Unit-1
Events
Nature/characteristics/feature of event management
Meaning: - Events play an important role in our society. Any happening or an activity can be referred as an event. Examples
of event can include:
Celebration of a festival or any other celebration.
A football match between two clubs or countries.
A launching of a new product.
Farewell party to students, etc.
Definition: -Dr. J. Goldblatt defines special Event as “A unique moment in time celebrated with ceremony and ritual to satisfy
specific needs”.
The Following are the characteristic of Event Management:
1. Creative Process: -Event Management is a creative process. The event management team must be creative or dynamic. It
must come up with new ideas to manage and deal with the event. Creative ideas will enable the success of the event.
2. Objective Oriented: - Event Management focuses on objectives. Every event has certain goals or objectives to be
achieved. Therefore, all the activities will be directed to achieve the objectives. Unwanted activities or unnecessary
formalities may be done away with.
3. Requires effective Leadership: - Event Management requires effective leadership on the part of event managers. The
Event Managers have to influence and motivate the employees in order to undertake the event successfully. Therefore,
there is a need to have effective leadership skills on the part of Event Managers to manage the event successfully.
4. Requires effective Promotion: - Event Management requires effective promotion. The event promotion involves:
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Publicity of the event.
Advertising of the event.
Maintaining good public relations
5. Planning and Control: -The event management team has to plan and control the activities relating to the event, the
planning and controlling activities involve:
 Developing a mission statement for the event.
 Establishing the objectives of the event.
 Preparation of event proposal.
 Evaluating the performance of the event.
 Taking Corrective measures for the future event
6. Deals with different event: - To manage event successfully, there is a need for professionalism on the part of event
management. Professionalism involves:
 Mega-event such as Olympics or World-Cup Football.
 Local events such as Carnival in Goa or Boat-race in Kerala.
 Organizational events such as launch of a new product. Etc.
7. Requires Professionalism: -To manage an event successfully, there is a need for professionalism on the part of event
management. Professionalism involves:
 Systematic planning and control of activities
 Proper training of manpower
 Proper compensation to the employees.
Five C’s of Event Management
Events are those phenomenon arising from non-routine occasions which have leisure, cultural, personal or
organizational objectives set apart from the normal activity of daily life, whose purpose is to enlighten, celebrate,
entertain or challenge the experience of a group of people. Though the size and type of events may differ invariably,
the elements remain the same. Any event whether a wedding, game, function, concert etc. will always have the
following three elements
1. Organizer
2. Venue
3. Target Audience
Each of them have a pivotal role behind any event's success. Firstly, the organizer is the main creator, who
undertakes the risky thankless job of managing the whole event for the whole duration, even before and after the
guests arrive. A minor mistake can hold aspersions on his rigorous hard-work and effort. Secondly, the selection of
venue is of great importance, as it will contribute to the head-count for the event. If the venue is suitable for the
target audience to commute to, then the event is on the right track! And finally the target audience is the one for
whom we plan an event and try to fulfill our objective through them. Apart from this one should also keep in mind
the 5 C's of managing an event(it's not exhaustive but inclusive of major aspects)1. Concept (in its initial form) - Will Smith once said, "There is no need of plan B, as it would distract you from plan
A." If the original concept and idea is excruciatingly correct, then the favorable outcome is almost certain.
Putting things on paper and drafting and polishing the concept at the initial stage will reap fruits at a later stage.
2. Costing- This is the stage, where the target audience will be kept in mind and the invitees will be chosen. The
rough estimate of all the expenditures will be explored. Cost-cutting may pose problems in times of unforeseen
circumstances, but losing on the quality would be like worsening the matters.
3. Canvassing- The concept is in place, the costing has been done, but the message (event) is to be brought closer to
the target audience. They need to be made aware of the message and therefore, the canvassing for the event takes
place. The various marketing and promotional strategies may adopt in order to make events aware among the public
around the globe.
4. Conceptualization- Now the need is to interpret in a conceptualized manner. The concept is further elaborated
and the whole program is re-polished for alleviation of loop-holes. Each and every step and assignment is need to
revisits and consider the responsibility and accountability of each task/process in order to avoid any problems.
5. Customization- Everything is customized to suit the target audience and disseminate the message effectively.
Advantages of Events
There are the various advantages of the events to the various segments and stakeholders of the society like
organizers, event planners, participations, economy and society at large also.
