objectives for the event.

Identify roles for partner organizations and secure commitments.

Logistical planning Draft the event agenda (and vet with partners if applicable).

4 weeks prior to event Determine speakers, panelists, performers, and the moderator.
Create promotional materials: a flyer, email blasts, and/or a press

release.

Request food and raffle donations from local businesses.

Arrange for a translator to attend if you expect audience members

with limited English proficiency.

Promotion Get the word out electronically (Facebook, Twitter, etc).

3–4 weeks prior to event Include contact information, your website address, and RSVP

information as applicable.

Contact community calendars and online event sites about your

event.

Post flyers in high-traffic areas.

BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

Continued planning Send out your press release.

2 weeks prior to event Check all of your technical equipment and make adjustments as

necessary. Confirm food for the reception (if applicable).

Confirm all details with event staff (caterer, venue, IT, etc.) and

finalize the agenda.

Media outreach Follow up with press who expressed an interest in covering the story.

10 days prior to event Remind them what makes your event unique and important for the

community.

Final logistics Test all of your equipment with the DVD you’ll be using at the venue

where the film will be screened.

several days prior to

event Send a reminder email blast.

Make copies of handouts (with relevant facts, action steps, etc.) to

distribute at the event.

At the event itself Before the event starts, huddle with your local partners and panelists

to get everyone on the same page regarding your introductions and

post-screening discussion.

Set up any tables or display materials.

Assign one or two people to greet people as they arrive and to

distribute programs, materials and so on.

BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

Assign a timekeeper to keep the event on track.

Check in with your photographer to make sure he/she understands

the event’s agenda. If you collected RSVPs, have an alphabetically

ordered guest list handy to keep track of who comes and how many

unexpected people show up.

After your screening Send a follow-up email to attendees and invite them to future

meetings and events.

4. Minute to Minute Schedule

Minute to Minute Schedule is a tool used by the professional event managers to define
order of tasks and activities that are scheduled on the venue on the day of the event. It
helps the event organizer follow the plan and avoid delay in activities. Every event planner
makes a minute to minute plan for smooth functioning of the event.

Event: Media Fest 2018

Venue: Auditorium, Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, Delhi Kendra
Date: 16 March 2018

Time Activities

10:00 hrs Welcome Address by Director, MBICEM

10:05 hrs Opening Remarks by Coordinator, SPHEEHA - Delhi Chapter
10.10 hrs Address by President, SPHEEHA
10:30 hrs Address by the Chief Guest
10:50 hrs Address by the Guest of Honour
11:10 hrs Screenings of 3 Best Mobile Films, 3 Best Photo Stories and Awards
Distribution by the Chief Guest

13:40 hrs Vote of Thanks by Director, MBICEM & Coordinator, SPHEEHA - Delhi
Chapter

13:45 hrs Lunch

BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

5. Event Display
Event display simply means making a plan to place prominent things at place from
where they are readily seen. It is also known as floor plan.

Tips for Making the Best Use of a Floor Plan

Include as much detail as possible eg. number of tables, number of guests

are supposed to be seated at the table, total guest count

Send the plan to everyone. This allows everyone to visualize what the space
should look like

On site, vendors can work together to execute the vision based on the floor
plan

Mark the position of stage, media , arrangement of refreshments

6. Event Marketing
Event marketing, according to Advertising Age, is now an intrinsic part of any
marketing plan. Along with advertising, public relations, and promotions, events
serve to create awareness and persuade prospects to purchase goods and
services.

The elements of the marketing communications mix

The Marketing Communications Mix is the specific mix of advertising,

personal selling, sales promotion, public relations, and direct marketing a
company uses to pursue its advertising and marketing objectives.
Definitions:
1.Advertising - Any paid form of nonpersonal presentation and promotion of
ideas, goods, or services by an identified sponsor.
2. Personal selling - Personal presentation by the firm’s sales force for the
purpose of making sales and building customer relationships.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

3. Sales promotion - Short-term incentives to encourage the purchase or sale of

a product or service.
4. Public relations - Building good relationships with the company’s various
publics by obtaining favorable publicity, building up a good "corporate image",
and handling or heading off unfavorable rumors, stories, and events.
5 Direct marketing - Direct communications with carefully targeted individual
consumers to obtain an immediate response and cultivate lasting customer
relationships.

Setting the Promotion Mix

When deciding how to properly utilize the marketing communications mix to meet
your marketing objectives, it is important to consider the relative strengths and
weaknesses of each component of the mix. Further, you must always define your
total budget first (generally defined in the Marketing and/or Business Plan) and
then decide upon the best way to leverage the different elements of the mix to
maximize the return on your investment. You will balance the various parts of the
mix to not only create an integrated approach to your marketing communications
but you must also devote enough resources for each component to be
successful.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
Advertising - Reaches large, geographically dispersed audiences, often with
high frequency; Low cost per exposure, though overall costs are high;
Consumers perceive advertised goods as more legitimate; Dramatizes
company/brand; Builds brand image; may stimulate short-term sales; Impersonal,
one-way communication; Expensive
Personel selling- Most effective tool for building buyers’ preferences,
convictions, and actions; Personal interaction allows for feedback and
adjustments; Relationship-oriented; Buyers are more attentive; Sales force
represents a long-term commitment; Most expensive of the promotional tools
Sales Promotions- May be targeted at the trade or ultimate consumer; Makes
use of a variety of formats: premiums, coupons, contests, etc.; Attracts attention,
offers strong purchase incentives, dramatizes offers, boosts sagging sales;
Stimulates quick response; Short-lived; Not effective at building long-term brand
preferences
Public relations - Highly credible; Very believable; Many forms: news stories,
news features, events and sponsorships, etc.; Reaches many prospects missed
via other forms of promotion; Dramatizes company or product; Often the most
under used element in the promotional mix; Relatively inexpensive (certainly not
'free' as many people think--there are costs involved)
Direct Marketing - Many forms: Telephone marketing, direct mail, online
marketing, etc.; Four distinctive characteristics: Nonpublic, Immediate,
Customized, Interactive; Well-suited to highly-targeted marketing efforts.

7. Engaging Sponsors
You have secured a sponsor, now what? It is important to stay in touch with your
sponsors throughout planning, execution, and wrap up of your event.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

Engaging Sponsors

Pre-event: Look over the terms in your sponsorship agreement. Include things like logo
inclusion on marketing materials or social media mentions. Stay in touch with your sponsor to
ensure everything is running smoothly and to prepare them for any day-of activity.

On-site Presence: Provide a tent area for the sponsor’s guests to gather . Hang
signage (typically provided by the sponsor) somewhere visible on the event site . Allow
opportunity for the sponsor to handout free branded materials

Post-event: Event Recap packets are a great way to show a sponsor the value of their dollars.
Important information to include in this packet would be: Event attendance
Advertising exposure Pictures from the event Social media engagement

8. Risk Management Plan applies a practice of identifying potential risks in advance,

analysing them and taking preventive steps to diminish the risk.

A risk management plan is a document that an event project manager prepares to

foresee risks, estimate impacts, and define responses to issues. It also contains
a risk assessment matrix. A risk is "an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs,
has a positive or negative effect on a project's objectives."
Step III: Event Evaluation
It is an activity that seeks to understand and measure the extent to which an event has
succeeded in achieving its purpose.
Event evaluation techniques include:

Event evaluation techniques include: •

Conducting surveys or providing feedback forms during and after the

event to gauge attendee satisfaction „

Evaluating your success against the aims and objectives you

identified at the beginning of your event planning process

Preparing a SWOT analysis to examine the strengths weaknesses,

opportunities and threats associated with your event
 BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

1.8 Event Proposal

It includes the detail plan, actions, tactics, suggestions and recommendations
about the particular event. Event proposal is given to the client. It describes how
to manage the event successfully and the steps are required to be taken on or
before the day. Event proposal can also be used to acquire potential sponsors.

Event Proposal includes

1. Event Name

2. Place

3. Date

4. Time

5. Budget

6. Target Audience

7. Objective & Purpose

8. About the Client

9. Event Planning Details

10. Media Reach

Example:
EVENT NAME: Sunburn

PLACE: Vagator Beach, Goa

DATE 27th December– 29th December 2016
TIME: 6 pm- 11 pm
TOTAL BUDGET: 1 crore (Approx)
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

AUDIENCES: General Public

OBJECTIVE: To bring together international renowned Indian and International DJs to
entertain crowds of lakhs.
About the Client
• Sunburn originated from the idea of a Electronic Dance Music Festival held in
Goa, India. Inaugurated in 2007, Sunburn became a place of synergy of music,
entertainment, sports, food, shopping and lifestyle that has attracted audiences
from every nook and corner of the globe. Now in its sixth year, Sunburn has
become the hottest dance music property in Asia! Making its debut city edition in
the summer of 2012 in Mumbai, Sunburn took the same format to Noida &
Colombo in October 2012.
• Sunburn has expanded itself to set a new standard for “arena” format gigs with
renowned international DJs, the most recent being Swedish House Mafia’s One
Last Tour and Avicii’s debut in India marking the rise of a unique concept such as
Sunburn Arena!
• In the past four years of existence, Sunburn has brought together renowned
Indian and International DJs to entertain crowds of lakhs all around the year!
With a variety of experiences to choose from, Sunburn caters to a wide Indian
and International audience and highlights India as a Dance Festival destination to
the world.
SERVICES BY PERCEPT
• Our company is providing each and every service and we are taking up all the
activities of this event into our account. We are asking all the people of all
communities to just come and join this event and make it a great success as the
other events organized by Percept. This covers everything from booking of the
venue, advertising and doing PR for the event etc. Now it is the responsibility of
the organizing company to make it a huge success. The company would do the
following
• Booking of the Government owned venue which is in the Central Place.

• Advertising and Public Relations to hold maximum people.

• To take all pre-requisites clearances in order to host an Event
• To send invites to the major companies and media associated.

PURPOSE: Sunburn has grown to become an aspirational lifestyle brand boasting an

eclectic mix of music, entertainment, experiences and celebrations that has seeded
music tourism in India. Over the past decade, Sunburn has brought together renowned
Indian and International artists to entertain hundreds of thousands of dance music
lovers through its various formats that reach out to fans across India & Asia. Sunburn
caters to a wide Indian and International audience and has positioned India as a prime
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

dance festival destination to the world. Given the massive popularity of Sunburn, the
brand adapted to offer different experiences to different demographic & geographic
audiences via Sunburn Campus, Sunburn Reload, Sunburn Arena, and Sunburn Goa,
Sunburn Mumbai, and Sunburn Delhi, thereby reaching out to millions of EDM fans
across the country and overseas. ‘Sunburn on Air’, the weekly podcast with special
EDM sets created by the world’s top EDM artists is a popular radio show today.

