Course Summary:

Event management is a fast growing, exciting and creative industry, and involves the application of project management to the creation and development of events, conferences, product launches and corporate activity days, to name a few. This short learning programme (SLP) is designed to equip delegates with the fundamental skills for the planning, designing and implementation of an event, as well as provide delegates with the history and structure of the industry. Delegates will learn how to research, design and plan an event using key tools and principles in a real-world environment. Programme content also considers the administration and co-ordination skills required for the eventing sector and culminates in event evaluation and feedback.

Course Objectives:

• The event industry, its structure and main operations.
• The range of events and their factors - event sizes, event types, the teams needed to run events.
• Technology and the different resources used in event planning; ethical considerations.
• Event concepts: establishing the objectives, themes and format of an event.
• Event analysis, strategic design aspects and the logisticals of running and delivering an event.
• Event feasibility; establishing the event context and its rationale.
• Identifying the requirements and opportunities of an event; event SWOT analysis.
• Planning for the operational needs of a project, developing project plans and recommendations.
• Implementing and evaluating plans and strategies for events.
• Analysing event venues; conducting site inspections, defining site requirements, preparing site maps.
• Dealing with the issues of regulatory compliance, legislation and law; insurance, licencing.
• Interacting with stakeholders and official bodies; setting policies, entering into contracts.
• Business and client relationships; the aims, reasons for and activities of negotiation, reaching agreement.
• Delivering quality customer service; reasons for and processes of making changes to plans.
• Marketing strategies, the event marketing mix, market segmentation and environment analysis for events.
• Looking for and arranging event sponsorship; sponsorship motives and needs; sponsor types and categories, merchandising factors in event management.
• Budget preparation and budgeting; preparing and monitoring cash flow analysis.
• Determining the break-even point, planning an income strategy.
• Accounting and financial control systems, financial and other reports. 
• Conducting a business risk analysis and managing the elements of risk; implementing and monitoring risk strategies. 
• Event bids: preparing bids for and tendering to manage events, preparing bid documentation.
• Applying for grants, preparing event success criteria.

Course Outline

Introduction to Event Management

• Development of the event management industry and the event management process.

Event Research

• Importance of event feasibility, client meetings and venue options.

Event Design

• Understanding brainstorming rules and procedures, including the event environment and experience.

Event Planning

• Apply an event programming schedule and acknowledge the importance of timelines, themes and catering.

 Event Administration and Co-ordination

• Understand the role of the professional conference organiser (PCO), explain budgets and compile event contracts.

Event Feedback and Evaluation

• Work through the stages of evaluating the success of an event, including feedback and reporting structures.