Unit 4: Managing an Event
Introduction
Careers in events management are becoming popular and competitive, with event
organisers producing events that range from huge music festivals to product launches for
small businesses. My name is Rahel Akram and I'm going to look into what it takes to be an
event organiser and whether or not I'm suited for it. Research into the position might
involve interviewing someone who has organised events and keeping a transcript of the
conversation for future reference.
My suitability for this position will be evaluated by myself and an event organiser in the
form of two skills audits. Using my findings, I'll write a report.
P1
Explain The Role & Skills Required to Be an Effective Events Planner
Venue
In order for an event to be successful it is vital that the organiser ensures that the venue
looks appealing to the public. This is important as the capacity and appearance of the venue
can determine the success of the event.
The organiser needs to consider factors such as:
Size - The bigger the venue, the organiser will allow people to comfortably attend the party.
With the increased space, this will increase the attendance, thus increasing the events
awareness. For example, if the venue is placed in a city centre, the organiser should
consider having a bigger venue, as this will support the likely attendance of a lot people.
However, a large sized venue can be costly for the organiser, thus making it harder to
maintain due to rent cost. On the other hand, a smaller sized venue can provide people with
a cosy environment. However, a disadvantage of a smaller sized venue is that it can give
people the impression that the event is of low quality thus pushing people from attending
the event.
People – The organiser should consider the type of people he wants to attract to his event
and what he should include to tailor towards their needs. For example, if the organiser aims
to attract families, the venue should include playground facilities as this will be appreciated
more by children as this will give them a place to play. Another example, if the organiser
wants to attract the elderly, the organiser should ensure that entry to the venue should be
easy such as the exclusion of stairs. In addition to this, wheelchairs should be added to the
venue for the elderly who cannot walk for a long period of time.
Location
The location of the event is detrimental to the success of the event. Placing an event in a
highly populated city such as London with 9 million residents, can boost the chances of an
event having high attendance due to the population of London being high, thus improving
the success of the event. On the other hand, if an event was placed in a city such as Hum in
Croatia with only 30 residents, this would not work in the favour of the organiser as this
would let their event be recognised by many people, thus limiting the success of the event.
,The location of the event is important as this can have an influence on the target market.
For example, an event in Beverly Hills selling high priced products, will most likely attract
customers of high income. In addition to this, the entry tickets will most likely be high. This
can be advantage as this may push people from wanting to attend. However, this will
benefit the organiser as high income individuals will have a lot of money to spend thus,
increasing the chances of them buying more than one item from the event. This in turn will
increase the success of the event. On the other hand, an event in Detroit with high priced
entry tickets, will therefore, discourage people from attending the as most people will not
be able to afford the tickets.
Catering
When it comes to catering, an organiser needs to consider what they provide for people to
eat as well as the size of the cater. For example, if an organiser sets up an event that has
people such as Muslims attending, the organiser must consider adding foods that are halal
to make sure that those people are able to eat the food served. In addition to this, an
organiser should consider the quantity of food they plan to provide. For example, if the
organiser plans to provide attendees with a three-course meal, it would be convenient for
the organiser to rent a hotel for the event due its size and its facilities. There are two types
of catering, external and internal catering. Internal catering is when food is made and
provided by the host itself whereas external catering is food that is provided by an outside
source. An example of internal catering is when the organiser sets up an event and has its
employees prepare and provide food to the attendees. An example of external catering is if
an organiser sets up an event but does not use its own employees to prepare and provide
catering to attendees from its venue possibly would get the food from an external source
such as ordering food from a restaurant to provide to the attendees. An advantage to using
external catering is that it saves an organiser time and allows them to prepare other things
for the event. Another advantage of external catering is that the food would most likely be
made of high-quality ingredients compared to if it was made at the venue. However, a
drawback to external catering is that it can be costly for the organiser especially if the event
has a high attendance. Another drawback to external catering is that the organiser might
have ordered food that will either be too much or little. Too much food will likely be thrown
away after the event and too little could dissatisfy the attendees and possibly cause them to
leave thus affecting the word of the event negatively.