Advantages to the Organizers:
 Generate market excitement,
 Win public support for a company/cause,
 Generate publicity/media hype,
 Enhance, polish, or correct corporate image,
 launch a new product,
 Alert customers to sales/ clearance,
 Provide after-sale-service reinforcement, win customers and their confidence,
 Mould public opinion,
 Take credit for good performance,
 Celebrate company milestones like silver jubilee,
 Fund raising, hire personnel, celebrate mergers and acquisitions, and win elections.
Advantages to Event Planner
 Gaining of the professional experiences
 Enhancement of skills.
 Employment opportunities for the event planning personnel.
 Networking with suppliers.
Advantages to Participants
 Becoming more aware about the various latest and new themes/products/subjects
 Networking/ interaction to other delegates
 Academic/professional requirements
Advantages to Economy and Society At Large
 Poverty Alleviation
 Enhance The Standard Of Living.
 Infrastructural Development.
 Employment Opportunities to the Local People.
 Fund Raising For the Local Peoples/Community.
 Community Participation/Decision Making.
 Marketing and Selling of the Local Tourism Products.
 Marketing Of the Local Destinations.
Types And Classifications Of Events
Events are happenings and moments. Some events just happen like birthday, death and so on. On the other hand, some
events need to be planned and worked on. So, planning and making happen some events like a concert, film festival and so
on is called event management.
There are various types of events and they can be classified in two broad ways.
Events On The Basis Of Size
Events are often portrayed according to their size and scale. Common categories
are major events, mega-events, hallmark events, and local/community events.
 Mega Events
 Major Events
 Hallmark Events
 Local/Community or Small Events
1.Mega Events: Mega-events are the enormous events that affect whole economies and echo in the global media.
Example of mega-events can be FIFA Worldcup.
2.Major Events: Major events are events which are large in scale and attract significant media interest and are capable
of attracting notable visitor numbers, media coverage and economic benefits. Example of major events can be
Indian IIFA awards.
3.Hallmark Events: Tourism researcher Ritchie (1984, p. 2) defines Hallmark events as: ‘Major single-time or repeating
events of limited duration, initiated mainly to enhance awareness, appeal, and profitability of a tourism
destination in a short or long time span.
attention’. Example of the Hallmark event can be the Carnival in Rio.
4.Local/ Community Events: These are small events happening at a local and regional level. Example of such events
can be local concerts, food festival, etc.
Events On The Basis of Types
 Business, Meetings, and Conferences
 Incentives
 Sports Cultural Arts Events
 Protests
 Religious Events
 Life Cycle And Milestones
 Historical Events
 Marathons
 Street Dances
 Film Festivals
1.Business Meetings, and Conferences: These includes business-related meetings and conferences. It can be a
meeting between the shareholders, employees, meeting for product launch, etc.
2.Incentives: Incentives are kind of events which is aimed at rewarding the best employees, staffs, distributors and
even customers sometimes. Here employees, staffs, distributors and so on are take n to a trip, make them enjoy
and award them. Sometimes a formal program also takes place.
3.Sports: Sports are also a kind of events with great economic and other potentialities. Such events range from small
like local level football competition to large like FIFA Worldcup.
4.Protests: Political and other forms of protests are also kind of events.
5.Religious Events: This includes religious events like different festivals and Jatras. Dashan, Indra Jatra, etc can be an
example of religious events.
6.Lifecycle & Milestones: Events like birthdays, marriage, death ceremony, etc.
Skills required to be a good event planners
High-profile weddings, product launches, and more have glamorized the life of event planners. But let’s face it, event
planning is more than just attending fancy parties. Event planning is one of the most stressful jobs in the world and requires
specialized skills. It is a rewarding career for a rare breed of hyper-organized, hard-working individuals. If you think you were
born to be an event planner, see how many of our top 12 event planning skills you have.
Organizational Skills
Event planners have great organizational skills. Some people can work in chaos, but as a planner it’s important to rely on
process and method if you are part of a team. This means, keeping your team informed, adhering to timelines, budgets, and
appointments as well as keeping important documents and information organized. After all, a well-executed event doesn’t
happen by accident. It requires sharp organizational skills and attention to detail – right from planning to post-event analysis.
A successful event planner can recall the minutest of details and is on top of everything – forever with a smile.
