Module 4 : Types of Event

 About Small and Private
Events

 About corporate
events and understanding their aims

 About conferences and why timing is critical at these type of events
 About exhibitions and managing exhibition traffic

In this module you will learn:

 About Small and Private
Events

4.1  : Types of Event

 If you're going into the world of events management, you'll soon

begin to learn that no two events are the same.

Although this is the case, events do fall into a few broad categories. While some of them are small
and intimate affairs, others may be grand
and capable of hosting thousands of attendees. Regardless of how big or small an event is, your role as an events organiser needs to remain
committed, and at the same time you should maintain a
commitment to flexibility.

When planning an event, it's essential to remember
that you're going to be needed at three different stages: before, during,
and after. Before the event, you'll be pulling everything together and managing
the client's budget.

While it's a good idea to get as much for their
money as you can, skimping and going for the
cheapest options is rarely wise. During the event, you'll act as a
coordinator of sorts. How present you
are at the event will vary according to the event size.

For example, those who are hosting intimate affairs may not want
their events planner to be in the foreground,
but they'll need them to smooth over hiccups all the same. After the event,
you'll be following up with your clients and possibly engaging
in a little financial management.

Throughout the planning process,
managing budgets carefully
is key to success.

While some see hiring an events planner as
expensive, others know that doing so is one of the best ways to save money. As an events planner, your commission comes
from the client's existing budget. While
it's not a good idea to skimp for the sake of raising your own earnings, you
should always be mindful of getting
good deals.

As an events planner, you're going to be
negotiating on your clients' behalf. This may seem challenging at first, but as your skills grow it'll get easier.

As you learn about the following key events, do
remember that a lot of the approaches you use can be applied to other scenarios. At the same time, each one is
likely to have its own unique requirements.

4.2  : Small and Private Events

On the face of things, small and private events may seem easy to organise.

However, just like any other form of event, they require a lot of forward planning.

When planning small and private events, you need to split your
organisational activities into the following categories:

 Before the event

As an organiser, you should always
bear the following
in mind:

 WHO is going to be attending the event

Throughout the organisation process, bearing the
following in mind will make sure nothing goes wrong. Obviously there will be
small hiccups, but consistently considering WWWWH will make sure you don't
deviate from your plans too much or too often.

You also need to write out what your aims are and
track their progress throughout the organisation process.

Before you get stuck into the main organisation process,
you need to look at your budget.
Rather than examining the money available
in depth first, take a look at what your expected costs are going to
be. Account for all of these costs
conservatively to make sure you don't go over budget.

4.3  : Initial Steps to Take when Organising a Small Event

When you begin organising a small event, you need to do the following:

 Select a date and make sure your chosen venue is available.
When budgeting, you should bear in mind that prices go up around key religious
holidays, as well as bank holidays.

 Set
the start and stop time.

You should do all of the above as far in advance of
the event as you possibly can. In some cases, clients will have you doing this weeks before the event, others will call you at short notice.

Either
way, you need to move onto the following 24-36 hours before the event:

 Finalise all the details
with the hosts

4.4  : What to Do on the Day of an Event

As an events manager, you don't just organise the event and then abandon
the proceedings.

There's plenty to do on the day of the event too. This includes:

 Making sure the event is well signposted. If guests
can't reach the event, pandemonium will soon ensue.

 Help the host greet the guests.

equipment has been hired, you might find that
you're charged extra for keeping it longer. Not only is this going to cut into your guest's
budget, it might
also cut into your commission.

On the day of the event, do expect that there may be small hiccups. In some rare cases you might
find that you'll be unable to do anything to rectify the problem. However, as
long as you make an effort rather
than simply accepting that everything is going to go wrong anyway, this
shouldn't reflect too badly on you.

4.5  : What to do After the Event

Once the event is over, you should follow
up with your clients.

Ask them if they feel as though everything went okay and discuss any hiccups that occurred. Take all
of their criticism on board, as it's likely to help you grow as an events
manager and you must always learn
from your mistakes.