EVENT PLANNING DETAILS

• The people attending the event will be gathered in Vagator Beach, Goa from 27 th
December to 29th December 2016.
• The duration of the complete event will be 10 hours so that people working in
Companies can also enjoy the event after attending their respective jobs
• The Risk and Security management planning would be coordinated for everyone

MEDIA PARTNERS – Star network channels, Print media Publications, etc.

EVENT PUBLICITY WILL START FROM – It will start from 13th December till 25th
December 2016
AVAILABILITY OF PASSES – At the Venue, only from the core members
CHARGES OF THE PASSES – Rs 2000/-

1.9 Licensing

Do you know what are the licenses and permissions that are
applicable for organizing a musical event in India?
Organizing a musical event is as arduous as rowing a boat through the
deep waters in an ocean. In other words, it’s not a simple process or an
easy task.
It requires numerous licenses and permissions from various authorities to
organize an event in India. So, before organizing a musical event, ensure
that you have procured all the required licences and permissions to avoid
any legal conflict.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

Many people are not clearly aware of these rules and regulations and how to
cross these barriers. So here we have elucidated the context of such licenses.
Take a look.
1. PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited) License
PPL is a licence for playing recorded music in public, the licence for
public performance of music recordings. It allows you to use other
artistes’ musical creation at your event with freedom. Suppose, you are
planning to organize an EDM in India, and you are playing recorded
music or musical videos at the event “in public”, then the event will
require to have a PPL license.
2. IPRS (Indian Performing Right Society Limited) License
IPRS is a licence for playing/performing non -recorded music in public, a
licence “for the artistes, of the artistes.” Supposing there is a popular
artiste performing live in India, then the event will require a IPRS licence.
Also, the artiste needs to be a registered member of IPRS.

Unlike PPL, IPRS issues licenses to the music users. It collec ts royalties
for the artistes, from the artistes on behalf of its registered artiste
members (such as lyricists, composers, publishers and performers of
music) and distributes the royalty to the music owners/members.

3. Excise Licence
Excise licence is a tax levied for the sale or supply of alcohol. Organizer
needs to procure excise permission in order to serve alcohol in a live or
recorded music event in India. For hosting a musical event with liquor
service inside and outside the premises, one needs to ha ve an excise
licence. If the event will take place at an alcohol on -licensed premises
then the organizer need not procure a licence. On the other hand, if the
hotel or venue doesn’t have liquor serving licence, the organizer needs to
obtain one for his event. Ensure that your event attendees are of legal
drinking age (LDA). Identity cards will be compulsory at the event to
verify and confirm their age. Also, provide them LDA (Legal Drinking Age)
bands with the physical passes at the event venue.

4. Loudspeaker Licence
Any public event held in any public or private venue requires a
loudspeaker licence. Since it is a musical event, it requires licence for
loudspeaker use and this permission needs to be obtained from the local
police authorities under whose purview the venue falls. The authorities
may limit the size and number of speakers based on nature of the event.

5. Premises Licence
A premises licence allows an event to carry all the licensable activities at
the venue such as providing late night entertainment between 11 p.m.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

and 8 a.m, large-scale events allowing an audience of over 500 people,

selling alcohol as well as serving food and beverages between 11 p.m.
and 5 p.m., etc.

Contact the nearby municipal authority of the venue, where the event has
been scheduled to take place for applying the premises licence. Make
sure you apply the premises licence before a 28 -day consultation period.

6. Performance Licence
Performance licence allows a child (anybody below 18 years of age) to
perform and take part in the musical event. So, if you are planning to
include a performance by a child, who will be paid for, you need to apply
for a performance licence from the local authority.

Make sure that there is no one who can stop the event except the police
department, in case of exigencies like bomb threats or any other
unforeseen law and order problems erupting even in the surrounding area
of the venue. In case, an event is taking place without these licences, the
organizer will be penalised.

7. Commercial tax (entertainment tax)

You need to take Commercial Taxes Licence for organising your event.
The Entertainment Tax has to be calculated based on the estimated
number of tickets to be sold. The percentage of entertainment tax varies
from place to place and state to state. So, the payment of the ET has to
be done well in advance and the tickets need to be stamped by the
Commercial Taxes department without which a ticketed event cannot be
kickstarted. However, please be advised that in case the number of
tickets sold are less, you can claim refund of the amount paid in advance
towards ET.

Also, please make sure that the venue you have hired for the conduct of
the event has valid permissions and licences from the authorities
concerned.

Similarly, there are numerous permissions required to organize a live

musical event in India. Take a look at the following to know more about
the permissions that need to be obtained before a live musical event is
staged.

1.10 Permissions for Musical Event

 Traffic clearance No-Objection Certificate (NOC)
 Fire brigade NOC
 NOC from Police
 Emergency Services
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 1

 For Foreign Artist – NOC from Home Ministry and Indian Business Visa
from Domicile
 Music label NOC – Yash Raj Music, Saregama India Ltd., Tips, Virgin
Records, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music, Venus, Milestone,
Crescendo, Times Music, Magnasound, etc. You as an organizer need to
take NOC from such music labels if the artiste performing at your event is
gonna reproduce them. These are also location - specific. So, please
make sure if you need to take permission from the label owners at all for
the location you are organising the musical event. In some cases, it may
not be applicable.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 2

2. Event Budget, Covering Cost and Methods of Revenue

Generation
___________________________________________________________________
In the last lesson we discussed event planning. In present lesson, we will discuss the
event budget, covering cost and methods of revenue generation.
____________________________________________________________________

2.0 Objectives
After going through this lesson you should be able to:
 Define event budget
 Define covering cost
 Describe the methods of revenue generation.

2.1 Introduction
In the competitive market realities of today, event planners need to employ
budgeting strategies in order to stay organized and better equipped to anticipate
client inquiries. Constructing an event planning budget enables an organization
to find the best deals and to meet its priorities by determining the feasibility of the
event in terms of available resources, cost and return on investment. In that way,
event planners are able to determine the actual cost of the event versus the
actual investment and decide, in real time, on how to save money on event
planning.
Typically, an event planning budget is constructed in an Excel Spreadsheet or
with the use of event budget software. Technologically advanced organizations
prefer the use of software because they can better monitor the collection and
integration of business data, which leads to better management of corporate
expense policies and cost-effective decision making.

2.2 Event Budget

Event Budget is the projection (forecast) of the income and expenditure that
the event will incur based on plans made and information gathered.
At the center of any event is the budget – a list of what money you will receive
and what money you will spend. A budget can be small and simple or large and
complex, depending on the event. The critical thing is to ensure that you do not
spend more than you have or receive. It can mean the difference between
success and failure.
When you’re making a budget, look at the money you’ll spend (expenses) and
the money you may bring in (revenue). You should always cover your expenses
for your event. If you are planning a fund-raiser, you should aim to make a profit.
With event planning budget, event planners can generate a variety of standard
and customized reports that track expenses by category and sub-category,
expenses by vendor, as well as projected, negotiated and actual expense
reports.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 2

In order to track expenses by category with accurate projections, event planners

base their estimates on historical data.
a. One of the most common methods is to calculate the average spending on
food and beverage at the past ten events; or to calculate the percentage of
beverage cost that was attributed to non-alcoholic choices. Such metrics are
customizable and facilitate the budgeting process because they break down
the budget in critical parts, offering room for further negotiations.
b. One of the most common methods is to calculate the percentage of travel
budget that is attributed to rental cars, to air fares, to hotel accommodation, to
event facility and all related expenses. In addition, event planners sub-
categorize transportation charges including any percentage of the budget that
is used for event transfers, coaches, shuttles and any related expenses.
c. Event planners are able to determine the percentage of their spending with
specific vendors over a period of time. In this part of the budget, event
planners include expenses for décor such as floral, tents, centerpieces etc,
catering expenses, and entertainment & equipment expenses such as
audiovisual equipment. Typically, catering expenses account for the 30
percent of the budget.
Event planning budget includes also smaller categories that summarize
expenses made for invitations, program booklets, banners, name badges, event
signage, gifts for the guests, and separate activities such as spa, tennis, biking
etc. Normally, the total cost of these expenses accounts for the 25 percent of the
total budget, depending on the size and the complexity of the event.
Budget should include Income and Expenditure. If your expenditure is equal to
your income, you have a ‘balanced’ budget. If income is more than expenditure,
you will have a surplus. If you spend more than you receive, you will have a
deficit.
Budgeted income might include:
Earned Income:
 Ticket Sales
 Concessions (fees from stall holders etc)
 Bar Sales, Merchandise etc.
Unearned Income:
 Grants
 Sponsorships
 Donations
Budgeted expenditure might include:
 Salaries and Wages
 Program costs
 Production, equipment and site costs
 Marketing costs
 Administration costs
 Contingencies (This range 5-10% of the cost)
Expenses Areas
 Venue (location)
 Catering
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 2

 Promotion
 Materials
 Presenters/Anchors
 Documenting the event

Points to Remember while Preparing Event Budget

Duration available for planning the event

Working process of the event

Objectives to be accomplished

Source of funds for the events

Involvement of event management team members

Type of the event

Contigency Fund

Event Budget Worksheets

Event: ________________________ Date: _________________
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 2

2.3 Managing the Event Budget

After creating budget chart, you should check where you can cut costs. Look
over your budget and ask yourself these questions:
 What is my break-even item: how much money do I have to bring in to cover my
costs?
 What on this list can I acquire through a donor?
 Can I negotiate these costs any lower?
 If I am a little bit creative and innovative, what costs can I reduce? (Many
supplies, for example, can be found or reused.)
 What on this list must I spend money for?

