Event Management (HLM 3210/MKT 3236 ) Managing Event Project (Lesson 2)

Event Management (HLM 3210/MKT 3236 ) Managing Event Project (Lesson 2).

Intended Learning Outcomes. At the end of this lesson students will be able to; • Identify an event as a project • Analyse stakeholder requirements and needs • Evaluate the process of project implementation and shut down.

Introduction-Managing Event Projects. Events and Projects: Are they same? As projects, events generally have fixed budgets, precise timelines, and limited resources, including employees, suppliers, venues and volunteers Organizers of such events are therefore responsible for the management and delivery of projects. Project management has developed processes and techniques to help plan, organize, lead and control events, and it can be used to make event projects more successful..

Events as Projects. Projects are distinct from the day-to-day processes of an organization Events are projects because they are of limited duration, require a degree of coordination of tasks towards goals, usually have a fixed budget, and are unique occurrences.

Characteristics of Events. oo.

Characteristics of Events. Leadership- Events are often the ultimate responsibility of one lead event manager who coordinates specialist functions. The centralized and hierarchical nature of the leadership role can depend upon the scale of the event. Some scholars have identified most relevant three (03) leadership styles for events, authoritarian; democratic; and laissez-faire work environments (Lewin et al, 1939).

Characteristics of Events. Budget- Events almost always have specific budgets allocated to them. The accurate calculation of such budgets will often include difficult predictions of fixed and projected variable costs in relation to forecasted attendee numbers. Such calculations cannot be considered reliable if made in isolation from other important project factors, such as schedules, timelines and project life-cycle stages. For example, cuts in government funding will inevitably curtail the provision and/or scale of public sector events..

Characteristics of Events. Life cycle Each event has a defined beginning and end within its life cycle. There are a variety of life cycles proposed in the field of project management to aid managers in distinguishing key phases throughout a project's life.

Event Lifecycle http://www.eventplanninggroup.com/event-lifecycle.

The event project life cycle. Figure 2.2 The event project life cycle Source: Silvers 2007: 159.

Characteristics of Events. Task Events often require the performance of tasks that will not be repeated, even in recurring annual events. The complexity of certain larger events means that even seemingly simple tasks or functions – such as catering, volunteer recruitment or theming – must be approached in a distinct manner in order to reinforce the uniqueness of a particular event from year to year..

Characteristics of Events. Cross-functionality This principle mainly depends on the type of event project being managed and the corresponding organizational structure required for optimal effectiveness and efficiency of execution. Event project managers do not have the luxury of simply being good financial managers, as they must also be effective marketers and human resource managers – and almost anything else that's required.

Characteristics of Events. Teams Events require working teams to be brought together only for the duration of a particular project.

Classroom Activity. What are the core competences of an event project manager?.

Project Management Perspectives. How to apply project management to events- A project leader should consider their overall perspective Task perspective Leadership perspective Stakeholder perspective Transaction cost perspective The systems perspective The business by project perspective.

Task perspective focuses on the delivery of the event as specified on time and within the budget Any event project team will need to focus on the scope of the event concept and operations, as well as clear targets, measureable results for evaluation, high levels of ongoing project supervision and tangible event legacy criteria..

The leadership perspective to event projects depends upon theories of leadership styles, communication styles and processes, decision-making, management of team characteristics and organisation, clear allocations of team members’ functions and responsibilities, interim milestone delivery dates, reviews and feedback..

The stakeholder perspective to event projects is heavily used in the events industry and focuses on identification of key stakeholder groups and the management of their relations to ensure event success. The transaction-cost perspective to event projects views the production of an event as a commercial transaction and mainly focuses on governance of the project and its cost structure with particular reliance upon contracts and innovation..

The systems perspective to event projects views the event as an overall holistic system, rather than made up of individual, functional components such as marketing, finance, design and so on. The business-by-project perspective to event projects views events as individual investments which yield returns or benefits in their own right. Certainly, the main perspectives adopted by events management writers to date tend to be based mainly on project tasks and stakeholder perspectives..

Event project definition, organisation and framework.

1. Functional and Project-led Organization. Functional organisations group members of staff who perform similar tasks into departments Project-led organisations group people into temporary teams for the duration of a project.

Functional Organizational Structure. Ames.

Project Lead Organizational structure. of.

Matrix Organizational Structure. Olt«tcg of ot 2 Oir«tor ot Dlr«ta ot.

Activity. List the strengths and weaknesses of each of the above event organisation structures. Discuss the most suitable organisation type for each of the following: • A venue specialising in wedding events. • An event production company involved in creating and delivering one off corporate events for a variety of leading brand clients. • The planning committee of the 2018 World Cup.

2. Project Leadership. Authoritarian Democratic laissez-faire work environments How would you select the best leadership style for an event?.

3. Project organisation. Identify why teams and teamwork are usually more effective than individuals in event projects. What are the requirements of an effective project team? Clear goals results-driven structure competent team members Unified commitment A collaborative climate Standards of excellence External support and recognition Effective leadership.

Required competencies of an effective project leader.

Event Planning Process. Objectives Idea generation and screening Draft Plan External Ana lysis Internal Analysis Financial Plan Systematic detailed plan Operational Plan R e flecti on Marketing Plan Organisation and Preparation Implementation Leg acy.

Project Planning. Work breakdown structure Project schedule Resource breakdown structure.

Resource Breakdown structure. People – including the expertise and skills of event specialists, such as designers, specialist entertainers, decorators, those associated with specialist staging activities as well as front-line personnel engaged in customer service delivery and other interactions. Facilities – including the venue, site and associated amenities, which can also include location and even destination attributes that contribute greatly to the success of any event..

Equipment – including all plant and machinery, from transportation vehicles through to cooking equipment, lighting rigs, sound systems, scaffolds, portable dance floors, toilets and even personnel uniforms. Finance Materials – including anything that can be used to make something else, such as timber, decorations, foodstuffs and paints..