You also need to make sure you perform your own post-event analysis. If it's a particularly small event, the chances are you've been working alone.
However, there are some occasions when you're
likely to work with other events organisers. When this happens, you need
to get together and discuss whether
you feel as though things went to plan.

Your post-event analysis
should look at:

 Were the guests happy? If not, why not?

Small events are great for new events managers to
get their proverbial feet wet. However, you should
never make the mistake of assuming that they do not need as much work as bigger
affairs. When you pay close attention
to detail and show your commitment, your reputation will flourish. With every successful small event, you're one step closer to something bigger.

: Corporate Events

 Corporate events
really are not like any other event.

In many cases, the aim of an event is to encourage
team building and networking. On the other hand, some
may be designed to promote a particular product or innovation.

Either way, you need to be aware of what is and is
not appropriate in terms of corporate event organistion.

4.6  : Understanding the Aim of a Corporate
Event

Whereas everyday events
may be all about celebrating something, corporate events are about promoting something.

That could be a product, a new branch, or even just
the company itself. Even when the event is only geared
towards current employees, its existence is probably about promotion.

In some cases,
a corporate event
may be about team building. Such as golfing
weekends away, visits to obstacle courses, or specialist
team building centers. For now, we're going to focus on events that have a
party feel.

4.7  : Creating the Right Image when you organise a
Corporate Event

Much of the corporate world is contemporary and you
need to reflect this in the décor used at your event.

However, at the same time, if the company you're
organising an event for has a particular image you may also want to incorporate its branding.

The first step towards creating the right image is
to hire modern and contemporary furniture. In
some cases, you may find that you come across a venue that already has
the right bits and pieces. However, if the furniture
is looking a little drab or if you're using a venue like a marquee, it's down
to you to make the magic happen.

4.8  : Finding the Right Location

The majority of corporate events
have a lot of people in attendance.

If this is the case for the one you're organising, you need to focus on more than just capacity to get it
right.

For example:

 Is there enough parking for everyone in attendance?

4.9       
: Manage
the Company's Budget Well

Budgets are important to companies and financial
directors adhere

to
them strictly.

As such, deviations from the amount you've been
allocated may not be taken as well as when you
deviate for other types of clients.

Make sure you look at each aspect of the budget
carefully? Don't overlook aspects like insurance, paying for guest speakers, arranging accommodation for important
delegates, and issuing invitations.

When choosing a venue, make sure there aren't any hidden charges.
Some might state that they offer essentials like Wi-Fi,
telephone lines, and projectors, but you could then arrive and find that there are extra
charges for these
items. Scrutinize packages
carefully and don't
be afraid to ask for discounts.

4.10  : Don't Overlook Specialist Objectives

As with any event, the success of your corporate
engagement is all in the planning.

Always bear the following in mind during the planning process:

 What is the company's
objective? In other words, why is it holding this particular event?

4.11  : Give an Event Photographer Serious Consideration

As most companies now have a web presence, there's
a chance the one you're organising an event for is going to want to share it
with the world.

If this is the case, you need to hire an event
photographer. When hiring a photographer, make sure they'll be able to get the images back to the client as soon as possible.
This allows them to add them
to a website, social media accounts, and promotional emails.

4.12  : Organising Corporate
Events for Team Building

While
many organistions prefer to organise their own team
building events, some may not be able to for several reasons.

This can include not knowing what to organise, not
having the time to get one organised, or simply wanting to make sure they get the right amount of money for
their budget.

So, what sort of events might companies expect? This can include:

 Treasure
hunts

Some of these events may last for a day, or they can last for a weekend. Your main role as an events
planner is to make sure the company
you're organising an event for gains access
to a decent discount. While a lot of companies may state how much
each weekend or day costs, you might find that you can get a discount
by booking for a high number of attendees.