Planning & Reserving Facilities
In order to guarantee that the event is a success, an event organiser must ensure that
everything goes according to plan. Other activities that may be taking place at the same
time must also be taken into consideration while planning an event. Poor attendance might
occur from too many identical activities taking place in the same day. Organizing an event
can be affected by the season. For example, an event set up in the summer season may
cause an increase in attendance to an event as many people would be outdoors especially if
the event includes the addition of water (water park event, parasailing etc). This in turn will
increase word of mouth of event thus causing more people to attend. Another example, the
organiser should consider is where their event should be set up. If it’s raining outside, the
organiser may consider setting up their event indoors especially if electrical equipment is
involved as this can be damaged in the rain thus resulting in the organiser having to pay to
, repair the equipment. However, a benefit of having an event outdoors, is that it is
inexpensive as the organiser does not have to rent a facility. This in turn will allow the
organiser to spend capital on other things regarding the event. On the other hand, may
consider to setup an event indoors. A benefit of this is that facilities such as the bathroom is
easily accessible for the attendees as opposed to being outdoors where the attendees will
most likely have to go to a restaurant for example in order to use the bathroom. As a result,
with facilities easily accessible, this may entice attendees stay at the event preventing them
from leaving halfway due to there not being necessary facilities. However, a drawback to
setting up an event indoors is that there may be a situation in which venue would not be
able to fit the number of attendees like an event showcasing a live stream of the World Cup
Final. Therefore, this will cause some attendees to be waiting outside the venue. On the
other hand, those who are in the venue may feel uncomfortable as there would be a lot of
people inside the venue. This in turn, will most likely cause those waiting outside as well as
those who are inside, to leave. Consequently, in the future, this can discourage people from
attending an event similar to this. Moreover, organisers setting up large events should
consider adding a range of facilities such as ATMs, car parks, first aid facilities and banners
indicating to customers where everything is.
Setting Up the Programme
The programme is a list of everything that will take place at the event, as well as the
sequence in which everything will take place. It will be utilised by guests and will serve as a
guide for the event's organisation. The quality and substance of the programme will aid in
guiding people's interest as well as providing them with an outline of what is going to take
place during the remainder of the day. Besides distinguished visitors, speeches,
entertainment, prize-giving and freebies, the programme will also include information on
any other activities that may take place during the event. In addition to this, the appearance
of a guest speaker may attract more people to come so this will need to be highlighted in
the programme, so the attendees are aware of this beforehand. There are a variety of
programmes that may be employed for a certain occasion. Examples of this type of
programme include those that let participants to choose from a wide range of activities, as
well as those that require everyone to adhere to a set structure for the duration of the
event. An event's timetable will be affected by how long it lasts. Additional time is needed
for attendees to travel there and back, as well as time for coffee and lunch breaks, for all-
day events. Accommodations, including breakfast, may be required for activities that last
many days or weeks.
Preparing & Distributing Documents
Most events need printed or electronic documentation that may be shared in advance,
during, or even following the event. Soft copies are frequently chosen over hard copies for
environmental and financial reasons. The organiser of an event may provide papers on a
USB stick or in a complimentary wallet or bag. However, they can be posted to a website or
other secure online storage space and accessible by users through the use of passwords.
The main documents that might be needed are as follows:
Background Documents – The aim of the event, as well as the intended audience, the cost
of attendance and any discounts that may be provided, as well as any permits or
authorizations required from local authorities, are all outlined in this background paper.
Introduction
Careers in events management are becoming popular and competitive, with event
organisers producing events that range from huge music festivals to product launches for
small businesses. My name is Rahel Akram and I'm going to look into what it takes to be an
event organiser and whether or not I'm suited for it. Research into the position might
involve interviewing someone who has organised events and keeping a transcript of the
conversation for future reference.
My suitability for this position will be evaluated by myself and an event organiser in the
form of two skills audits. Using my findings, I'll write a report.
P1
Explain The Role & Skills Required to Be an Effective Events Planner
Venue
In order for an event to be successful it is vital that the organiser ensures that the venue
looks appealing to the public. This is important as the capacity and appearance of the venue
can determine the success of the event.
The organiser needs to consider factors such as:
Size - The bigger the venue, the organiser will allow people to comfortably attend the party.
With the increased space, this will increase the attendance, thus increasing the events
awareness. For example, if the venue is placed in a city centre, the organiser should
consider having a bigger venue, as this will support the likely attendance of a lot people.
However, a large sized venue can be costly for the organiser, thus making it harder to
maintain due to rent cost. On the other hand, a smaller sized venue can provide people with
a cosy environment. However, a disadvantage of a smaller sized venue is that it can give
people the impression that the event is of low quality thus pushing people from attending
the event.
People – The organiser should consider the type of people he wants to attract to his event
and what he should include to tailor towards their needs. For example, if the organiser aims
to attract families, the venue should include playground facilities as this will be appreciated
more by children as this will give them a place to play. Another example, if the organiser
wants to attract the elderly, the organiser should ensure that entry to the venue should be
easy such as the exclusion of stairs. In addition to this, wheelchairs should be added to the
venue for the elderly who cannot walk for a long period of time.
Location
The location of the event is detrimental to the success of the event. Placing an event in a
highly populated city such as London with 9 million residents, can boost the chances of an
event having high attendance due to the population of London being high, thus improving
the success of the event. On the other hand, if an event was placed in a city such as Hum in
Croatia with only 30 residents, this would not work in the favour of the organiser as this
would let their event be recognised by many people, thus limiting the success of the event.
,The location of the event is important as this can have an influence on the target market.
For example, an event in Beverly Hills selling high priced products, will most likely attract
customers of high income. In addition to this, the entry tickets will most likely be high. This
can be advantage as this may push people from wanting to attend. However, this will
benefit the organiser as high income individuals will have a lot of money to spend thus,
increasing the chances of them buying more than one item from the event. This in turn will
increase the success of the event. On the other hand, an event in Detroit with high priced
entry tickets, will therefore, discourage people from attending the as most people will not
be able to afford the tickets.
