Event Management

One of the most important aspects of people’s lives is sports. In fact, most people around the world, of all ages are passionate about some sport or the other. They either pursue it as a hobby or leisurely activity, or are involved in it as participants at competitions of varying levels; then they are mere spectators at sports events. Keeping this in mind, since eras together, events in the arena of sports have been an integral part of society, at large.

Sports event management, whether at the inter-school or inter-collegiate level, as well as those at a larger level requires a lot of planning. This is not just about the venue, but the entire event – the pre-sports (qualifying rounds) leading up to the final day event. In fact, sporting events such as the international football, cricket, tennis competitions, for instance need planning and implementations well in advanced.

Preparations for the Olympics begin five to six years prior to the event. And this is not only about preparing the various venues, but ensuring that the infrastructure of host country is ready to accommodate participants and spectators from around the world. Managing events in the field of sports cannot be done by a team of ten to twelve people. Hundreds of people are involved in putting together international events.

There is a also a lot of money involved in the management of sporting events. And the sponsors are ready to lend their complete support, knowing that during events such as the World Cups, the spectators amount up to hundred of thousands. Apart from ground sponsorships, there are companies, who advertise on the channels that own rights to relay the events. Thus, the sources of income for these events are varied and numerous. These events also cost immensely, and so apart from ticket sales, sponsorships are a major part of the returns for these events.

Music is an important aspect of almost every. It is not only a form of entertainment, but also a way to relax and be at ease. In fact, many are ready to pay any amount of money to attend a live performance by their favorite singer/musician. No wonder, musical events have been a success through the years. These include the international performances, as well as those by the performing artistes of the nation. Musical shows go almost packed, with people struggling for tickets as the date of the performance approaches. And the more famous the performer, the higher the success rate of the event.

However, in order to meet such success the company has to undergo a long process in making the event happen. For international performances, the company has to make a lot more arrangements, and one of the biggest challenges in front of them is that of security. When arranging a globally renowned performer the company is responsible for the taking care of the performers stay in India, as well as his/her tour through the cities that have been short-listed for the performances.

In the case of music event management, the company stands to earn from sponsorships, as well as sales of tickets. However, no company can depend solely on the sale of tickets to recover expenses. And the fact is that a number of companies are ever ready to sponsor and support such functions as they realize the potential these events to create awareness of their products and services.

For such events one has to be on their toes throughout, and whether the performer is from the international or domestic arena, the fact is that big budgets are involved. And unless and until the entire show is not wound up, one can really not rest. In fact, the event company has to also take the responsibility of clearing up the venue after the event, and ensure it is in the same condition, as it was handed over to them.

For those in the field of event management field that there could be no more excitement than there is in this profession. Yes, there are times of anxiety and stress, but these come and go like the rain clouds on a sunny day. Otherwise it is all about fun and games at work. And those working for companies that host grand events have a lot more fun than others; they get to meet celebrities from various walks of life. And when they meet the one they have always, they feel all their hard work has been paid back.

The events on a grand scale include international events such as the concerts and live performances, wherein rock stars and pop stars are invited from around the world to perform here. Or then, the events are a part of the star’s world tour, with a stop over on Indian soil. These events include the likes of the live performances by Michael Jackson, Bryan Adams, U2, amongst numerous others.

There are also the global fundraising events that are delegated to event companies by world social and non government organizations such as WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF, amongst others. These events mainly have international celebrities spread awareness regarding varied global concerns on various platforms and stages, depending on the decision made by the association they represent.

A prime amongst all the events on a grand scale is the sports events. These include all types of sports such as cricket, hockey, table tennis, swimming, tennis, squash, etc. In the recent past some corporate houses have come forward to host international sporting events in India.

However, the most important aspect that one needs to keep in mind is that security information and event management go hand-in-hand. Organizing an event on a large scale with global delegates coming to India, means taking all security measures to ensure the safety of the not only the foreign visitors, but also all others gathering at the venue. It needs to be kept in mind that any faltering in security could cause damage to the company’s future prospects.

Whether the event is a small one or a grand one, it does not matter, as the organizing the event requires the same process. It is just the scale at which they are organized that differs. At the very base of any event is the planning stage. This first involved understanding the small events at hand – the purpose and target audience. This sums up as the objective of the event.

