The Process of Event Management - Assignment Example

Student’s Name] [Instructor’s Name] [Class] Define what is meant by term “design” and with reference to specific event examples, discuss in what way the event setting can be said to be “designed” and how this forms a concept or vision that contributes to the overall event experience. The field of project management is the core guiding principle in the development and conception of events and festivals around the world. Through the process of management of different stages of events, national, local, commercial and charity events are organised and delivered on daily basis. Events are usually more than just a good idea and are conceived through proper need analysis and evaluations of the purpose of the objective that has to be delivered form the event (Tassiopoulos, 2005). The above principles are merged together as the building blocks of event management. The process of event management is fused together with different processes and start of with the detail knowledge of the individual, group, organisation or the brand that is hosting the event and will gain a marketing objective form it. Once the host is studied, later comes the process of identification of the audience that must be reached and be invited to the event. The two cultures of the host and the audience will further define the concept of the event and the related planning, logistics and coordination efforts that may be required for a successful execution of the event (Allen, 2007). In the recent years the number of festivals and events that are hosted around the globe are growing at an exponential rate. This has given rise to form a proper event management industry instead of leaving the intricacies as an ad hoc procedure- which may have been a practice in the past. There are also many events that require extra attention and infusion of vast expertise for them to be successful (Allen, 2007). Events and festivals more like the Asian games and the Dubai shopping festival are the necessary tools for the host countries and groups sponsoring these events to see their success. This type of events affect the community and in some cases the entire country as well. And if the event is not designed properly- the event will lose its scope and the hosts will suffer a financial loss (Tassiopoulos, 2005). The event management industry now offers a variety of different services to manage events as big as the Asian Games and as small as a breakfast get-together for ten people. All industries host a number of events throughout the year to market themselves to the public or a specific focused group that may lead them financial benefits. These events may take place in the form of charities, entertainment, meetings, cultural festivals and many other forms. Keeping this background in mind, the event may be defined in such a way that it translates the values and culture of the host group into the focus group that they are interested to influence (Monroe et al, 2005). The concept of design in terms of events may be elaborated in such a way that it may be seen as a marketing tool for the companies that are hosting such events. This marketing concept may be dealt as a proper communication tool for the host to help them deliver their message and values to potential and existing clients. The benefits of such events are gathered in terms of direct financial gains or the publicity and media coverage they gain from such an activity. Companies organise press conferences, dinners, festivals and promotional events to reach the same means and charities establish fund-raisers to gain support for their operations and objectives (Bodwin et al, 2001). Events are designed in such a way that they are answers to the objectives of the host company. The definition of the term design may incorporate the process of a proper event management. This process will define the term design more elaborately through visualisation of the reason the event is being hosted. In terms of a charity organisation, this may be a reason to communicate about a cause (Allen. 2007). For a commercial organisation, an event may be designed to gain media coverage that would increase its popularity. For governments, it may provide the means to gain the support for its policies and increase patriotism in terms of a societies strength and cohesiveness. Furthermore, for many academic societies and organisations, an event design would define the way its members would be awarded and celebrated for their achievements (Bodwin et al, 2001). However, the definition may not be just restricted to the basic reason of hosting an event. It also may infuse the objectives that may be delivered form the execution of the event. Event management companies may find it important to incorporate preliminary research into the concept of the event and define as to why the event is being hosted and how will it be presented to the audience. After these initial observations, a systematic methodology may be incorporated to study the barriers that may exist in the execution of an event and how the specific event may benefit the audience so that the host may gain directly and indirectly though the interest of the audience in the event (Berridge, 2007). The term design hence now be defined as the vision of the event which incorporates methods and means that will translate the values and culture of the host into the audience in such a way that their interest is emotionally triggered to make them react to the desired objective of the host company. This definition of the term design may become the infrastructure on which the concept of any event may be designed. The success of the event may be judged on how well the concept was derived from the design of the event (Saayman, 2001). Events can be described as non-standardized services in which the Knowledge, behaviour, and commitment of the service providers is crucial. Events are characterized by definite elements like beverages, food and other products sold or distributed but significantly is a service consisting of insignificant experiences of limited duration within a temporary controlled atmosphere. As with all the services, this tentative “product" is produced and consumed simultaneously and is highly diverse and difficult to store. The satisfaction and pleasure of event visitors is a composite of consumer interaction program setting, management systems, staff, volunteers or any other visitors rendering quality assessment a difficult task (Allen, 2007). Service may be defined as a bundle of experience that is created by the consumer. Therefore service quality assessment must consist of definite and tentative elements. Services are considered as definite instances that the guests are entitled to- by the staff and volunteers, as these interactions are personal, significant and bear a direct effect on the entire experience (Monroe et