Catering
When it comes to catering, an organiser needs to consider what they provide for people to
eat as well as the size of the cater. For example, if an organiser sets up an event that has
people such as Muslims attending, the organiser must consider adding foods that are halal
to make sure that those people are able to eat the food served. In addition to this, an
organiser should consider the quantity of food they plan to provide. For example, if the
organiser plans to provide attendees with a three-course meal, it would be convenient for
the organiser to rent a hotel for the event due its size and its facilities. There are two types
of catering, external and internal catering. Internal catering is when food is made and
provided by the host itself whereas external catering is food that is provided by an outside
source. An example of internal catering is when the organiser sets up an event and has its
employees prepare and provide food to the attendees. An example of external catering is if
an organiser sets up an event but does not use its own employees to prepare and provide
catering to attendees from its venue possibly would get the food from an external source
such as ordering food from a restaurant to provide to the attendees. An advantage to using
external catering is that it saves an organiser time and allows them to prepare other things
for the event. Another advantage of external catering is that the food would most likely be
made of high-quality ingredients compared to if it was made at the venue. However, a
drawback to external catering is that it can be costly for the organiser especially if the event
has a high attendance. Another drawback to external catering is that the organiser might
have ordered food that will either be too much or little. Too much food will likely be thrown
away after the event and too little could dissatisfy the attendees and possibly cause them to
leave thus affecting the word of the event negatively.
Planning & Reserving Facilities
In order to guarantee that the event is a success, an event organiser must ensure that
everything goes according to plan. Other activities that may be taking place at the same
time must also be taken into consideration while planning an event. Poor attendance might
occur from too many identical activities taking place in the same day. Organizing an event
can be affected by the season. For example, an event set up in the summer season may
cause an increase in attendance to an event as many people would be outdoors especially if
the event includes the addition of water (water park event, parasailing etc). This in turn will
increase word of mouth of event thus causing more people to attend. Another example, the
organiser should consider is where their event should be set up. If it’s raining outside, the
organiser may consider setting up their event indoors especially if electrical equipment is
involved as this can be damaged in the rain thus resulting in the organiser having to pay to
, repair the equipment. However, a benefit of having an event outdoors, is that it is
inexpensive as the organiser does not have to rent a facility. This in turn will allow the
organiser to spend capital on other things regarding the event. On the other hand, may
consider to setup an event indoors. A benefit of this is that facilities such as the bathroom is
easily accessible for the attendees as opposed to being outdoors where the attendees will
most likely have to go to a restaurant for example in order to use the bathroom. As a result,
with facilities easily accessible, this may entice attendees stay at the event preventing them
from leaving halfway due to there not being necessary facilities. However, a drawback to
setting up an event indoors is that there may be a situation in which venue would not be
able to fit the number of attendees like an event showcasing a live stream of the World Cup
Final. Therefore, this will cause some attendees to be waiting outside the venue. On the
other hand, those who are in the venue may feel uncomfortable as there would be a lot of
people inside the venue. This in turn, will most likely cause those waiting outside as well as
those who are inside, to leave. Consequently, in the future, this can discourage people from
attending an event similar to this. Moreover, organisers setting up large events should
consider adding a range of facilities such as ATMs, car parks, first aid facilities and banners
indicating to customers where everything is.
Setting Up the Programme
The programme is a list of everything that will take place at the event, as well as the
sequence in which everything will take place. It will be utilised by guests and will serve as a
guide for the event's organisation. The quality and substance of the programme will aid in
guiding people's interest as well as providing them with an outline of what is going to take
place during the remainder of the day. Besides distinguished visitors, speeches,
entertainment, prize-giving and freebies, the programme will also include information on
any other activities that may take place during the event. In addition to this, the appearance
of a guest speaker may attract more people to come so this will need to be highlighted in
the programme, so the attendees are aware of this beforehand. There are a variety of
programmes that may be employed for a certain occasion. Examples of this type of
programme include those that let participants to choose from a wide range of activities, as
well as those that require everyone to adhere to a set structure for the duration of the
event. An event's timetable will be affected by how long it lasts. Additional time is needed
for attendees to travel there and back, as well as time for coffee and lunch breaks, for all-
day events. Accommodations, including breakfast, may be required for activities that last
many days or weeks.
Preparing & Distributing Documents
Most events need printed or electronic documentation that may be shared in advance,
during, or even following the event. Soft copies are frequently chosen over hard copies for
environmental and financial reasons. The organiser of an event may provide papers on a
USB stick or in a complimentary wallet or bag. However, they can be posted to a website or
other secure online storage space and accessible by users through the use of passwords.
The main documents that might be needed are as follows:
Background Documents – The aim of the event, as well as the intended audience, the cost
of attendance and any discounts that may be provided, as well as any permits or
authorizations required from local authorities, are all outlined in this background paper.
