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Critical Studies - Study Skills Workshop Video

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Critical Studies - Study Skills Workshop Video

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Study Skills Workshop 05 - Critical Thinking Skills

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A seminar by Professor Greg Richards

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Sporting events bring people together. Any time a group of people gather, it leaves a mark – from wrappers and cups strewn through rows of stadium seats, to trash and recycling barrels with remnants of leftover food and liquids. Then there is a wider impact of the energy needed to power the lights and to transport the food, the water and chemicals used for sanitation, and the greenhouse gas emitted by the vehicles that brought everyone there in the first place.

Waste Management Sustainability Services has teamed up with the Council for Responsible Sport to provide objective, independent verification of the socially and environmentally responsible work event organizers are doing, and to actively support event organizers who strive to make a difference in their community. It is our hope that our experience with planning and implementing sustainable events can help event organizers seeking Council certification learn and improve for a lasting impact on its partners, participants, and host communities.

To learn more about Waste Management Sustainability Services, visit www.wmsustainabilityservices.com
To learn more about the Council for Responsible Sport, visit www.councilforresponsiblesport.org.

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How Waste Management Collaborates with the Council for Responsible Sport

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Return on Investment Project Management Institute

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Abstract

Project management has grown in its use over the last several years. With 76% of IT projects failing (Crawford, 2002, p. 19), project management must be utilized to ensure project success. The Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) identifies a proven methodology that often is not utilized because it is not quantified to the value it returns to the organization. The purpose of this paper is to learn a methodology that establishes a credible approach to reporting return on investment (ROI). The ability to report the ROI of a project management initiative is necessary in order to sustain support and funding for continued project management initiatives. You will learn how ROI can be reported through a 10-step approach to collecting and reporting data. From this paper you will see the potential for implementing a reporting system that will be embraced by all senior level management.

In this paper you learn a methodology that follows the initial introduction of the project management methodology through the completion of a project. You will see how to report the financial and the intangible benefits from project management. This will allow you to build a balanced scorecard reporting system that shows the value of project management in your organization.

Introduction

The capability to report the value of any expenditure in an organization is necessary in order to sustain funding and support. Organizations must spend efficiently and effectively to maintain profitability. In order to determine which programs generate revenue, they must be evaluated to determine their value.

Project management can create many improvements, but unless they are measured, you cannot justify increased or further investment into these efforts. Investments are required to be made in software, systems, human resources, physical resources, training, and time. When all totaled, the investment in project management can be quite large. Sooner or later the chief financial officer (CFO) will challenge what the organization is getting for their investment in project management.

Identifying what to measure and how to measure it can be a challenge. The Phillips ROI methodology is an extensively used and accepted method to evaluate program performance. The Phillips ROI process provides a common methodology that is replicable and can be validated across an organization to ensure acceptance throughout the organization.

The Phillips ROI methodology was developed by Jack Phillips, based on Kirkpatrick's four levels of training evaluation. Phillips developed this methodology to tie evaluation to the organization's strategic goals. Project management initiatives can be evaluated-beginning with the initial commitment, through training and methodology, through project completion-to assess the return on the investment.

Return on Investment

Project management has grown in popularity over the last several years. This is possibly due to data such as Phillips (2002) quotes the Standish Group as reporting on IT projects:

Investments in project management can be a large capital investment for many organizations. Costs can include personnel, training, software, consulting, computer systems, and the purchase of methodologies. The benefits realized from a project management implementation can include reduced schedule delays and cost overruns, and increased customer satisfaction. ROI is a methodology that we look to for data collection, analysis, and reporting of the findings.

The ROI methodology that this presentation will present contains five levels of evaluation and six types of data. The five levels are:

These five levels are also referred to as types of data. There is a sixth type of data that is reported, classified as intangibles. Intangible data is not converted to financial data, because it can be accepted as is, or it is accepted that collection and/or converting this data can take too long. The financial impact of converting the data from intangible data would be greater than necessary to report the findings that we have.
Exhibit 1-The ROI process
The Phillip's ROI process is a 10-step method. The model allows for a duplicative and credible method for collecting and reporting ROI. Project management requires an investment of human and capital resources to implement in any organization. Because senior-level support for project management can wane over time, ROI can help ensure that support will be sustained. The secondary purpose for using ROI methodology is that we maximize the utilization of project management. If the project management initiative is not implemented properly, it is possible that its projected success is reduced, as well as support for it. The hypothesis here is that if the value of the project management initiative is maximized and known, support will continue.

Evaluation Planning

Step 1-Develop Objectives of the Solution

Expected Outcomes

There are many reasons for implementing project management and why we would need to evaluate them. Project management ROI evaluations should be used to determine the following:

Objectives should be identified for expected outcomes at each level of evaluation. The objectives are specified for each level:

Step 2 - Develop Evaluation Plans and Baseline Data

Key to a successful evaluation will be planning how the evaluation will be conducted. Three key plans need to be developed in order to start your evaluation:

Data collection plan-Identify where and what data you will collect.

ROI analysis plan-Identify how you will convert the data to monetary value and identify where and who gets what credit.

Project plan-An ROI evaluation should be treated like any other project and have a project plan.

Data Collection

Step 3-Collecting Data During the Solution

Level 1: Reaction, Satisfaction, and Planned Action

The success of an initiative such as a project management implementation requires commitment from the top down and the bottom up. A top-down commitment as shown by support from senior level management is necessary for a successful rollout. The executive-level officer needs to sponsor the effort with their clout and funding. They must understand the project management initiative so that they can effectively support it. Any prudent executive is sure to ask at some point what the organization is getting for its investment. A bottom-up commitment requires the workers to execute the initiative. To do this, they need to understand what to do. This is when the first level of data in the ROI process, " reaction, satisfaction, and planned action, " is assessed. We all have heard the importance of " starting off on the right foot"; this refers to the beginning, when the attitude can be formed that can make or break the project management initiative (or any initiative that we evaluate). A positive reaction can make all the difference in the success of a project management implementation.

Phillips and Phillips (2007) identified some measurable reactions to the project:

There are several sources that you can use to collect this data:

Internal and external customers

Executives

Project managers

Functional managers

Team members

Project sponsors

There are several methods that you can use to gather this data:

Level 2: Learning

Learning metrics are classic benchmarks used in the training profession; however, they tell much more of a story for the organization as any change is implemented. Change success depends on the ability of the organization's resources to understand the skills and knowledge needed to implement the change. We are comfortable doing what we understand and know. Here lies the importance of communicating the knowledge and skills needed for any initiative. The ability to successfully use project management is dependent upon the knowledge of the executors. Gaps in knowledge should be identified, so that they can be addressed to optimize the benefits of a project management implementation.

Metrics should measure:

There are several techniques that you can use to gather this data:

Step 4-Collecting Data after the Solution

Level 3: Application

The best technology, concepts, training, or intentions will have no impact if they are not used. We have seen the best training provided to no avail because it was not used when the student returned to the job. Business continued as usual with no use of the skills and knowledge obtained in the training. While the initiative is a hot topic in the organization the training will be supported, but as soon as budget cuts are necessary and the initiative has cooled, it gets cut. If the value the program returns to the organization is known, it is not likely that the program will get cut. Whether as an executive or a project manager, we must know the value of project management, so that we can get the required support.

There are many methods that you can use to identify whether project management is used. They should all be related to performance. First, the competencies needed to perform project management should be identified. A sample of tasks that project managers should be competent in performing are as follows:

1. Determine project goals

2. Determine product or serviceable deliverables

3. Determine project management process outputs

4. Document project constraints

5. Document assumptions

6. Define the project strategy

7. Identify performance criteria

8. Determine key resource requirements

9. Define an appropriate project budget and schedule

10. Refine project requirements

11. Create the work breakdown structure

12. Develop the resource management plan

13. Refine project time and cost

14. Establish project control

15. Develop a formal and comprehensive project plan

16. Obtain project plan approval

17. Commit project resources

18. Implement the project plan

19. Manage project progress

20. Communicate project progress

21. Implement quality assurance reports

22. Measure project performance

23. Refine control limits

24. Take timely corrective actions

25. Evaluate the effectiveness of corrective actions

26. Ensure compliance with the change management plan

27. Reassess project control plans

28. Respond to risk event triggers

29. Monitor project activity

30. Obtain final acceptance of deliverables

31. Document lessons learned

32. Facilitate administrative and financial closure

33. Preserve project records

34. Release project resources

For each of these tasks you should identify the skills and knowledge required to perform competently. Once this is known, you can use surveys, questionnaires, and observations to determine whether the competencies are present.

Action Plans

The action plan is useful to identify what skills and knowledge learned or identified will be used. The action plan should be developed during the implementation of the project management initiative. In most cases, this is done during training. This can be developed by the individual or by their management. This can be seen as a performance standard. The action plan helps take the training from the classroom and put it into use on the job. If planned together with the individual and the manager, the action plan can become a performance contract. The action plan will identify what will be done and when.

Level 4: Impact

The levels of data already identified establish the data trail to validate the ROI impact study. The data leads us to level 4, business impact. Once we can determine the business impact, we can convert the data to monetary values. There are two types of data that we will look to collect; hard data and soft data.

Hard data is more tangible than soft data. Look to the triple constraint (scope, cost, and time) to identify data that you can collect. Categorize hard data into four types:

Soft data is more difficult to convert to monetary value. It can be converted if desired, but soft data can also be reported as intangibles. We will discuss intangible data later in this paper. Some categories of soft data could be:

Data Analysis

Step 5-Isolate the Effects of the Solution

Isolating the effects of the solution is essential to establish the credibility of the solution. There can be multiple reasons that an improvement occurs, such as a change in the economy, or other factors. This thought and opinion will occur throughout the organization's leadership. Isolating these factors and reporting the impact of each will add credibility to the impact that you report from the solution you implemented.

In order to identify the influences that could have effected the change that occurs you need to go to multiple sources. These can include the following:

Techniques and tools that can be used to isolate the impact that project management has include:

Control groups

Trend line analysis

Forecasting methods

Estimates

Participant's estimates of the impact

Management's estimates of the impact

Internal or external expert impact

Example of a Reduction in Schedule Delays

Use Exhibit 2 to illustrate the use of participant's estimates of the impact. In the exhibit you multiply the impact by the confidence level. Then multiply the resulting value by the value of schedule delay reduction. To illustrate this, consider the following example. For every day of delay that is reduced, $100K was saved. Historically, there is an average of 25 days that the planned schedule is missed by. After a project management initiative is implemented, there is an average of 15 days that we miss the planned schedule by. The project management initiative has resulted in a savings of 10 days, valued at $100K for each day. The result is $1 million dollars saved. Project management has an adjusted impact (after considering confidence levels) of 43% (52% x 83% = 43%). To find the isolated impacts, multiply the adjusted impact level by the value realized in savings; in this example, we realized $1 million. This results in project management having a $430,000 isolated impact on the $1 million savings. When determining the ROI for the project management solution, $430,000 will be used as the benefit, not $1 million. Understand that this will increase the credibility of the value that project management returns to the organization.
Exhibit 2-Measurement of impact of contributing factors
Step 6-Convert the Data to Monetary Value

It's time to show the money. Converting data to monetary value can be a challenging part of the process. Business results must be quantified to convey monetary value. This is necessary to determine ROI. ROI will allow you to show the value of project management.