Another role is ensuring transport and
accommodation is organised. Again, doing this is all about ensuring your clients get the right kind
of discount, as well as deals that are well within their budget. Remember, part of the client's budget includes your
commission, which means it's in your interests
to get the best deals.

As with other events, keep the company you're
working with up-to-date with progress. Always make sure you're available for
questions, and stay flexible with your plans.

4.13  : Conferences

Whether it's an academic conference or an art exhibition, you'll be
paying close attention to detail and preventing the smallest of flaws from
occurring.

You need to make sure certain resources
are on hand and pay close attention
to your budget.

Before you begin organising a conference, you need
to find out exactly what materials your client
needs and how much they're willing to spend. You might find that they
need certain resources, such as Wi-Fi. In fact, many conferences do, as it allows attendees
to broadcast the goings on via Twitter.

When it comes to conferences, the word 'budget'
doesn't always mean doing things 'cheap'. Conferences
are designed to impress delegates. At the same time, this doesn't always mean purchasing the most expensive equipment or
promotional materials for the sake of it, but you do need to be mindful of
ensuring your client does not suffer from a tacky image because you've automatically opted for the cheapest
option.

Depending on the nature of the conference, it's
likely that you'll need to maintain an air of
exclusivity. Conferences that allow anybody and everybody to attend are
rarely attractive. This means you need to liaise with your client regarding the
guest list and make sure you stick to it. In
many cases, you'll also need to help your client decide on how much to
charge the attendees. How much your
client will charge largely depends on the industry they're in.

For example, a copywriters' conference is likely to cost a lot
more than a political party or student conference.
Some conferences do not require people to pay at all, such as those for
charities and those for academics.

4.14  : Choosing the Right Conference Location

Choosing a venue is not as easy as picking up a copy of the Yellow

Pages.

Choosing well will increase
the attendance and encourage people to come to your next event.

Choosing poorly can ruin an event for attendees and
clients. Worse, damage your reputation as an
organiser, and for recurring events, future attendance levels.

The bigger the event, the more things needs to be
taken into account. Weddings are different from conferences, which are different from exhibitions. Indeed,
exhibitions can be a mine field in themselves,
with specific requirements depending on what is being exhibited.

4.15a: General
consideration

Assuming you have an approximate date, expected
attendance level, type of event, and the type of exhibits (if applicable). Here are some of the most important
things for you to consider for all event types:

Transport.

Wedding attendees will make the effort no matter,
but no one wants a reception full of angry drivers that spent the last hour looking for a parking
space, or have to continually leave to feed the meter.

For exhibitions and conferences, especially
when reliant on door tickets,
transport is vital.

So you should ask yourself
the following questions about any venues
you look at:

 Is there regular public transport and what type?

 Is there any planned outage that may affect
people's ability to get there? Road closures/Rail maintenance? Check relevant websites.

Weather

Even the meteorologists cannot give accurate
forecasts more than a day or two ahead, but this does not mean we should leave it in the
lap of the Gods. If the venue is in an area you know, you will likely have a good idea what the likelihood of
inclement weather would be given your dates. Otherwise, many weather websites will give you a breakdown by
months of precipitation and temperatures.

This will make a difference to whether the event is
hosted inside or out, or at least whether coverings are needed. Weather may
also impact the suitability of transport links for your venue.

For some types of exhibit weather will be key.
Special advice may be needed from the client/experts. Things that may seem weather-agnostic, can actually be very
sensitive.

Facilities

The absolute basics
are toilets, nappy
changing rooms, and for events,
first aid. There
are legal requirements as to
fire safety measures and emergency exits. This will need to be matched with the number of attendees, type of attendees
(young, elderly, disabled) and exhibits. Venues should be aware of the local by-laws
and regulations. Insurance
companies may have specific requirements.

For weddings and conferences, you may also require catering
facilities, and perhaps
a licensed bar. Do
you require overnight
accommodation on site, or a suitable nearby hotel? If the latter,
is arranging that also in your remit? If so, can they cater for the
numbers? Discounts for group bookings?

