Event management

Introduction to Event
The dictionary defines an event as ‘anything that happens, as distinguished from anything
that exists’ or ‘an occurrence, especially one of great importance’.
An Event is a live multimedia package carried out with a preconceived concept, customized
or modified to achieve the client’s objective of reaching out and suitably influencing the
sharply defined specially gathered target audience by providing a complete sensual
experience and an avenue for two-way interaction.
It is important to recognize this diversity and treat every event as different; each event has its
own characteristics and requirements to be identified and met. Regarding each venture as
exactly the same is dangerous and can lead to poor organization, through failure to consider
all the relevant factors.
Classification of Events
The event industry segment can be divided into several key sub segments that include
corporate events, competitions and decorations, cultural events, sports events, festivals and
celebrations, personal and social events. Classification of events can be done on the basis of
size and type as shown in the following selections
Classification of Events

Size Variety
1. mega 1. social / life
2. regional 2. Education and career
3. minor 3. Sports
4. Entertainment
5. Political
6. Corporate
7. Fundraising
8. Religious
Size of Events
Organizing an event mostly is the focused responsibility of Public relation, though it is never
possible for any one person to make it happen. In the marketing area of a company, the
responsibility is assigned to the personnel in-charge of the regional operations, with the head
office Public Relation providing the concept, Plan, and other support to carry out the
exercise. The personal at the regional level hold sufficient infrastructure and means to
execute the plan, thereby carry out the promotional work. It is naturally logical for an
organization to keep the spotlight on the region. In terms of size, events may be categorized
as follows:
 • Mega event
The largest events are called mega events which are generally targeting International markets.
The Olympic Games, world cup soccer etc are some of the best examples of a mega event.
Another example of Mega Event can be best example that of the Maha Kumba Mela, the
largest religious gathering in history.

• Regional event
Regional events are designed to increase the appeal of a specific tourism destination or
region. FAN fair, the world’s biggest country music festival, held annually in Nashville,
Tennessee, the Kent yucky Derby, Jaisalmer Desert Festival are all example of tourist
destinations achieving market positioning for both domestic and international tourism
markets though their annual events.

• Minor Events
Most events fall in this category. Almost every town, city, states, country host annual events.
In addition to annual events there are many one time events including historical cultural
musical and dance performances. Meetings, party celebrations, conventions, award
ceremonies, exhibition sporting events and many other community and social events fit in
this category.

Variety of Events

• Social / life – cycle event like Birthday party, Hen/Stag party, Graduation day,
Bachelor's party, Engagement, Wedding, Anniversary, Retirement day, Funeral etc
• Education and career event- such event like education fair, job fair, workshop,
seminar, debate, contest, competition etc.
• Sports event- this are like Olympics, world cup, Marathon, Wimbledon, Wrestling
matches etc
• Entertainment event -like Music concerts, Fairs, Festivals, Fashion shows, Award
functions, Celebrity nights, Beauty Pea gents, Flash mob, Jewellery, etc.
• Political event -like Political procession, Demonstration, Rally, Political Functions etc
• Corporate event- like MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions), product
launches, road shows, buyer-seller meet etc.
• Religious event - like Religious festivals / Fairs, Religious Procession, Katha,
Pravachan, Diwali fair, Dusherra fair etc.
• Fund raising/ Cause related event - Any event can be turned into a fund raising or
cause related event. E.g.: - auctions.
Event as a communication tool
The marketing plan will be executed by using the tactical elements of the Marketing
Communications, or Promotions Mix.

The Marketing Communications Mix is the specific mix of advertising, personal selling,
sales promotion, public relations, and direct marketing a company uses to pursue its
advertising and marketing objectives

• Advertising - Any paid form of nonpersonal presentation and promotion of ideas,

goods, or services by an identified sponsor
• Personal selling - Personal presentation by the firm’s sales force for the purpose of
making sales and building customer relationships.
• Sales promotion - Short-term incentives to encourage the purchase or sale of a product
or service.
• Public relations - Building good relationships with the company’s various publics by
obtaining favorable publicity, building up a good "corporate image", and handling or
heading off unfavorable rumors, stories, and events.
• Direct marketing - Direct communications with carefully targeted individual
consumers to obtain an immediate response and cultivate lasting customer relationships.
Events as a marketing tool

Marketing should integrate all of the management decisions so that they focus on the goals
and objectives of the event as well as those of the sponsoring organization itself. This
integration may take many forms. It may be a subtle campaign to convince corporate
shareholders or association leaders of the importance of their attendance and their personal
vote on an issue. It may be employed to conduct research to assist in the event’s site
selection process. Marketing can play a vital role in the “search and discover” effort to
identify new markets in which to promote an event. And, of course, it should include the
other classic elements of marketing, such as advertising, telemarketing, and promotional
campaigns, to bring all of the event goals to life. The following provides the details of these
needs. Diverse Marketing Needs Addressed by Events

1. Brand Building

Events help in brand building by

Creates Awareness about the Launch of New Brands/Products

There tends to be a clutter of product launches too and these may not necessarily be
confusion among the same product category. The enormous number of launches also leads to
the need to overcome the “oh-yet another- product” syndrome. The need to therefore catch
the attention of the target audience, at the time of launch, becomes all the more important

Presentation of Brand Description to Highlight the Added Features of Product /Service

Sometimes technological changes or policy changes pave the way for manufacturers or
service providers to augment their products/brands. To convey this via traditional modes of
communication to the existing and potential customer base may sometimes be futile or
ineffective. Special service camps or exhibitions are the perfect events that provide the
opportunity for a two-way interaction and error free communication. The rapid pace with
which computer specifications change and that too with drastic effects on their prices, it
becomes imperative that dealers and retailers take part in exhibitions .to educate the
customers on the changes that have taken place and how they will benefit more.