Previously, we identified that there are hard costs and soft costs for all performance improvement efforts. The measures are categorized as output, costs, time, and quality. This should be straightforward to those in project management. They are in alignment with the triple constraint for project management, as shown in Exhibit 3.
Exhibit 3-The triple constraint
Finding standard values to convert can come from different departments throughout an organization:

Baseline data can become extremely useful when standard values are not available. Look at previous projects. Identify from project records what they were predicted to accomplish and where they actually ended up. Statistical information can be identified for project performance. Are they historically late or over budget, and by what amount? This can be compared to project performance after a project management implementation.

Project management initiatives can include implementing all or some of the following:

As previously stated, converting data is challenging. To better understand data conversion, follow these five key steps to convert data to monetary values:

Step 7 - Identifying Intangible Benefits

There is another type of data that may have an equal or greater value to an organization, and that is intangible data. We can report collected data as intangible data if it is determined that it would be too long to convert the data to monetary value or too expensive to convert to monetary value. If intangible data has value in and of itself, this also justifies not converting the data to monetary value.

Phillips (2007) identified several common intangibles. Here are few key intangibles that we can see in project management implementations:

Innovation and creativity

Timeliness

Intellectual capital

Reputation

Capacity

Capability

Customer satisfaction

Employee job satisfaction

Step 8-Tabulate the Costs of the Solution

The next step is to account for and report all costs, direct and indirect. Costs should include all resources, internal and external to the project team, that were dedicated to the project. Costs should be identified as loaded costs, to include all salaries and benefits that are required to obtain needed resources. There are several categories to consider when determining costs. Below is a recommended list:

Analysis costs

Planning costs

Implementation costs

Maintenance costs

Travel and expenses

Salaries (use loaded rates)

Software costs

Equipment costs

Consultants

Training

Step 9 - Calculate the Return on the Investment

Level 5: ROI

The final step before you report your findings is to calculate the benefit/costs ratio (BCR) and the return on investment (ROI). A recommendation to increase the credibility of your report is to stay conservative on your findings. When identifying costs and benefits you probably will have a range that you can report. For example, when reporting costs, if the range is between $200,000 and $250,000 report the $250,000 as the project costs. And when reporting benefits, if the range is between $900,000 and $1,000,000 report the $900,000 as the project benefits. Staying conservative will always result in your favor if the numbers that you report are challenged.

The calculations for BCR and ROI are:

BCR = Program Benefits ÷ Program Costs

ROI = (Net Program Benefits × Program Costs) × 100

ROI is reported as a percentage. Organizations should identify what they expect as an acceptable ROI. Should the project be a compliance project, ROI can be set at zero, or if the organization has 25% as their expected ROI level for other capital investments, set the ROI at 25%. This establishes an expected level of performance to measure to determine that we are meeting expectations.

Reporting

Step 10 - Generate the Impact Study

The impact study is your opportunity to tell " your " story. Communicate the report through meetings, intranets, weblogs, and so forth. The main objective is to communicate your findings in a way that can be understood. This will produce the support you need throughout your organization.

You need to show:

The impact study should have the following sections:

General information

Methodology for impact study

Data analysis

Costs

Results

Barriers and enablers

Conclusions and recommendations

Exhibits

Conclusion

We first acknowledged that project management requires a financial commitment from the organization. Resources, capital, and time will be committed. At some point, the organization will need to show the return on these investments. The Phillips ROI methodology is a credible methodology that allows you to collect and analyze the data and to report the ROI in a credible and accepted manner. The five levels of ROI allow you to see if you met the planned expectations for your project management initiative. This will maximize the use and probability of success for your continued project management efforts.

©2007, Wayne Brantley, PMP
Originally published as part of 2007 PMI Global Congress Proceedings - Atlanta, GA

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Justifying the value of a project management deployment in your organization through an ROI impact study

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Executives are notoriously resistant to supporting investments in project management. One of their primary reasons is the discipline's lack of a proven methodology for gauging the actual return on investment (ROI) that a project will generate.

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Events Scotland - National Events Strategy

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Events Scotland - National Events Strategy

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EventScotland | The Perfect Stage For Events

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The official website for VisitScotland Events Directorate which consists of three teams: EventScotland, Development - Events Industry and Business Events.

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Online Learning for Sports Management

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When writing an event proposal the amount of detail required will depend on the scale and importance of the event. However event proposals generally share many common components. The information that event proposals should convey includes but is not limited to the following:

Description of the Event

Experience of the Event Bidder

Venue and facilities offered

The event program

The proposed event budget

Description of the Event

It is important to provide the reader of the event proposal with an overview of what the event is about. Some events need very little explaining because they are commonplace. However, it is unwise to rely on the title of the event alone to explain it purpose. In providing an overview for the reader, it may be important to describe the main participant target group(s), the main goals to be achieved in running the event and, if the event is somewhat unusal, one or two sentences that provide the reader with mental picture of what the event will be. A more full description of the event program is dealt with separately (see below).

Experience of the Event Bidder

The organisation or entity bidding for the event should extol its experience and capability. It is crucial that whoever assesses the bids firmly believes the bidding organisation will be able to put on a good show. The proposal should contain succinct information about the event management experience of the proposed event team.

If experience in staging events is limited then it is useful to mention any managerial, project management or co-ordination experience in any other field. Qualifications of persons in the event management team may also prove useful to mention.

The proposal should also describe any training that will be given to event volunteers.

Venue and Facilities offered

The reader of the proposal will want to know whether the venue is suitable for the event. The proposal should outline all facilities available at the venue, everything from toilets to car-parking. For indoor events, the type of surface, lighting, air-conditioning, seating, electronic equipment should be well described. For outdoor events, the level of maintenance on turf, seating and shading for spectators, fencing, drainage and floodlighting is worthy of mention. The number of change rooms and their condition for teams/participants is always important. It is often worthwhile to include a map or floor diagram. Photographs of key features of the venue may assist.

There needs to be a detailed description of what would be attractive to event goers and how the venue will fully cater for the needs of the event, including performers, officials and spectators.

Don't forget to include information about public transport to the venue, and car parking for those who arrive by car.

If the venue has staged similar events in the past, you should make mention of this.

The Event Program

It is often the case that the host club or organisation has little or no say in setting the competition program when the date, or dates have been set by the sport governing body.

However, at the initial stage of bidding, the event proposal may suggest a competition program in terms of the number of days, and the start and finish times each day. It is important for decision makers to know how many hours a day the venue is available.

It is worthwhile to consider that the program should also include ceremonial events with visiting dignitaries who may make speeches or present awards Furthermore the event bidding team can proposed entertainment 'extras' that may start or finish the program or fill any gaps.

The Proposed Event Budget

The club or organisation bidding for the event should draft a budget of probable income and expenditure. It is important that such a budget is realistic and therefore some care and consideration needs to be given to suggesting sponsors that have not yet formalized any sponsorship agreement.

The event budget should not show a loss when all projected income and expenditure has been taken into account. if the budget predicts a loss there will be major concerns in the minds of those who assess the event bid proposal.

The club or organisation that wins the bid may be entitled to an amount of funding from the sport governing body to alleviate certain costs that will likely be incurred. However, there is also an expectancy that the host club or organisation will have an opportunity to make money through the canteen, bar, fundraising raffles and merchandising. These forms of income should be reflected in the budget in the event proposal.

More information on event budgeting
Obtain a template for writing an event proposal.
Copyright and Disclaimer | About the author Leo Isaac | Email Webmaster

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Writing an event proposal: Event Management

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When writing an event proposal the amount of detail required will depend on the scale and importance of the event. However event proposals generally share many common components.

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Instructional Business Management Video Training Session

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Winning Tenders can provide you with an expert bid writer capable of writing a winning bid in most business sectors; if you are in a really specialised area we use our network of qualified freelance specialists to identify the bid writer with the necessary expertise and experience to help you win.

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Good example of what happens when poor event strategy is conducted.

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Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened. This is the title of the Fyre Netflix documentary about the 'Instagram that came to life' phenomenon. Where lied the magic of Fyre Festival? What happened, to earn it a title of the biggest event fraud of the last decade? I decided to prepare a case study analysis to find out. Dig in!
What's all this hype about, what is Fyre Festival?

At the end of 2016, Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule, the now-infamous event makers, announced their plan to the world. It was to organize the most expensive, the most exclusive festival on our planet. Fyre Festival, because that's how they named the event, was to take place on weekends: 28-30 April and 5-7 May 2017. Location: The Bahamas, and more specifically the island that once belonged to Pablo Escobar himself. Ah, the thrill! Formerly the cocaine smugglers paradise was about to become the luxurious party center!

Major Lazer, Blink 182, Disclosure, Rae Sremmurd, Migos, Skepta, Dayi and many others were invited as the stars of the festival. It was part of the promotion of the festival, designed to attract crowds of participants to the island. In addition, numerous celebrities were involved in the promotion. In the spot promoting the Fyre Festival, you can spot Bella Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski and Kendall Jenner.

Of course, all this glitz was reflected in the price of festival tickets. For such attractions and luxuries as, for example, special hotel rooms, yachts and the highest quality food, participants were to pay between $1.5 thousand to $12 thousand dollars. Unofficial rumors say that the most expensive ticket was sold for, $250,000 dollars.

And all this for nothing. Guests arriving on the island saw conditions that are difficult to call luxurious. Tents instead of villas, wet mattresses and cheese sandwiches in styrofoam boxes.

The dinner that @fyrefestival promised us was catered by Steven Starr is literally bread, cheese, and salad with dressing. #fyrefestival pic.twitter.com/I8d0UlSNbd

- Trevor DeHaas (@trev4president) April 28, 2017

The festival came into being thanks to the huge promotional machine in Social Media. It also ended its life in this medium. Participants very soon began to share photos of the conditions they found on arrival. The first information about huge problems also appeared even before the festival began. A profile named "FyreFestivalFraud" was created on Twitter. His creator was convinced that Billy McFarland and Ja Rule just organized a huge scam and tricked thousands of people.

Fyre Festival: What happened? A timeline of a disaster

To better understand the failure of this luxurious-to-be festival, let's take a look at its timeline.

October 2016: Billy McFarland and Ja Rule come up with the idea of a festival during their Halloween trip to the Bahamas. The idea behind the festival is to promote McFarland's Fyre talent-booking app. The organizers make their first move to promote their first large-scale event. They spend millions on models, private jets, and yachts. The first sparks hit kindling.

December 2016: The recruitment process of influencer begins. Kendall Jenner, Ashanti, Bella Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski, Hailey Baldwin become Fyre Starters. Rumor has it, that Kendall Jenner got paid $250,000 for a single Instagram. The pitch mentions millions of "media impressions" and pending partnerships with Samsung and Casamigos Tequila.

The deck named the Fyre Squad of organizers, including:

Ja Rule - "widely recognized as among the most commercially successful hip-hop artists of all time"

Billy McFarland - "he guides the company's overall direction and strategy"

Grant Margolin - chief marketing officer

Elliot Tebele - a man whose social media presence included recycling other people's jokes on his Instagram account @FuckJerry.

Grant Margolin reportedly tried to purchase a private island after the first round of ticket purchases. However, the island was not suitable to make such ginormous festival. It had no electricity or water. The plan was abandoned.

January 2017: It is said, that Billy McFarland had a plan to make a reality-TV show around the festival. He even hired a TV production company but (surprise, surprise) didn't pay their $100,000 bill.

