Characteristics Of Events

Table of Contents

The characteristics of events will be dealt under the following headings:

- A Platform For Interaction And Networking.
- Uniqueness And Perishability.
- Entertainment, Ceremonies And Rituals.
- Labor Intensiveness, Networking With Vendors And Teamwork.
- Fixed Time-Scale.
- Financial Planning.
- Ambience.
- Creative Edge And The ‘Wow Factor.’

It is important to understand these characteristics to ensure the smooth running of the event, to minimize risks and to maximize the enjoyment of the event audience.

A Platform For Interaction And Networking

Events play a significant role in bringing people together for specific purposes such as brand building, charity, fund raising, ceremonial activities, rituals, image building and much more. Consumers of goods seldom get a chance to meet people who produce the goods in manufacturing units. Events are the best platform where the target audience or the consumers get a chance to meet the producers of products. The products are brought to the end user through innovative methods and interaction. For example, the product ‘Camlin‘ besides getting advertised, was introduced through demonstrations, drawing competitions and road shows, covering most of the schools. The crowd at a wedding, birthday party or a new year party will not just be interacting with each other, but also with the hosts and perhaps with entertainers. This creates an atmosphere and makes the event enjoyable. Similarly the crowd in a cricket match contributes to the whole experience by cheering and interacting with itself, sometimes with the participants, staff and so on.

It is necessary to create the event based on the kind of people who are going to be a part of it, because an event’s success or failure is attributed to the actions and reactions of people attending the event. The same event that was successful, if repeated, may be a success or failure depending on the background of the audience, their interactions and reactions. Hence a vital aspect that has to be considered by event planners is the kind of target audience.

Creating Live Experiences

Human life is filled with experiences. Events aim to provide memorable experiences. They create experiences for attendees of events like weddings, sports events, festivals, road shows and so on. Events activate brands, businesses and customers. When we read the newspaper or watch television, we are simply ‘seeing,’ or ‘seeing and listening.’ When we play the radio, we only ‘listen.’ An event provides a multidimensional communication to the brain by providing experience. Hence it is only an event that makes us ‘feel.’ Every experience provided by events is unique. The latest trends in activations, IPs, managed events, weddings, MICE, digital events and many others, is experiential. This is because the available technology is affordable and effective. Hence we get to see more of live and experiential. Experiential is about providing live and immersive experiences. The experiential aspect makes the event more engaging and fun. Marketers use live events to tell their brand story. Creating an experience that connects the brand and target audience is called experiential marketing. The event manager is expected to provide strategy, development and management of communication technology that creates memorable experiences for the consumer. Event managers help build brands and sell products in this way.

Uniqueness And Perishability

Every event is unique in its own way as every event is a different experience to the audience. No two events are the same. Even if two weddings were to be held by the same organizer on the same day, in the same city, they would differ in terms of timings, number of people visiting, the way people interact etc., hence the two weddings would be radically different. Likewise, the response towards a rock show by a renowned artist in a city might not be the same in another city. This is because the location, demographics, arrangements and audience response might not be the same in different places, hence giving the rock shows by the same artist in different cities, their uniqueness. A memorable event is unique because of pleasant happenings to cherish and a successful audience response, thus generating the desired impact and outcome.

Just as events are regarded as unique, they are also considered tremendously perishable. No event can be repeated the same way. The International Film Fare Awards or Oscar Awards held every year might not be similar to the one that was held in the previous year. Events like workshops, seminars and brand building, though mostly organized by Event Management Companies (EMCs) in a particular way will be different on every occasion, while being brief and time-bound. Perishability also relates to the use of facilities for events. Let us suppose we have a banqueting room for weddings. Its peak usage might be on Sunday evenings for weddings, and so on the remaining days of the week, its revenue generating potential may not be exploited. Hence for the remaining days, the revenue-generating potential of each day is lost forever, thus suggesting that it is perishable. The day on which the hall is empty cannot be replayed and used for an event, another perishable characteristic.

Events like the LIC Zee Cine Awards, the Lakme Fashion Week, Sunburn, Mahindra Blues Festival and IIFA are popular and unique event properties. Further events are also exploited via multiple mediums like webcasting, internet, audio and video programs. Hence an event manager’s role would be to ensure the extent of facilities and services that can be used effectively for the event, because of its uniqueness and infrequent occurrence. Because of the perishable nature of events, events could be expensive to provide. The cost of losing an opportunity in event management [ often referred to as loss due to perishability ], can be countered by many event managers, by applying different techniques. Differential pricing or discount days are used to draw in business in cycles or days when the business trend is low. For example, the ‘Kingdom of Dreams‘ in Gurugram, Haryana, offers discounted rates for its entertainment shows on weekdays.

