Monday, July 23, 2012

Corporate Event Planning


21st century business is largely dominated by corporates. Corporates, during the course of their lifetime, conduct several types of events. The basic difference between a corporate event and events of other types is that corporate events largely tend to be rather restrained and sober in nature. However, an exception to this rule may be product launches and road shows which involve a lot flourish and generous display of rich visuals accompanied by music.

This said, the basic approach to organising an event remains the same. The planning, coordination, set-design and other aspects of event planning are similar to other events.

One key thing to keep in mind while organising a corporate event is the communication or brand philosophy of the corporate. Corporates, these days, have detailed manuals called brand manuals which provide guidelines for the usage of logo, colours and tone and manner of communication. The agency’s representation of the company should be as per the guidelines specified in the manual to maintain consistency in communication across all media.

A huge amount of money and the reputation of the corporate are at stake, therefore, every care should be taken to avoid any mishaps.

Few of the type of corporate events are listed below:
  • Launches: Refers to launch of a product or service. This may be an indoor or outdoor affair depending on the circumstances that surround product launch.
  • Media Events:  An event where the corporate addresses the media. This could be for several reasons such as product launch, change in policy, takeover etc.
  • Dealer Meets: These are organised to get the dealer community together, communicate and update them about new services or products and also to build on corporate-dealer relationship.

  • Conferences: Get-together of the executives of the corporate to discuss issues, strategy, planning etc.
  • Mall Promotions: Products or services are promoted in malls having large number of footfalls. A welcome desk or set is created, depending on the needs of the situation. The client and agency have a representative each to attend to their respective duties.

  • Client Relationship Management Initiatives: Events to boost corporate-client relationships. Information is disseminated and consumers’ grievances are addressed. It may also involve interactive activities to encourage consumer participation.

  • Awards & Theme Nights: Events conducted to felicitate employees for outstanding contribution. It is generally followed by a theme night such as ‘Bollywood Night’ which may feature Bollywood songs or acts.

  • Road Shows: Done to introduce, promote or popularise a product or service. They are conducted by an emcee and may be accompanied by music and dancers

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Tuesday, July 17, 2012

How to be a Great Event Manager?


Here are the must-haves for a great event manager; irrefutable truths that will help transform your potential into great performance and impeccable results.

Planning:
This is pretty much the foundation stone on which you must build other necessary skills. Events, big or small, should commence with detailed planning. Take into consideration all vital parameters and make sure you go into the nitty-gritty’s; detailing is of immense importance. Have a Plan B in place and be ready for the unexpected. As paradoxical as it may sound, the unexpected is what you have to be ready for. Having a plan in place is just the beginning, there’s much more to do.

Methodical:
If you’ve made a plan but your paper-work is all over the place, it will serve you no good. Be ready for things like filing, making proper folders on your computer, keeping a chronological record of all the correspondence you’ve had with the client and your vendors, in-voices received, bills dispatched etc. It may sound a bit geeky to you but this is an indispensable part of event management and will help a lot.

Budgeting:
Be sure you know how much you’re spending on an event. Know the costs of each item, service or human resource that will be used in your event. This will help formulate your costing, be competitive in the market and give your client the best possible quote. Your ability to compute costs quickly will always impress your clients and know where you stand in terms of profits and the amount that you need to invest in terms of cost and energy in the event.

Composure:
If you are a person who is easily rattled by stressful situations, it’s an area you need to work upon. There will be several instances when you will feel extreme pressure either from the client or from things not really shaping up the way you planned them. In such scenarios, maintain your calm and don’t give in to anxiety. Develop the skill of thinking of solutions rather than becoming anxious. This will help you go a long way.

People’s person:
Event management is not a task conducted in isolation. For the better part of your job you will be interacting with people from various walks of life. Build a wide network. Some of these may not be the exact kind of people you’d like to associate with but this is not something that you can conveniently delete from your job profile. That said, please do not infer that you have to give into flattery or keep people at an arm’s length. Follow the middle path by being a courteous and compassionate person. Respect your colleagues and the people you deal with while maintaining your professional attitude. In the process, you may make some great friends or come across people who are not a delight. Do not get carried away or deterred by either, rather, just take it as something that comes with your job.

Thinking on your feet:
Planning, budgeting, composure and social skills are important but there will be times when you will need to think on your feet. Problems may surface at the last minute and you will be the person who will have to take a call. Develop your faculties of thinking quickly, logically and in line with your objective. This will ensure quicker turnaround. These skills may not come naturally to all and some may have to put in the extra effort but this is part of your quest to become a great event manager.

Leadership skills
: Being a manager you will have a team of people with varied skill sets working with you and your job will consist of inspiring your workforce with your leadership skills. You will need to be compassionate and caring but some situations may also demand you to be firm and put your foot down. You will have to lead by setting an example in all aspects of your work. Above all, remember, that people working with you are not completely rational beings and will have their set of shortcomings. As a leader, you must motivate them to overcome these and give their best.