Communication
Another must-have quality of an event planner is the ability to interact and build a rapport in a short time. Event planners
possess great communication skills and aren’t afraid to talk to C-suite executives, event attendees, donors, brand sponsors,
and, of course, vendors. Strong interpersonal skills are a must to ensure everybody involved in the event understands their
role and things run without a glitch. You also need to possess equally strong writing skills to convey information accurately
with confidence, respect, and clarity. Event planners are great listeners, which helps them understand the needs and wants
of their clients.
Networking Savvy
Event planners are savvy networkers. Networking is an essential event planning skill since the events industry is based on
relationships and is heavily people-driven. It demands a widespread network of vendors, including photographers, lighting
and A/V décor, DJs, bands, videographers, etc. This is a network of people you’ll bank upon to make your events memorable.
A Basic Understanding of Events
It may be a no-brainer, but to be a great event planner you need to understand events. Having an understanding of how
events work is an important event planning skill. As a planner, you should know how to create a floorplan or draft an RFP,
how to review a contract, and analyze event data. You should also be well-versed in the basics of bands and DJs, A/Vs,
florists, décor, etc. It is an artistic job that requires a deep understanding of what is realistic and what isn’t. These skills
require learning and practice and are acquired over time.
Client-first Approach
One of the most difficult aspects of event planning is making clients happy. Bottom line: your stakeholder, whether clients or
senior management, want something and it is your job to make it happen. To do this with grace, event planners need to have
a strong dedication to serving clients. Even if the task is near impossible, you need to be polite with your replies.. When
you’re courteous and amicable, it eases any anxieties your client may have.
Problem-solving
Successful event planners can solve any problem with a cool head. Their resourcefulness is not just limited to sticky notes
and safety pins. They can quickly make a decision during unforeseen challenges – all while staying calm. They can keep an
audience engaged while the keynote speaker is stuck in a traffic jam or eliminate long lines for lunch. This event planning skill
keeps event organizers nimble, adaptive, and creative. The problem-solving skill also comes with time and if you are just
starting, you can improve your response by focusing on pre-event planning to iron out any kinks. The key lies in continuously
checking for holes in your plans and creating backup plans in case things turn south.
Negotiation and Budgeting
If you consider yourself good at bargaining, then you possess an important event planning skill. It is crucial for event planners
to be able to negotiate a contract with a sponsor or get the best possible deal while booking a venue. Negotiating is an art
that requires a mix of preparation, tact, and confidence. Budgeting requires forecasting and tracking spend while juggling
invoices, proposals, and expenses.
Multitasking
For event organizers, multitasking is not an option but a must-have event planning skill to create unforgettable events. You
need to juggle a lot of tasks, including ticket sales, event promotion, sponsorship acquisition, and day-of logistics. Adding to
that, there are multiple events that you need to plan simultaneously. If you have a team, you can delegate some work, but
ultimately it is your job to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.
Creativity
Event planning is more than just making a to-do list. As an event planner, you need to use your creativity to bring a vision to
life. No matter what people say, creativity is a learnable skill and can be built over time. It is an essential event planning skill
that is required to infuse authenticity and passion into each event. Even though your events may not have a lot of room for
innovation and creativity, there is always wiggle room to do things differently even if you are limited by the requirements of
your client. For instance, you can be creative with the event theme, choose a unique venue or have a motivational speaker.
For some creative ideas, seek inspiration from online blogs, social media channels, or an influencer.
Leadership
Being a leader is an essential planning skill for any event organizer. You need to be able to work with your team to execute
flawless events. It is all about trust, delegation, and getting the work done. If you aren’t a born leader, this skill can be
developed over time. You don’t need to be an extrovert to be a great leader. Your natural personality along with your
passion for event planning can help you develop leadership skills.
Passion for Planning
As cliched and obvious as this may seem, being can aid in your success. A successful event planner infuses qualities like
passion and enthusiasm in their everyday work. They are self-motivated and live to feel a pang of pride after delivering an
event that their guests truly enjoyed.
Tech Savvy
Not so long ago, technology in the events industry was considered a nice bonus, but not needed. Not anymore. Today,
technology solutions act as an extended team of event planners. While the massive shift in the event planning approach
doesn’t demand planners to know the solution inside out, it’s important to be willing to learn how to use tech solutions and
stay up to date on the current trends in the industry.