3.6 Cash Flow Management

Cash flow management is the process of monitoring, analyzing, and adjusting
your business' cash flows. For small businesses, the most important aspect of
cash flow management is avoiding extended cash shortages, caused by having
too great a gap between cash inflows and outflows. You won't be able to stay in
business if you can't pay your bills for any extended length of time!
Cash flowin event management monitored in the three steps: Planning, during &
post event.
 Positive cash flow. This means the cash coming into your business —
sales, accounts receivable, etc.— exceeds the amount leaving through
expenses, salaries and accounts payable.
 Negative cash flow. This means the cash going out of your business is
greater than incoming cash.
Therefore, you need to perform a cash flow analysis on a regular basis, and use
cash flow forecasting so you can take the steps necessary to head off cash flow
problems. Many software accounting programs have built-in reporting features
that make cash flow analysis easy. This is the first step of cash flow
management.
The second step of cash flow management is to develop and use strategies that
will maintain an adequate cash flow for your business. One of the most useful
strategies for small businesses is to shorten your cash flow conversion period so
that your business can bring in money faster.
Understand cash flow trends
Manage your current cash inflow and outflow more efficiently, and forecast
balances based on multiple scenarios to improve cash flow control and help
ensure that cash flow concerns are dealt with effectively.
See the big picture and drill down to details. View cash flow information in a
user-friendly, calendar-basedinterface that helps you sort through information
quickly and gives you thedetails you need to make insightful decisions.
Predict and understand anticipated cash flow. Identify any shortfalls
orsurpluses, make smarter investmentdecisions, and improve your day-
todayfinancial planning.
Connect financial information across your business. Gain greater control
over cash flow and expenseswith smooth integration with other modules in
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 2

Microsoft Dynamics GP,including Payables Managementand Receivables

Management, Sales Order Processing, and Purchase Order
Cash flow analysis. Cash flow analysis is related to monthly expenses and
projected revenue that need to be entered into spreadsheet to find out how the
cash flow could have been managed.
Balance Sheet
The balance sheet give an idea of what a particular organization is of worth at a
certain point of time. Balance sheet also referred to as financial position or
condition, reports on a company’s assets, liabilities and net equity as of a given
point in time.
Profit and loss account statement
The profit and loss account statement is a list of revenue, expenditure and net
profit/loss of an organization during a specific period.
 In the event industry budget is generally prepared before the event and
the profit and loss account statement is prepared after the event.
 In ideal situation the profit and loss account statement should tally the
budget.

2.3 Methods of Generating Revenue

a. Fund-Raising: Fundraising are popular form of Events which aim to collect
money or funds through the events and Efficiently reach out to thousands of
interested athletes in your demographic area by choosing to place an ad in
one of our value added email newsletters. A large percentage of our users
proactively subscribe to one or more of our high-quality e-newsletters, creating
the perfect community of ideal participants Active registration services come
complete with broadcast e-mail tools to help you recruit participants,
communicate with past registrants, and generate excitement for your
upcoming event or season, free of charge. Active Trainer not only allows you
to deliver custom training plans to your participants. Its customizable format
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 2

also boosts branding and adds sponsor value. Our Corporate

Challenge program is designed to make your event an integral part of the
community by linking you with a local charity. Professional support staff will
help develop the charity initiative and drive fundraiser participation by creating
custom branded materials, informational packets, and providing phone support
to participants.

Some tips for increasing event revenue are :-

 Set an annual online registration goal, and create a deliberate marketing
plan to ensure your success.
 Send an e-mail announcing online registration and event information and
include a direct link to online registration.
 Send an e-mail a few days before registration costs increase, and include
a link to the registration site.
 Send an e-mail a week before online registration closes, and include a link
to online registration.
 In every e-mail you send, provide a direct link to the registration site, and
always ask recipients to forward the e-mail to family and friends.
 On your voicemail recording, suggest the online registration option and
provide your web address.
 Mention your event and include a link to your website in your Outlook
signature.
 Include online registration information on an event press releases
distributed to your local media.
 Extend online registration until right before the event date, since no data
entry is required.
 Open online registration for next year’s events as soon as this
year’s endurance events are over.
 Talk to your Account Representative about building a seamless
fundraising program into your event in order to raise more money for your
cause.

b. Grants: Trusts and foundations are an extensive source of funding, but

competition for these sources is severe. No matter how good your cause, if
you submit a weak application, you are going to lose out. Similarly, corporate
receive many requests for sponsorship, so it is essential that you make your
bid for money stand out from the crowd.

Examples of different methods used by organisations to raise money.

Nonprofit organizations are constantly finding innovative ways to raise money. In
this section we examine some examples.
i. Building online communities - How an online fundraising community,
Wishbery.com, was built to raise money for an event

ii. Selling units -which raises money to commission new pieces of music.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 2

iii. Clicks and purchases- you can raise money through

everyday activities such as shopping or searching online.

c. Merchandising: The planning and right market

at the proper time, by carrying out organized, skillful, using attractive displays,
ads etc.

A case study Vodafone, Shoppers Stop announce launch of Zoozoo

merchandise
by: The Mobile Indian network, The Mobile Indian,Mumbai - 27 Oct, 2009
Vodafone Essar and Shoppers Stop had announced the launch of merchandise
featuring Vodafone's popular character, Zoozoo, which was created earlier this
year to promote the cellular service provider's value-added services.
Shoppers Stop will have the exclusive rights to manufacture and retail
Zoozoo merchandise, including T-shirts, kids wear, mugs and bed and
bath accessories, across its stores in India. Further merchandise will be
introduced shortly.
The T-shirts, available for both men and women, are price d at Rs 299
onwards. Vodafone is also offering a 10 per cent discount to its
customers on purchases of Zoozoo merchandise.
"We thought it is a fantastic way to connect with our customers. Zoozoo
has a huge community following on the viral medium," Kumar
Ramanathan, chief marketing officer, Vodafone Essar, tells afaqs!.
"What started as an innovative advertisement campaign has become so
popular that we are compelled to bring Zoozoos out of the television
screens and into the homes of our customers," he adds.
After the initial enthusiasm during the second edition of the Indian
Premier League, when the Zoozoos were introduced, there was a lull, as
the characters were not seen much in advertisements.
"We were not advertising using Zoozoos and that is why the lul l.
Relevance is more important to us and we think it is the right opportunity
and medium now," explains Ramanathan.
On the choice of Shoppers Stop, he says, "We looked at key guys in the
segment. We chose Shoppers Stop for their phenomenal experience in
merchandising and them being one of the pioneers in the retail space".
Vinay Bhatia, customer care associate and vice -president, marketing and
loyalty, Shoppers Stop says in a press statement, "We identified a
significant opportunity in character-based merchandising. This exclusive
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 2

arrangement marks a strategic alliance aimed at augmenting the Zoozoo

frenzy".
"Character merchandising is a new emerging trend in India targeting the
youth, and we are adding a whole new dimension to this. Given the
increasing size of the youth audience at Shoppers Stop, this
merchandising line fits well in our merchandise offering," Bhatia adds.
The promotion of the merchandise will be done at three levels, Bhatia
tells afaqs!.
At the first level, the 14.5 lakh members of the Shop pers Stop First
Citizen Club will be targeted, which will be followed by communication
with the Vodafone subscriber base.
For the final level, Shoppers Stop will conduct in -store promotional
activities to reach out to its weekly traffic of seven lakh custo mers.
"The promotion will be a joint effort with Shoppers Stop and Vodafone
reaching out to their relevant customers," says Bhatia.

d. Food and Beverage Sales: Driving food & beverage sales with measurable
increases can be achieved with simple tactics to promote a restaurant
available to big budgets and shoestring marketers alike.
There are thousands of possible was to promote a restaurant and drive
revenues without any reliance on mass media advertising The various
methods are :-.

SAMPLING
Tasting believes, you need to get it in potential customers’ mouths. That’s the
best to promote a restaurant and build recognition and it is more effective and
less expensive than advertising. Every public event that draws your core
audience is an opportunity to offer samples of your product. Pick the best 2-3
items on your menu that can be easily transported and get some solid
representatives of your restaurant out to meet and greet at these off-property
functions.
e. Publicity stunts: Stunt is a word with negative connotations for restaurant
owners.To cut through the clutter and generate extensive exposure, you need
a newsworthy angle. Something likes a celebrity chef cook-off, really unique
contest or other major event.

f. Price of Admission / A Ticket :For an event, one of the easiest ways to

generate income is to charge an entry or attendance fee for your participants.
When deciding how much to charge, you should take into account:
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 2

1) How much you think people will realistically pay to attend. If you make the
fee too high and few people attend, you won’t raise much money!
2) The price of attendance at similar events;
3) What the population you are trying to attract can afford. If you are creating
an event that is “open to the public” but your attendance fee is something
that certain people cannot afford, you are, by virtue of the price, creating
an event that is only open to certain segments of the population.
Charging a fee, even a minimal fee, is an important element for many events. For
many people, only things that cost money have value. Paying a fee is making a
commitment to the event and the cause, which is one of the goals of your event!
A ticket is a voucher that indicates that one has paid for admission to an event or
establishment such as a theatre, movie theatre, amusement park, zoo, museum,
stadium, concert, or other attraction, or permission to travel on a vehicle such as
an airliner, train, bus, or boat, typically because one has paid the fare.

A ticket should include

1. Price to be printed in bold
2. Embedded Bar code on ticket side
3. Validity of ticket for number of individual
4. Do & Don’t for an Event attendee
5. Helpline Numbers
6. Feedback form in ticket

g. Sponsorship: According to IEG’s (information exchange Group) Complete

Guide to Sponsorship, "Sponsorship should not be confused with advertising.
Advertising is considered a quantitative medium, whereas sponsorship is
considered a qualitative medium. It promotes a company in association with
the sponsee." Sponsorship offers the possibility of achieving several goals at
once.

Sponsorship is the fastest growing form of marketing. With this in mind, you
can find unlimited opportunities to broaden your competitive advantage by
increasing your credibility, image and prestige in sponsoring events attracting
your target market.
Some trade show promotional opportunities include sponsorship of the press
room, an international lounge, a speaker or VIP room, an awards reception,
educational programs, banners, badge holders, audio visual equipment,
display computers, tote bags, shuttle buses, napkins and drink cups.
So, why should your company be interested in sponsorship? When done well,
it offers significant opportunities for distinct marketing and competitive
advantages, as well as showing support of the event.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 2

What is sponsorship?

 Sponsorship is the financial or in-kind support of an activity, used primarily

to reach specified business goals.
 A large number of events use sponsorship support to offer more exciting
programs and to help defray rising costs. Sponsorship allows you to reach
specifically targeted niche markets without any waste. In addition, it is a
powerful complement to other marketing programs, in addition to having a
dramatic influence on customer relations.