For exhibitions, are there shops, cafés and
restaurants nearby? Will you also have to ensure there are food stands?

The venue itself

Assuming we have a venue that seems to fit with our
attendees and client's requirements with respect to the above, it is time to get down to the venue itself.

Room setup

Is the venue the correct format? Can it be made so viably?

Think of things such as:

 Is there required equipment on-hand. Such as:
sign-boards/easels, lectern, screen, and projector?

 If a meal and reception, can the room accommodate
both without having the attendees exit? Or
is a second room available to transition to?

Catering

Although we discussed catering under facilities, it
is worth mentioning that it may want to provide external catering. Is this allowed
by the venue? Is it charged at? Is the venue licensed,
if not, is there a corkage
fee?

Costs

Costs are important, but need to be weighed
against other factors
such as impact
on attendance, suitability
and quality. Always check the contract; make sure all fees and charges are
clear before signing. Check for penalties
such as late cancellation fees, or low attendance. Request
a proposal of all short-listed venues and compare. If
possible, try to visit the venues - do not rely on reviews and promises.

Finally

Think about the attendees. Is foot-traffic
important? Or a romantic setting? Wheelchair access needed? Remember, good venues get booked up well in advance.

4.15  : Ensure You're in Charge of the Timing

Some speakers
can go on, and on, and on, without even realising it.

It might feel a little mean, but as an events
planner you need to help the client figure out how long they want each person to speak for, then help those people
stick to their
speaking plans.

Don't be afraid to take charge here. If there are six people speaking
and you allow each one to go on
for an extra 20 minutes, you've already added 2 hours to the conference time.

4.16  : Exhibitions

Whether you're organising an exhibition for a museum,
library, or some other
organisation, you constantly need to keep the product
you're promoting in mind.

In addition, exhibitions are all about appearance.
Good maintenance is key, and will form a central part of your role before, during, and after the event.

While
all exhibitions tend to differ, you should ideally keep the following in mind
when organising one for your clients:

 What is being exhibited
and do you have enough space to show it off?

4.17  : Managing Exhibition Traffic

Different types of exhibition will command different forms of traffic.

If you've ever been to an art gallery, you'll know that people can move freely.
This works well with
an artist's ethos, as they promote freedom of expression. However, as anybody
who has been to an event like the
Clothes Show will know, traffic can often become hectic as people move from
show to show, which means you may
need to organise it with lanes.

Before you
figure out a way to organise the exhibition traffic, you need to consider the following:

 How much space is available? If there isn't much,
you might want to just keep the main exhibits
on the wall and allow people to move freely. Creating lanes in this sort of
venue can be counterproductive.

 Would you like everyone to move in one direction?
Encouraging this can be hard, but it isn't impossible.

 Are there certain
exhibits that people
are more likely
to spend time at than others? For example, at The Clothes Show, large
volumes of people are likely to descend on the catwalk at once. When this happens, there is a need
for extra space. You may therefore want to widen the lanes at these areas.

4.18  : Planning for When Things go Wrong and Assigning Responsibility

Exhibitions
are particularly hard to manage as there's usually a lot

going on at once.

As such, it's unlikely that you're going to be able
to organise one alone. You therefore need to
consider the possibility of drawing in help, either from other events
organisers you work with or co- organising with someone else in your industry.

You need to make sure you have an emergency
evacuation plan. Ensure everyone knows where the fire exits are and make sure
everyone who is taking responsibility for the day knows this too.

4.19  : Organising a Celebrity Event

To the average event planner, whether they're about to get into the
industry or they're already there, organising a celebrity event is a coveted
position.

Why?

Because it's exciting,
it shows that you have great connections, and it gives you the chance to meet
some seriously exciting people.

What sort of events usually
require a celebrity presence?

The chances of someone who is new to organising
events being able to arrange an official engagement
on behalf of a celebrity are rare.

