Professional Documents
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Chapter 5 (Edt) Event Planning
Chapter 5 (Edt) Event Planning
EVENT
PLANNING
What is planning?
Planning
In its simplest form, the planning
process consists of:
establishing where an organization is at
present;
where it is best advised to go in the future;
and
the strategies or tactics needed to achieve
that position.
Planning
In other words, the planning
process is concerned with end
results and the means to achieve
those results.
Planning
To engage productively in the
planning process, an event manager
needs to keep a range of matters in
mind.
Planning
Central among these matters are the
need to:
monitor and evaluate progress;
Planning
Central among these matters are the
need to:
coordinate decisions in all areas so event
objectives are progressed; and
Planning
Central among these matters are the
need to:
communicate with, inspire and motivate those
responsible for carrying out the various
elements of the plan.
Planning for events
Where does the event
planning process
begin?????
Planning for events
Depends on whether the event is being conducted for the
first time or if it is a pre-existing event.
Planning for events
In the case of a new event, the event manager may be
required to first work through the broad concept of the event
with key stakeholders and then undertake a feasibility study.
If this study shows that the event is likely to meet certain key
criteria (such as profitability), they would then move to
develop a plan for its creation and delivery.
Planning for events
In instances where an event is pre-existing and open to
the bidding process (for example, a conference or sporting
event), an initial decision needs to be made as to whether
(after a preliminary investigation) it is worthwhile making a
bid or proposal.
Elements of the strategic event
planning process
Feasibility study
• Before committing to an event, its organizers need to
determine how feasible or otherwise it would be to
conduct that event.
• There are many considerations that may be taken
into account in conducting a feasibility study.
• These may include (depending on the event) likely
budget requirements; managerial skill needs;
venue capacities; host community and
destination area impacts; availability of
volunteers, sponsors and etc.
Elements of the strategic event
planning process
Bid preparation
• This step is required in instances where it is decided to
bid for an existing event based on the outcomes of a
feasibility study.
Elements of the strategic event
planning process
Decision to proceed or cease
• In the case of new events, the outcomes of the
feasibility study will directly determine if and when the
event will proceed. In the case of events involving a
bid, this decision will depend on whether a bid is
accepted or rejected.
Establishment of organizational
structure
Following the decision to proceed with an event, an
organizational structure will need to be created through
which the event can be delivered.
o Simple structures
o Functional structures
Establishment of organizational
structure
Simple structures
o A simple structure has a low level of complexity. All
decision making is centralized with the event manager,
who has total control over all staff activities.
Establishment of organizational
structure
Functional structures
o A functional structure departmentalizes (that is, groups
related tasks) in a way that encourages the
specialization of labor (paid/voluntary). Benefits of this
form of structure are that individuals or groups (such
as committees) can be given specific task areas, thus
avoiding any overlap of responsibilities.
Developing a strategic plan