The above must-haves are simply a very short introduction to the particular subjects. There is plenty of reading that you can do to improve your understanding and hone your skills. Treat this as a beginner’s guide and not an authoritative article on the above-mentioned skills. All the best. If you wish to apply for a job or an internship, visit us at http://imespl.com/yash.html

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Tips for Successful Event Management

Event Management is composed of several key steps whose successful execution eventually leads to the success of the event. Though some steps might be more important than the others, nonetheless, their contribution to the perfection with which an event is conducted is indisputable. Below are outlined 10 of the most important steps of successful event management.

Understanding the Client Brief:
The client brief has the details of the creative insight, target group, media and time of execution of the event, venue and other related details. Besides the creative insight the rest of the points are tangible and there is little or no scope of error, however, the creative insight has to be metamorphosed into the creative idea and concept which is the theme of the event. 

The client and event manager have to be very clear whether the right message is being articulated and the creative is not dull, offensive or mundane and is in line with the brand philosophy. Once this object has been achieved, the event manager can move on to the next step that is planning the event.

Planning
Planning the event is a critical part of the process of event management. The event has to be broken up into parts, such as designing, choice of venues, logistical support, no. of event management executives and branding. Virtual dry runs have to be conducted in order to evaluate the smooth functioning and co-ordination of all aspects of the event. 

Detailing
Detailing is a quality that reflects your desire to give perfect results and also shows your commitment to the job. Small things speak a lot about your right job ethic, such as, placing the televisions in a gathering at the right point or making sure that the last person in the room has a good view of the stage. Detailing not only makes your event fabulous but goes a long way in building your reputation.

On Site Coordination
After you have a detailed plan of the event in place you must make sure that it works with the same fluency on the ground as it did on paper. Divide your team in parts and delegate tasks to each team. Set up an itinerary of the event and let each event manager have a copy of this. Provide radio sets and keep in constant touch with each executive to know whether things are going as per plan.

Back-up Plan
 It may sound an unnecessary expense of money and time but a back-up can save your event and most importantly you reputation which is at stake. Look to build good relationships through trust, honesty and reliability. It will make your growth far easier than you think.

Don’t Panic
In case things are not going as per plan, DO NOT PANIC. Stay calm and think of the options that you can explore. Try your back-ups and in the worst case scenario they fail too, be honest to the consumers and apprise them that the event will not be taking as planned and give them a true picture of what’s next. DO NOT LIE. Lies will only create rage and anger within the public. Though such instances are very rare when it comes to event, you motto as an event manager should be: BE PREPARED FOR ANYTHING.

Media
If you are organizing an event which is going to take place on the streets, in malls or any other public places you would need to use conventional media in order to publicize the event and make sure a sufficient number of people gather for the event and take part in it. You would have to choose the right medium to ensure that you reach your desired TG.

Deciding on the right TG
It is very important that you target the right TG. Targeting them would help you achieve your objectives which are publicizing your product, allowing consumer engagement, gathering consumer feedback and response and eventually leading to positive brand building in lines with the brand philosophy or increasing the sales, as the case may be.

 Right Choice of Location                
In case your event is taking place outdoors, it is extremely important that you choose a venue that suits the requirements of your event. Get all permits and permissions in place and make sure that the location can accommodate the no. of people you are expecting. The execution should be smooth and the consumer should be at ease at the location and comfortably interact with the event executives and get a demo or sample of the product as the case may be.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

What is Event Management?

Event Management is a very broad term and involves corporate events, personal events, social and cultural events, national and international events and any other event which involves the application of the principles of planning, organization, co-ordination, project management, interpersonal and intrapersonal communication, marketing, branding, set-design, architecture, lighting, sound and light effects, civil engineering, aesthetics and other related principles.

Event Management is generally used to refer to corporate events aimed at advertising, publicizing launching and branding their products.

Event Management which involves a considerable amount of capital, logistical support, planning, organization and execution is outsourced to a vendor by the corporate.

Event Management, though a form of advertising as it is paid publicity of a product or service, is also known as BTL or below the line advertising as it does not involve the use of conventional media such as print, television and radio.

Corporate Events generally involve the launch of products, publicity, promotion and engaging the consumer one on one.
With the growing clutter in conventional media such as print, television and radio, corporates have taken very well to conducting events to promote, brand, increase awareness and ultimately sales of their products.

A  Price Waterhouse Cooper market estimate pegs the Indian Event Industry to be valued at INR 1800 crores. The event industry is described to be in its nascent stage and is mainly unorganized in nature, comprising of self-employed businessmen and part-time workers working from households.

The market after organizing itself is expected to be lead in the next decade by national level corporate. The industry, with the growing Indian economy, shows a lot of promise and the numbers are expected to grow steadily over the next few years.

Also, with rising per capita income and high disposable income, there are several individuals now who are availing of the professional services of the Events Industry for organizing and conducting personal events such as weddings, New Year parties and other personal functions.

The sector of wedding planning is also seeing a considerable spurt in growth. Indians are known to spend lavishly on weddings and the Indian Wedding is known for its pomp and splendor. Organized players are now entering this market and weddings have become a hot business sector.

Event Management courses are also growing and there are several colleges and universities that are offering courses in professional event management. Being an Event Manager with a good business outfit is a rewarding career both in terms of personal as well as professional growth.

All said, the Event Management Industry is a sunrise industry with the best yet to come.
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