Final Thoughts
If you have most of these event planning skills, chances are you’ll do a great job at being an event planner. If not, you can still
become a successful event professional since most of these can be developed through determination and willingness to
learn. It is all about continuous learning and improving with each event.
Unit-2
Organizing & Designing of Events
Key Elements of Event
One of the most rewarding but tedious jobs on earth is planning and managing an event to achieve your organization's goals.
From event planning to budget, purpose, format, catering, and sound, every event, no matter how small or large, simple or
complex, requires detailed and conscientious planning. Even the slightest mistake or mishap can leave a lasting impression in
the minds of your clients and drive them away from your brand.
When it comes to events, there are 7 key elements of event management that lead to a strong foundation for success. What
is event venue management? It’s when a person or persons is designated by the venue to manage the venue during and in
relation to the show. With that being said, let's dive into the key 7 elements of event management.
1. Event Infrastructure
Event infrastructure is the essential element that makes up an event, and without them, the event would not exist. These
elements include core people, core concept, core talent, and core structure. These can vary depending on the event category
and different variations of events.
2. Core Concept
This is a term that is used to give meaning to various major categories of events and an underlying ethos. This is what
differentiates the different categories in events. The core concept generally plants the seed and then the event that grows
can vary in terms of shape and size.
3. Core People
These are going to be the people who influence the audience to reach the desired outcome in terms of the clients’ brand and
the goals they have set forward. These could be people who are performing, acting, or participating in the rental event space
in order to create the desired impact. The audience comes to an event to interact with these people and gain knowledge.
The core people should have personalities that represent the brand well and match the energy and aesthetic you want your
audience to experience.
4. Core Talent
In every event category, you have core talent that attracts and influences your audience based on their specific expertise,
knowledge, or reputation. For example, if you have a musician, you can have different types of audiences attracted to the
event based on the talent of the performer and the genre of music. You will create different variations within the event
category if you are hosting a classical music concert versus a hip-hop concert.
5. Core Structure
From a marketing point of view, knowing whether there is a formal or informal organization to manage the event is
important to take note of. For example, if you are looking for corporate event venues to host an event, you will want to
know if you will take the lead on organizing the entire day or if there is an on-site team to assist you. These two scenarios
look very different in terms of preparation and execution plan. The more formal and structured the event is, the easier it is to
manage and market it.
6. Target Audience
To attend your event, your audience expends both time and money. As you advertise your event's subject and goals online,
like-minded attendees unite to interact with your business and learn more about your product line. It is crucial to organize
your event thoughtfully so that their requirements and expectations match the goal of the event; otherwise, you won't be
able to see the excitement of being there in your event.
The target audience is the main group of people to focus on during the event. Your target audience will influence the event’s
design depending on who you are trying to reach and how big your audience is. For example, if you are looking for venues in
Los Angeles to host a celebrity and influencer type of event, versus a venue in San Francisco for a fundraiser, those events
are going to look and feel drastically different from one another. This is where most of the details come to life with budget,
theme, performances, venue size, etc.
7. Clients
Clients are the organizations and people who sponsor your event. So how does event management work with their clients?
They provide the funds that pay fully or partially for the event so that it is affordable to attend for the target audience.
Sponsoring events can be an effective marketing tool to create the desired result in the target audience’s mind.
Objectives of Events
5 Steps to Set Event Goals to Maximize the Event’s Impact:
Step 1: Identify the event goals
When determining the goals behind the event, you are simply documenting the purpose of the event. Why is the event
taking place?
Here are some key questions to consider when you are setting and defining event goals and objectives:
1. Why are you having this event?
2. Why are you inviting attendees to your event?
3. What are the key things you want an attendee to walk away with?
4. How will you specifically measure your success?
Keep the big picture in mind
The right event goals should align with the brand’s overall marketing as well as the company’s mission statement. For event
planners, remembering the big picture can be really helpful since their minds are normally focused on a million little tasks
and deadlines.
Define key performance goals
Understanding the “why” is important — but you also need to quantify your goal.
When working with performance goals, focus on what you can control. For example, you can’t really control how many of
your attendees choose to return for next year’s conference. But you can assess the number of sales made before, during,
and after the conference. And how many qualified leads you obtained. And how many of those leads your team followed up
with in the months after. The list can go on and on.
