Event Management – The Concept

Event Management Concept

Event management is the application of the management practice of project management for the creation and development of festivals, fairs, weddings, exhibitions, competitive events, sports, television shows, product launches, meetings and conferences. According to Shone and Parry event management can be thought of as an art, rather than a science. The event process involves studying the needs of the client, identifying the target audience, devising the event concept, planning logistics and coordinating the technical aspects before executing the event. There has been a massive growth of the event industry around the world, suggesting that it has a positive future.

 

Definition Of Events

Events have been defined in various ways. This article presents some of the definitions. Silvers defines event as an experience, carefully crafted to deliver an impact on the person in attendance. Basrur defines event as an occasion where a gathering of a target audience meets to celebrate or experience an occurrence, designed and organized to communicate and interact with a purpose to achieve an objective. It is a dynamic plan involving a live multimedia package, organized with a preconceived concept or idea. According to Singh, events are an organized business. Event management is a process of organizing an activity, social or professional, for a particular target audience.

Kotler defines events as occurrences designed to communicate particular messages to target audiences. In this context, Gaur and Saggere talk about events from a marketing perspective. Events have been understood as an effective marketing tool. Here events are an additional media whereby two-way [or active] communication is possible. Event is something noteworthy which happens according to a set plan involving networking of a multimedia package, thereby achieving the clients’ objectives and justifying their need for associating with events.

A comprehensive definition given by Gaur and Saggere is as follows: An event is a live multimedia package carried out with a preconceived concept, customized or modified to achieve the client’s objectives 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. From this definition it is evident that an event is a package so organized as to provide, reach and live interaction between the target audience and the client to achieve the desired impact. The population of the target audience that the event is exposed to is called the ‘reach’ for the event. The live interaction process facilitates communication between the clients and the audience. This process strengthens the possibilities of mutually beneficial transactions occurring in tune with the desired objectives for the event. Events have therefore been termed as ‘Experiential Marketing.’

There are specific rituals, presentations, performances or celebrations that are consciously planned and created to mark special occasions. Such events help in achieving particular social, cultural or corporate goals or objectives. McDonnell, Allen and Toole describe these events as ‘Special Events.’ Special events can include national days and celebrations, important civic occasions, unique cultural performances, major sporting fixtures, corporate functions, trade promotions and product launches. Special events, according to them, have become a growing industry. The field of special events is now so vast that it is impossible to provide a definition that includes all varieties and shades of events. Goldblatt has defined special events as a unique moment in time celebrated with ceremony and ritual to satisfy specific needs.

Getz has provided two definitions of special event, one from the point of view of the event organizer, and the other from the customer’s or guest’s point of view:

1. 1. A special event is a one-time or infrequently occurring event outside normal programs or activities of the sponsoring or organizing body.
   2. To the customer or guest, a special event is an opportunity for a leisure, social or cultural experience outside the normal range of choices or beyond everyday experience.

 

Key Elements Of Events

Gaur and Saggere have explained that events have six key elements, namely Event Infrastructure, Target Audience, Clients, Event Organizers, Venue And The Media.

1. • Event Infrastructure is a broad term that encompasses the core concept, people, talent and structure.
   • Target Audience is the people who have the ultimate experience of the event and for whom the event organizer consciously designs the event.
   • Client from the event organizers’ viewpoint is the sponsor or financier of an event venture.
   • Event Organizers design and execute all activities concerning an event.
   • The Media is the vehicle used to communicate details of the event to the target audience.
   • Venue is the place where the event takes place.

Let Us Understand The Roles Of Two Very Important Elements In Event Management:

1. 1. Target Audience/Customers/Consumers: The target audience is the group of people who ultimately experience the event and for whom the event manager consciously designs the event. Event design depends upon the demographic profile and the number of the target audience. The first step in event designing involves target audience.
   2. Clients: Clients are the people or organizations who act as sponsors for any event and approach the event management companies for organizing their event. They sponsor the events because they use events as an effective marketing communication tool, in order to create for themselves a desired position in the minds of the target audience.

Event infrastructure includes those essential elements without which there cannot be any event. These essential elements are core concept, core people, core talent, and core structure. The nature of this infrastructure varies with the event types/categories and variations within a particular type of event.

The core concept of the event is related to the type/category it falls under. ‘Core Concept‘ is concerned with the fundamental underlying ethos/meaning of the event and how it came into existence. ‘Core People‘ are people who capture the attention of the audience through their performance or acting on center stage, playing the role of host on or off stage. Core people influence the audience to create a desired impact in terms of a favorable position for the clients’ brand in the audience’s mind. ‘Core Talent‘ is the expertise and skills of core people and this is important for every event type. Core talents like reputation, charisma and knowledge of the performer or host, attract and influence the audience. For example, in a music concert, the audience that gets attracted to the event depends on the talent of the performer. Further, whether the event is a classical music concert or a pop music concert, depends on the type of instrument and the music being played. Similarly in sports, every game is specialized and has limitations in terms of number of participants etc. Different talents of players are required in playing each game. Core talent is game specific, i.e. talent required in cricket differs from talent required to play basketball.