Entertainment, Ceremonies And Rituals

Entertainment is the essence of most events. For some events entertainment is central, for others it is peripheral i.e. secondary in importance. Entertainment when used in any event should serve its purpose. The needs of the event audience must be carefully considered when making this decision. While the sole purpose of some events is only entertainment, such as festivals, carnivals and musical concerts, entertainment is used as a strategy to create momentum and enhance the beauty of events like fairs, weddings and charity shows. Some forms of entertainment go well with diverse kind of events. A ‘theme’/fancy dress code can be considered for an anniversary or a wedding party. However the same idea can work extremely well for a business success party.

A major characteristic of events that makes them special is the ceremonies. If we look at the past historical events, rituals and ceremonies always played an important part. The ceremonies we see today are the reinvented versions of old traditions. Often the rituals and ceremonies are there because they emphasize the continuity of tradition. On January 26th every year, the Republic Day celebrations are celebrated with ceremonies marked by traditional openings and processions. The Golden Bears, Golden Globe or Oscar Awards have prizes given for good film-making, acting, production and direction, and the whole ceremony is specially made up of performances. Similarly, weddings are made up of rituals and ceremonies based on the tradition that is passed from generation to generation. Based upon the size of the event the ceremonies could be large scale or small scale. New events with wholly new ceremonies are becoming a trend now to attract tourists in cities and towns.

The Oscars as an event have remained a tradition and become a ritual. This largest event in Hollywood that started in 1929 with black and white films, moved to color in 1966, with more hi-tech, more glamorous, more exciting, more thrilling and worldwide coverage. It is an event looked forward to every year by the best in the business.

Labor Intensiveness, Networking With Vendors, And Team Work

Depending on the scale of event, the event is planned and staged. The more complex and more unique an event is, the more likely it is to be labor intensive, both in terms of organization and operation. The skills of the event team are very important for concept development. Right from complicated planning for efficient service delivery of a good event [ events may be outsourced to caterers or other suppliers ], to the operational level where high levels of staffing are required for proper delivery of the event, most events are labor intensive. The event manager is supported by a team that sometimes grows enormously as the event draws closer. A planning team of 10 members that works together for a year might suddenly grow into a team of 200 members during that short period of the event. This phenomenon has been described as ‘pulsing organization‘ by Toffler. For example, the small catering team for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games expanded to over 200 [ including volunteers ] in the month before the games. It also provided only one opportunity for the entire team to be together for that short time span for a training session.

Another key characteristic is the network with the vendors/supply chain. EMCs are the essential link between client and vendor. They have the ability to source, negotiate and get the work done by the vendors who are various service providers. There must be a commitment from the supply chain to offer the latest and most efficient solutions including technology. Being able to identify the right type of vendor for a particular requirement determines the EMC’s ability to deliver quality work.

The staff working at most events have limited opportunity for training, hence job breakdowns and task sheets become essential aspects of planning. This requires high level of communication between the team members, even where the event may be repeating a well-known formula, or operating within a common operating framework such as a conference. A wedding reception in an open space of 400 people will not only require catering staff, but also jockeys to conduct a musical evening, cleaners and staff to set up and break down the set up. Hence the importance of team structure is crucial to successful event management. A host of skilled and unskilled staff need to be guided effectively. Staffing needs are also likely to peak at certain times. An event manager will have to forecast staffing needs directly from the requirements of running the event.

Functional level responsibilities need to be addressed within the team for a specific event. For example, a gaming event such as an athletic competition will require a completely different staffing structure to support it [ including competitions, judges, time keepers etc. ] than a grand traditional wedding which would have more of catering staff, lighting technicians etc. Besides the above, stakeholders such as police, emergency services, the environmental protection agency as well as local transit authority have all sorts of requirements that would challenge the feasibility of the event and these must be investigated.

Fixed Time Scale

Events have a fixed time scale and are not like routine activities that can be carried out indefinitely. In short, events do not go on forever. The timescale could be very short, such as for the opening ceremony for a new road, or very long, as with the Olympics or Commonwealth Games, where the planning phase took about five years or more. Events could go on for a month/months, a week, two days, an entire day or an evening, or even for an hour. The timing of the event determines the kind of event that will be held. If it is an evening event, the kind of lighting, décor, stage set up, the color of backdrop, seating arrangements, flower arrangement etc. will be different as compared to these arrangements as per day requirements.

While planning an event, time requirements regarding preparation for the event-pre and post, and wrap up etc. are decided by the magnitude and size of the event. You will have to work out the schedule of the event because you need to know how long an event will last, whether it will be for an hour or two, what will happen during the event and how much time each activity in the event will take. The criticality of right timing is to be kept in mind. Imagine a product launch where the product is revealed while the chairman is still introducing the product, when the schedule specifies that the product reveal must happen after the speech. Sometimes, the fixed timescale also gets varied, particularly in events that have an informal setting. A birthday party, may carry on longer than intended because ‘it just happened.’ Sometimes a formal event like a fair where there are many stakeholders, may get extended in a planned way for some special reason, eg. to recover the costs.