It may seem obvious, but when decision-makers look to measure the success of the event, they may suggest things that are
simply out of your control. That’s why the way you phrase your goals can be so important when communicating expectations
to your higher-ups.
Step 2: Make your event goals “smart”
When setting goals, work with SMART goals, which are:
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Specific
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Measurable
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Attainable
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Realistic
o
Time-based
For instance, saying you want to “host the best marketing conference ever” is not very specific or measurable. A goal to
“plan a week-long country music festival by the end of the month” is time-based and specific, but it’s probably not attainable
or realistic.
It’s great to reach for the stars when setting your goals, but think realistically of what you can actually achieve. Write down
lots of ideas for the goal first. Then, narrow the list and combine the ideas to come up with one solid goal.
Step 3: Measure your event goals with 20 measurable event KPIs to use
Regardless of your objective, one or more of these main event KPIs should be a great fit for your needs:
1. Cost per customer acquisition
2. Total number of qualified leads acquired at the event
3. Sponsors highly rank their satisfaction with the event
4. Individual promo code tracking link performance
5. Gross revenue
6. Total number of registrations
7. Social media mentions using designated event hashtag on each platform
8. The majority of attendees polling highly satisfied with event speakers
9. Number of total active community members after event (compared to total number before the event)
10. Numerical results from attendee satisfaction surveys
11. Number of total event check-ins compared to registrations as a percentage
12. Net Promoter Score
13. Event community engagement online as measured by social media interactions OR specified activity on event app
14. Live event app polling
15. Social media posts, likes, and shares pertaining to the event
16. Ticket sales and individual ticket type performance
17. Cost to revenue ratio
18. Individual sponsor page engagement on the event website
19. Number of repeat attendees (for recurring events)
20. Total new customers acquired
Event software is especially helpful for measuring these KPIs, so make sure you have a reliable platform ready to go ahead of
time with all the features needed to capture your chosen data.
Step 4: Develop an event strategy
The next step is thinking through your event strategy. Once you know your event goal — and you’re confident and
passionate about those goals — it’s time to figure out how you’re going to reach them.
When thinking strategy, think of it from two perspectives:
1. From the perspective of you, the planner
2. From the perspective of your attendee
How will both the planning team and the attendee help realize the goals? Start to ask yourself questions such as:
1. What educational measures (i.e. speakers, panelists) do you need to put in place to accomplish this goal?
2. Will you need speakers or any educational content to reach your goal?
3. If it’s a social event, what is your social goal for your attendees and how will you encourage this interaction?
4. What entertainment is needed to reach the social satisfaction you require for this event?
You may find that your strategy might involve some mini-goals. Mini-goals and milestones are what you might need to set to
get your ultimate goal — that is OK.
As you brainstorm, map out your event plan. This plan can be an outline, a project plan, or another document. It should
highlight the goal you set and detail the actions you’ll take to reach those goals.
Step 5: Ensure your event goal helps people make connections
No two events are exactly the same, but all focus on creating connections in one way or another. Maybe attendees connect
with each other, with content, or with an idea.
You need to think about how to create those connections. For instance, if the goal of the event is to teach attendees, you
need to think about what attendees are learning, why they’re learning it, and how you want to teach them.
With these answers, you can start to build out the essential items like speakers and content.
Finally, make sure that your goals are transparent to your attendees so that they are assisting you with accomplishing your
vision along the way.
Best practices in event planning contract negotiations
 Keep your budget in mind
Before starting negotiations, you should always draw up an event budget, starting with projected numbers for each
category and item. That will help you begin talks with event partners that you can afford.
While many event planners prefer not to share budget numbers with suppliers, being transparent will bring benefits,
as showing trust will lead to a better business relationship. Studies have shown that, generally, the more information
is shared, the better the solution reached.
 Be clear in your goals and expectations.
Whatever the case, you should always communicate the critical points of your event with your suppliers. This
includes your planned date, the event mission and objectives, the event program, and the target attendance
numbers.
Indeed, when you’re talking business, clarity is a crucial driver of repeated, successful deals.
In a similar vein, make sure to convey clear expectations regarding quantity, quality, and how you will measure
performance.
Define your goals early and communicate them clearly, so you prevent any confusion with suppliers and all of the
stakeholders.
 Detail all services provided
Contracts for event planning should detail all the services provided by your event partners or suppliers.