January 12: Fyre Festival's marketing machine enhances with a glamorous video, that I embedded earlier in this text.

"When you look at their teaser videos, all they show is models frolicking in the sun. It barely mentions the music," said concert-business professional to the Rolling Stone. "Something of this sort requires at least a year of intensive planning. To go to an island without any infrastructure and build something from scratch, it's hard for me to pencil out how the finances could work effectively."

March 2017: The Fyre Squad goes low on funds. The organizers try to get a second round of investments.

On the same time, first rumors appear. The employees say that planning meetings of Fyre Fest look like anything but the planning meetings. The organizers act more like schoolboys, than event professionals.

The festival preparations on the island are nowhere near ready.

Former Fyre Festival talent producer summed it up for the Cut: "This was a development lot covered in gravel with a few tractors scattered around. There was not enough space to build all the tents and green rooms they would need. There was not a long, beautiful beach populated by swimming pigs. There were, however, a lot of sand flies that left me looking like I had smallpox."

The same person told, that one of the festival marketing team members told Ja Rule "Let's just do it and be legends, man," when the latter came for a site visit. Their discussion was about how to make the Fyre Festival happen despite the limited budget and planning time.

March 31: By this moment, organizers planned to hit the benchmark of 40,000 ticket sales. The actual figures forced them to lower this number to 20,000. The estimated volume of ticket sales was never achieved, hence the decision to switch from the luxury lodging mentioned in promo materials to the refugee-camp style tents that were available.

Beginning of the April: Starr Catering Group abandons the ship. After visiting the Festival site the catering team prepared an elaborate plan on how to put together all the necessities of meal offerings and staffing for the event. The organizers didn't want to agree on the company's six-figure cost. Instead, they decided to cope with the budget they had and find another catering company.

April 27: A headliner, Blink-182, resigns. The band announces the statement: "We're not confident that we would have what we need to give you the quality of performances we always give our fans."

April 28: Fyre hits the fan. "So Fyre Fest is a complete disaster [...]Mass chaos. No organization. No one knows where to go. There are no villas, just a disaster tent city." tweeted blogger William N. Finley IV.

Guests get stuck on the Bahamas. It is nearly impossible to leave the island. The infrastructure doesn't exist. The tents, the catering, the overall atmosphere - people share all the vital information via social media. At first, it is perceived as a rich kids' lament. After a moment people realize, that there's a group of Festival attendees stuck on the island, in really lousy conditions who can't escape their temporary prison.

What Billy McFarland has to say? He didn't even apologize. When asked by Rolling Stone he said that he and his team "were overwhelmed and just didn't have the foresight to solve all these problems."

Fortunately, the help services finally managed to take everyone out of the island. People returned home safely, but the bad memory remained... followed by numerous lawsuits.

Fyre Festival: what went wrong?

Fyre Festival: what went wrong - Event's goal

Fyre Festival: what went wrong - Lack of the plan
Verdict: Innocent!
Don't even get me started on this one! From the very beginning, the Fyre festival lacked any strategy or planning.

"[Organizers'] approach was, 'We thought up the idea, we put tickets on sale, then we decided on marketing and talent and tried to see if the venue would work,'" said to Rolling Stone a source who wished to remain anonymous. "The traditional way of promoting a festival is: Find a great site, make sure it works, then select some talent and put together marketing and put tickets on sale. They took the traditional method and did it the opposite way. It seems like you should know if there's running water before you put on a festival on your site."

As I have already described in the timeline, there were voices at various stages of the event organization process that the whole event is not planned as well as it should be. For example, a month before the event on the island there was no decent accommodation for guests, there was no idea for water supply, nor the contracted caterer.

In general, the whole organization of the event this big (an event that took place on the island!) should take about a year. Of course, if it was organized by an industry veteran, not two rookies. Rookie mistakes were made. Unfortunately, it wasn't a warning sign for the people who bought tickets for the Fyre Fest.

On the other hand, the marketing plan worked fine to some point. Future festival guests gave a warm and enthusiastic welcome to video materials and influencers' posts. If only those actions did not absorb the majority of the budget, and if the organizers provided the quality they promised, the Fyre festival would have a chance to become a second Coachella or Burning Man.

"That's when the shit hits the fan. This was presented as high-end, and obviously, it wasn't together," said Billy Arfa. "It was promising people paradise, and they didn't deliver on paradise. [...] The Bonnaroos and the Coachellas and the Governors Balls - we know that those are all legitimate," Arfa continues. "But then there's a second layer, and then there's the tertiary layer, and those are fringes. If you're working on those festivals, you have to know some of them are on a shoestring. Not everyone's Coachella."

Budgeting event without the data is not budgeting but guessing!

Unfortunately, budgeting the event also requires careful planning based on the data. Money to promote the event is important, but you can't spend it without providing basic conditions in the place where the event takes place.

Fyre Festival: What went wrong: You know your target group, but you don't dive deep enough
Verdict: Guilty as hell!
On the other hand, what accounted for the power of marketing activities has also become the end of the festival. The people who paid for the VIP experience were expecting exclusive conditions. They got something that did not suit their expectations nor even approached them. Deceived festival-goers immediately shared with the world with what they found on the spot via their favorite channels. The avalanche moved and it could not be stopped.

I do not defend the organizers. They disregarded the characteristics of their target group and got what they deserved in return. I'm just saying that the assumptions were right, but nobody cared to use them in further activities.

You should also notice, that along with the drying up sources of financing, the efficiency of the marketing machine decreased. Proof? At the end of March the organizers did not even sell half the number of tickets they planned to. Here is an important lesson: if you want to achieve great things, you can not press gas and brake at the same time. You will stop the engine and you will not get anywhere. Translating it into this particular example - remember that if you have a premium class event for a VIP target group, then all experience, from the beginning to the end, must guarantee such quality. Otherwise, your recipients will sense the BS and you will end up with nothing.

Fyre Festival: What went wrong: No clear KPI system
Verdict: A lifetime of shame. They'll even make a Fyre Netflix documentary, so no one forgets!
However, if the organizers sat for a moment and wondered what to do and in what form, then it was possible that the Festival would not end that bad. Seeing that there is no chance of preparing the site on time, they would, for example, have the chance to reschedule the event and prepare technical facilities in a reliable way. They'd also be able to better control expenses and marketing activities.

"Any professional would know 30 to 60 days out that this thing wasn't happening to the level they were advertising it," says Bert Holman, the manager for the Allman Brothers Band to the Rolling Stone. "I look at the audience like, 'What are you people thinking? How could you buy tickets for something that doesn't have a track record? Oh, man, are you guys crazy?' I think they all got what they deserved."

Fyre Festival: What went wrong - Technical support

Where to begin. Fyre Festival is a Fest of bad technical preparations. From the location to transportation, all shouted: 'Disaster'. The 'Venue' - the paradise island of Pablo Escobar seemed to be the perfect place for organizing a festival for rich people who are looking for an escape from their daily routine. It had a hint of mystery, it looked Instagram-good and encouraged with its tropical climate. Unfortunately, as it turned out later, the weather on the island was not so kind. A few hours before the festival itself, a storm surged through the Bahamas and destroyed some of the tents.
Verdict: Rookie mistakes, but still mistakes. Guilty!
What's more, the island did not have enough capacity to accommodate 40,000 people, service teams and festival stars. There were insects on the beach that could have caused a major inconvenience, especially if someone paid $ 12,000 to be there.

"Any time you have a mass gathering in a remote place where you don't have an infrastructure and you don't have resources, it's hard to supply," he tells Rolling Stone. "Even doing a show in Hawaii is challenging. If you don't plan it properly, you can pretty much plan on not having the things that you need: 'Oh yeah, we needed golf carts, I forgot.'" said Dave Frey, manager for Cheap Trick who co-owns the annual Lockn' Festival in Arrington to the Rolling Stone.

The Catering - the promised high-end catering never happened during Fyre Festival. As I've said before, after the inspection of the site, the catering company's representatives wrote out a catering budget for a six-digit number. The organizers said they would give up this service and find someone who would be able to operate on the lower numbers.

First of all, it was a cardinal mistake to leave such an important matter practically for the end of the road. Organization of a multi-day festival in a place where Uber Eats does not arrive, and the nearest Seven-Eleven can be reached on a private jet, catering is a must-have. The organizers should give this matter a very high priority. 'But, but...' - you will say - 'there was food there'. Yes. The world's most expensive sandwich in a styrofoam box! And I know that you can eat it as well as a Swiss cheese fondue with rye bread, but the context is important. In the case of Fyre, the context is ticket prices and marketing promises that have not been met.

The Transportation - The festival on an island requires an additional logistical jam. People can't leave just like that. Therefore, there must be all means to cope with health issues on the spot, as well as vehicles ready to take participants from the island to the nearest airport. The organizers promised that. Have I mentioned, that the promises were hollow? The unprepared transport contributed to the fact that a whole lot of cheated guests had no way of getting out of the island where they did not have the right conditions. This is a BIG no-no. Huge! Verdict: Guilty with zero chance for redemption

Fyre Festival: What happened? Wrap up

Overpromising and under delivering is the worst scenario that can happen. Ignoring all the important elements of successful event management, such as planning, budgeting, preparing the venue, and so on leads to a huge disaster. Aside from the obvious part, Fyre Festival was dragged down by the greed and the lack of respect to the participants.

As Bert Holman from Alman Brothers said: "I can't figure out what this thing is. It's not like they have other festivals. At the end of the day, when you deal with bad people, bad things happen."

What are your thoughts? Drop us a line!

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Why it was a disaster: Fyre Festival. What happened? What went wrong

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Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened. This is the title of the Fyre Netflix documentary about the 'Instagram that came to life' phenomenon. Where lied the magic of Fyre Festival? What happened, to earn it a title of the biggest event fraud of the last decade?

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The #EventCanvas is a strategic management template for developing new or documenting existing events and conference models. It's a visual chart with elements describing an event's promise, how it helps stakeholders to get their jobs done, resolving pains and creating gains within a set framework of commitment and expected return. The canvas articulates how the behaviour changes as a result of having participated in the event as well as stating the required levels of satisfaction against expectations. Additionally the canvas outlines the costs and expected revenues in relation to the customer journey (service design) and the instructional design of the event.

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Event Canvas - Strategic Event Design Model

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Event Canvas - Strategic Event Design Model

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The #eventcanvas in words:

The #eventcanvas is a strategic management template for developing new or documenting existing events and conference models.

It's a visual chart with elements describing an event's promise, how it helps stakeholders to get their jobs done, resolving pains and creating gains within a set framework of commitment and expected return. The canvas articulates how the behaviour changes as a result of having participated in the event as well as stating the required levels of satisfaction against expectations. Additionally the canvas outlines the costs and expected revenues in relation to the customer journey (service design) and the instructional design of the event.

The Canvas helps organisations align their activities by illustrating potential trade-offs of their events. Building a thorough #eventcanvas can be achieved through a 10 step #eventcanvas methodology where the team involved in the event systematically analyses, describes and outlines the inputs for the components in the final canvas prototypes. The methodology is sequential and makes use of a range of visual thinking techniques including Empathy Mapping (courtesy of xplane), Value Proposition Canvas (courtesy Osterwalder), event ROI methodology (courtesy Phillips ROI Methodology), the Business Model Canvas (courtesy of Osterwalder), Service Design Canvas (Stickdorn & Schneider) and Instructional Design Model (Dick & Carey).