However,
you may find yourself becoming
involved in one of the following:

 Organising a club night that involves a celebrity.
These have become particularly popular lately,
as reality TV stars become available for engagements.

 Trying to find a celebrity who can attend a product
launch or charity
event.

 Organising other kinds of events that typically
involve celebrities, such as charity soccer matches
and festivals

4.20  : Why Invite a Celebrity
to an Event at all?

Most event
organisers become involved in
celebrity events that target charities.

When this is the case, the aim of the event is to raise the charities
profile and to draw awareness
to a particular cause. When you're raising awareness of a particular
cause, you need to bear key objectives
in mind.

Celebrity events
for charities usually aim to:

 Promote
an appeal

Away from charities, celebrities are good for attracting attention
in general.

If you've ever lived in a large town or city, the
chances are you've walked past a club hosting a night with a celebrity in-tow. Such events usually
feature reality TV stars, ex soap stars, and other celebrities you're not likely to see on the A List
scene.

4.21  : How Do You Get in touch with Celebrities?

Where there's a celebrity, there's an agent.

It's highly unlikely that you'll be liaising
directly with the celebrity himself or herself, which means you need to contact their agent.

But how do you find out who is representing your
chosen celebrity? Many celebrities choose to list this on their Twitter
account, especially if they're reality TV stars. However, you may just need to type in "Celebrity's Name, agent" into Google. For example, "Angelina Jolie, agent".

Let's be honest, it's highly unlikely that you're
going to attract Brad and Angelina to your chosen event.

So what
criteria should you use to choose
your celebrity?

 Examine the cause or venue you're getting
a celebrity for. In the case of venues, the celebrity
is going to want a fee, which means you're going to need to budget. This is why
reality TV and ex soap stars are so popular at club events. When
it comes to charities, look at the size of the cause.

 Is there any chance you can find a local celebrity?
This doesn't mean someone who's famous in the
locality for being a bit daft. Instead, it means someone who is famous and
comes from a particular area. Look at sports stars when examining
local celebrities.

 Try celebrities who don't seem to be particularly
busy at the moment, such as those who have faded out of the public's view a
little. As the old saying goes "No publicity is bad publicity", which means some celebrities might
need a bit of a publicity boost
by attending an event.

4.22  : Using Celebrities as an Opportunity for Sponsorship

If you can attract a celebrity to your event,
there's probably an opportunity for sponsorship from a local company to be had.

When companies are looking for unique advertising opportunities, celebrity events
can be a godsend. If you want to make the most of your budget, and
your client agrees for you to do so, see if you can
get a sponsor from someone in the local community. It's great advertising for
them, as the number of people going
to the event because of the celebrity are likely to see their
profile.

4.23  : Ensuring    You get the Right Coverage for the Event

There's no point
in having a celebrity at an event if you're not going to get the right kind of coverage.

As with any event planning strategy, there are ways
for you to make the most of this before, during, and after the event.

For example:

 Before the event, use press releases, blogs, social
media, and newsletters to let people know that there's
a celebrity in attendance. Make sure you focus the press releases
wisely, such as by
placing them in a local
newspaper. If possible, get the newspaper to feature this on the front page.

 During the event,
try to make the most of social
media. As an events planner,
you can take control of the organisation's social
media accounts for the evening and post a few tweets and status updates. You also need to use a photographer to grab some
images, which you'll be using after
the event.

 Once the event is over, make sure you write blogs,
give the company some images to post to its
website, and liaise with the celebrity to say thanks. By doing this, you can
forge a relationship that might allow
you to use them for your next big event.

4.24  : Security and Making Sure the Right People are in Attendance

 There are certain events
that'll allow you to sell tickets on the door.

For security reasons, and also for maintaining an
air of exclusivity, celebrity events are not suitable for this purpose.

Make sure you sell tickets in advance and determine
a reasonable price. The likelihood of enough
people loving the celebrity to pay loads to attend the event is small. Therefore you need to set a

reasonable price and promote the tickets well in advance.