Why sponsor?According to Schmader and Jackson in their book, Special

Events: Inside and out, a company can benefit from sponsorship in many ways,
such as:
i. Enhancing Image/Shaping Consumer Attitudes: Often companies are
looking to improve how they are perceived by their target audience.
Sponsoring events that appeal to their market are likely to shape buying
attitudes and help generate a positive reaction. Coca Cola, for example is
always looking to generate a positive influence of their products in the
minds of their consumers and as such regularly support events they feel
can influence consumer opinions.

ii. Driving Sales: Sponsorship geared to driving sales can be an extremely

potent promotional tool. This objective allows sponsors to showcase their
product attributes. Food and beverage companies often use sponsorship
to encourage samplings and sales.

iii. Creating positive publicity/heightening visibility: Every sponsor is

seeking wide exposure in both electronic and print media. Positive
publicity helps create heightened visibility of products/services. Various
media covering the event may include sponsors names and/or photos. In
addition, the kind of media coverage a sponsor may get is often
unaffordable if the company were to think of purchasing it, and if it were
available. To maximize this objective, it is important for the sponsoring
company to have a comprehensive media campaign to augment the
regular media coverage promoted by the organizers. Sponsorship can
often generate media coverage that might otherwise not have been
available.

iv. Differentiating from competitors: The mere act of sponsoring an event,

especially an exclusive sponsorship, is a significant way to create
competitor differentiation. Your company name has the opportunity to
stand out head and shoulders above the competition. This is particularly
helpful if your company wants to combat a competitor with a larger ad
budget. Sponsorship allows smaller companies to compete with their
industry giants. Target audiences often perceive sponsorship in a positive
way. They see you as making a greater effort to support the event, often
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 2

allowing more or better activities to take place as a result of your

sponsorship.

v. Helping with good "Corporate Citizen" role: Another powerful

sponsorship objective allows companies to be viewed as a "good
neighbor." To be seen supporting the community and contributing to its
economic development is extremely powerful and creates enormous
goodwill.

vi. Enhancing business, consumer and VIP relations:Sponsorship offers

hospitality opportunities is always very attractive to companies. Perks may
include special exclusive networking settings such as VIP receptions–
opportunities to meet key customers and solidify business relationships. It
is important to evaluate each opportunity and look for ways it could tie into
your marketing objectives.

h. Product Sales: Another way to generate income for your event or

organization is to sell goods at the event. For example, you could sell food or
baked items at the event at a high enough price to cover the cost of your
materials and a low enough cost to encourage people to buy. You could also
sell food that is donated to you in an in-kind donation, though you have to
make sure that the donor agrees to this idea.
Many people like to buy products that are useful and also commemorative. For
example, you could sell a T-shirt or cap with your group’s name and logo and
the title, date and location of your event. You could ask an artist – or perhaps
one of you is an artist – to create a beautiful logo or design to place on the
shirt or cap.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 3

3. Event Promotion: Tools and Media Coordination

___________________________________________________________________
In last lesson we studied how to prepare event budget. In this lesson we will study how
to promote event.
____________________________________________________________________

3.0 Objectives
After going through this lesson you should be able to:
 Define event promotion
 Describe event promotion tools and media coordination

3.1 Introduction
One of the most important aspects of event managements is marketing and
promoting the event. Advertising as a tool cannot be underestimated in event
marketing and event promotion. Almost every event, except for the private
parties and events have kept aside a budget to cover advertising costs. And
those involved in event marketing and event promotion need to first analyze what
type of media would reach their target audience.

And the choices include:

 Commercial Television
 Cable Television
 Radio
 Print
 Road shows
 Social Media
 There are also other means of advertising that include hoardings and sky
balloons, amongst others.

Commercial television is being regarded as the most effective means of reaching

out to the masses. And today with the television boom and the increasing
number of channels, this is being proven as an effective means of promoting
events. However, for advertising on television, a large sum of money needs to be
kept aside. Ideally, the event organizer should tie up with sponsors that already
have advertising slots.

In order to reach out to the local audience then cable television marketing is
effective. Radio, another medium of broadcast mass media, is also proving to be
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 3

effective, in the recent times, with the increasing number of FM channels. A

medium that has been tried and tested through the last century has been the
print media. Apart from advertising events, companies also seek genuine write
ups in the various publications. For this they host press conferences.

3.2 Event Promotion: Tools and Media Coordination

In marketing, promotion refers to any type of marketing communication used

to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product,
service, brand or issue. It is one of the basic elements of the market mix, which
includes the four P's: price, product, promotion, and place.

Promotion is a necessity for any event as the means of informing interested

people that an event will take place. Promotion requires a focused application of
organization, branding and outreach, and is dependent upon defining an
interested demography. Proper promotion also relies on correct information
about the event and the event sponsors.

Since promotion is the domain of the marketing expert, the event must provide a
distinct benefit that makes people want to attend, that marketing efforts may
promise, with reasonable surety, a large enough audience to make the event a
success.

Promotion can not be overlooked when planning an event that appeals to a

diverse audience gathering together for a common interest. Attracting attention
prior to the event is invaluable for bolstering ticket sales, increasing interest in a
cause, or highlighting accomplishments. Promotion requires the use of
advertising for stimulating the interest of the target demographic, by arranging
appearances for event spokespersons on talk shows and radio programs, or by
circulating information at related industry events or through other media.

Promotion also takes the Internet stage, providing web sites, or links to web sites
relating to the event, industry or cause. Attention is paid to writing press releases,
optimizing search engine content, and spreading the word through social media.
Promotional tasks might also include writing blogs or conducting email programs
to pave the way for subsequent information-gathering by prospective guests. Not
to be overlooked are the writing talents needed for developing direct-mail
materials and invitations, as well as printing resources for the production of
posters, fliers or brochures. In some instances, retaining event promotion
personnel to distribute promotional materials at festivals or to man booths at
other events offer keys to opening additional doors of interest in an upcoming
event.

Good promotion imparts a sense of anticipation about an event. Often, to

accomplish this, promotions revolve around a chosen theme that becomes the
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 3

springboard for the entire event, affecting the choice of music, color, décor, food
and even the dress of event participants. Effective promotion brings with it the
energy of enticement, is the harbinger of excitement, and offers a promise of
things to come.

Promotion Mix

The Promotion Mix refers to the blend of several promotional tools used by the
business to create, maintain and increase the demand for goods and services.

The basic purpose of the promotional mix is first of all to create brand awareness
but the most essential is to produce organizational goals and profits. A
promotional mix is defined as being successful if you manage to deliver a clear,
compelling message based on the fact that you chose the most appropriate
promotion method.
The promotional mix generally involves 5 components such as

1. Personal selling
2. Advertising
3. Direct marketing
4. Sales promotions
5. Public relations

1. Personal selling
It is a part of the promotional mix which involves a one to one communication
between buyers and customers (either potential or already customers). As it is a
one-to-one communication, it generates direct contact with prospects and
customers. Even though it is considered to be one of the most expensive forms of
promotion, it is also considered to be the most successful as a seller-buyer
relationship can be created and developed.

2. Advertising
One of the key factors in the promotional mix, which contributes to brand building
and also how the market perceives the company, is advertising. It is always a big
part of the promotional mix because of the far and wide reach of advertising and
the message that you can send to your existing and potential customers. Good
advertising can build a solid brand for the company. On the other hand, bad
advertising with a wrong message, can cause the brand or product to fail.

3. Direct marketing
While advertising targets a mass-audience, direct marketing targets prospects and
customers. Social media marketing, Email marketing, Internet marketing are all
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 3

types of direct marketing used by companies. They have become important in the
promotional mix lately because people are using internet far more than they used
to a decade back. Company’s employ direct marketing in order to engage in one-
way communication with its customers, about product announcements, special
promotions, order confirmations as well as customer inquiries.

4. Sales promotions
Sales promotions are one of the most common types of promotion used by
companies. Their main purpose is to stimulate purchasing and sales. While it has
the potential of increasing sales, it is also beneficial for informing prospects about
new products on the market or just to recapture old or lost customers. Such
examples include: coupons, product samples, etc.

5. Public relations
Lastly, public relations enable an organization to influence a target audience and
through this, create a favorable and positive image for the company. The company
tries to connect with the audience by sharing information with them about the
company and about the product. If anything goes wrong on the information front,
the public relations department has to step forward and rebuild the public image.

While establishing your own promotional mix, you need to consider and decide
upon several factors:

1. Determine which is your target market – in terms of which customers’ needs

you are going to fulfill through your products while understanding the
attitudes and behaviors of your targeted customers
2. Determine your objective – more precisely, what are you expecting to get
one your promotion mix is implemented.
3. Design your message in terms of content and format.
4. Select your promotional channels.
5. Determine your budget.
6. Determine your promotional mix.
7. Measure the results of the implemented program and make the necessary
adjustments if needed.

In order to succeed with your promotional mix, it would be a good idea to take a
look at what your competitors are doing. This does not imply that you copy them as
it will not help you at all since each company has its own identity. Monitoring their
ads, promotions and special events might provide you with a guide of how to
promote yourself and differentiate yourself through the promotional mix.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 3

a. How Print Media can be used for Promotion

 Promote your event, sponsors and clients through newspapers ads,
magazines ads, trade journals, press releases, tickets, passes,
invitations, banners and posters.
 Imprint your sponsor/client's company name and logo on your staff's
shirts and caps and on the pens, diary, gifts, exhibitors' manual and
other promotional materials.

b. How Electronic Media can be used for Promotion

 Promote your event, sponsors and clients through TV and Radio
Commercials.
 Provide free ad space on your company's website where your sponsors
and clients can promote their products and services for particular period
of time.
 Develop an event website just to promote your upcoming event and
provide a facility for online registration. All the details regarding the
event must be available on the website. For e.g. if your event name is
say 'New year 2014', then come up with a website like
www.newyear2014.com
 Use electronic signage like visual display signage, Plasma Screen, LCD
Screen, LED Screen, Projection Screen, Video Walls etc to promote
your sponsors and clients.

c. How Outdoor Media can be used for Promotion

 Promote your event, sponsors and clients through billboards and
hoardings ads. A very large hoarding is known as the billboard. There
are two types of billboards: Scrolling message billboard and mobile
billboard. Hoardings can also be front lit, back lit, painted, poster, mono
pole, unipole and tri-vision.
 You can also do promotion through Kiosk, Canopy, Flex and giant
balloons.
d. How Transit Media can be used for Promotion
 Road Shows are generally used in transit media.
 Mobile billboards, mobile LED Display and caravan can also be used for
promotion.

e. How Public Relations can be used for Promotion

 The role of public relations is to manage the organization’s and event’s
image in the mind of the audience and the public.
 This undertaking is mainly done through press releases as described in
the precious section. These up-to-date information sources, together
with photographs, provide the media with the background information
they need to develop stories about the event.
 Media briefings can also be conducted before and during the event,
particularly if high-profile people such as celebrities, entertainers and
athletes can enhance the publicity.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 3

f. How social media can be used for promotion

 By writing mails, blogs
 Social media ads
 Website
 Social networking sites
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 4

4. Risk Management & Insurance

___________________________________________________________________
In last lesson we studied about event promotion. In this lesson we will study about risk
and risk management.
____________________________________________________________________

4.0 Objectives
After going through this lesson you should be able to:
 Define risk
 Describe the methods of risk management.

4.1 Introduction
Risk Management Plan applies a practice of identifying potential risks in
advance, analyzing them and taking preventive steps to diminish the risk. A risk
management plan is a document that an event project manager prepares to
foresee risks, estimate impacts, and define responses to issues. It also contains
a risk assessment matrix. A risk is "an uncertain event or condition that, if it
occurs, has a positive or negative effect on a project's objectives."