The #eventcanvas was created by Ruud Janssen and Roel Frissen which builds on the visual framework initially proposed by Alexander Osterwalder's Business Model Canvas based on the earlier work on Business Model Ontology. The #eventcanvas is available free download under a Creative Commons 4.0 license at www.eventmodelgeneration.com

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The #eventcanvas in words: The #eventcanvas is a strategic management template for developing new or documenting existing events and conference models. It's a visual chart with elements describing an event's promise, how it helps stakeholders to get their jobs done, resolving pains and creating gains within a set framework of commitment and expected return.

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Event Design

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The year 2019 is almost upon us. How will the events industry fare this year, and what trends will rule the roost when it comes to event planners' priorities? Let's take a look at these trends and how you can ride their waves successfully.

2019 Event Trends:

1. Your Audience Craves Authenticity

2. Infusing Events With Hands-On Experiences

3. Brain Dates: Networking 2.0

4. Bleisure Travel Becomes The New Norm

5. Using Metrics for Crowdshaping and Customization

6. Saving on WiFi Costs

7. Enhancing Event Cybersecurity

8. Diversity Takes Root

9. Sustainability Is Part of the Plan

10. Facial Recognition for Security and Feedback

11. New Rules for Influencers

12. Using Wearable Tech Wisely

13. Adding Personality to Chatbots

14. Standing Out With Stage Design

15. Furniture That's Both Social And Empowering

Your Audience Craves Authenticity

Despite the increasing number of events held yearly, many still feel like copycats of other successful conferences. These events fail to establish their own identity, relying instead on mimicking what made others successful

This is no longer going to fly this 2019. Authenticity is important for immersion, but that only comes about when the event's purpose is clear. It's not just about plastering your brand all over the place, but also proving your expertise in the industry.

Authenticity involves making the right decisions every step of the way. Are we choosing sponsors that match our value? Do our topics reflect our event's purpose and does it resonate with our audience? Do our speakers and influencers reflect our brand well?

Infusing Events With Hands-On Experiences

Interactivity during events isn't limited to digital experiences. Workshops are fast becoming the preferred activity for many conferences and meetings. Attendees want to experience, not just witness, whatever the event is about.

Instead of long-winded speeches, short talks are combined with activities that let the audience learn first-hand how to apply what they learned. Hands-on experiences have the advantage of adding extreme value to learning, while also aiding in the stress reduction of the attendees. To facilitate an even deeper level of immersion, make sure your sessions have definite time frames and tangible incentives.

If you are considering adding workshops to your events, keep in mind to choose the appropriate venue that allows people to move freely to facilitate interaction. Also, add some budget to cover the logistics of the activities, both in time and money.

Brain Dates: Networking 2.0

Aside from the traditional conference format and the more immersive workshops, another event format is taking center stage: "brain dates", one-on-one meetings that foster a new level of knowledge exchange.

Usually, the event organizer facilitates the brain date, asking participants both to fill out what knowledge they have to share as well as the knowledge they want to gain. It sidesteps the hustle involved when networking, letting pairs create deeper connections with each other. Aside from exchanging knowledge, brain dates are also a way to gain new contacts and customers.

It's been picking up speed because of its innovative format for learning and teaching, satisfying the thirst for knowledge exchange without having to spend time and money in a huge event. In the same vein, brain dates are also fast becoming an event within an event, with large conferences like C2 Montreal initiating brain date sessions.

Bleisure Travel Becomes The New Norm

Combining "business and pleasure" has always been a staple of corporate travel. Business meetings and similar events are quite grueling, with goals and deadlines to be met at every turn. While the attendees of these events tend to be high-functioning people, we can't emphasize enough the importance of inserting leisure and relaxation while in the middle of a corporate event. With the right level of fun and rest, everyone can perform better.

This is why VIP lounges, bars, massage stations, and spas are slowly becoming a fixture in many events. Of course, the venue itself can make or break a bleisure event. Some locations are a better choice because of the leisure opportunities they bring.

While international bleisure events are exciting, domestic trips still rule the roost, at least for US-centric data. This isn't seen to change this year, though international travel is definitely on the rise.

The top considerations when choosing your next bleisure event location includes safety, costs, access to all forms of transport, weather and climate, cultural impact, and availability of lodging. With this in mind, here are some of the top US locations for bleisure travel:

Austin, Texas

San Diego, California

Orlando, Florida

Phoenix, Arizona

Denver, Colorado

Charlotte, North Carolina

Las Vegas, Nevada

Columbus, Ohio

Using Metrics for Crowdshaping and Customization

Metrics has always been a top placer among the yearly event trends. But this year, we're bound to see a significant change in how it's gathered. While metrics had mostly been obtained in a hands-off manner in the past years, interactivity is now taking the reins.

Customization enables interactivity, which in turn enables a deeper level of engagement. This allows event organizers to get the right data at the right time. Now, event organizers have more avenues for customized, interactive data gathering. Event apps, trackers and sensors, wearables, event kiosks, social media, and similar sources can all be tapped to get the information you need. Various channels of communication, from in-person chats to SMS, can also be used. Feed the raw data into an ever-smarter AI processing tool and you can get live information that will allow you to do crowdshaping, the process of enhancing the event experience through real-time data.

A good part of making interactivity successful also relies on timing; for example, conducting surveys immediately after sessions ensures more accurate. While apps and sensors have their place, in-person communication with staff should also be encouraged as much as possible.

But gathering metrics is becoming a thorny issue these days. You need the right balance between invasiveness and personalization for this to work. Another potential issue lies in actually making sense of the metrics produced. They shouldn't just be numbers to be reported, but trends to be interpreted and acted upon.

At their most powerful, metrics can be used in real-time to predict and fulfill your attendees' desires. Then, similar tools such as your app can be used to guide customers to individual journeys that will make the event more meaningful for them.

Saving on WiFi Costs

You probably didn't expect this trend, but it's the elephant in the room for all events. WiFi, essential as it is, tends to be very expensive when accessed from event hotels. Fortunately, WiFi costs are negotiable.

Understanding how WiFi works is the key to lowering costs, because it will help you zero in on the exact setup you will need. As more event providers begin to understand WiFi basics, you'll get more savings because they can tell you exactly what connections they need, how many are needed, and for how long sessions should last.

Then again, WiFi could also be a venue for sponsorships, where you can exchange some online time for your partners' visibility on your attendees' devices.

Enhancing Event Cybersecurity

This year a more holistic security approach is taking the lead as the fight stretches into the digital realm. A continuous stream of cyber threats has hit even tech giants like Facebook and established brands like Under Armour. This has resulted in data breaches compromising the personal details of millions of customers.

Events handle huge amounts of data, making them very attractive targets for malicious entities. This is why event organizers need to work hand in hand with data security specialists so that events stay secure digitally as well as physically. These security professionals are also responsible for ensuring your compliance to the following cybersecurity-oriented legislation and standards.

Ensure you comply with:

Data Protection Act. This set of rules controls how personal information is gathered and stored. It ensures attendee names, addresses, and the like are not shared unless you gain their express permission. The Data Protection Act also mandates the inclusion of opt-in and opt-out mechanisms for information sharing.

PCI DSS. This stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. Being PCI DSS compliant means you keep strict measures to protect your attendees' payment information. One of the easiest ways to be PCI DSS compliant is to outsource your payment infrastructure to well-established and compliant payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe.

GDPR. This stands for General Data Protection Regulation, an EU directive that applies if your event happens in an EU nation, or if you have attendees/customers who are EU nationals. This requires that personal information, and even non-personally identifiable details such as IP addresses and cookie data, be secured under a reasonable layer of protection.

These data protection measures serve as the backbone of 2019's cybersecurity efforts. Of course, the following best practices will also likely continue this year.

Protect your data via:

Two-Factor Authentication. Usernames and passwords are no longer enough to protect sensitive data. Two-Factor Authentication using physical items like tokens or USB keys are gaining widespread use to additionally secure event-related data.

SSL. Equipping your event website with an SSL connection allows data to be transmitted in an encrypted form. This can easily be added by your site's web developer or hosting.

Data Encryption. Encryption shouldn't be optional, it should be enabled by default. This goes for all communications, including (and especially) the event's WiFi.

The key to managing cybersecurity in 2019 is to ensure that you have good infrastructure. Talk with your vendors and lay out your plans to make sure they can provide the right security tools. Also, make sure that even they don't have access to the data you gather. There are many entry points for data in an event, such as event apps, trackers, and the like. These give birth to more information, all of which should be protected.

Finally, events should also focus on creating a security team that will be in charge of real-time monitoring of the data you're handling. This team will be composed of the stakeholders and the people behind your data infrastructure. They will be in charge of keeping up with security updates and assessing all forms of digital risk. They will also be in charge of taking action when a potential hazard is identified or when a data breach is detected.

Diversity Takes Root

This 2019, we're going to see diversity take root not just in attendance and speakership but in all areas of the conference. Sponsors, for example, will start using diversity as a kicker when choosing which events to fund. Buffer is already doing this, making sure their funded events have visible women and people of color among its speakers. Of course, inclusiveness in speaking is here to stay, with more events including panelists from across the spectrum of race and gender.

Because of this, it's important to use diversity as a watchword in planning the event in the first place. Diversity should not be an afterthought, but well-integrated into your event plan. This means providing for diversity in every aspect, from serving culturally-conscious food to providing restrooms for the whole gender spectrum. A code of conduct for the event is also useful, to guide the people behind the conference in making decisions especially where inclusion is concerned.

Sustainability Is Part of the Plan

Sustainability came hand-in-hand with diversity in the previous years' trends, but now it has become more urgent than ever due to ever dwindling resources. Just like diversity, sustainability cannot simply be an afterthought. It needs to be ingrained into event planning and execution. Simple techniques like going completely paperless and opting for green transportation when available add up significantly when attached to large events.

Catering especially should be part of the sustainability plan, with recycling and composting processes at the ready to deal with waste. Better planning methods and the ability to predict attendee count and behavior also play a large part in ensuring there are no leftovers in the first place. Still, make sure to balance the need to conserve resources with providing the best experience for attendees.

Facial Recognition for Security and Feedback

Facial recognition technology gets more and more accurate by the year. It's now also more convenient for the end-user, allowing easy and seamless integration with your event registration. And thanks to new smartphones, more people are now familiar with the technology since it's part of something they use everyday.

This year we'll see further integration between facial recognition software and AI. Chatbots, for example, could "look" at a face and customize its responses based on that person's data. For example, it can take on a more comforting tone for distressed users or wait to respond if the person looks like they are thinking.

Facial recognition technology can also measure the temperament and behavior of entire crowds. Emotions are identified, for example, could be done through software that tracks facial expressions. This ties into your real-time metrics, another 2019 trend, allowing you to control the mood of your event as it unfolds.

Aside from scanning crowds, you can equip survey kiosks and apps so they can evaluate a user's facial expression as it takes answers, adding context to the entries. Analysts can then confirm trends in the survey answers versus the moods exhibited by the users, whether they were satisfied with the event or not.

New Rules for Influencers

Influencers have certainly grown more relevant lately. More than just adding likes and shares, influencers can now steer entire communities towards your events. But the influencer community is experiencing some change as well, thanks to a new ruling from the U.S. government agency tasked with protecting consumers: the Federal Trade Commission or FTC. Essentially, the FTC has released endorsement guidelines that apply to influencers across all forms of media, from social to traditional.