al, 2005). Many literary articles may sum up that definite dimension as being the most significant at Dickens-on-the strand, especially the surrounding, source of information, comfort amenities, interaction with vendors. The resultant actual performance levels were found to be significantly better predictors of quality than importance gradient assigned by customers to different service attributes and disconfirmation operations that combined service quality expectancy. It may appear that respondents either did not form meaningful expectations or, if they ever formed, did not use them as criteria against which they measured performance to determine quality (Tassiopoulos, 2005). Research conducted by many scholars which pointed at the Dickens festival was to test the hypothesis that some event elements are “dissatisfiers” that can undermine the visitor experience, while others are “satisfiers” that provide benefits. Dissatisfiers are like the maintenance factors- they must be provided to assume levels of quality but in themselves prove to be unsatisfactory to visitors. Most of the physical factors at events, such as restrooms, parking and information are dissatisfiers, while ambience, excitement, relaxation, escape, social involvement and fantasy are satisfiers- as argued by the researchers. Events that meet expectations in both categories are high quality events but they are non-compensatory in that a single or small number of attributes can determine perception of overall quality (Saayman, 2001). Tentative support for this model was confirmed, and the researchers implied that some products were either substandard or on the other hand of very high quality rendering the visitors to either disregard or discount some features in order to voice their opinions. Human factors prove to be very essential at events and attractions where interaction with staff and volunteers forms the integral part of the experience (Saayman, 2001). In some services, such as professional counselling, Most or all of the customers experience depends on the interaction with the staff. Minimum or no interaction can harm the customer’s experience. In the case where volunteers take up the jobs at events as occurs in most cases additional complications sprout. This being that the volunteers lack of training and seriousness in service delivery and the customers failure to identify the difference of paid employees and the volunteers (Saget, 2006). According to some theories physical evidence of service includes communications such as signs and advertising, the guarantee price, physical environment and logos. Physical environment is very essential to events sector because of the need to promote a festive atmosphere and to accommodate big gatherings. A “servicescape” can be said to act in the way a package does for tangible products, that it conveys an image, and that it evokes a sensory or emotional response. Furthermore, the setting can differentiate the service from others, conveying the values of the organization, and attracting targeted market segments. An event that is well organized and managed facilitates visitors' pleasure as well being essential part of the experience (Masterman, 2004). In order to gain from the overall experience services rendered have to be available and provided at reasonable standard. Failure of services or availability of sub-standardized products will diminish the overall experience. Faults in essential services would result in influencing the satisfaction level of the guests. Many scholary conclusions are corroborated by this research, specifically in showing the importance of performance measures as predictors of quality (as opposed to the measurement of performance against expectations) and in revealing the importance of dissatisfiers (based on Hertzog’s maintenance factors). However, certain features play a more significant role in overall appraising of the events quality. The confirmation of certain features being vital in the evaluation of certain events is highlighted in the case of the surfing event where the condition of the atmosphere and competition directly influence a number of problems regarding essential services (Masterman, 2004). The feature of an event may include celebrities and the focus may be revolved around the interaction of people with different forms of activities, but the core of the event is the overall experience that the people get form attending such an event. Any event that does not keep the focus on the activities and the message that is directly and directly transfused in the public, may not achieve the goal it may have set its settings upon. This may result in a huge financial loss to the organisation that sponsors the event. The attire, activities, attendees, companies and the vision makes an overall experience and the event may only attain its goal until or unless it makes people associate themselves to it. This association will last a long time and people will adopt the culture of the oprganisation and the event to make it successful every time (Berridge, 2007). Service mapping is the technique used at events for the evaluation of the quality by the participating observers. In order to obtain optimum advantage of the mapping technique it should be incorporated with staff, visitors and management input. To sum up Service mapping is flexible to different kinds of events yet it should be put at task at more difficult events such as where there are numerous events or at multiple sites (Wagen, 2004). It provides a useful and helpful measure while simultaneously providing expert and valuable evaluation for the improvement of visitor’s experience, this being attained through site, service and program improvement. Service mapping also provides a check against visitor’s comments that may slant towards the positive or the adverse side, yet it remains observatory that the participant observers must not always have the same priorities as the customers. This research concluded the trifling problems observed by the observers failed to neutralize the satisfaction of contest (Wagen, 2004). Works Cited: Allen, J. 2007. Festival and Special Event Management. John Wiley & Sons Bodwin, G. et al. (2001). Events Management. Elsevier Masterman, G. (2004). Strategic Sports Event Management. Butterworth-Heinemann Publishing. Saayman, M. (2001). An Introduction to Sports Tourism and Event Management. Institute for Tourism and Leisure Studies Tassiopoulos. D. (2005). Event Management: A Professional and Developmental Approach. Juta Academic. Wagen, L. (2004). Event Management. Pearson/Prentice Hall Monroe, J. C. et al. (2005). Art of the Event: Complete Guide to Designing and Decorating Special Events, John Wiley. Berridge, G. (2007). Events Design and Experience Butterworth-Heinemann. Saget, A. (2006). The Event Marketing Handbook: Beyond Logistics & Planning, Kaplan Publishing. Read More