4.2 Risk Management

Risk is the chance that something will go wrong. Event organizers often think of
risk in terms of safety and security, but risk is much broader than that concept. It
may include a cash-show crisis, a staff strike, poor publicity or, of course, bad
weather. The last of these is the event manager’s greatest risk. Even if it does
not have a direct impact on the event, poor weather will reduce the number of
people attending and event unless adequate weather protection is provided.
Rainy or stormy weather also has an impact on people’s mood and motivation,
making it a serious concern for which careful planning is required. Risk
management is the process of identifying such risks, assessing these risks, and
managing these risks.

Risk assessment is a way of attempting to identify potential risk sand taking

steps to reduce or mitigate them. It is starting for being able to produce
contingency plans & threats to safety it is important to recognize that are more
general approach of Risk Management.
The following risks need to be considered if relevant to the event you are
planning.

g. Natural Disasters
Heavy rain is a disaster for an outdoor event, as too are hail, snow, and
extreme heat. Freak acts of nature such as hurricanes and tornadoes can land
smack in the middle of an event such as the one that hit Salt Lake City on
August 11, 1999. According to a report in USA Today, “A rare tornado touched
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 4

down without warning in downtown salt Lake City, killing one person and
injuring more than 100.

The black, swirling cloud struck about 1 p.m. “Flooding can affect event
venues, particularly temporary ones, and it can also cause damage to
electrical wiring—potentially a very serious risk. Of course, fire is one of the
risks that most venue managers fear and must plan for, since evacuation of
large crowds is extremely difficult.

h. Financial Risk

Financial risk may involve unforeseen costs, lower than expected revenue,
high exchange rates, general decline in economic circumstances and
disposable income, fraud, fines, and cash-flow problems.

i. Legal Risk

Legal risks include disputes over contracts between the event organizer and
the client or between the event organizer and a subcontractor. These can
occur if expectations are unrealistic or if a gap develops between what the
client had in mind and the product that the event organizer can produce for the
price negotiated.

Disputes can also occur if the venue does not meet the required standards in
terms of such things as reliable electricity supply and suitable access for
delivery vehicles. Breach of legal requirements is another form of legal risk, an
example being a venue losing its liquor license for a violation of the liquor
laws, such as selling alcohol to underage drinkers.

j. Technology-Related Risks

Technological failure is an increasing risk for high-profile vents that are

extremely reliant on computer programming and computer networks operating
successfully. For example, a problem with guest registration at a trade
exhibition would prevent the successful capture of attendee data, which are
essential information for all exhibitors. For the exhibition organizer, the
attendance list (generated during registration0 is his or her most valuable
asset. It would be made available to current exhibitors wanting to follow up on
contacts, as well as being used by the event organizer in the advertising drive
for the next event of a similar nature.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 4

New Year’s Eve and Fourth of July fireworks displays are two events
nationwide that are most relavant on highly sophisticated technology. No doubt
the pyrotechnics planners for the New Year’s Eve fireworks displays
scheduled throughout the world on December 31, 1999, had a number of
backup systems in place for the Y2K situation that could have left the
millennial celebrations in darkness.

k. Mismanagement
A successful event requires good management, detailed planning, and sound
interpersonal relationships at all levels. Mismanagement can prevent an event
for reaching its objectives; so, too, can people related problems, such as
disputes at the top management levels, leading to the dismissal of key
personnel. Both are potentially serious risks.

l. Safety and Security Risk

Accidents, riots, terrorism, and sabotage are all safety and security risks.

4.3 Example: Risk at Sporting Events

The risks associated with most community, commercial, and entertainment

events are largely financial; however, with sporting events, there is the additional
risk of dangers to the participants and, in some cases, to the audience. For
example, most bike and car races carry the risk of injury to both drivers and
spectators, whether on the track or off-road.

Organizers of such events are to reduce the risk to an acceptable level by careful
planning and by introducing new procedures and technologies when available,
since safety standards change over time. Working to the safety standards for a
particular sporting event at a particular time involves looking at a number of
factors:

➢ Perceived level of acceptable risk of participants and audience

➢ Current legislation and legal precedents
➢ Availability of risk management solutions
➢ Development and implementation of plans, procedures, and control
mechanisms
The last of these is extremely important for event organizers, for if they can show
that their procedures for managing risk were well considered and well
implemented, this preplanning would stand them in good stead if a charge of
negligence were laid.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 4

4.4 Framework for risk management

a. Responsibility
Effective risk management demands that key responsibilities are assigned to
specific people in areas such as driving risk review processes, maintaining
registers, monitoring and reviewing risks, communication and consultation.
 Everyone involved in the event should be informed and aware of the risk
management process.
 The event organisation, team, contractors, volunteers, participants and
spectators all have a role to play in risk management.
 Event organisers need to take steps to inform all those involved of their
roles and responsibilities.

b. Ongoing process
Risk management is ongoing. Put your risk management plan into action as soon
as it is agreed. The process starts with initial event planning and runs right
through to the post event wrap-up.

c. Documentation

It is important to keep records of your risk management planning and

implementation as good records provide an audit trail if one is needed by
stakeholders or regulators. Your risk management documentation should include:

 A comprehensive risk management plan

 An accident/incident register
 A post-event review/report.

4.5 Process of Risk Management

Natural Disaster, Financial Risk , Legal Risk, Technology related Risks,

Management, safety & Security Risk, risk at the sporting event.

Risk management is a very important part of event management, therefore it

should be carried out in a planned and professional manner. The process of
event management involves four steps:

1. Risk identification

Identify key elements of your event

 is it a one-off, annual or regular event?
 is it a sport, cultural or community event?
 is the purpose of the event competition, participation, demonstration or
other?
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 4

 what is the size and public profile of the event?

 is it local, regional, national or international?

Different event elements will lead to different risks. Some events have many
purposes and require more detailed risk management plans.

The identification of risks has two stages;

a. Determining what can go wrong

Identify what could go wrong Refer to your identification of event and
stakeholders from the previous step and ask:
 what could harm our people?
 what legal obligations could we risk breaching?

b. Establishing how it can happen (or the causal factors)

Identify the causal factors Go through your list of identified risks and
ascertain how they may happen. There may be more than one causal
factor for each risk.
Identify responsibility for risks: Consider who holds responsibility for
specific risks in your event.

2. Risk analysis

Perform a risk analysis At this stage you’ve identified the risks and how to
manage them. Next you need to analyse the risks to ascertain how likely they
are to become reality, and the likely impact if they did.

Consider past events, your level of risk management, the environment and
anything else that may cause or affect the seriousness of an incident.
Key questions to ask are:
 what risk management is in place?
 how often does/will each incident happen under this system?
 what would the outcome be if the risk happened?

Determine the Risk Level

 Extreme: Death, brain/spinal injuries, serious organ damage, permanent

disability, emergency medical assistance, hospital for 6+ weeks.
 Major: Fractures, crush injuries, serious facial injuries, recovery of 6+
weeks, emergency medical assistance, hospital care.
 Moderate: Dislocation/simple fractures of ribs/limbs, medical assistance
on-site/at the hospital, participant does not continue event, recovery of 1-6
weeks.
 Minor: Contusions, sprains, lacerations, minor first aid, participant
continues event, less than a week’s recovery.
 Insignificant: Bruises, grazes, participant continues event, no recovery
time or medical assistance.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 4

3. Risk Evaluation
Evaluating risks is about setting an order of priority to deal with them.
 Low risk should be acceptable with routine procedures.
 Medium or high level risks should be dealt with to reduce the likelihood
and/or potential impact.
 Critical risk is unacceptable and must be eliminated or reduced regardless
of costs or implications.
After determining the overall level of risk, you need to decide how to deal with
each risk. Depending on the level you could decide to:
 accept the risk without doing anything
 take action to reduce the likelihood/potential impacts
 avoid the risk altogether.
If a critical risk cannot be eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level, you may
need to cancel or amend the event.

4. Risk Management Plan

Write a risk management plan It is very important to keep accurate and up-to-
date records of all your risk management planning and implementation. The risk
management plan needs to be comprehensive, including: event description

 responsibility structure
 health and safety plan
 any compliance requirements
 event run sheets or checklists to confirm completion of risk actions.

Your risk management documentation should include: risk management plan

accident/incident register post-event report.

4.6 Implement and communicate the risk management plan

 Good communication helps ensure everyone is clear on personal role and

responsibilities. For example staff, volunteers and marshals know the
procedures for managing risks, and players and participants know the
risks and their responsibilities for minimizing them.
 To ensure consistency in verbal briefings, read out written material.
Present key information in several ways, for example, in print, online,
orally and on signage.
 How formal your communication is depends on the event, circumstances
and people involved. Regardless, it is crucial all information is correct and
clear so check accuracy and perhaps use an independent eye for
additional assurance.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 3, Lesson 4

 Risk Avoidance: Avoid those elements and activities which could carry a
risk.
 Risk Retention: Accept some or all the consequences associated with a
particular risk.
 Risk Transfer: Transfer the risk to a third party. For e.g. transferring the
event security responsibility to a security agency.
 Risk Reduction: Reduce the risk associated with a particular element or
activity by developing an effective contingency action plan. Monitor the
risks periodically, so that the strategies used to manage the risks can be
updated or reviewed.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 4 Lesson 1

Lesson 1 Evaluation and Impact Assessment : concept,

Technique and Application
______________________________________________________________________
In unit 4 evaluation, impact and emerging trends in event management industry. In this
lesson we will study concept, techniques and application to evaluate event.

1.0 Objectives

After going through this lesson you should be able to:

 describe the Observation Techniques and its Applications
 define the Evaluation concept for an event

1.1 Introduction
Planning and preparing the proposal, the event management agency must seek
detailed information related to the proposed event from the client and provide
feedback about the success and failure of the event. The event Planner are
required to take time to review it with experts in the agency. This would help
them plan better for the future as the whole process involves risk, time, energy
and money.