After the FTC ruling, all influencer activities that relate to a paid campaign of a brand or website needs to be accompanied by a full disclosure. This includes everything from posting a video, reposting an image, or "liking" a brand's post. While the rule doesn't specify what these disclaimers should actually say, influencers should nonetheless openly disclose the extent of their involvement in any marketing campaign.

Using Wearable Tech Wisely

We've seen an uptake in the use of wearables this year, from smart badges and watches to simple key fobs. But the trend is still under development since not every event can harness wearables to their fullest potential.

This is the challenge this 2019. Events should know not just how to use wearables, but also when. It all begins with knowing what data you want to gather, and how you want wearables to influence the event. Should it be used just to gather data? How much data should we collect? Who gets to handle the data? Over-use of wearables can be just as detrimental as underutilizing them.

Wearables can also gather data in real-time, another trend that will see some growth this year. Organizers will use it to direct traffic into booths via gamification, tweak the environment via crowdshaping, and enhance security through real-time audience tracking.

Adding Personality to Chatbots

Chatbots are getting much smarter, but one thing they still lack is a complete personality that the brand can customize for their events. By "personality", we mean giving them distinct conversational abilities, quirks, and even easter eggs that make them more relatable. Brands can take advantage of this by adding personality to their chatbots, one that's attuned to the values of their brand.

Of course, once you have a smart chatbot with an identifiable personality, you still need to expose it to your audience. Widely-used messaging apps like Messenger, Kik, and Viber are perfect platforms for introducing AI-enabled chatbots to your attendees. This makes the chatbots more accessible to people, letting them answer questions, provide information and send notifications.

Standing Out With Stage Design

What's the first thing that really holds your attendees' attention while in your event? The stage, of course! Modern imagery techniques such as 3D projection and the creative use of lighting will remain in the spotlight this 2019. But this doesn't mean simple old staples will be nudged out. Foam letters and cardboard backdrops are still effective when you want something eye-popping on the cheap.

Expect more clear-cut themes, which will in turn influence stage design. The ideal stage design is one that engages the senses, not just the eyes. Of course, the design should clearly reflect your stated goals for the event.

For example, you can incorporate modular stages into your event, mixing and matching them to match the mood or theme of the presentation. Aside from this, you can also use color and lighting to reinforce themes, changing the lighting to match the topic of the session.

Furniture That's Both Social And Empowering

By empowering, we mean it gives you power for your devices. We all carry our devices around with us and we all have that fear of draining our battery. After all, how can you rideshare if your phone's dead?

So one of the trends we expect when it comes to event furniture are powered seating and tables. These are great looking pieces that give attendees the ability to power up devices through USB ports and sockets right where they can enjoy the event. These areas are also the new watering holes when it comes to events, so the design also allows for people to interact with each other while charging.

Speaking of socializing, future events will do well to incorporate furniture that facilitates connections. Swivel ottomans and communal tables increase interactions between attendees. Of course, these still should feel comfy as well with pillows and cushion that match, usually in warm tones.

Another upcoming trend is branded furniture, something we're sure your sponsors will love to get into. Anything your participants can interact with can be given a marketing facelift, from cushions to coffee tables. Of course, never forget to keep it classy and make sure the branding fits the decor.

These trends will be dominating the world of events in 2019, but while it is important to give them a good hard look, don't forget to treat your attendees like people. Give them unique experiences, show them respect, and help them bring home new and meaningful ideas.

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2019 Event Trends That Will Change the Path of Events - Endless Events

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The year 2019 is almost upon us. How will the events industry fare this year, and what trends will rule the roost when it comes to event planners' priorities? Let's take a look at these trends and how you can ride their waves successfully.

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You are here: Home > Event Analysis > SWOT Analysis in Event Planning

SWOT Analysis in Event Planning

Products/Services Research

If you are organizing a corporate event then it is necessary for you as an event manager to do research of the products/ services promoted and sold by your corporate client.

- Find out how the company promotes its products

- How the company wants to build/enhance the image associated with its product (also known as the brand image)?

- What is the market value and market share of the company and its products?

- Who are the customers of the product?

- What are the features of the product?

- What are the advantages and disadvantages of the product in comparison to competitors' products?

All this research will later help you in making an effecting promotional campaign for your corporate event.

SWOT Analysis

In SWOT Analysis:

It is a strategic planning tool which is used to identify and analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats involved in your project. SWOT analysis can also be done on your organization.

Strengths:
These are the attributes of your project/organization which are helpful in achieving project's objectives. For e.g.: experienced event team, high motivation level, excellent PR, good market share etc.

Weaknesses:
These are those attributes of your project/organization which are harmful in achieving project's objectives. For e.g.: social loafing, lack of funds, inexperienced event team, low energy level, lack of media and corporate contacts etc.

Opportunities:
These are those external factors which are helpful in achieving the project's objectives. For e.g.: little competition, favorable economic conditions, support from the local authorities, availability of the state of the art infrastructure etc.

Threats:
These are those external factors which are harmful in achieving the project's objectives. For e.g.: high competition, little or no support from local authorities, bad weather, poor infrastructure, high lab our rate, unavailability of raw material etc. It is very important that you conduct SWOT analysis before developing an event plan to develop a strategy which maximizes the potential of strengths and opportunities of your project and at the same time, minimizes the impact of the weaknesses and threats.

Analysis Report

After conducting market, competitors, product/service research and SWOT analysis, create a report which contain details of all the research work done by you. Documentation of your research work is important, later for event evaluation. Your analysis report will also help you in getting sponsorship for your event.

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You are here: Home > Event Analysis > SWOT Analysis in Event Planning If you are organizing a corporate event then it is necessary for you as an event manager to do research of the products/ services promoted and sold by your corporate client.

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Critical Event Studies Symposium.

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There's a growing momentum around the idea of 'critical event studies', which has led to the publication of this edited book (including a chapter from me!). Themes include research methods, history, ideologies and encounters.My chapter is titled 'The Strength of Festival Ties: Social Network Analysis and the 2014 Edinburgh International Science Festival'. It takes a broadly research methods focus, applying whole network analysis to the employees of the EISF on the eve of the 2014 festival. There are plans and hopes that this 'critical' agenda can lead to panels at conferences, further publications, and more symposia and gatherings. Last Friday (9 September, 2016) saw the first Critical Event Studies Symposium, held at Mad Lab, Manchester. What follows are my bullet point notes from the day. Further material from the day is being posted to the main site, and the Twitter hashtag is #CritEvents. The format of the day encouraged discussion and conversation, critique and questioning. And some excellent note taking! ___Critical Event Studies Symposium Friday 9 September, Mad Lab, Manchester Opening panelMaurice Roche: background in mega events, particularly sporting and world's fairs.

Outlines growth in events work, including HE.

Critical Event Studies: a response to burgeoning interest in events, and their meaning. Going beyond practise, operation and economic dimensions of events.

Events need to be understood in terms of conflict and contest: should be aware of this when we look at events, going beyond mainstream interpretations.

Contexts are vital: political and cultural, in addition to economic.

So what's new? Roche sees this as a re-animation and re-discovery of existing themes. (See Roche: 'Mega-Events & Modernity'.) Example of 1936 Nazi Olympics: what was happening in Germany, what was the IOC doing at the time? But a need to justify and explain this to other academic fields.

Roche in Sheffield: strange time in the city as economy crashes (steel, coal), while also planning for 1991 World Student Games. What was driving it, what was the legacy? Result being 25 years of debt, thus opportunity costs as a negative legacy. Therefore... conflict and contest.

Recognition of the complexity of events; the rise of the global east; contexts are changing; changing contexts influences changes in events; what of 'the future' and where are we going; Roche predicts a strong future for events, coming out of the recent growth.

Threats to events: see issues relating to FIFA, IAAF, IOC and other global institutions. Existential threat?

Beatriz Garcia:

Notes value and good timing for this focus on 'critical events'.

This is the right time, following 30 years of theorising around events. Time to bring this together with the managerial angle, to build bridges and look at common terms, and themes can be looked at afresh.

Anthropological angle: myth and ritual and their place in events. Contemporary myth making. City branding on one level, but also how we see ourselves and how are we presenting this to ourselves and to the world. How do you tell the story? How do we judge whether an event is a success or a failure?

Notes Brazil: a sense of pride around opening ceremony, perhaps unexpectedly, a sense that the Olympics weren't going to be a failure after all.

Events and festivals: differences between them. Events as to be experienced, mediated, global, building a new reality for the Olympics since the 1980s. The Olympics sells access, sells exclusivity, sells sponsorship opportunities... but this brings pressure from the needs of the media, so that the real experience is the televised one, rather than the live experience. Limited resources need to be spent where the greatest pay off can be found. Festivals are more about the lived experience, hopefully paying attention to the needs of the local audience. How to recover the festival from within the event city?

Garcia: personally inspired by 1992 Barcelona Olympics, where the city was overtly integrated into the narrative, 'the city as a protagonist'. However, always a struggle to get the city into the picture. Saw 9/11 as a spur to retreat back into arenas, where they can be controlled. Since then security is a key priority.

ECOC: different from sporting mega events on the basis of scale, length, motivations, focus. See cultural events as being a harder context in which to justify position. Are they really a mega event? Do they get the media coverage that help to define sporting mega events? Is it possible to link the 'business' angle of cultural events (which is vital) with broader objectives relating to society and culture?

Notes that Olympics are broadening their scope, to take on board cultural elements. See 'national houses' dimension, presenting a mini World Expo.

New: the way we deal with the public realm, in that cities can't really be shut off, so how to deal with protest and debate? Particularly in the context of social media. How to create a festival around a mega event in this context?

New: a discussion around how to tell the story. Does the 1980s vision of exclusive media access, the experts on screen, etc. still hold true? Where is the multiplicity of voices that is expected today? What place experts today? Stories are being told simultaneously through multiple media, that no one can control.

Challenge: making use of the expertise available. The 'caravan of experts' that exists around each mega event, who will provide a festival model for you (at a cost): importing ideas into your city, because they worked elsewhere. How is this providing an answer for the needs of your city? They can't, without creating 'non-places', where anything that doesn't fit the model gets covered up and ignored. How to make the most of knowledge transfer, while responding to what's difficult and challenging and specific to each destination?

Agrees that we need to value place making, and how do you combine the necessity to learn and provide legacy, with the need for wonderment, and for each host to question the situation it finds itself in.

James McVeigh: Festivals Edinburgh

Edinburgh Festivals context: 1947 to 2017. Festivals rooted in the destination, with both historical and contemporary links to the festivals. Lends 'authenticity' to the festivals.

Impact assessment report (2016).

2007 'Publicly-funded culture and the creative industries' text started debate over the role of the public funding and later commercial successes.

Fault line between 'important work' and 'popular work'. Led to 'Desire Lines', to pick out the influence between the festivals and the year round cultural provision.

Resident versus tourist: who are the festivals for?

Social impacts: who are the festivals for? Scope: festivals are more than fireworks... they last longer that just the moment of experience. Where is the voice of the resident? How to find the voice of different communities? How to bring audiences and communities into the conversation?

Festivals in the broader cultural economy: how to establish the link between festivals and broader cultural work, when this is poorly understood? Note that Edinburgh festivals are seen as a place to see new work, and recognised as such by the artists themselves.

