Event management is the coordination of resources and activities for events, whether small, local or large, international in extent.
An event manager is in charge of the financial management, timing and organization, promotion of occasions, procurement, coordination, and performance and evaluation of events ranging from private parties to massive celebrations.
Article Contents
Types of Events
There are several methods that one can use to carry out event management with ease. Here are a few examples of the types of events you might encounter:
Corporate Events
Different corporate occasions include corporate launches, conferences, seminars and workshops, corporate annual dinners and parties, corporate award ceremonies and fairly, corporate fundraising activities, and corporate end-of-year parties.
Social Events
Social events are events such as marriages, family get-togethers, marriage anniversaries, and birthday celebrations organized for the purpose of an individual’s private life.
People go out to celebrate something special, such as a birthday or a wedding, or they show up at graduation ceremonies.
Festivals
Festivals are common and referred to as themed events such as musical and food festivals, county fairs, and culture and festival events for local people.
Sporting Events
Another type of sporting event is a charity running event from the local 5K donate run to the large-scale marathons, golfing events, and international events such as the Olympic Games or FIFA World Cup which may have social and/or economic and/or tourism impacts.
Fundraising Events
Fundraising is something of the sort where people often sponsor charity galas, and other auction events in order to raise support and donations for credible causes and nonprofit organizations.
The Event Planning Process
Oftentimes, organizing an event can sound like a challenging task; however, it is quite easy if the general work is divided into several stages. Here’s a general framework to guide you:
Define Your Objectives
It is important to set goals and objectives around the event—set goals in measurable, achievable targets.
Set Your Budget
Find out the cost for research and manufacture a detailed expense list which will include everything from venue and food to entertainment, staff, equipment, insurance, and ultimately other miscellaneous expenses such as those incidental to marketing costs.
Choose a Date and Venue
Considering seasonal holidays, target consumers, and the availability and cost of the desired venue or route, generate timing, duration, and location alternatives.
Develop Your Event Program
Select topics/preachers/performers/ideas/guests, etc., for programming such as speakers, entertainment, activities, menu, decorations, signs, welcome cards, calls, etc. Develop schedules.
Market Your Event
Pin down target audiences, and coordinate with campaigns through email communications, website, social media, advertisement, and media relations.
Design and develop professional-looking informational/promotional fliers, posters, and brochures conveying a distinct value proposition for the event.
Manage Logistics
Recruit personnel, negotiate and secure equipment, registrations/ticketing, and site organizational issues like car parking, traffic control, permit acquisition, security, first aid, garbage disposal, etc.
On-Site Management
In charge of all that happens at the physical site, directing available staff or hired services, and erecting or dismantling structures, as well as ensuring proper safety while dealing with an emergency. Take feedback, data, photographs/videos to support the analysis of the event.
Post-Event Evaluation
Collect attendee’s feedback, survey responses, quantity surveyor and any other vendor/partner feedback, and financial information. Check on the lessons taken and evaluate the standards achieved in success parameters.
The Key Skills That Event Managers Should Possess
Event management is all about an array of skills that might be quite useful in a given setting. Here are some of the key qualities that successful managers possess:
Communication Skills
Effective communication is a key requirement during client consultation to define goals, implement organizational goals to venue staff/vendors, encourage teams, and advertise across media. Presentation skills are also now highly appreciated.
Problem-Solving Skills
Event management obviously has its fair share of adverse factors such as issues with the weather, technological hitch, and non-supplying vendors, among others that every planner has to come up with solutions to in order to avoid compromising on the event experience.
Negotiation Skills
To partake in constant coordination with partners/sponsors for contractual, fee, deliverables, and related issues one needs negotiation skills and must be a people person.
Time Management Skills
While it is a grid on days where one is immersed in a constant stream of overlapping due dates requiring priority, ability to manage critical or high impact activities and addressing potential problems before they escalate.
Creativity
Many creative and custom ideas for incorporation such as using event-specific themes, accomplishing event engagement, designing logos and tailored giveaways and souvenirs, and planning photo-friendly moments demand outside-the-box strategic thinking that is soundly grounded in logistical practicality.
Leadership Skills
An event manager is often the head orchestrator, and, therefore, needs to be a heavens-view director who must be able to provide clear marching orders to the various teams and hold them to account while simultaneously keeping a close eye on the situation on the ground.
Technology Highlights of Event Management
Technology has the unique duty of eliminating complexity in events and even improving the touchpoints in event planning and execution before and after events.
Hand-held computers can offer more connection, immediate communication, and interaction than have been achievable before. Key technologies include:
Event Planning Software
Multi-featured helpers monitor guest lists and registrations, payment to the vendors, website integration, and emails along with real-time analytics of events before and after the event all in one place.
Mobile Event Apps
Smartphone applications also offer an easy method to fix schedules for events, map venue/vendor information, bios of speakers, networking possibilities, trivia games, coupons/offers/discounts, ride-sharing, and provide feedback surveys and permissions respectively that are accessible on the guests’ own smartphones.
Social Media Marketing
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter increase the event promotion potentiality beyond the share function by using shares of posts influencers, and hashtags.
Email Marketing
The mass personalized emails with compelling creatives allow for a more efficient way of giving event information updates in regards to the program and what is being offered tickets or promotions before the event takes place.
Virtual Event Platforms
More companies are hosting digital combined with in-person events. Social media live streaming and creative virtual event planning up the ante and the span of possibilities.
Successful Planning Strategies For Event Management
Here are some additional tips that Event Academy uses to plan and execute successful events:
Start Planning Early
Stress may be unwanted when there are last-minute problems; this means that advanced preparation can help. That also frees up more time for marketing and selling tickets to the event.
Build A Strong Team
Have some time and ensure to hire a professional staff to handle important tasks. Also, keep contact with the employees of the venue and trustworthy suppliers.
Pay Attention To Detail
Be detail-oriented about such minor things as good signage and well-organized attendee bags – attendees appreciate those details.
Be Flexible and Adaptable
You should also be prepared for anything when implementing events. Expect and be able to manage problems, and crises and avoid showing signs of worriness.
Stay Calm Under Pressure
In areas where a crisis erupts, a composed and calm disposition makes people have confidence in your management skills. People tend to pick up their communication partner’s emotions, so be steady.
Seek The Ratification And Consider Your Experiences
Regularly survey the participants, check what is said about your organization/institution/event on social media, and debrief the staff. Continuously improve.
Conclusion
The concept of the event management profession calls for the application of diverse competencies ranging from brainstorming to problem-solving.
But with strategic planning and flexible implementation, the event can be strategic and well thought out to be memorable with a lot of value to the attendees.
As the technologies and ideas of the events industry develop through the years, the growth opportunities look very promising and full of shining examples of innovative events delivering impressive effects.
