Event management
and planning is a relatively new industry, so it’s important to understand how
it relates to the rest of the hospitality and tourism industry and why it is
important with large events such as music festivals.
Event Management
can be described as; “a systematic way to create
settings and execute properly festivals, events and conferences.” (Pradeepthi,
2011)
There has always
been some form of event management within most companies, that staff, as an
extra duty on top of their everyday role would often handle. This is no longer
the case; a successful event is a well-planned event, especially on the larger
scale, and staff are no longer able to handle these ad-hoc requests with the
attention to detail that is required.
The events
management industry can further be broken down into separate sections- corporate
events and private events. Corporate events cover events such as music
festivals, trade shows and product launches, while private events are more
aligned with weddings and private parties.
For the private
event such as a wedding, the event planner will liaise with different divisions
within the hospitality and tourism industry.
The planner will book the venue; organize food and drinks and any
entertainment required. A corporate event planner will do all these things on a
larger scale, and usually work within a team. It is worthwhile for an event
planner of any scale to have industry contacts; this will ensure best prices
for the event and a close relationship to work with in the future. It is also
beneficial for the tender to have an events company that is interested in
working with them as it will give them exposure to many different events and
give them the opportunity to showcase their abilities.
For a music
festival, the event planner and their team, will get in touch with the local and
state governments to be able to get the local tourism industry on board. When
the decision was made to move the Splendour in the Grass festival back to Byron
Bay from Woodford, the mayor of Moreton Bay Regional Council Allan Sutherland said,
“he was disappointed to see the tremendous economic and cultural boom depart.” (Feeney,
2012)
The move of
Splendour to Woodford back in 2010, “injected $20 million into the local
economy.”(Feeney, 2012) Hotels, restaurants, tour companies would all have
benefited from the increase of people that were in Woodford for the festival. The
benefits to the local community in which these festivals are held in
tremendous, and the event planner/manager will need to have all facts and
figures ready to take to any potential local and state governments. For large
festivals such as Splendour it is worthwhile for the local businesses to get on
board.
Part of the role
of an event manager is to determine the target audience. In relation to music
festivals this could cover many different groups, from the younger crowd who
would usually attend festivals like Big Day out, to an older core group who
would attend the Blues and Roots (Bluesfest) festival. Activities within the
music festival would cater to these tastes. For example, you would be more
likely to find a rollercoaster type ride at Big Day Out and more Arts and
Crafts at the Bluesfest.
Once the target audience has been determined, now the event planner can devise a concept and start the planning process. This usually would include multiple scenarios, costs, benefits and event quality that would be taken to the client or management.
Once the target audience has been determined, now the event planner can devise a concept and start the planning process. This usually would include multiple scenarios, costs, benefits and event quality that would be taken to the client or management.
Being one of the
faster paced industries in Australia, it is important to remember that the
events industry is still relatively new and is going through many learning
curves. One of the benefits of being an events planner is that it is an
industry in which you can only get better with each event planned; you learn
many skills and gain multiple industry contacts. The success of an event can be
pinpointed to how smoothly the event ran, showing the importance of having a
well organised events planning team.
______________________________________
______________________________________
References
Pradeepthi, P.
(2011). Importance of Event Management. Available: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Importance-of-Event-Management/1833411.
Last accessed 29th April, 2012.
Feeney, K.
(2012). Splendour in the Grass returning home to Byron Bay. Available:
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/splendour-in-the-grass-returning-home-to-byron-bay-20120210-1sbvh.html#ixzz1tbaJi5R8.
Last accessed 1st May, 2012.