In a formal and structured event there is a proper organizational structure, in which roles and responsibilities are clearly assigned to different members of the organization along with proper delegation of authority to carry out these roles. When an organization manages a particular event type/category, it becomes specialized and therefore lucrative from its marketing point of view. This organization for efficient management is denoted as the ‘Core Structure.’ Core structure is established for the purpose of efficient management of an event. Competitive events like sporting events are the most organized and structured both nationally and internationally.

 

Event Product

Often in event management literature, you will come across the term ‘Event Product.’ Additionally, Robinson, added event experience as a part of the actual event product. It is used to denote the market offering of an event. It includes the concepts of production and consumption within the event. Events are produced and consumed simultaneously. Event Product according to Brassington and Pettitt, Robinson, McCabe, and Tersine and Hummingbird, can be understood as [1] Core Event Product – which means the actual need or want of the consumer that the event is fulfilling, [2] Actual Event Product – which denotes the event format and content in totality, and is also called tangible product, [3] Augmented Event Product – this means all the extras that are offered to the event consumers for delivering the event experience, and [4] Potential Event Product – means opportunities for further developing the event in future, either by redefining the event concept or further supplementing the current concept with additional features.

 

Designing The Event Experience

According to Silvers, the professional event coordinator uses a sequential process to consistently produce events of any type. This process helps to deliver the intended event experience through the following steps:

• • Conduct the necessary research to determine expectations, and create a customer profile/target audience who attend the event.
  • Conceptualize the event, assessing the scope of the event required to meet expectations.
  • Determine which event elements and components will provide the features of the desired experience.
  • Visualize how all these event components will and must fit together, and design the strategy for implementation.
  • Select the best products and providers available and affordable.
  • Finally monitor the delivery of the experience.

The job of an event manager involves visualizing concepts, planning, budgeting, organizing and executing events such as fashion shows, musical concerts, corporate meetings and seminars, conferences, exhibitions, wedding celebrations, theme parties, product launching etc.

An event is thus an experience, carefully crafted to deliver an impact on the people attending it. The best event experience is the one where the event design is formed with the activities, the environment surrounding the event and various multi-sensory effects [ Music, Decoration, Performances, Videos etc. ], in such a manner that the intended impact is delivered effectively to the people in attendance. You have to remember that an event is based upon a particular need. People do not buy an airline ticket because they need an airline ticket. What they need is to be in Mumbai on Wednesday or in Amsterdam on Friday. Thus the event manager must remember that s/he is not just taking an order, but crafting a solution to what the client truly needs.

For a basic understanding to meet the needs and expectations of those attending the event, the following course of action has to be adopted:

 

Understanding Expectations

To produce an event you have to gather some basic information first – who, what, where, when and most importantly ‘why’ from the client.

Some clients for whom the event has to be conducted may be very open and specific regarding what they want to achieve from the event, others may not be able to articulate well at this juncture.

The Event Manager Has To Find Out:

• • What type of event it is – a product launch, fund-raiser, wedding party, musical evening or any other?
  • When and where is the event to be held?
  • Where have the guests attended events in the past and their profile?
  • What type of event experience will satisfy their preferences?
  • Why is the event being held?

The event manager or event coordinator needs to have a clear understanding about the purpose of the event. Goals and objectives of the event are very important. The goal or objective may be to celebrate success, commemoration, matrimony, anniversary, festival celebrations, appreciate culture or art, increase sales or increase awareness. The entire experience that is generated through the event must have value.

Even a family reunion, anniversary, birthday party or local wedding may have measurable objectives – having specific people over, enjoyment and entertainment levels of guests, or having an event that is more lavish than a colleague or rival. The event manager has to develop an evaluation strategy from the very beginning, that will increase the chances for event’s success.

 

Develop The Concept

The event manager has to conceptualize the final event. An overall picture of the final event, that is the concept, must be put together and be managed with the logistical, operational parameters and practices into the event plan. Event managers thus are quoted by Alvin Toffler as ‘Experiential Engineers.’ It can be done by starting with the concept, developing the theme or event name and then filling in all the details like the roots branching from a tree base, or by beginning with the event elements, and building a pyramid with all the details until a complete picture of the event emerges.

 

Creating The Event Experience

Any person who aspires to take up the event management profession has to learn how to create the ‘Event Experience.’ The event experience may be a civic celebration or a charity fund-raiser, an anniversary or a wedding, a corporate product introduction or incentive program, a sports event or a convention event. It may be a company picnic, a hospitality reception, a grand opening or a family reunion.

To create the desired event experience the right event elements and components will have to be identified as these enhance the experience. For this the event manager will have to visualize the experience, from start to finish from guests point of view. The event manager has to identify those elements that helped in the success of the previous event, elements that will take advantage of opportunities and strengths. After studying the guests’ needs, wants, expectations, then arranging the elements and adding layers of detail, the desired event experience is created. Every event experience should be designed to incorporate the six critical dimensions of an experience which are – Anticipation, Arrival, Atmosphere, Appetite, Activity and Amenities. These are interdependent on each other.

 

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