Festivals' role in audience development: why do people do things differently at festival time? See new work, engage differently.

Festivals Innovation Lab: how can festivals adapt and change, act as a laboratory of new thinking. Festivals should be at the vanguard of cultural thinking.

Societal importance of festivals: from Holi to Tomatina, Day of the Dead, etc. Festivals interrupt the day to day. They introduce work into new spaces. They can help you reimagine your city.

1947: context of post-war austerity and European conflict, yet Edinburgh held a party, for the 'flowering of the human spirit'.

Ellie Turner: Walk the Plank

Critical events: community participation and relevance. Giving people and communities a sense of place, and pride. Working at all scales, on land, sea and air. Telling a story through their work, their artists, makers, musicians, etc. Bringing international artists together with local artists, to build the capacity of NW to deliver such projects. 'Impact' is delivered from the start.

Key to connect with the community that you're working with.

Q&A:

___Open space Questioning the role of 'experts'

What is an expert?

Where is the expertise: local authorities?

What are graduates coming out of university equipped to do?

It sounds as though we need experts within the events industry, to avoid problems and potential catastrophes.

Research as an element of developing expertise.

How can Event Management courses be developed to meet the needs of industry: bringing the academic and/or the practical knowledge? How to address the variety of types of events, facets of the industry and so on?

Industry experience: situations where industry has to rescue event plans that go off track.

Experts having a clearer idea of realistic scale and scope for festivals and events, based on available budgets.

What of having experts from one city delivering events elsewhere: a means to the end of sustainability for the company? How to avoid the risk of damaging the original brand?

Expertise: tied to credibility? Each source being judged on its authority and justification. So, in the events context who carries that authority and validation?

Does the expert have to have the qualifications? What place experience? Perhaps the expert is the one to say 'stop'.

Development of the events management education: skewed towards the operational, instrumental and evangelical? What have we done to this generation of graduates? Highlight the value of work placements and experience to build on the academic.

Different models of placements and internships within degree courses: concentrated, spread out, etc. A need to develop work based learning that suits the student and the employer - trying to avoid negative experiences that will put partners off in the future.

Is event management superficial and self-congratulatory?

Following on from Rojek's critique of events ('Event Power').

DMcG: following up on this by identifying the critical work that has been done around events.

How does critical event studies avoid superficiality?

A sense that event practitioners are also blinkered in their approach to the industry... and yet look at Walk to Plank's recognition that they are contributing to sense of place and pride.

How to take a critical approach, that draws on a range of ideas (authenticity, commercialisation, etc.), to deliver events that reflect those ideas. Easy to overlook these things in the need to be successful and sustainable.

Funding regimes: a need to satisfy funding requirements in order to get support.

How to educate students so that they can deliver events that are successful, can get funding, and can draw from the need to meet a range of objectives.

Rojek's argument carries weight (though there are criticisms of how he delivers his argument).

Events education: moving away from hospitality and tourism. And yet... how does what we do match up with what employers are looking for. (Some might prefer the previous model!)

Legal matters: how to integrate legal content into an events management course? A dedicated module that covers 'what you need to know'? Events students need to be aware of the broader legal context in which you operate, which includes some of the reasons why people might be protesting against your event.

Events struggling to have an epistemology and philosophy that defines it as being different. Without it, there will be questions over credibility, coming from other academic areas.

How are these courses then judged: on their level of academic criticality? NSS 'intellectual challenge'?

The foundations of a programme might be crucial in its development: growing out of hospitality and tourism, or appearing independently of them?

Events literature: how to reflect and support the more critical work? See how Tourism has diversified, yet Events is still primarily publishing management/operational work in such journals? Critical work is being done, but it's often published in non-events journals.

A possible parting of the waves? Management courses, and studies courses?

Do we see many students taking events courses purely for the academic side? Not really... the better academic students may well be generally switched on in all areas, or others are less keen to get involved in the volunteering side of things.

Events and festivals as liminal, radical spaces

Not quite every day life, but there are still rules.

Phases of ritual: liminal is central, the phase where someone goes from one state to another and is open to new ideas. A transformative phase.

What happens when the person goes back into the normal world?

A space of potential: other things are possible.

Venice Carnival: the wearing of masks to deliver equality, or at least anonymity.

Festivals that turn things on their heads: performances in different spaces; juxtaposing audiences and performers; altering the geography and flow of a place.

Transformative: do we see people being changed?

Ritual, carnival and liminality: Bakhtin, etc. ...the potential for people to come back from a festival experience a different person. Does this work only at the individual level, but not for broader social change? Yet the individuals are what makes up society, and they have agency.

Thresholds: what does it take for an individual to let themselves go?

Examples: Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh; LIFT in London. Starting projects in order to produce and provide spaces in which new ideas can be discussed, phenomena created.

Does liminality apply in a sports context? Crossing a touchline into a space where different rules apply? Yet liminality suggests there are no rules.

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Critical Event Studies Symposium: a Friday in Manchester for #CritEvents - Intermittent notes

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There's a growing momentum around the idea of 'critical event studies', which has led to the publication of this edited book (including a chapter from me!). Themes include research methods, history, ideologies and encounters.My chapter is titled 'The Strength of Festival Ties: Social Network Analy

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Progress and prospects for event tourism research. Progress in Tourism ManagementProgress and prospects for event tourism researchDonald Getza,*, Stephen J. Page

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Progress and prospects for event tourism research. Progress in Tourism ManagementProgress and prospects for event tourism researchDonald Getza,*, Stephen J. Page

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This paper examines event tourism as a field of study and area of professional practice updating the

previous review article published in 2008

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SWOT how to video

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Critical Event Studies: Approaches to Research

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Critical Event Studies: Approaches to Research

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Critical Event Studies is a growing field, not just within event management and event studies, but across the traditional and digital social sciences. This volume -with contributions from a range of international scholars- is the first to consider the wide variety of research approaches being used by academics from around the world, whose interests lie within the reach of this emerging field.

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Routledge Advances in Event Research Series

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Routledge Advances in Event Research Series

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Routledge Advances in Event Research Series - Routledge

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Hardback - Routledge Routledge Advances in Event Research Series

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Event studies: finding fool’sgold at the rainbow’s end?

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Event studies: finding fool’sgold at the rainbow’s end?

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PROCEEDINGS OF CONFERENCE ON EVENT EVALUATION, RESEARCH AND EDUCATION SYDNEY JULY 2000

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Major events as part of city destination strategies

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Major events as part of city destination strategies

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Industry Faces Perfect Storm as Cities & Associations Demand Access to Innovation and Talent from International Meetings Review on Vimeo

At IMEX America in Las Vegas, Carina Bauer (chief executive of the IMEX Group) and Terri Breining (managing partner of Breining Group LLC, former MPI chair, and co-author of Measuring ROI in Meetings & Events) reflected on the shifting sands of destination marketing.

Governments such as those of New South Wales (Australia) and London (UK) already recognise the value of business events as conduits to inbound investment and talent in the quest to attract innovative and creative industries to their destinations. Indeed the investments in infrastructure, marketing, and the clustering [or authoring] of events in both Sydney and London are setting new standards in best practises. And association meeting planners from the sectors which are capable of bringing their events to the destination are themselves demanding access to local host-related communities as a perfect storm emerges.

The common denominator is knowledge and many will remember the infamous phrase from GCB's Matthias Schultze at IMEX Frankfurt earlier this year: "No knowledge, no meeting!"

Inevitably this trend towards the integrated destination marketing of convention bureaux, investment bodies, universities, and economic agencies is emerging as the "whole of city" seeks out the human and financial capital required to support growth - a trend that Bauer anticipates will accelerate into 2016 and beyond.

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Industry Facing Perfect Storm as Cities & Associations Demand Access to Innovation and Talent

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At IMEX America in Las Vegas, Carina Bauer (chief executive of the IMEX Group) and Terri Breining (managing partner of Breining Group LLC, former MPI chair, and co-author ofMeasuring ROI in Meetings & Events) reflected on the shifting sands of destination marketing.

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Event ROI Methodology

Endorsed by some of the largest industry associations, the ROI Methodology has become the industry standard for measuring the effectiveness of meetings and events.

Here you have the possibility to listen to the shortest and most concentrated presentation of Event ROI.

Pecha Kucha is a simple presentation format, drawing its name from the Japanese term for the sound of conversation ("chit chat"), where the speaker is given 20 slides which change automatically every 20 seconds.

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Endorsed by some of the largest industry associations, the ROI Methodology has become the industry standard for measuring the effectiveness of meetings and events. Here you have the possibility to listen to the shortest and most concentrated presentation of Event ROI.

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Useful graphic representing a city event strategy, as showcased by Impact & Main Inc. as part of their consultancy work with the city.

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The City of Cambridge loves special events. In 2016, there were upwards of 150 special events and festivals. Residents of Cambridge in partnership with municipal staff have been very successful at creating and running many different kinds of special events. And this success has led to more and more special events every year. During the first quarter of 2017 alone, 12 new independent events have been proposed, each with varying levels of requested assistance from the City.

Special events have had a tremendous positive impact on the lives of people in Cambridge as well as on the community's economic development work. However, the increase in number and size of events coupled with limited City resources has resulted in a need for a formal special events strategy.

Key Issues

Based on in-depth consultation with key stakeholder groups, Cambridge's special events strategy needed to address the following four main issues in order to continue serving residents in the best way:

The City, as a place was not getting the biggest bang for the buck.

There are different rules for different events.

The independent event organizers themselves need help to get the biggest bang for their buck.

The draw on City resources is not sustainable and there are likely to be more and more special event requests coming up.

Strategic Recommendations

1. Ensure transparency in decision making with equal opportunities for all to access resources

2. Streamline City special event resources

3. Develop a training incubator - assist independent event organizers to maximize their event's effectiveness

Special events training incubator process

The City of Cambridge is currently in the process of implementing this strategy.

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City of Cambridge Special Events Strategy

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The City of Cambridge loves special events. In 2016, there were upwards of 150 special events and festivals. Residents of Cambridge in partnership with municipal staff have been very successful at creating and running many different kinds of special events. And this success has led to more and more special events every year.

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Strategic and impactful events management

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Strategic and impactful events management

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Strategic and Impactful Events Management best practice, tools and 4-phase process.
Charles Cotter, PhD, Independent Global Training Facilitator and Learning & Development Strategist

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, Independent Global Training Facilitator and Learning & Development Strategist

Published on

Strategic and Impactful Events Management best practice, tools and 4-phase process

1. 1. STRATEGIC AND IMPACTFUL EVENTS MANAGEMENT CHARLES COTTER 16 JULY 2014 HOLIDAY INN SANDTON, RIVONIA ROAD

2. 2. PRESENTATION OVERVIEW * INTRODUCTION * DEFINING THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS * DIAGNOSIS AND EVALUATION OF CURRENT EVENTS MANAGEMENT PROCESSES AND PRACTICES * THE 4-PHASE EVENTS MANAGEMENT PROCESS/CYCLE  Conceptualization  Strategic Planning  Implementation  Evaluation * CONCLUSION

3. 3. INTRODUCTION Event management is considered to be one of the most effective marketing communication tools that an organization can employ to create awareness of the organization, its products and services and its brand.

