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Event Management




                    Notes
                                                        Figure 3.1: Event Strengths and Weaknesses
                                             Strengths                     Weaknesses
                                             Strong funding                Weak funding
                                             Good potential for sponsors   No potential for sponsors
                                             Well-trained staff            Poorly trained staff
                                             Many volunteers               Few volunteers
                                             Good media relations          Poor media relations
                                             Excellent site                Weak site


                                   3.5.2 Opportunities and Threats

                                   Opportunities are activities that may be of benefit to an event without significant investment by
                                   your organization. One example is that of selecting a year in which to hold an event that
                                   coincides with your community’s or industry’s hundredth anniversary. Your event may benefit
                                   from additional funding, publicity, and other important resources simply by aligning yourself
                                   with this hallmark event. Other possible beneficial outcomes, sometimes indirect, such as the
                                   potential of contributing to the political image of the event’s host, are considered opportunities.
                                   Threats are activities that prevent you from maximizing the potential of an event. The most
                                   obvious threat is weather; however, political threats may be just as devastating. Local political
                                   leaders must buy in to your civic event to ensure cooperation with all agencies. Opportunities
                                   and threats are two key factors that generally present themselves either during an event or after
                                   it has occurred. However, during the research process, these factors should be considered
                                   seriously, as they may spell potential disaster for the event.
                                   Political infighting may quickly destroy your planning. A modern threat is that of terrorism.
                                   The threat of violence erupting at an event may keep people from attending. A celebrity canceling
                                   or not attending can also create a significant threat to the success of an event. Typical opportunities
                                   and threats for an event are listed in Figure 3.2.
                                                        Figure 3.2: Event Opportunities and Threats

                                           Opportunities                    Threats
                                           Civic anniversary                Hurricanes and tornadoes
                                           Chamber of Commerce promotion    Political infighting
                                           Celebrity appearance             Violence from terrorism
                                           Align with environmental cause   Alcoholic consumption
                                           Tie-in with media                Site in bad neighborhood
                                           Winning elections                Celebrity canceling or not attending
                                           Developing more loyal employees

                                   Although strengths and weaknesses are often related, opportunities and threats need not be.
                                   Once again, in making a decision to proceed with event planning, your goal is to identify more
                                   opportunities than threats. All threats should be considered carefully, and experts should be
                                   consulted to determine ways in which threats may be contained, reduced, or eliminated. SWOT
                                   analysis (see Figure 3.3) is a major strategic planning tool during the research phase. By using
                                   SWOT analysis, an Event Leader can not only scan the internal and external event environment
                                   but also can proceed to the next step, which involves analyses of the weaknesses and threats, and
                                   provide solutions to improve the event planning process.






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