Some celebrities will come with their own security.
Whether this happens or not, you need to organise a bouncer. Doing this ensures
that people are removed when they're drunk and will make sure the celebrity feels at ease.
A safe environment is of the utmost
importance for any event.

4.25  : Organising fundraising events

When it comes to small charity events, a lot of
organisations will make the arrangements themselves.

In some cases, they need a little extra help. This is only usually true of large charity events.

Most charity events
aim to involve people of all ages and abilities. While some, like running, can make this a little difficult in terms
of full on participation, there are still ways you can get people involved. With that in mind, you should
always ensure the theme you set is as fun as possible. When themes are fun, people are more likely to
participate.

First you should determine what the purpose of the fundraising event is:

Above all, you need to learn what the charity
you're working with is about and what cause they are fundraising for. This is central
to targeting the right demographic, getting your promotional materials right, and creating
an appropriate theme. In addition, you need to figure out what the primary
goal of the event is. Does the charity want to raise
money? Does it want to raise its profile?
Or is it a blend of the two? Knowing this can help you determine how much
emphasis you're going to place on
certain activities.

In addition to knowing what the purpose of the
fundraising event is, you need to determine a budget and a fundraising target. Unlike many other events, you're going
to need to consistently bear the fundraising target
in mind while
working your way through the budget. Do remember, while charities are likely to aim for smaller budgets
than many other event hosts, you still shouldn't just aim for the cheapest option just for
the sake of it.

4.26  : Making Sure you Help the Charity
Stay Within Budget

When you're helping the charity stay within budget,
you need to pull

out all the stops.

One key way to do this is to reach out to local
organisations to see if they can offer freebies or large discounts. Freebies come in especially useful when
it comes to holding auctions or raffle ticket
contests, as they make people more likely to attend and they give a
little publicity to the business concerned.

While helping the charity stay within budget, do
make sure you leave a little to one side for
unforeseen costs. They can occur, even with charity events.

4.27  : Organising fundraising events involving alcohol

If you're organising a fundraising event that's
going to be serving food and alcohol, you need to host it at a premises that
has a license according to the laws in your country.

In some cases, it's possible to obtain a temporary
alcohol license. However, you need to get your
hands on one of these at least 10 days before the event itself.

Depending on the event you're hosting, you may need
to involve your local police or ambulance service. Certain charities will offer first aid at charity events,
for a small fee. You may also find that there are some local private
organisations in the area offering the same services, but with a higher number of fully trained paramedic staff.

4.28  : Making the Appropriate Health and Safety
Requirements for Your Event

In addition to ensuring there are first aid
provisions, which is especially important for events involving physical activities, you need to pay close
attention to other health and safety requirements.

First of all, is the venue you're looking at
accessible to all members of the public? People with pushchairs, wheelchairs, and other mobility aids are going to
need full accessibility. To determine this,
make sure you contact the venue in advance and ask them about ramps, lifts, and
other accessibility aids.

If you're feeling at all unsure, it might be worth
speaking to an expert, such as someone from a disability
charity.

If you're keen to be extra vigilant
when it comes to accessibility, you may want to hire an external auditor to
audit a few buildings before you choose one. Doing this ensures you meet all
the health and safety requirements, which includes making sure everyone
can get out in the event of a fire.

4.29  : Serving Food at an Event

All of the food supplied must comply with the food health and safety
regulations provided by your local governing body.

However, this doesn't apply if people attending the
event are selling food as part of their fundraising efforts.

As with any event, you need to consider
the possibility that the people attending will have unique dietary
requirements.

This can include:

 Needing gluten-free food

If you're organising
an event and selling tickets in advance, you may want to state that people have to let you know what their dietary
requirements are

4.30  : Sales and Marketing for Charity Fundraising Events

If you're going to help the charity
raise money, you need to prove that you're worth your fees by engaging in a
little sales and marketing.