4. 4. DEFINING THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS * Events Planning * Events Management * Project Management

5. 5. DEFINING EVENTS PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT * Event planning is the process of planning a festival, ceremony, competition, party, concert, or convention. * Event planning can include budgeting, establishing dates and alternate dates, selecting and reserving the event site, acquiring permits, coordinating transportation and parking, developing a theme or motif for the event, arranging for speakers and alternate speakers, coordinating location support and arranging decor, event support and security, catering, emergency plans, aid stations and clean-up. * Event management is the process by which an event is planned, prepared, and produced. As with any other form of management, it encompasses the assessment, definition, acquisition, allocation, direction, control, and analysis of time, finances, people, products, services and other resources to achieve objectives. * Essentially, event management is the application of project management to the events planning process.

6. 6. DEFINING PROJECT MANAGEMENT * Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to a broad range of activities in order to meet the requirements of the particular project. * Project management is concerned with the overall planning and co-ordination of a project from inception to completion aimed at meeting the client's requirements and ensuring completion on time, within cost and to the required quality standards. * These three (3) project management variables as often referred to as the eternal triangle of project management.

7. 7. PROJECT MANAGEMENT ETERNAL TRIANGLE

8. 8. 10 BEST PRACTICE EVENTS MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES/CRITERIA * #1 Prior to the event marketing, a proper business case (based on viability and feasibility) is built for the proposed event * #2 Application of sustainable (green) events management practices aligned with Triple Bottom Line e.g. Profit, People and Planet * #3 A purposeful and systematic planning methodology and approach is followed * #4 Application of effective project management principles and processes throughout the event life-cycle/value-chain * #5 Development of a focused and purpose-directed events strategy and mind-set

9. 9. 10 BEST PRACTICE EVENTS MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES/CRITERIA * #6 Implementation of preventative and concurrent (during-event) logistics and operations managemet control measures, tools and processes * #7 Application of a holistic, Integrated Marketing Communication strategy, using a variety of promotional, PR, marketing and advertising media e.g. social media * #8 The competency, work ethic and cohesion of the events management team are exemplary * #9 Application of effective and proactive event Risk Management and Mitigation strategies * #10 Proper evaluation of the impact of events and use of performance metrics e.g. ROI, ROO, ROL and/or ROE

10. 10. ILLUSTRATION: EVENTS MANAGEMENT PROCESS/CYCLE

11. 11. EVENTS MANAGEMENT PROCESS/CYCLE * Phase 1: Conceptualization (and Market Research) * Phase 2: Strategic Planning (and Marketing) * Phase 3: Event Implementation (Organizing and Logistics Management) * Phase 4: Event Evaluation (and Performance Feedback)

12. 12. PHASE 1: CONCEPTUALIZATION * Conducting Market Research * Building a business case for the event * Writing an Event Proposal * Pitching the Event Proposal

13. 13. CONDUCTING STRATEGIC MARKET RESEARCH * The first step of this process is to identify a prospective event, based on an opportunity, occasion and/or market-driven need. * Conduct a SWOT Analysis: Micro Market Stakeholder Analysis Macro

14. 14. STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT

15. 15. PESTEL ANALYSIS

16. 16. BUILDING A BUSINESS CASE FOR THE EVENT * Cost-benefit Analysis  Viability  Feasibility * Triple -P Sustainable events management (green events)  People  Profit  Planet

17. 17. COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS

18. 18. SUSTAINABILITY (TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE)

19. 19. WRITING AN EVENT PROPOSAL - PROCESS

20. 20. WRITING AN EVENT PROPOSAL - CONTENT * Description of the Event * Experience of the Event Bidder * Venue and facilities offered * The event programme * The (estimated) proposed event budget

21. 21. PITCHING THE EVENT PROPOSAL * Persuasive, compelling and captivating sales pitch * Focus on differentiation * Tenders * Contracting * Terms of Reference (event scope)

22. 22. LEARNING ACTIVITY * Complete Learning Activity 1 (page 20) * Syndicate group discussion * Present a summary of key discussion points

23. 23. PHASE 2: STRATEGIC PLANNING * Formulating an Event Strategy (Plan) * Compiling a Financial Plan (Budget) * Developing an Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) strategy

24. 24. FORMULATING AN EVENT STRATEGY (PLAN)

25. 25. FORMULATING AN EVENT STRATEGY (PLANNING QUESTIONS) * Define the purpose (why?) * Identify your Objective or Goal (what?) * Identify your Target Market (who?) * What would delight them and what are their expectations? * How many participants will attend? * Schedule a date and time (when?) * Select a venue (where?) * How will we create an impactful event experience?

26. 26. PLAN THE EVENT EXPERIENCE * Type of experience * Selecting speakers, presenters and entertainment * Presentation and production techniques * Catering and hospitality management

27. 27. COMPILING A FINANCIAL PLAN (BUDGET) * Booking the venue * Guest speakers * Catering * Furniture/material rentals * Logistical and operational costs * Security

28. 28. INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION (IMC)

29. 29. INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION (IMC) * Event marketing * Public relations * Communication management * Promotion * Social media

30. 30. LEARNING ACTIVITY * Complete Learning Activity 2 (pages 32-33) * Syndicate group discussion * Present a summary of key discussion points

31. 31. PHASE 3: EVENT IMPLEMENTATION * Event Administration * Event Risk Management * Event Logistics and Operations Management

32. 32. EVENT ADMINISTRATION * Effective and comprehensive administration systems e.g. financial, procedural, operational, contractual and informational * Event must be supported and complemented by documentation, systems, mechanisms and procedures * Event administration must be organized, controlled and methodical * Event management teams are responsible for the entire budget, and if administration falls down, so will the profits of the event

33. 33. ILLUSTRATION: EVENT RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS

34. 34. EVENT RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS * Step 1: Risk Identification * Step 2: Risk Analysis * Step 3: Risk Prioritization * Step 4: Risk Response * Step 5: Risk Evaluation

35. 35. RISK MATRIX

36. 36. RISK RESPONSE STRATEGIES

37. 37. Logistics means organizing people, products and processes in a timely way to ensure that an event runs smoothly, according to plan, with minimum hiccups Event logistics refers to the coordination of activities, facilities and personnel required for an event to take place Effective event management can save businesses a significant amount time and expenses Event logistics are project-based, that is they involve a period of preparation, lead up, execution and shutdown On-site event logistics (checklist)

38. 38. ILLUSTRATION: EVENT LOGISTICS APPROACH

39. 39. LEARNING ACTIVITY * Complete Learning Activity 3 (page 43) * Syndicate group discussion * Present a summary of key discussion points

40. 40. PHASE 4: EVENT EVALUATION * Benefits Management * Event measurement performance metrics * Strategic events measurement * Strategies (Tools) for measuring an events success

41. 41. EVENT PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT METRICS * Return on Investment (ROI) - financial metric * Return on Expectation (ROE) - stakeholder satisfaction metric * Return on Learning (ROL) - innovation, growth and improvement metric * Return on Objectives (ROO) - operations, logistics and process efficiency metric

42. 42. STRATEGIC EVENTS MEASUREMENT * The organization may view ROI by aggregating all costs and comparing this to a value that is estimated by the organization - this determines the financial benefits of the event. * ROI at the participant level may be measured at the individual level and estimates the value on a per participant basis.

43. 43. BALANCED SCORECARD

44. 44. STRATEGIES (TOOLS) FOR MEASURING AN EVENTS SUCCESS * Surveys * Web Analytics * Qualified leads * Post event assessment * Reporting

45. 45. LEARNING ACTIVITY * Complete Learning Activity 4 (page 47) * Syndicate group discussion * Present a summary of key discussion points

46. 46. SUMMARY * Key points * Questions

47. 47. CONTACT DETAILS * CHARLES COTTER * 084 562 9446 * charlescot@polka.co.za * LINKED IN * TWITTER: Charles_Cotter

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Strategic and impactful events management

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Independent Global Training Facilitator and Learning & Development Strategist Published on Strategic and Impactful Events Management best practice, tools and 4-phase process 1. STRATEGIC AND IMPACTFUL EVENTS MANAGEMENT CHARLES COTTER 16 JULY 2014 HOLIDAY INN SANDTON, RIVONIA ROAD 2.

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Our strategic planning services assess the "as-is" state of the organization through both qualitative and quantitative data. We then support our clients in determining and operationalizing the "to-be" state.

Our four-step strategic planning process, outlined below, begins with determining market position and understanding the current realities of the operating environment.

Next, your strategic plan is developed using a balanced scorecard approach to focus in on key areas and objectives that will help organizations drive performance, our team helps identify a holistic set of organizational objectives. For each objective, we support clients in designing and operationalizing goals, and in identifying and tracking key metrics that will help track progress.

We also utilize Scenario Planning, which uses Risk Management and Real-Life Probability Scenarios to test your strategy and plans to ensure that the plan in place can indeed help the senior leadership make higher-quality decisions on behalf of the organization.

Read about our other strategy services:

"Needing to create strategy and direction for our South African originated business with hundreds of locations worldwide, we called on gothamCulture. They quickly grasped the organization's temperature and provided pragmatic feedback as a "deep dive" into the culture. With professional advice and guidance, we immediately implemented action plans. They displayed personal vested interest in our success and went far beyond the call of duty. With their involvement, we've been able to continue to grow our business while preserving our unique brand."
- CEO, Nando's Canada

Articles About Strategic Planning

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Strategic Planning Consultants | gothamCulture

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Our strategic planning services assess the "as-is" state of the organization through both qualitative and quantitative data. We then support our clients in determining and operationalizing the "to-be" state. Our four-step strategic planning process, outlined below, begins with determining market position and understanding the current realities of the operating environment.

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Our vision is for the renaissance of Hastings, with culture at the heart of its identity and regeneration, delivering long term economic and social benefits for all.

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Vision

Our vision is for the renaissance of Hastings, with culture at the heart of its identity and regeneration, delivering long term economic and social benefits for all.

By 2021, Hastings will be a highly desirable place to live, work, visit and invest.

Live: A town where the opportunities to experience and enjoy our rich culture are embedded into the lifestyle and where cultural activities can be accessed by all - as both audience and participant.

Work: A place where creative and cultural businesses and practitioners thrive; where workspace is affordable, of high quality and fit for purpose; with opportunities to develop skills, network and access peer-to-peer support.

Visit: A highly desirable place that attracts UK and overseas tourists year-round to a high quality cultural offer, supported by high quality food and accommodation.

Invest: A place that has a reputation for innovative cultural activity, that attracts and welcomes cultural and social investment, and which supports the wider economy.

This strategy will cover the following six objectives:

1. Encourage community cohesion and social engagement through accessible and diverse cultural activity ( Live)
2. Ensure high quality cultural opportunities within formal and informal education are available to all. ( Live / Work)
3. Grow the creative economy, supporting creative and cultural businesses and practitioners to develop and become more sustainable, and attracting new investment ( Work / Invest)
4. Develop and promote a refreshed identity for Hastings which brings contemporary culture and heritage together in a coherent and marketable brand ( Visit)
5. Support and develop a high quality year round cultural programme, that links to regeneration and tourism strategies ( Live / Work / Visit)
6. Support and enable the preservation, development and use of our cultural assets ( Live / Work / Visit / Invest)

Executive Summary

Culture is playing an increasingly important role in the regeneration of Britain's seaside towns and has the potential to impact on the lives of our communities, our environment, our businesses and our economy.