Helping in Rejuvenating Brands during the Different Stages of the Product Life cycle

The massive amount of money that is spent during the introduction stage of products gets
drastically reduced over time. By the time the product reaches its maturity/decline stage, the
need for cutting down the budgets associated with the media campaigns, while at the same
time maintaining the customer base is felt. And events offer the best medium for such a
focused approach. It helps in generating feelings of brand loyalty in the products’ end user by
treating them as royally as possible.
Helping in communicating the repositioning of brands/ products.

By organising or associating with events targeted at a particular group of target audience, it

becomes possible for the repositioning exercise to be carried out successfully. In other words,
one can also say that events can be designed to assist in changing beliefs about
firms/products/services

Associating the brand personality of clients with the personality of target market

On a large scale, participate as clients to associate the personality of their products and
brands with the personality of customers
❖ Creating and maintaining brand identity
❖ Image building
❖ Focusing the Target Market
❖ Helping in avoidance of clutter
❖ Relationship Building
❖ Creating a forum for bringing together key corporate influencers, decision makers and
businessmen
❖ Creating a forum for career match making
Event Management

Event management involves planning, organising and execution of live events, which could
include a brand/products launch, an exhibition, a concert or even a conference. It is basically
an extended form of advertisement, though more interactive. As a separate industry it is
projected to grow at 30 % per annum.

Event management as a subject has attracted considerable attention of several public relation
professionals, due to its being a powerful tool for communicating to the target publics.
Undoubtedly, events offer a direct and quick exposure to the intended audiences.

Today, special events are an important activity as the event reach out to several people and
peculiarly satisfy the desire of most of the people to participate in the event, who have quite a
few objectives to obtain like the special benefits offered to the visitors, to enjoy some
entertainment, to gather some stimulation, to socialize, and also to become more
knowledgeable on subjects, etc. To organizers also it is a specially created forum to share
information, showcase achievements and products, and even to express gratitude to the
public’s for their supports.

5 c’s of Event

The activities required for marketing and managing events require certain steps to be
followed that can be called the five C’s of events. There is a very complex interaction b/w
the various C’s before the carrying out stage, depending on the requirements of clients,
constraints forced by budget etc, The final concept which is going to be carried out is a
derivative of a series of modification to the initial concept. The final concept is arrived at
after accommodating changes required for a perfect fit amongst all other C’s during the
conceptualization process. This process can be termed as event designing.
• Conceptualization- creative ideas/ Ambience
• Costing- cost of production & margin on the event.
• Canvassing- Sponsor, Customer& networking Components.
• Customization - according to brand personality, objective of the organization budget etc.
• Carrying out – execution of event according to the final concept.

Conceptualization
• Conceptualization involves a complex churning in which as many permutations and combinations
are worked out as possible. The original concept undergoes modifications on the basis of the
inputs obtained from the other C’s. The final concepts get defined once the constraints posed by
budget, client’s requirements, target audience profile, etc. are objectively stated.
• It involves conception of the idea and the theme for the event. It also takes into consideration
the objective and the elementary need for hosting the event.
• Planning the theme of the event with due consideration to the objective, target audience, venue
for the event, time constraints, media coverage and planning the core elements of an event.
• It is concerned with idea formation with a differential approach to attracting and targeting
audience.

Costing

• It will involve preparation of cost estimates and the sources of acquiring funds.
• It will also involve the preparation of budgets.
• Creating a provision for risk coverage and managing uncertainties also forms part of the
activities.
• Budgeting for profit margins, safety margins estimates etc. will ease out the financial
management issues.

Canvassing

• Canvassing activities would involve obtaining sponsorships.

• Fund raising, networking and advertising to generate the required mileage for the success of the
events

Customization

• Emphasis on client satisfaction is targeted.

• Reinforcing client requirements to suit the needs of the client and the fulfillment of objective.
• It involves a blend of creativity and suitability to match the changing trends and tastes of the
customers.
• It involves a custom approach, tailor-made approach aimed at facilitating the achievement of the
mission and vision of the client.

Carryout

• In this approach, execution of plans takes place that will further the interests of the client.
• It includes set of activities and operations that lead to accomplishment of objective.
• It is a stage where the event’s activities are in progress.
• Implementation of event plans and deviations, if any from the scheduled activities, are remedied
through a suitable course of action.
• It involves accomplishment of the objectives