1.2 Evaluation Concepts

Evaluation is an activity that seeks to understand and measure the extent to

which an event has succeeded in achieving its purpose. The purpose of an event
will differ with respect to the category and variation of event.
Event evaluation is necessary to make you and your team more efficient and
effective. It is all about finding your mistakes and learning from them. Event
evaluation should be done immediately after the event is over or the next day.
Conduct a meeting with your team members to evaluate your event. Following
steps are involved in writing evaluation of an event
Step 1: Determine the extent to which event and advertising objectives have
been achieved. If you are not able to achieve your event and advertising
objectives through your event, then no matter how much people enjoyed the
event or how much popularity your event got, it is a complete failure on a
commercial level.
Step 2: Get feedback from your clients and target audience. One good way of
getting feedback is through feedback form. To make sure that your clients give
you feedback, make feedback form part of your Exit pass form. The exit pass
form is required to get exit pass for security clearance, to remove exhibits from
the facility. To get feedback from target audience/ guests, make feedback form
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 4 Lesson 1

part of your gift voucher. A guest can redeem the gift voucher only when he/she
fills the feedback form and give it back to an attendant. These tactics are
required to get feedback, as people are generally reluctant to give any feedback
in writing. You can ask following questions in your feedback form:
Q1) Did you enjoy the event? If no, then please state the reason?
Q2) what do you like most in the event?
Q3) what do you like least in the event?
Q4) what are the problems you faced during the event?
Q5) what could have been done to make this event better?
Q6) How do you rate the various services provided by us (please check one of
the option):
a. Hospitality: Excellent, good, average, poor
b. Catering: Excellent, good, average, poor
c. Transportation: Excellent, good, average, poor
d. Management Staff behavior: Excellent, good, average, poor
Management Staff Services: Excellent, good, average, poor
Q7) would you like to participate in our next event?
Step 3: With the help of the feedback form from your clients and target audience,
discuss the problems which occurred pre-event, at-event and post-event with
your team members. Write all those problems on your notepad along with there
possible solutions. Discuss how these problems can be solved or avoided in the
next event.
Step 4: Evaluate the performance of the team members and the service
providers. Find out how well they executed their duties and whether or not they
should be hired in the next event.
Step 5: Determine the effectiveness of your promotional campaign i.e. how and
why your promotional campaign succeeded or failed and up to which extent your
promotional campaign succeeded or failed.

Step 5: Create an event evaluation report. The event evaluation report is the
documentation of the activities carried out during the event evaluation. Whatever
you did during the event evaluation will be a part of this report. It means this
report will include the actual filled feedback forms from the clients and the target
audience; problems identified and discussed during meeting; solutions to various
identified problems; performance evaluation report of the team members and the
service providers; promotional campaign analysis report etc.

1.3 Observation Techniques and Applications

Observation method is the most commonly used method in studies related to

behavioral sciences. In a formulated research purpose is systematically planned
and recorded and is subjected to checks and controls on validity and reliability.
Here, observation method is used and it becomes a scientific tool. The
information obtained under this method relates to the current happenings and not
complicated by either the past behavior or future intentions or attitudes.
This method is independent of respondents’ willingness to respond and as such
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 4 Lesson 1

is relatively less demanding of active cooperation on the part of respondents as

happens in the case of interview or the questionnaire method.

This method is particularly suitable in studies which deal with respondents who
are not capable of giving verbal reports of their feelings for one reason or the
other.

Limitations of Observation Method

 It is an expensive method 

 It provides limited information 

 Sometimes, unforeseen factors may interfere with the observational task. 

 Sometimes the respondents are rarely accessible to direct observation which
creates an obstacle/ hindrance for this method to collect data effectively. 


Things to be kept in mind while using Observation Method

 The researcher must decide what should be observed and what should be
ignored. If the researcher is unable to decide the point of observation, he may
lose money and time and all efforts can go in vain. 

 The researcher must decide how the observation should be recorded. What
recording techniques should be used to control time and cost. Whether the
researcher should use pen and paper or audio – visual tool to record the
observation has to be decided. 

 The researcher must also decide how the accuracy of the observation can be
ensured. The researcher must make sure that the respondents are not
provoked or instructed to act while recording observation. If this happens the
accuracy and authenticity of the observation is hampered. 

Types of Observation Method : There are various types of observation

methods that can be used for Primary Data Collection. An observation can be
structured or unstructured, participatory or non-participatory and controlled or
uncontrolled. It depends upon the need and constraints of the researcher
which observation method is opted for the purpose.

a. Structured Observation: Observation is a fundamental way of finding out

about the world around us. As human beings, we are very well equipped to
pick up detailed information about our environment through our senses. As
the name suggests structured means planned. This type of observation
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 4 Lesson 1

method is planned. The researcher has a careful definition of the units to be

observed. The researcher knows what technique of recording for observation
is to be used. There is a standardized condition of observation and selection
of important background material is done. Structured observation is majorly
done in descriptive research in which the researcher aims at observing and
simply describing the socio- economic state of the respondents. Observation
method focuses on describing the subject’s behavior.

b. Unstructured Observation: Unstructured observation as the name suggests

is not planned and no mechanism of observation is listed. The method of
recording the observation is not decided and the researcher may use more
than one method of recording depending upon the convenience and
availability of the researcher. This type of observation is done for exploratory
research where the researcher has limited knowledge about the subject. It is
a difficult method and may have risk of losing the data for it may not be
recorded. Ethnography is a method of unstructured observation. Naturalistic
observation is observation carried out in real-world settings: it is an attempt to
observe things 'as they are', without any intervention or manipulation of the
situation itself by the researcher which is also a type of unstructured
observation. Unstructured observation is used to understand and interpret
cultural behavior. It acknowledges the importance of context and co
construction of the researcher.

c. Participant Observation: If the observer himself shares the life of the group
he is observing is called Participant observation. The researcher is enabled to
record the natural behavior of the group. The researcher can even gather
information which could not easily be obtained even if he observes in a
disinterested fashion. The researcher can even verify the truth of statements
made by informants in the context of a questionnaire or a schedule. The
observer may lose the objectivity to the extent he participates emotionally. In
participant observation, the problem of observation control is not solved.
Participant observation may narrow down the researcher’s range of
experience. For example, Shyam Benegal notable filmmaker did Participant
observation when he collected Rs. 2 from rural farmers to produce a film to
empower the dairy industry in Gujrat.

d. Non Participant Observation: When the observer observes as a detached

emissary without any attempt on his part to experience through participation
what others feel is called non participant observation. Non participant
observation is also called disguised observation. In the non participant
observation the observer doesn’t lose the objectivity to the extent he
participates emotionally. This method may also narrow down the researcher’s
range of experience. In non – participant observation the researcher’s doubts
may not get cleared. For example, when a wildlife documentary filmmaker is
researching on the gestation period of a lioness, he decides to do Non –
Participant observation or disguised observation.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 4 Lesson 1

e. Controlled Observation: If the observation takes place according to definite

pre arranged plans, involving experimental procedure, it is called controlled
observation. In controlled observation, the researcher uses mechanical
instruments for standardization. It is used in Clinical ‘diagnostic’ research.
Such research has the tendency to supply formalized data upon which
generalizations can be built with some degree of assurance.

f. Uncontrolled Observation: If the observation takes place in the natural

setting, it is called uncontrolled observation. No attempt is made to use
precision instruments. The major aim of this type of observation is to get a
spontaneous picture of life and person. It is used in exploratory research. The
main pitfall in uncontrolled observation is that of subjective interpretation.
There is also the danger of having the feeling that we know more about the
observed phenomenon.

g. Direct Observation: Researcher often decides to investigate communication

by directly observing people engaging in it. Sometimes the observations
occur in a laboratory setting in which a researcher gathers people together,
giving them a reason to interact, and then he observes what they say or do.
Sometimes the researcher goes out into the field to observe people as they
engage in everyday activities.Sometimes the primary target of direct
observational research is a particular person or group of people. For example,
studying the non verbal behavior of reticent people, observing and comparing
how they talked to friends and to strangers. Sometimes the primary focus to
direct observation research is a particular communication activity. For
example, studying why children get into arguments is also an example of
direct observation. Videotaping a number of group sessions and then
analyzing the arguments is also an example of direct observation.

Indirect Observation: When using indirect observation, researcher examines

communication artifacts rather than observing live communication events.
Communication artifacts may be transcripts of discourse or products of
communication. One form of communication artifacts is recordings of
communication events, such as, written, filmed, audio taped speeches,
conversations or meetings. Other communication artifacts include the wide range
of communication media that people produce, including written material (books,
pamphlets, magazines, letters), electronic media (records, films, television
programs) and assorted works of art (painting, sculpture). All indirect observation
measures, however, analyze the records or products of human communication
rather than the communication event itself.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 4 Lesson 1

1.4 Methods of Event Evaluation

a. Survey-based evaluations

Surveys are a useful tool to gain feedback that accurately reflects people’s
opinions. There are three types of surveys that you can use to gather feedback
from your event: self-evaluation, direct-evaluation and organisational evaluation.
 Self-evaluation surveys are made available for people who attend the event to
record their comments and return the form. The drawback is they attract a certain
type of person, so they may not accurately reflect the event’s audience as a
whole.
 Direct-evaluation surveys with a random audience surveyed. These surveys
are usually longer than self-evaluations and will provide more statistics. The
results are also more likely to reflect the perceptions of the event’s audience.
 Organisational evaluation surveys are conducted with people involved in the
staging of the event.

b. Media coverage, advertising and publicity evaluation

Media and advertising coverage should be evaluated to measure the impact on

visitor trends. Elements you should include in media and advertising evaluation
range from media releases, articles, interviews, photo-shoots and
advertisements from the various news formats.
 Did your media release spark interest?
 Were they printed or aired?
 How many articles were printed in the lead-up to the event, during the
event and after the event?
c. Interview
 Vox-pop evaluation
A vox pop is an opinion in response to a specific question enabling you to gain a
quick response relatively easily. Vox pops are recorded either as audio or vision
and can be used for the event in promotional activities, such as on a website. If
you are considering using vox pops, plan ahead and ask questions that will
present well post-event if needed and gain consent to use the material or data
post event.

 Post event meeting evaluation

This meeting should ideally occur no later than two weeks after the event. All
people involved including the public, traders, exhibitors, performers, sponsors
and those involved in the planning, implementation and organisation of the event,
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 4 Lesson 1

should be encouraged to attend. The aim of the meeting is to collect the views of
participants. Start by asking for comment on what people liked and didn’t like
about the event. All opinions and comments should be recorded for the
evaluation.
 Gathering information

Open space events such as festivals, parades, street parties or markets are the
easiest to survey with respondents having time to answer questions without
getting in the way of their enjoyment of the event or participation. For music
performances, surveys should be conducted outside the venue, as people prefer
not to be disturbed when listening to a performance. Similarly, surveys to be
conducted at events that are ticketed or seated can only be completed at the
start, intermission or end of the event.
After you have considered your event and how to best obtain survey opinions,
also consider the time it will take to conduct the survey. For example: If your
survey takes five minutes and the average guest is only available for fifteen
minutes before or after the event, there are one-thousand guests and you have
two interviewers conducting surveys, you will get a maximum of twelve surveys
completed - not a sufficient result to provide a true representation of the
audience.

