Page 206 - DMGT304_EVENT_MANAGEMENT

Unit 9: Staffing

9.3.5 Entertainment Notes

Event staff members can sometimes work as entertainers themselves, helping to supplement
the main attraction. These include announcers who introduce teams, bands or other stage acts.
Some events feature dancers who provide entertainment between breaks in a game or between
sets of a concert.

9.3.6 Other Duties

Attractions such as concerts or professional sporting events often consist of electronics or
pyrotechnics, which means finding people who know how to operate scoreboards, projection
units, lighting equipment, sound equipment or the flames that shoot out of the stage. These
duties generally require prior training, such as a background in theater or audiovisual
technologies.

Many events also hire staff to hand out free giveaways such as T-shirts, tickets or collectibles to
keep fans entertained. Janitors and custodians may also be employed to keep stadiums and
arenas clean during events, making sure garbage cans are emptied regularly and restrooms are
clean and well-stocked.
The roles of staff are reliant upon the event itself, and the variety of services needed to provide
a pleasant experience for event guests. While event sponsors may envision a successful event,
rarely do they comprehend the number of bodies required to handle all the details.

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Caution Defining all facets of the event, from the arrival of guests to the after-party cleanup,
will help to assuage those problems caused by the lack of adequate personnel.

Many services contracted for the event, such as caterers, chair and table rentals, florists, ticketing
agents, and the event venue or location itself commonly provides personnel to handle their
respective services. These may be included within the scope of contracted services, or be offered
at an additional cost. Savings can be realized with the designation of volunteers from company
ranks, membership rosters, or interested individuals willing to perform these functions, provided
direction is available to coordinate individuals to carry out assigned tasks. Often, it is to the
benefit of event organizers to contract professionals offering such services, who likely provide
adequate insurance and training to guarantee these functions are performed to event sponsors’
expectations.

9.3.7 Sample Job Descriptions

Event Planner Job /Duties

If you like planning events and activities, consider a career as a professional planner. Different
types of planning jobs exist, starting with planning internships and extending all the way to
planning director, notes the American Planning Association. Your experience and educational
background determine how far up the planning chain you advance. However, what all planners
must do, regardless of whether working as an event planner or a strategic planner for an
organization, is envision the possibilities, communicate and multitask.
Envision: In some instances, such as an event or wedding, the planner takes a client's ideas and
incorporates them into a larger vision for the event. For instance, a married couple may tell a
planner that they want an outdoors 40th wedding anniversary party and then ask the planner to

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