Hastings has a rich and unique culture that engenders local pride and which is cited by many as a key reason to relocate to the town. From the heritage of 1066 and the fishing fleet, through traditional events like Jack in the Green and the Hastings Bonfire, to the contemporary offer of the Jerwood Gallery and a thriving local music scene - Hastings punches above its weight which is fulfilling the town's reputation as a cultural hot spot.

This is a regeneration strategy, placing culture at the heart of the town's development, recognising the contribution it has already made and maximising future potential. Hastings has seen significant investment in its cultural and wider infrastructure over the past 10 years, but many challenges remain with high levels of deprivation in some parts of the town and an increasing gap with those areas where regeneration is moving forward more rapidly. Further challenges are presented by continuing austerity measures and reductions in local authority and other sources of funding.

A strong strategic framework, underpinned by partnership working and shared responsibility, will be needed to ensure that Hastings' cultural sector not only survives but thrives over the next five years and that the regeneration benefits are realised. An Action Plan will be developed to support this strategy that will include specific priorities and targets against each objective and maximise the interconnections between them.

Objective 1: Encourage community cohesion and social engagement through accessible and diverse cultural activity.

People lie at the heart of successful regeneration. A regeneration process must engage with all sectors of the local population, especially those who are excluded or disadvantaged. Hastings has a strong track record of engagement through culture, strengthening the sense of community in the town, celebrating our cultural diversity and bringing people together.

If we meet the challenges and exploit the opportunities outlined:
The benefits of culture-led regeneration, both economic and social, will be felt by all areas and communities. Increased participation will improve social engagement and community cohesion.

Objective 2: Ensure high quality cultural opportunities within formal and informal education are available to all.

Education and learning are an essential foundation to successful regeneration. There is extensive evidence to show that high quality arts and cultural provision, within and outside of schools, can have far-reaching benefits on people's life chances and future careers.

If we meet the challenges and exploit the opportunities outlined:
All children and young people in Hastings will have access to high quality cultural opportunities regardless of circumstance with involvement from children across all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. The creative and cultural industries will be seen as a viable career for young people with clear pathways into work.

Objective 3: Grow the creative economy, supporting creative and cultural businesses and practitioners to develop and become more sustainable, and attracting new investment.

There is strong evidence that a thriving local creative economy has a direct impact on generating employment and business growth in all sectors, helping to attract high quality investment and development to an area and transforming its profile and prospects.

If we meet the challenges and exploit the opportunities outlined,
Hastings creative businesses and cultural economy will become more robust and sustainable over the long term. There will be increased numbers of creative and cultural businesses based in the town and the ongoing provision of targeted business support and skills acquisition for local people.

Objective 4: Develop and promote a refreshed identity for Hastings which brings contemporary culture and heritage together in a coherent and marketable brand.

Hastings and its partners in 1066 Country have a distinctive history and heritage that generates local pride and draws visitors and tourists nationally and internationally. A strong contemporary cultural identity is also developing and attracting a new 'cultural tourist'.

If we meet the challenges and exploit the opportunities outlined:
Hastings and 1066 Country will have a more coherent relationship between the traditional heritage and the emerging contemporary arts sectors with an identity that celebrates both. There will be improved visibility and awareness for the area nationally and internationally attracting increased visitor numbers.

Objective 5: Support and develop a high quality year round cultural programme, that links to regeneration and tourism strategies.

It is programming that drives footfall and the success of any process of culture-led regeneration will depend on a consistently high quality and ambitious programme that will attract audiences all year round.

If we met the challenges and exploit the opportunities outlined:
Hastings will have a more sustainable year round cultural programme that is closely linked with the town's tourism strategy and which will attract and develop local and visiting audiences.

Objective 6: Support and enable the preservation, development and use of our cultural assets.

Historic sites and buildings, cultural venues, the built environment and outdoor spaces are the infrastructure on which culture-led regeneration is built and link to all the other objectives in this strategy.

If we met the challenges and exploit the opportunities outlined:
Hastings stock of cultural assets will be better maintained, interpreted and promoted. Public heritage sites will be better conserved and protected. There will be an improved understanding and knowledge of sites in the town that might be appropriate for public art and how well the existing infrastructure is performing. New developments will meet with the cultural needs of the local community and economy.

Download:

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Hastings culture-led regeneration strategy for 2016-2021

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Our vision is for the renaissance of Hastings, with culture at the heart of its identity and regeneration, delivering long term economic and social benefits for all. By 2021, Hastings will be a highly desirable place to live, work, visit and invest.

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The strategy and vision for the development of Scotland's events industry over the next decade

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The strategy and vision for the development of Scotland's events industry over the next decade

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Entitled ‘Scotland the Perfect Stage’, the national events strategy was produced following an extensive consultation involving the Scottish Government, VisitScotland, the Scottish Tourism Alliance and over 100 active participants from the public, private and third sectors.

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The strategy and vision for the development of Scotland's events industry over the next decade

Entitled 'Scotland the Perfect Stage', the national events strategy was produced following an extensive consultation involving the Scottish Government, VisitScotland, the Scottish Tourism Alliance and over 100 active participants from the public, private and third sectors.

The aim of the strategy is to engage, guide and support those involved in all aspects of planning, securing, supporting and delivering events within Scotland's diverse portfolio, from events of international significance to those which help to support local communities in the country's most remote locations.

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Entitled 'Scotland the Perfect Stage', the national events strategy was produced following an extensive consultation involving the Scottish Government, VisitScotland, the Scottish Tourism Alliance and over 100 active participants from the public, private and third sectors.

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From Eventbrite

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Want some fast facts about the events industry in the UK? No problem, we've created an infographic with all the key statistics about this booming and vibrant sector - find out everything you need to know in under a minute!

For further insight behind the statistics, and useful links to source materials, we've also included this below. Want more event industry insight? Ask those in the know over on the EventTribe forum.

UK Event Industry Facts & Stats
What's the UK events industry worth?
The events sector is worth £42.3 billion to the UK economy in terms of direct spend by event delegates, attendees and organisers, an 8% rise on the previous report. A substantially higher figure is achieved once the wider economic impacts (indirect and induced spend plus accompanying persons' spend) are included. The spend by those accompanying attendees at business events is worth an additional £7.7 billion.
The Value of Britain's Events Sector - direct spend by segment
Conferences and meetings - £19.9 billion
Exhibitions and trade fairs - £11.0 billion
Incentive travel and performance improvement - £1.2 billion
Corporate hospitality and corporate events - £1.2 billion
Outdoor events - £1.1 billion
Festivals and cultural events - £1.1 billion
Music events - £1.3 billion
Sporting events - £2.3 billion
How many people work in the UK events industry?
There are over 25,000 businesses in the sector including event organisers, venues, destination marketing organisations (DMOs), destination management companies (DMCs), exhibition contractors, event production companies, and a whole plethora of suppliers: transport operators, telecommunications and IT companies, interpreters and translators, speciality caterers, event insurance specialists, and many others.

The best estimates are that the sector sustains 570,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs, mostly in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The top 10 leading event agencies in the UK have a turnover of more than £3.5 billion, much of which is generated outside the UK.
How many business events are held in the UK each year?
There are over 1.3 million business events held in the UK annually. Just under £40 billion was spent by those attending these events, and the segment generates more than £20.6 billion in gross value added (GVA) and £58.4 billion in gross domestic product (GDP). The direct spending associated with UK meeting organisers is £24.7 billion. Of this spend, £6.4 billion is funded by registration fees paid by delegates and attendees.
Events by Segment Outdoor events
More than 7,000 major outdoor events are held each year. Outdoor events cover a breadth of activity from major festivals, agricultural shows, sporting and charity events through to small village and craft events. Following the Olympics in 2012, the UK has established itself as a world leader in outdoor events, with many UK companies exporting their expertise. The sector has witnessed huge growth; between 2005 and 2009 there was an average annual increase of more than 1.64 million adults attending outdoor events in the UK.
Charity events
Since 2007, the number of fundraising events has increased by 700% and participant numbers have doubled. Event fundraising grew by 8% in 2012 (based on the number of JustGiving fundraising pages created). Running events remain the most popular kind of event, accounting for 77% of all event fundraising pages, however, trekking is the activity which raises the most funds - an average of £885 per event. Fundraising via triathlons grew by 21% between 2011 and 2013, raising an average of £740 per event. Cycling fundraising events have grown the most, up by 30% since 2011, raising an average of £610 per event.

A recent report showed a majority of organisations (84%) have seen income from events rising or staying the same. The biggest proportion saw income rising (56%) with 12% saying that income has risen significantly.

More great news for fundraising events, the report also revealed that 83% of fundraising event participants would consider taking part in another event for the same charity, while 92% would consider supporting the same charity again but in other ways.

Other types of fundraising events raise on average:

Parachuting/skydive - £465

Swimming - £390

Running - £360

Walks - £300

Exhibitions and trade fairs
Exhibitions play a vital role in the UK economy in generating exports. Many exhibitions held in the UK have established themselves as a strong base for international trade. UK exhibitions attract over 13 million visitors each year, generating £11.0 billion in spend. In 2010 over 265,000 exhibitors participated in events, 20% from outside the UK. In 2010 exhibitors spent £2.7 billion on goods and services to demonstrate at events.

The sector was worth an estimated £19.2 billion in venue and destination direct spend in 2015.
Music festivals and concerts
More than 10.4 million music tourists spend £2.3 billion in 2015. Around 41% of live music audiences are music tourists. Overseas music tourists spend on average £657 each while in the UK. It is estimated that around 24,251 full-time jobs are sustained by music tourism.

British music events were attended by a staggering 27.7 million people in 2015. With 15% of UK festival-goers spending over £250 while at the event.
Download our latest 2018 Event Industry Pulse Report here. Sources
Eventbrite Pulse Report 2016 Eventbrite, April 2016
2016 Global Meetings and Events Forecast, American Express, October 2016
State of the Industry Report 2016 C&IT, 2016
2015/2016 Market Report UK Festival Awards & Conference, May 2016
'Events are Great Britain' The Business Visits & Events Partnership (BVEP), March 14
'The Economic Impact of the UK Meeting & Event Industry' Meetings Professionals International (MPI), July 2013
'Event Fundraising Monitor' JustGiving, October 2013
'Wish You Were Here' UK Music, 2016
Research collaboration with the Institute of Fundraising, everydayhero™, a Blackbaud, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLKB) Institute of Fundraising, November 2015
Events industry helps power UK economy Raconteur, May 2015

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An Introduction To The UK Event Industry In Numbers - Eventbrite

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Want some fast facts about the events industry in the UK? No problem, we've created an infographic with all the key statistics about this booming and vibrant sector - find out everything you need to know in under a minute! For further insight behind the statistics, and useful links to source materials, we've also included this below.

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The Business Visits & Events Partnership is an umbrella organisation representing leading trade and professional organisations, government agencies and other significant influencers in the business visits and events sector. Check out their website for useful industry research.

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Tourism Minister Rebecca Pow has launched a competition for conference centres across the UK to apply for funding to improve broadband infrastructure with the aim of hosting more international conferences at UK venues.

The competition is part of the UK Government's Tourism Sector Deal.

Investment will help to boost the £32 billion business events sector.

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BVEP - Business Visits and Events Partnership

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Tourism Minister Rebecca Pow has launched a competition for conference centres across the UK to apply for funding to improve broadband infrastructure with the aim of hosting more international conferences at UK venues. The competition is part of the UK Government's Tourism Sector Deal. Investment will help to boost the £32 billion business events sector.