 Interview through e-mails

In today’s internet driven world, sometimes researchers use an e – mail method

to contact the respondents. The researcher sends the questions to the
respondents on their e-mail i.ds. This method is primarily used when the
researcher has large sample size and very limited time.

 Telephonic Interview

In this type of interview the respondent is caught on telephone. Telephonic

interviews are conducted by employers for the hiring purpose. This saves
the employer’s time and money. Reporters too conduct telephonic
interviews to conduct investigative journalism.

It is not a very widely used method. It plays a dominant part in industrial

surveys, mainly in developed areas.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 4 Lesson 1

d. Questionnaire Method

A questionnaire consists of a number of questions printed or typed in a definite

order on a form or set of forms. The questionnaire is mailed to respondents who
are expected to read and understand the questions and write down the reply in
the space meant for the purpose in the questionnaire itself. It is most extensively
used in various economic and business surveys. Therefore, it can be said that
Questionnaire Method is used for big enquiries. The questionnaire has to be filled
by the respondent himself. The questionnaire is either mailed or given in person
to the respondents. It is advisable to conduct ‘pilot study’ for testing the
questionnaire as it eliminates the possibility of bias. Pilot study or survey is the
rehearsal of the main survey which is conducted by the experts so as to highlight
the weakness and limitations of the questionnaire.

Question Formulation and Wording

With regard to this aspect of a questionnaire, the researcher should note that
each question must be very clear, for any sort of misunderstanding can do
irreparable harm to a survey. Question should also be impartial in order to give
unbiased picture of the true state of affairs. Questions should be constructed with
a view of their forming a logical part of a well thought tabulation plan. Basically,
all the questions should meet the following standards:
1. Should be easily understood
2. Should be simple
3. Should be concrete
4. Should conform to the respondent’s way of thinking

Considering the form of questions, there are two principle forms

a. multiple choice question or closed questions,
b. the open–end question.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 4 Lesson 1

Sample of a Questionnaire
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 4 Lesson 1

1.5 Evaluation of Costs and Benefits

Ratio of external reach to the actual event reach is a very tangible & useful
measurement criterion.
Ideally, External reach
__________ = 1
Actual reach
The ideal situation in real life is very rare since the external reach gets drastically
reduced in terms of reaching to the target audience and is therefore impractical in
most cases. This is because the target audience which varies very large. It is
impractical to assume that all the constituents of target population can make it to
the event.

Measuring Interactions for an event from the clients’ point of view can be
measured in the following ways-
1. No. of Interaction points – The number of direct & indirect interaction
points that have planned and arranged for event provide the first important
measurement tool.
2. No. of interactions- The opportunities for interaction b/w the client &the
audience before, during & after is also very Tangible Measurement
criterion.
3. Quality of Interactions- One way / Two way Communication during
interaction has profound impact on the quality of interactions taking place.
4. Time duration of interactions- The amount of time available for interactions
is very important in that the greater the duration of the interaction, more
the chances that is some meaningful and decisive interaction, more the
chances that there are some Meaningful and decisive interactions
between the Client & The audience.
5. Actual variations in commercial No. of for the Client- A direct
measurement of the success of an event in terms of success or failure of
the interactions components of impact is the inc. or decrease in profit or
Consumption of the clients products in the time frame around the event.

1.6 The Basic Evaluation Process

In events, the basic evaluation process involves three steps

 Establishing tangible objectives and incorporating sensitivity in evaluation
 Measuring the performance before, during and after the event
 Correcting deviations from plans
1. Establishing tangible objectives and incorporating sensitivity in
evaluation
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 4 Lesson 1

Setting objectives for an event is easier said than done. It is more difficult to set
standards and declaring and event successful after it meets them. To provide
tangibility to the problem, the best approach is to begin with definition of the
target audience for whom the event has been organized. In the case of
commercial events, the audience could be the end users who use the company’
s products. An event might be conceptualized to achieve different things for
different audience. Once the audience is identified the next step is to expect to
think, feel and do having been to the event, that it did not think, feel or do
beforehand.
Objective evaluation should also take into consideration the nature of the concept
and the process of execution of the event in their entirety. However professional
the evaluation, there is scope for error and misjudgment if sensitivity is not
adhered to. This is because it takes a creative and sensitive mind to spot wrong
questions or situations where asking questions might be the wrong method and
observation might be more appropriate. One of the ways of nurturing and
encouraging this sensitivity is to place evaluation within the context of a team
approach all the way from conceptualization to carrying out of the event.

2. Measuring the performance

Although perfect measurement is not always practicable, the measurement of
performance against the objectives should ideally be done on a forward looking
basis so that deviations may be detected in advance of their occurrence and
avoided by appropriate actions. The concept research is used to anticipate the
viability of a concept during the conceptualization process. Formative and
objective evaluations are carried out during the customization phase of an event.
Summative evaluation can be carried out to measure performance during the
event.

o Concept Research: At the conceptualization stage, if a concept team

does not have a sound basis, upon which to make a decision ‘between
various options, a commissioning of audience research to help in defining
the strategic approach to be adopted in the event is appropriate. It
essentially involves presenting the various options to a representative
sample of the target audience in a story form and inviting their reactions.
This provides enough material for understanding the pros and cons of the
various available alternatives. The downside to this method is that it is
speculative in nature since it deals with plans that nobody has as yet tried
to implement. This method is called concept research.
o Formative Evaluation: Evaluation at this stage focuses on things that are
actually happening. After the conceptualization team makes an attempt to
customize and implement an agreed strategy, steps can be taken to
evaluate the success with which customization is proceeding. These
evaluations are aimed at shaping the form of the final event. Mock-up
displays and presentations of the event are used to carry out research to
check whether they are achieving the desired reactions from the audience.
These evaluations are conducted among small sample representative of
the target audience in an open-ended and qualitative fashion since the
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 4 Lesson 1

main emphasis is on discovering how the concept might be better

represented. The outcome of these formative evaluations lead to a
discussion among the team in which proposals for rectifying any weak
points in the communications can be put forward. A point, which should be
safeguarded against whilst using this technique, is to interpret consumer
reactions with considerable sensitivity to stimulate the creative process
further and also to ensure that good ideas are not killed simply because
they were not properly presented in mock-up form.
o Objective Evaluation: This is the stage when approval from the client is
sought before starting the execution related activities of an event. The
evaluation team has to provide the objective evidence that has been
collected which justifies the proposed concept solutions. The team also
provides reassurance on how and why the particular event will work
among its intended audience. Since taking the client into confidence
requires certain amount of objectivity and professionalism, this technique
is called objective evaluation.
o Summative Evaluation: After the event has started, the evaluation team
should be concerned with measuring the impact of the event upon its
audience. Among other things, they should establish the extent to which
the objectives or aims of the event have been met and whether the event
can be improved in any way and if so, how This will not apply for short
term events though. A major purpose of evaluating an event after it has
opened to the public is that it provides the team with the opportunity of
learning from their mistakes. The team should assimilate the information
thus collected so that they can avoid making similar mistakes in the future.

3. Correcting Deviations
The fundamental reason why event evaluation is carried out is to navigate the
event so as to ensure that the event objectives are achieved in total. And since
deviations may occur during any stage in the event designing phase, it is
important that measurement is carried out at all possible stages.

Concept of Event Quality and Measuring Quality of Event

Exactly on the lines of the evaluation of effectiveness of an event comes the
concept of event quality. In essence, quality of an event exists in the clients’
perspective and thus varies from client to client. By aiming for quality by
maintaining standards, preventing mistakes, never cutting corners and using only
top quality infrastructure is looking at quality from a skewed angle.

Unless the target audience and the clients perceive the quality of the job in the
same way as the event organizers, the big picture of quality is not complete.
Therefore, it is critical to match the clients’ expectations and experiences by
including even the minutest details to arrive at the perceived quality of event. In
matters of dispute, it is value to the client that finally matters.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 4 Lesson 1

For the client, quality of an event is a bundle of attributes. A few of these critical
attributes are quality and reliability of equipment used, aesthetic appeal,
appropriate cost and timely completion of the project.

Each client will care more about some attribute than others. Thus, it is important
to find out how clients would define quality event service. Competence in project
management from conceptualization to carryout, reliability and integrity as in the
past performances of events that have been executed by the event organizer is a
very important quality criterion. Responsiveness to the clients’ requirements i.e.,
empathy, mutual confidence and trust are also criteria used by clients to size up
the quality of event organizers. In addition, an easy-to. Work with manner,
personal involvement and caring that the event organizer exudes also helps.
Delivery of promises and deals should be ensured.

Every client expects the event to provide the ideal audience to associate with;
impress and entice. Thus, the quality of an event can also be defined in terms of
the audience quality. Clients should focus on three major statistics that define
audience quality:

o Net buying influences which can be defined as the ratio of the

number of audience that can recommend, specify or approve purchase
to the total population at the event.
o Total buying plans imply the percentage of the audience planning to
buy a product/service from the sponsors’ stables within the next 12
months after the show.
o Average audience interest is the percentage of audience that shows
an interest in the sponsors’ products or services during the event itself
and immediately after. This may be measured by keeping track of the
number of visitors to the sponsors’ stall or exhibit area during the
event.

1.7 Event Controlling and Monitoring

Controlling involves ensuring that performance does not deviate from standards.
Controlling consists of three steps, which include (1) establishing performance
standards, (2) comparing actual performance against standards, and (3) taking
corrective action when necessary. Performance standards are often stated in monetary
terms such as revenue, costs, or profits but may also be stated in other terms, such as
units produced, number of defective products, or levels of quality or customer service.

The measurement of performance can be done in several ways, depending on the

performance standards, including financial statements, sales reports, production results,
customer satisfaction, and formal performance appraisals. Managers at all levels
engage in the managerial function of controlling to some degree.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 4 Lesson 1

The managerial function of controlling should not be confused with control in the
behavioral or manipulative sense. This function does not imply that managers should
attempt to control or to manipulate the personalities, values, attitudes, or emotions of
their subordinates. Instead, this function of management concerns the manager’s role in
taking necessary actions to ensure that the work-related activities of subordinates are
consistent with and contributing toward the accomplishment of organizational and
departmental objectives.

Effective controlling requires the existence of plans, since planning provides the
necessary performance standards or objectives. Controlling also requires a clear
understanding of where responsibility for deviations from standards lies. Two traditional
control techniques are budget and performance audits. An audit involves an
examination and verification of records and supporting documents. A budget audit
provides information about where the organization is with respect to what was planned
or budgeted for, whereas a performance audit might try to determine whether the
figures reported are a reflection of actual performance. Although controlling is often
thought of in terms of financial criteria, managers must also control production and
operations processes, procedures for delivery of services, compliance with company
policies, and many other activities within the organization.