This can include:

 Creating a marketing plan. Use the charity's fundraising network, social media,
local newspapers, press releases, direct mail, and word of mouth to get
the word out. Do remember, as a charity event, there's a chance you can get advertising discounts
or even freebies.

 As far as sales go, try to maximise the amount of
money you can make. You might want to consider different
tiers of tickets.
For example, general
public tickets, VIPs etc. When doing
this, do make sure there are some notable differences between the general and
VIP tickets, otherwise attendees are going to feel dismayed
at having paid more than everyone else.

 An alternative to tickets is to ask people to make
donations for their attendance. The donations
can be compulsory, but the attendees can choose their amount. It's rare
that this approach backfires, as people are unlikely to be stingy when it comes to charity events.

4.31  : Sports and Hospitality Events

 You might be forgiven for thinking that sports events only occur on

a big platform.

In fact, many local communities enjoy the thrills
of sports events, but don't have in-house resources for organising them on a
regular basis. When this happens, there's a chance they'll hire you as an events planner to do the work for them.

Make sure you get the budget right from the start.

Sports events are excellent opportunities to make
money. However, for this to happen, you need to make sure you get the budget right from the word go. This
requires you to predict how many people are likely
to be in attendance, before
factoring ticket sales
into your budget.

Be conservative here; even the best research can
lead to false predictions that'll lead to you working through your budget too fast.

4.32  : Ticket Sales and Making Sure Enough People will Attend

When determining the price of your tickets,
make sure you're realistic.

If you're organising a sports event for a local
team you can't expect to charge the same prices as Manchester United or LA Galaxy.
At the same time, you need to make sure the tickets
aren't too cheap. If you go
too low, people may be turned off by the idea of going to an event that doesn't
have much to offer.

4.33  : Getting All the Right Licenses in Place

A lot of sports events call for alcohol, especially
when football or rugby is the main focus.

If this is the case,
make sure the venue you're
using has a license in place. If it doesn't,
you need to make the right arrangements for
securing a temporary license. Remember, you must arrange a temporary license at least 10 days in
advance of the event to avoid any mishaps. Don't use this as an excuse to be complacent, though.
Try to organise one as soon as you can, just in case there are any licensing hiccups.

As far as getting the word out is concerned, make
the most of local newspapers; social media, and word of
mouth are all great ways to promote the event. If you find that ticket sales
are moving slowly, you may also want
to discuss the possibility of factoring local radio advertising into the budget.

4.34  : Getting the Right Insurance and Safety Measures
in Place for Your Sports Event

 Insurance for sports events is going to be different to insurance for

other events.

You need to cover the players, as well as the fans,
and any staff
who are in attendance. The main
form of insurance is usually public liability cover. Before signing for a
policy, make sure you read it carefully
to determine whether it covers everything you need.

In terms of safety measures, you need
to look at:  Whether the venue is accessible

4.35  : Creating the Perfect Hospitality Event for
Business Meetings

 Hospitality events
are usually used for corporate engagements.

Fortunately, the format for planning is usually relatively
basic.

Before
the hospitality event

 Before the event, you need to determine what your
client's meeting goals and objectives are. From
the get-go, you need to identify a date everyone can make. While some are
likely to complain about this, you
should eventually be able to reach one that the majority can make comfortably.

 After determining what the event is about, you need
to identify a venue that has everything you
need. As with other events, make sure it's accessible and free from hidden
charges. If charges like sales tax are added on afterwards, make sure you factor them into the budget.

 Are people going to be travelling from across the country for the event? If so, you might want
to choose a venue that's going to offer a discount on hotel rooms for block bookings.

Closer to the event date

Do you need to form committees for the event? If
so, now's the time to do it. Doing it too close to the event may result
in changes that you couldn't
anticipate, so don't
rush this process.

Depending on the nature of the event,
you may also need to make some PR arrangements. This can mean writing a press
release (or hiring someone to do it for you), making the most of the business'
social media presence, or using the company's internal promotions system.