Page 10 - DMGT304_EVENT_MANAGEMENT

Unit 1: An Introduction to Event Management

4. Management theory would suggest that marketing is also a part of ................................ Notes
5. Management of an event encompasses all activities involved in planning, organizing,
staffing, leading and ................................ of an event.

1.3 Event Management – Concept

The concept of Event management is all about applying project management to the creation and
development of festivals, events and conferences. It focuses on studying the intricacies of the
brand, recognizing the target audience, devising the event concept, planning the logistics and
coordinating the technical aspects prior to actually executing the modalities of the proposed
event. Post-event analysis and ensuring a return on investment have become chief drivers for
the event industry.

1.3.1 Activities in Event Management

In event, activities usually vary with the category of event being organized. Therefore, the
following listing is generic in nature. Once marketing has managed to convert an enquiry into
a firm order, the hands-on work of event management begins. The following is a sequential
flow of how management actually happens, i.e. How planning, organizing, staffing, etc., get
together for an event. The flow is divided into three sections:

the first deals with the pre-event activities,
the second with the during-event activities and
the last details the post-event activities involved.
This theory states that the functions of management can be classified into planning, organizing,
staffing, leading and controlling.
Planning: The planning function is involved in micro-level event coordination activities
such as liaison with the creative team discussing, facilitating and arranging for the technical
specifications viz., sound, light, stages and sets.

Organizing: Organizing in the context of event management essentially involves the
description of the activities required for an event, identifying individual and team tasks
and distribution of responsibilities to coordinators. Such as exercises helps in creating an
intentional structure for clarity or roles and positions.
Staffing: Functional responsibilities in a project type organization structure define event
management staffing requirements. The importance of team structure, experience,
background and expertise of team members plays a crucial role in event management.

Leading and coordination: The sum and substance of events as a whole revolves around
interpersonal skills. The need for achieving synergy among individual efforts so that the
team goal is reached is the main aim of coordination. The overall coordinators need to be
leaders with fantastic people skills. The leadership qualities desired of an event manager
include the ability to spot a deal and think on one’s feet.

Controlling: Evaluation and correction of deviations in the event plans to ensure
conformity with original plans is the gist of controlling. Evaluation is an activity that
seeks to understand and measure the extent to which an event has succeeded in achieving
its purpose. The purpose of an event will differ with respect to the category and variation
of event. However, to provide reach and interaction would be a generic purpose that
events satisfy.

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