Commonly, the starting point of negotiations is an SLA (service level agreement). An SLA outlines the services
provided by the supplier, defining the clauses and metrics by which the service is measured and the penalties
incurred if the services are not rendered.
With an SLA, every topic you agreed on at the negotiation table is reflected and defined in an official document.
However, an SLA should not only state what is included in the services provided. It also clarifies what’s not included,
leaving no room for doubt.
In other words, make sure you cover each task – either to specify if the vendor is responsible for it or not.
A thorough SLA has to include:
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Agreement Overview
Objective
Involved Stakeholders
Included Services
Excluded Services
Payment schedule
Deadlines
Plan of action for periodic reviews and improvements of the SLA
 Get multiple quotes
Even if you have landed on an industry-leading supplier with an excellent record and client reviews, always get
quotes from multiple vendors.
Comparing vendors and getting different prices and proposals will support your negotiations, as you will gain
leverage from having several options on the table.
For example, you can get bids from three comparable venues or audio-visual partners, each offering a different price
and a level of service. In that case, your “preferred” partner may be able to match pricing or provide a
complimentary service they may not have offered otherwise.
 Consider multi-event agreements
Then, another strategy that can help you in event planning contract negotiations is considering a multi-event
agreement. It is a win-win situation for both parties, as it ensures repeat business for the suppliers and helps
planners get better rates.
For instance, you could negotiate a multi-event contract with an audio-visual production partner or a hybrid event
venue that you plan to use repeatedly.
Nonetheless, bear in mind that multi-event or multi-year contracts are advisable for tried and trusted partners.
Consider these for companies that have demonstrated their worth in your event, so you don’t find yourself
“trapped” in a binding contract.
 Be flexible
When you enter a negotiation, it is understandable that you may have non-negotiable you are not willing to budge
on. Identifying these non-negotiable and communicating them with your prospective partner is crucial, so no
misalignment or misunderstanding occurs.
However, showing some flexibility will bring you rewards, as you will get more favorable terms in return for
something the vendor wants.
So, think about the aspects of your event you may be willing to alter without damaging the event value.
Communicate these with the vendor up front so that you can get concessions in terms of pricing or services
provided.
For instance, you may offer to change the event date to off-peak times when the vendor or venue is not likely to be
busy
Negotiating contracts About a venue
A contract is very important for spelling out what both parties’ responsibilities are in planning, holding, and ending the event.
The venue contract guarantees the payment services necessary to hold the venue for the specified date of the event or
wedding and is payable at the time of signing the contract.
What can you negotiate?
There’s so much to discuss while making a contract between an event planner and venue. The contracts with the musicians,
caterer, and venue clearly spell out who is at fault and what happens when agreed-upon elements are mishandled, etc. Also,
keep in mind the contract components. The main components of a contract are as follows: Preamble, Recital, and Words
of Agreement. Definitions, Action Section (Consideration), etc., however, may differ and be named differently from contract
to contract.
Parties entering the agreement
A venue booking contract party or contracting party is an individual or business who enters into a binding agreement with
another contracting party, thus accepting the obligations, responsibilities, and benefits specified within the agreement.
Dates of the event
The event venue agreement serves as an agreement between the parties. It becomes effective on the specified dates and
involves services provided for the event, which will be held on another date. This date should be included into the contract.
Facility area to be used (guest rooms, meeting space, parking, etc.)
In order to finalise a reservation, a signed rental agreement for any additional spaces, any entrances or exits, or other areas
that are immediately adjacent to the event, these should be mentioned in the contract.
Deposit and payment requirements
How much money do you need for a deposit? Are there any extra fees? What are these fees for? In other words,
the contractor should make sure the payment is always made ahead of the work that needs to be done.
Food and beverage functions
This part of the contract enables compliance with safety regulations and the utilisation of dynamic pricing across contracts
for food, beverages, or catering.
The level of staffing you’ll be assigned
Discuss how to assign work shifts, plan resources, and manage no-shows, delegates, and so on. Also discuss your workforce
size, scheduling complexity, and level of automation, if any, etc.
Different additional opportunities and services
There are opportunities in nearly every industry niche, from technology to fashion, that may also be used at events. Make
sure to include venue rental contract details to negotiate.
Legal points
Remember that a contract is always an agreement, so it will give rise to obligations that are enforced or recognised by law.
Abide by your state laws while making contracts and following their obligations.