Once this is decided then budget that is allocated for the event needs to be decided. Based on this the accountant or finance manager is required to make a statement of cash flow. When preparing this he/she should maintain a margin of about 5% to 15% over the aggregate calculated budget, in case the need arises. This is known by many, as the emergency fund. This person should also be in-charge of allocating funds as and when required and monitoring the cash outflow, as well as inflow when it is a commercial small event management assignment.

When it comes to party event management, fewer people are required to put it together. First, the event manager needs to sit with the client to finalize the preferred venue. If the client desires a theme party, then all arrangements have to be made. In fact, then the manager is required to make all arrangements in accordance to theme. For instance, if the party is a black and white party, then invitations and the entire décor should be in the combination of black and white. Also, the guests need to be informed about this, so that they are dressed up accordingly.

Children’s birthday event organizers seem to have all the more fun, as they take over the responsibility of also entertaining the children. They organize a show for the children, depending on the selected theme of the party. There could be a magic show, or then a Charlie Chaplin performance. The event organizers are the ones who ensure that the child has a memorable celebration, leaving the parents rather stress-free and enjoying the party as much.

The biggest events are those that are arranged at a global level. These international events are mainly the sports events, like the international competitions that are hosted by various countries each year. In fact, for global event management for an event like the Olympics, preparations begin well in advance, which amounts to five to six years prior to the event. These large-scale events also require Government involvement in order to meet expenses and ensure safety and security of delegates from varied nations.

While international sports largely represent the term global event management, but it also includes other events, such as live performances by international artistes. For instance, the pop stars and rock stars being brought to India for their concerts and shows. These are mainly hosted by the large event companies and sponsored by the bigger corporate houses, as this becomes a major advertising vehicle for them.

Then there are the international social and cultural events hosted at an international level. These are mainly those that created to create widespread awareness with regards to varied global problems such as global warming. Take for instance, the Hollywood stars being roped in by WHO in order to make people aware of the dangers and problems of AIDS. They travel across the world spreading awareness.

There are numerous event management consultants who render their services in the varied departments of event management. It is not possible for just a few people to put together a global event, and do require the services of a number of consultants, who can be delegated important tasks for the event. Usually, event companies prefer working with consultants, who are roped in on project basis, rather than being over-staffed unnecessarily.

One of the most important aspects of any company is the varied events that are organized not only within the company, but also for the clients and customers. This is because one of the prime objectives for hosting events is to build on relations. Usually corporate houses encourage in-house events for the staff in order to motivate them from time to time, as well as to upgrade the knowledge and skills, in order to be along with the times. They also encourage staff to attend seminars, conferences and conventions in order to keep them abreast with the latest trends.

Such corporate events also become a meeting point for others from the same field to share varied aspects. This is more like a formal social forum for executives and managers. These are rather serious events and are mainly handled by the corporate, itself. However, in order to organize a formal event on a larger scale, this maybe delegated to the public relations company handling the companies PR activities, or then maybe given to a corporate event management company.

Apart from the serious events, there are the fun, celebratory ones. These maybe organized to celebrate the main festivals, or then the success of a project. These are mainly organized in order to build an environment of closeness amongst colleagues. This is because human resource executives and managers realize the importance of encouraging healthy inter-personal relations in the office to maximize staff efficiency.

Corporate event management services India include the in-house events, as well as the larger once to launch and promote products and services. Most service providers double up to even take on the role of public relations and media relations. More often than never company event management planning is done on an annual basis. The event calendar is determined according to the budget set aside for the events, as well as other aspects that differ from one corporate house to another.

In order to be successful in the field of event management, no matter what department of specialization one needs certain qualities, which are as follows:

• Negotiating Skills
• Creative Skills
• Convincing Skills
• Coordinating Skills
• Planning skills
• Executing and implementing skills

An individual with the aptitude for the above and interest in the field would make a successful event manager. It does not matter what maybe the types of event management, one needs to be adept in the above skills. This is because this is a people’s industry, where everything is based on effective communication skills at all levels. And professional event management service entails optimum communication skills, as well as ability to look into the minutest details of things in order to ensure optimum level of execution.

Given here is a list of he varied events that are organized by the cross section of event companies:

• Business events
• Corporate events
• Cause-Related events
• Coordinating Skills
• Fundraising events
• Exhibitions
• Trade fairs
• Entertainment events
• Concerts/live performances
• Festive events
• Government events
• Meetings
• Seminars
• Workshops
• Conferences
• Conventions
• Social and cultural events
• Sporting events
• Marketing events
• Promotional events
• Brand and product launches