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Event Management

Notes 10.1 Event Leadership Process

One event may be past the research stage, and the Event Leader may be retained merely to
coordinate the elements.

Still another may be midway through the planning phase. The effective Event Leader will
immediately recognize that the event process cannot be complete or totally effective unless each
phase is considered carefully. It does not matter where you begin the process. What is essential
is that every phase be considered, visited, and understood.

10.1.1 Communications: The Tie That Binds

Event Leadership is a profession whose success or failure ratio often depends on people’s ability
to communicate effectively with one another. It does not matter whether this communication is
oral, written, electronic, or all three. What is important is that Event Leaders become practiced
communicators in order to maintain clear communications with all stakeholders. Regardless of
the communication channel that you are using, you want to make sure that you make your point
clearly and establish the right priorities in your message.
Often both visual and auditory noise provides a barrier to open communication. Visual noise
includes those visual distractions that take place when you are trying to communicate with
others.

Examples: Auditory noise may be music, traffic, or other distractions that interfere with
others’ ability to hear and concentrate on what you are saying.

Remove all noise before trying to communicate with others. Find a quiet place to meet, remove
visual distractions, and verify and confirm that those you are communicating with comprehend
what you are sharing.
Written communications are essential not only for record keeping but also for purposes of mass
distribution. Use memorandums, briefing statements, bulletins, and other documents to
communicate effectively to one or many others. Memoranda should include an “Action Required”
statement to inform the reader how best to respond and in what time frame. Bulletins must be
sporadic, or you run the risk of becoming the person who cried “wolf “ once too often and now
is ignored by everyone. Newsletters are a particularly effective tool for communications;
however, use caution, as they are extremely labor intensive to continually write, edit, produce,
and distribute on a regular basis. Perhaps one of the best ways to communicate is through a
meeting.

!

Caution When scheduling a meeting, make certain that you prepare an agenda in advance
that lists the items for discussion. Distribute this document prior to the meeting to those
who will attend and ask them to comment.
This will help them prepare for the meeting. Use the agenda to guide the meeting, and, as the
leader, serve as a facilitator for discussion. Using a flip chart will help you capture ideas while
sticking to the agenda. One extremely effective device is to assign participants work prior to the
meeting so that they come to the meeting prepared and ready to make specific contributions.
Make sure that your meeting does not take much longer than initially planned; otherwise, you
will give the impression of being a disorganized person who does not value your own time and
the time that others invest in the meeting. Alternative communication techniques include

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