Cancellation policies
Finally, you will see what should be included in a venue contract negotiation and how you may be able to cancel an event,
which may be cancelled with no charge up to seven full business days prior to the event. Or you can set any other conditions
you like, such as cancellation of services made less than three full business days prior to the event will be charged 50% of
the contract, etc.
Unit-3
Marketing & Promotion of Events
Meaning, Features and Importance of Event Marketing!
Meaning:
The increasing competitive pressures brought on by globalization are forcing business professionals to find new ways to
engage customers. There are many definitions of event marketing. It is defined as the marketing discipline focused on faceto-face interaction via live events, trade shows and corporate meetings among other event types. Others define it as
designing or developing a ‘live’ themed activity, occasion, display, or exhibit (such as a sporting event, music festival, fair, or
concert) to promote a product, cause or organization.
An event is a live multimedia package with a preconceived concept, customized or modified to achieve the clients’ 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.
Features of Event Marketing:
1. Wide range of events:
Event marketing encompasses a wide range of event types:
a. Mega events and local events,
b. Exhibitions,
c. Trade shows,
d. Publicity stunts,
e. Themed and created events,
f. Corporate entertainment,
g. Award ceremonies.
In fact, there are very few events that cannot be used for a marketing purpose, as all communicate something to the target
audience. Events can be used to perform a number of marketing functions; for example, communications, relationship and
loyalty building, database compilation, targeting, brand enhancement, and personal selling.
2. Goal oriented:
If the event and advertising objectives are not achieved through the event, then no matter how much people enjoyed the
event or how much popularity the event got, it is a complete failure on a commercial level.
3. Effective promotion and communication:
It is important to get the message across to the target audience, and therefore enough research about the profile of the
attendees is important to be able to communicate effectively about the product.
4. Proper evaluation:
Event evaluation is necessary to make the team more efficient and effective, the next time it organizes an event. It helps in
finding mistakes and learning from them. Event evaluation should be done immediately after the event is over or the next
day. A meeting should be conducted with the team members to evaluate the event.
5. Feedback from clients:
One good way of getting feedback is through a feedback form. To get feedback from the target audience/guests, make the
feedback form a part of the 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.
6. Location:
The location chosen for the event is perhaps the most important aspect. The most ideal locations in any exhibition areas are
found at the entryway to the event and near the pathway to the food stations and restrooms.
Importance of Event Marketing:
1. It helps in brand building, that is, creating awareness about the launch of new products/brands.
2. To highlight the added features of the product/services.
3. It helps in rejuvenating brands during different stages of product life cycle.
4. Helping in communicating the repositioning of brands/products.
5. Associating the brand personality of clients with the personality of target market.
6. Creating and maintaining brand identity.
Process of Event Marketing
Once you determine your goals, you can start the creative process to develop an event that will engage your audience,
launch promotions, and generate sales.
Step 1: Set realistic and targeted goals up front.
When it comes to event marketing, return on investment (ROI) is not just something you consider after the fact. You must
plan for ROI from the outset and continue measuring it after the event, if you want an accurate picture of whether your
event has been a success financially.
Keep in mind that your goals should not be limited to only registration and attendance models. The best goals will impact
your sales pipeline and revenue.
Step 2: Incorporate a strong theme and be creative, whether in person or online.
You’re at the event, but now what? In a sea of vendors, how do you make your presence known? Consider using games or
interactive tools as a way to pique the interest of attendees.
Swag giveaways are also a great way to entice someone to visit your booth. This matters with virtual events too. Keep in
mind your look, how you present your collateral, and what sort of contests you might want to incorporate.
Step 3: Segment and create multiple touches in your promotion.
No matter what sort of promotion you are using, segmentation is vital to getting the right attendees registered for your
event.
Make sure you spend time on data quality to ensure that the lists can be reused in the future. Being active on social
networks before, during, and after your event is crucial for success, as is determining the appropriate amount of email
promotion.
Don’t forget, because events are in real-time, attendees often use social networks to engage with other participants in a live
environment. Connect with attendees through Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and so on to generate some buzz for future
events.
Step 4: Make sure you have the right event technology in place.
Virtual event platforms enable an interactive gathering on the web, allowing participants to be part of a trade show,
meeting, conference, or any other event without ever leaving their office.