Event Monitoring Depending on the type of event and the identified hazards and risk
controls: • completion of the Event Day Risk Control form (available in the Event
Checklist) may be required prior to the event commencing • monitoring may be required
during the course of the event to ensure the ongoing effectiveness of risk controls.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 4 Lesson 2

Lesson 2 Emerging Trends in Event Management

2.1 Introduction
The events industry evolves and changes every year. New trends and
technologies make planning a great event easier and more secure. Here are
some event industry trends and ideas that we think will take centre stage in 2018,
from new social media opportunities in event marketing to sustainable
environmentally-friendly practices for event venues.

2.2 Latest Trends

I. Event Marketing
The way you market your event might change in 2018, with plenty of new
ideas and strategies emerging, but also new challenges. Here are just some of
them:
a. Shareable content
Digital marketing and social media campaigns have to form a seamless
part of your event. Most importantly, they have to be something your
guests can really engage with, either by sharing content or adding to it.
Make your event marketing really stand out in 2018 by harnessing the
power of social media, particularly Instagram and Snapchat. If it’s
appropriate, make sure your event has plenty of ‘photo-worthy’
moments that your guests will want to capture and share.

b. New marketing strategies

People are talking about Drip Marketing this year. Drip Marketing
involves gradually introducing new content, relationships, and
information to ease your guests into the event. It’s all about getting
people invested in your event, rather than immediately shoving a call to
action at them. This can be combined with other strategies, such as a
focussed social media campaign, or integrating more technology to
your marketing, perhaps by using a platform that helps you distribute
tailored emails to your attendees based on their personal preferences.

II. Event Tech

We’re always excited about new tech trends, inside or outside the
events industry. Here are a few things to look out for this year:
a. Drones
Drones have become popular over the last year or two as both a toy
and tool. In 2018, they will begin to have a useful role in events. Drones
are especially useful in large event venues, where they can be
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 4 Lesson 2

launched above the heads of your attendees to film the event or

provide extra security. Although, be careful of using drones in your
events: aside from privacy concerns, an untrained pilot might even pose
a danger to your guests!

b. Artificial intelligence

AI has been making inroads into the events industry for a while now,
and even though the kinks are still being worked out, there are a few
unique ways to implement it into your events in 2018. For instance,
chatbots that automate customer service are getting better every day, so
your future events can incorporate these to provide your guests with
unique, tailored insights and answers. Artificial intelligence can also help
provide better personalised recommendations, perhaps by using data
given by attendees to link them to the most appropriate seminars,
sessions, and contacts. This will have consequences for attendee
engagement, which is often boosted by personal touches.

c. Livestreaming
Livestreaming is already fairly popular at events, but there’s still plenty of
scope for introducing it to your conferences and meetings. It’s a useful
tool for allowing people to tune into major events remotely, and also
makes sharing your content much easier. Many social media channels
have introduced a live streaming functionality, such as Facebook Live,
which means guests can broadcast events themselves, adding more
opportunities for sharing.

III. Event Security

Something else we’ve already written about is event security, both
physical and online. In 2018, there could be some new methods in play
to keep you safe.

a. New technology and Stricter Security Procedures

With the recent events in 2017, there will be a stricter security procedure
in place and new event technology will definitely play a part in making
events safer. Aside from drones, there’s also the potential of using facial
recognition system as a security measure. You can already find it in
computers and mobile devices, but it could also be used to welcome
guests to your events and improve the check-in process. Facial
recognition is still in development, but it’s worth watching this trend
closely. It may soon be a common tool used to make sure the right
people are given access to the right places. Other potential
technological solutions are heat mapping and automated people
counters.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 4 Lesson 2

b. Cyber Security and GDPR

Some things will help as well as hinder you. The European Union’s
General Data Protection Regulation, which comes into force in March
will make it more difficult to collect and store your guests’ data, but
protect yours. You’ll have to make certain adjustments to the way you
interact with data about your clients and attendees, which might make it
more difficult to provide personalised content. However, in doing so it
will support your defences against cyber threats. If you don’t know how
GDPR will affect you and your events, read our guide to GDPR and
event data security to help you out.

IV. Event Venues

The way your attendees interact with your event venues will change in
2018, from new unique event spaces to sustainability. Here are some of
the trends to look forward to

a. Unique venues
In 2018, people are always on the lookout for originality and authenticity.
This can also apply to your event’s venue. Even if you’re planning an
event in a familiar city, you can find somewhere unique that leaves a
lasting impression. Think about the ways the local area can influence
how you market an event, and make sure your venue has plenty of
scope for customisation and interactivity. If you can host your event in
somewhere vibrant and interesting, even better.

b. Interactive venues and event spaces

As mentioned above, interactive events will continue to grow in
popularity in 2018. But what’s the next step? How can your event
engage all the senses? VR is already on its way, and can create new
ways of involving your attendees in events. What better way to advertise
Dubai at a tourism conference, for example, than to transport a guest
straight into the Arabian desert through using a VR headset? To create
a 3D event that involves all the senses, you can add hands-on,
interactive displays and nicely-textured audio. There are even ways to
stimulate guests’ sense of smell, perhaps by periodically spraying scent
into the air, although we recognise that not every event needs to
integrate this!

c. Sustainability
By now, we’re all aware of the environmental damage caused by
ordinary, day-to-day activities. The events industry is not blameless, so
we can all make a difference by making 2018 the year of sustainable
events. There are some easy solutions, like forgoing the use of paper for
invitations and itineraries in favour of technological solutions. You could
also do something to encourage reusing and recycling, like handing out
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 4 Lesson 2

free reusable coffee cups to your attendees that they can use during
and after your event as a keepsake.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 4 Lesson 3

Lesson 3 Careers in Event Management

______________________________________________________________________
In last lesson we studied the emerging trends in event management industry. This
lesson will throw light on the career options in event management firm.
_____________________________________________________________________

3.0 Objectives
After going through this lesson you will
 Define the career options available in event management industry.

3.1 Introduction
Event management, the most profound form of advertising and marketing, is a
glamorous and thrilling profession. It provides an opportunity for unleashing one’s
creative potential to a very high degree. It demands a lot of hardwork and effort
but at the same time offers enormous scope.
Event management is a process of organizing a professional and focused event,
for a particular target audience. It involves visualizing concepts, planning,
budgeting, organizing and executing events such as fashion shows, musical
concerts, corporate seminars, exhibitions, wedding celebrations, theme parties,
product launching, etc. It is a good career option which does not require much
investment and offers a lot of
independence and flexibility. If you have a passion for conducting events, having
good organizing ability and be flexible to work for long hours, you can make a
successful career in this field.

3.2 The Scope

Today, there are a number of companies hosting and organizing events on a
regular basis. These range from the small time private events to the large-scale
international events. A good number of young people are entering in this field
because they realize the potential of the market and the demand and supply
situation. In fact, the most profitable aspect of this field is the need for creativity.
And that is how and where one earns.
The management of events calls, largely for co-ordination, from stage one. The
first thing required is to get the orders for the event. This process is also known
as pitching for an event. Usually, whether it is for small time events (birthday
parties and weddings), or then for the larger ones assigned by companies
(exhibitions and trade fairs), or the international concerts; the event
manager/company is asked to submit a project report, with the finances involved.
On the basis of this, the assignment is given to them.

3.3 The Skills Required

BA(JMC)-305 Unit 4 Lesson 3

The field of event management not only requires a great amount of creative skills
but also involves lots of discipline and meticulous planning. Planning an event is
an event in itself. The job of organizing an event begins with the very basics. The
client comes to the event manager with a vague idea in mind. It is entirely upto
the event manager to work on the idea and turn it into a reality. Events could be
anything from concerts, product launches, conferences, promotions, press
conferences, jubilee celebrations and farewells to television based events,
fashion shows, wedding or parties… it could be just anything.
In terms of educational qualifications, a formal education in the form of a diploma
or degree in event management or in advertising or public relations with a
specialization in event management should be ideal though not much stress is
laid on education. But there are a host of other qualities, which are essential for a
person to be well-equipped in this field. These include:

1. Analytical/Critical thinking and problem solving – Analytical thinking, critical

thinking and problem solving are abilities that are a must in this field. You should
be able to acknowledge a problem, recognize that it has to be solved then and
there, and always think on how the situation could be avoided in future.
2. Client/customer service orientation – Client/customer service orientation is the
ability to be client focused and committed to meeting the needs of your customer.
An event manager has to be client focused, he must attempt to know the client’s
needs, he must be able to put them at ease while interacting with them, build
trust and respect with customers and clients.
3. Negotiation skills – It is a general opinion that negotiating means
underestimating the seller. On the contrary, it is a skill in business which, when
developed, makes you an astute minded businessman.
4. Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines – An event manager should
be able to handle pressures and deadlines at ease. In spite of meticulous
planning and arrangement, a small error or miscalculation can wreak havoc and
disrupt the entire schedule. At such testing times, you should be able to remain
calm and cool and perform your role as though everything is under control, so
that others are not adversely affected.
5. Teamwork, facilitation and co-operation – Needless to say, one of the most
important things in event management is the ability to work as a team. One
should not only know how to lead a team but also work in co-ordination and co-
operation with subordinates to execute jobs. The event manager should be able
to build efficient teams of people and facilitate their effectiveness. Always
remember, “There is no ‘I’ in Team”.
6. Planning, co-ordination and organization – This involves the ability to
effectively coordinate and organize oneself, others, information and/or situations
at a personal and/or organizational level.
7. Networking skills – An event manager needs to build up his own network. The
more number of contacts he has the more successful he will be. Any kind of
business can be only expanded through contacts of perspective clients therefore
having the skill and aptitude to interact and connect.
BA(JMC)-305 Unit 4 Lesson 3

Courses in Event Management

Asia’s Best Courses in Event Management: Full Time MBA in Event
Management
NIEM – National Institute of Event Management
Event Management Jobs
Event Managers
Event Executives
Event Organizers

3.4 Event Planners Different roles, different names

An organisation that is into event management business offers numerous
positions to job seekers. The following are some of the departments in a typical
event managing company:
 Public Relations – managing a vast gamut of people ranging from clients, artists,
stage performers, government officials, public and so on
 Promotion and Marketing – for promoting the image of the organisation and also
for marketing the event to the public at large
 Brand Development – a talent pool that is responsible for managing client
requirements pertaining to brand restructuring
 Designing – team of creative people who visualise and then prepare design
layouts for the stage, costumes, accessories and so on
 Administration – department that is responsible for back office and general
administrative tasks
 Production – team comprising of media professionals who manage the
production and editing of audio video related media
 Printing – department that takes care of printing all sorts of marketing collaterals
and promotional items

Refer to lesson2 of Unit 2 for more careers options