Financial Planning

Financial planning is very important for the event. It depends upon how big the event is going to be and the number of visitors attending it. It also depends on what it will cost to hold the event and whether it has to be profitable. Every event differs in the way it is priced. This issue of pricing is very important as inexperienced organizers typically underestimate the various costs. This is why accurate and well-thought of budget should be negotiated and finalized by the EMC with the client before the start of any activity. It is a crucial factor in controlling costs within budget and ensuring efficient resource utilization. There is a tendency on the part of everyone to say “Oh well, it will cost about…..” without actually checking. When someone does get around to checking the real amount, it comes as a shock. Every event has a level of risk associated with it. The scope of pricing an event depends on the level of risk the event organizer is ready to take. This helps in doing the pricing for the clients separately and pricing the tickets for the target audience separately. Sometimes the organizers keep the ticket price low and land the event in serious financial difficulties. The ticket price has to be based on actual costings.

A calculation about the break-even point of the event should be included in the budget and cash-flow statement. This can be achieved through break-even analysis. Break-even analysis is the comparison of production and selling expenses against the sales projections on a market-based price. This helps in finding out if the event is worth carrying out. In case of ticketed events it depends on how many tickets can be sold and at what price. For this, calculation of the break-even point has to be done. For example if the ticket prices are INR 10, and the costs are INR 600, for the event to be break-even, this means that 60 tickets have to be sold. What if the seats at the venue are only 55 instead of 60? You will not make profit. Hence, once the full costs of the event are known, the ticket price can be calculated bearing in mind that enough tickets have to be sold to cover eventualities. There could be cost risks related to quality management and standards, cost risks related to the expense of putting on the event, and cost risks related to the effective timing and scheduling of events.

Ambience

Ambience is that very essential characteristic that seeks to ensure whether the event is a success or a failure. At a personal event, such as a birthday party, the ambience may be simply created by the people who are there, without the need for anything else – good company amongst friends can make an excellent event. However, for many events, the right ambience is created by the desired services. The presence of expensive venue, themed décor, gifts, foods and games might not necessarily make an anniversary party a success. A well organized event can lighten up the moods of guests who have had a busy day or have travelled long distances to reach the venue.

The event manager has to employ enough creativity while blending these services. Careful attention has to be given to every detail and by trying to bring out the desired outcome.

Creative Edge And The Wow Factor

The greatest skill for the event manager is to use creativity in providing an event. Ideation and creativity are the key strengths of the event industry today. A wedding planner will use a color theme to emphasize the mood or symbolism of the event. The staging of events in a creative manner shows the event manager’s creative skills. Events typically have a team based work environment and a project type of organization structure. Once the event concept is finalized with the client, the very first step begins when the creative conceptualizer works on ‘the brief‘ with the creative team. A brief is a detailed list of input and specific instructions from the client for the event. The creative team also has to work with hard practical realities such as the logistics, like transportation of material, travel, stay arrangements etc. and the networking aspects, namely media plan, ad designs, ticket designs, printing etc. With these constraints the creative team tries to create the perfect picture of the event. Indian sponsors are looking for innovations in properties every year, with the help of creativity. Creativity as a tool is required by advertisers, is essential for growth of revenues and retention of business.

The first edition of the Jaipur Art Summit was held in November 2013 at Hotel Clarks, Amer and Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur, in Rajasthan. The summit showcased creative expressions across many media and formats like canvas, visual and digital art, art installations, sculptures, interactive art, other contemporary and folk centric expressions. The works of 150 artists were showcased including senior renowned artists like Anjolie Ela Menon, Jatin Das and Jai Zharotia. Features like art camp, installation art works, seminars, display of folk traditions and art ‘haat‘ [market] were different elements that gave a creative touch to the summit.

The ‘Wow Factor‘ of events is an essential characteristic, which owes the event a memorable experience. For example, the ‘Wow’ factor can be created by using an interplay of unusual venues, artistic expressions in décor, other creative touches and activities that can make the event a success. Venues are also used to reveal the message or culture of a company, like – a contemporary and futuristic building for a new and trendy company, and a historical building for a traditional firm. For example, the Roundhouse is an 1846 steam engine repair-shed, in North London that was at the heart of the swinging 1960s scene with famous Rock-N-Roll Bands like The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and The Doors, all playing there. In recent years, Product Launches, Award Ceremonies, the ‘X Men’ Movie Premiere, Video Productions and Music Week Awards were held there. Clients for events like brand promotion, annual corporate events and product launches prefer to choose unusual venues like palaces, historical monuments and ‘havelis’ [old traditional big homes], museums, etc. that raise the curiosity of audiences and give a wonderful feel to the event.

Event Management – The Concept
The Demand And Scope Of Events
Empact And The Advantages Of Events
Event Management – Indian Events Industry Size And Growth
Event Management – Structure Of Event Services