When it comes to webinars, each platform has their own value. Determine what is most important to you – price, ease of
use, customer service – and go from there. A marketing automation system is crucial here so you can keep your efforts
scalable, trackable, and measurable.
Step 5: Base measurement around ROI.
When it comes to measuring event marketing ROI, you have three metrics to choose from.
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Basic progression measurement. By measuring the progression statuses of your attendees, you can determine
metrics such as invited, registered, attended, and no show.
Leads by category. This metric tracks where leads are in your revenue cycle and lead category, or in other words,
which leads are most worth pursuing.
Pipeline measurements. This metric tracks how many opportunities were created, how much pipeline was
generated, how many were closed/won and for how much, bookings, and cost per opportunity (CPO).
The Marketing Mix
The marketing mix commonly is described using the four P's: product, price, promotion, place & public relation. When
creating an event, using these four parameters helps you develop a festival, sporting event, concert or other promotional
activity that draws the right people and gets your message across in the best way possible.
Product
Your event is your product, so you must tailor it to the needs of the people you hope to attract. This means looking at all
ancillary activities that might take place before, during and after the event, including pre-event media days, contests or
promotions on your website and social media pages, your event-day registration process, food and beverage, gift bags and
T-shirt giveaways, spectator activities and post-event parties, awards and recognition. Review competitive or
complementary projects to see what they do in conjunction with their events. Survey potential participants and hold focus
groups to find out what would get them to attend and what price they are willing to pay, if you are charging a fee.
Price
If you are charging a fee for your event to cover your costs or to make a profit, create a budget that details all of your
expenses. Include the cost of planning and advertising the event, facility and equipment rentals, staff, insurance, licenses,
permits and fees, setup and cleanup fees, gifts, food and beverage, public address system and pre- and post-event
marketing activities. Create sponsorship opportunities that help defray your costs. Subtract your anticipated sponsorship
revenues, donations and desired profit from your expenses to set your price. If you are using the event as a promotional
activity and won’t be charging a fee, establish prices for sponsorships that help defray your expenses. Set some of them
low enough to attract sponsors that can make the event more attractive to attendees. This might include giving
sponsorships to companies that provide free gifts for participants or send a celebrity to the event.
Promotion
Using a detailed demographic profile of your target audience, choose print publications, broadcast stations and websites
for advertising to your target attendees, based on what they read, watch, listen to and visit. Create public relations and
social media campaigns that start well before the event and continue afterward to maximize the benefit you get from the
event. Promote the event at your business locations, asking your vendors and suppliers to do the same. If you have
sponsors, ask them to promote your event on their websites and social media pages.
Place
Where you hold your event and pre- and post-event activities determines if you maximize attendance. To choose the best
sites, you’ll need to use at least three criteria. Start by looking at venues that are best suited for your cocktail parties,
media days, news conferences and the event in terms of on-site logistics. Next, consider how easy it is for your target
audience to get to each site, considering driving time, traffic congestion and parking. Finish your site selection process by
choosing the best locations for logistics, that are easy to get to and best suit your budget.
Public Relations
Advertising is what you say about your event, whereas public relations is what others (or that perception) are saying about
your event. Since many events require a second-party endorsement or even review to encourage people to attend, public
relations is significantly more valuable and effective than traditional advertising. In the 1930s and 1940s public relations
consisted primarily of press agents who worked diligently to convince the print media to devote editorial space to their
clients. With the influence of leaders such as Edward Bernays, the public relations effort soon became more complex and
respected. Bernays recognized the psychological factors that govern a person’s decision-making ability. Therefore, he
advocated that public relations professionals first engage in research, including focus groups, to determine the values,
attitudes, and lifestyles of their target markets and carefully match their messages to these important factors. Today, in
many event marketing campaigns, public relations is at least equal to and in many cases, even more important than
traditional advertising. However, public relations involve much more than merely grinding out a short press release. The
effective event public relations campaign will involve research with event consumers as well as the media; the development
of collateral materials such as media kits, fact sheets, and other tangibles; the organization and implementation of media
conferences; the development of a speaker’s bureau; and on-site media relations assistance at the event. Event public
relations help create the overall impression that others will develop about your event. In that regard it is significantly more
valuable than advertising because it implies greater credibility. Use the power of public relations to beat the drum loudly for
your event. Carefully select those public relations tools that will most effectively and cost efficiently help you inform and
persuade others to support your event.
Unit-4
Managing Events