Make a career out of organising, planning, socialising and having fun!

• A great starting point for those wishing to develop a career in Event Management.

• Develop your knowledge and skills in the planning and management of events.

• A solid foundation for those looking to start their own event management business or who want to progress their career in the industry.

• Course Duration - 100 hours of self paced study

• What is Event Management
• Planning an Event or Conference
• When to Run an Event
• Other factors
• Where to Hold an Event
• Event Management Companies
• Planning Example -A Christmas Party 

• Naturally Occurring Events
• Creating New & Original Events
• Planning a Party in a Home
• Making Decisions
• Contingencies
• Hiring Equipment
• Fire at Events (BBQ’s, Bonfires, Fire Pits, Braziers, Torches, Fireworks)
• Safety
• Planning a Public Event
• Evaluation Checklist

• Volunteers
• Managing Staff
• Leadership
• Giving Orders & Instructions
• Communicating Change
• Forming a Team
• Types of Team Members
•  Elements of a Team
•  Dealing with Problems in Teams
•  Nurturing a Team
•  Committees
•  Guidelines for Planning a Show or Exhibition
•  Hiring Tradesmen
•  Choosing an Event Location
•  Décor
•  Equipment
•  Entertainment
•  Choosing a User Friendly Site
•  Lighting
•  Car Parking and Transport

•  Contingencies
•  Traffic Management
•  Toilets and Locker Rooms
•  Security Lighting
•  Legal Liability
•  Understanding Legal Requirements and Controls
•  Negligence
•  Local Government and Liability
•  Minimising Risk 

• Target Audience
• Publicity
• Public Relations
• Sponsorship
• Developing a Business Plan
• Key Strategy
• Business Priority
• Action Plan
• Marketing Strategy
• Business Reviews
• Marketing
• Advertising 

• Types of Budgets
• Budgeting an Event
• Cash Flow
• Controlling Cash
• Cash Cycle
• Liquidity
• Financial Decisions
• Budget Performance Reports
• Improving Profit
• Reducing Costs
• Controlling Expenditure 

• Risk Reduction
• Managing Risk
• Sensitivity Analysis
• Quality Systems
• Contingency Planning
• Catering for People Overload
• Managing Slippery Surfaces
• Identifying Risk
• Workplace Policy
• Risk Control Methods
• Business Law
• Legal Rights and Obligations
• Consumer Protection
• The Law & Employees
• Dispute Management
• Duty of Care 

    8. Staging the Event

• Theme of an Event
• Venue Choice
• Audience and Guests
• Ticketing
• The Stage
• Power, Lights, Sound
• Catering
• Performers
• Crew
• Hospitality
• Recording an Event
• Contingencies
•  Crowd Control

•  Measuring Success
•  Dealing with Complaints
•  Cleaning Up
•  Repairing Lawns
•  Evaluation Checklist

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

COURSE AIMS

• Identify the various tasks which are involved in the management of a variety of different types of events.
• Explain how a range of different types of events are initiated and planned.
• Determine the human and physical resources required to deliver different types of events.
• Determine how physical and human resources will be organised in preparation for staging an event, in order that needs are appropriately catered for.
• Develop a marketing plan for an event.
• Develop a Financial Management Plan for an Event.
• Develop a series of Risk management procedures to minimize the impact of different types of problems including financial, legal, marketing, crowd control, food services, and hygiene.
• Describe the way in which facilities and services are managed during the actual delivery of an event.
• Review an event after its delivery.

SCOPE AND NATURE OF EVENT MANAGEMENT 

This course relates to the management of any size or type of event.

Event management is basically the management of an occasion that happens at a given time. Management of an event can be a complex and involved task, depending, of course, on the type and size of the event. Although extremely large events such as the Olympic Games require many years of preparation to succeed, the planning and preparation phase of any event will always require at least 60 – 80% of the total time involved in staging the event. The same principals will apply no matter how small or large the event being planned.

Events have become a way of life in today’s society, and are used to recognise special occasions whether public or private. Most societies throughout the world use organised events as a form of expression, whether it is for public grief, private celebration, as a show of strength or solidarity, to welcome others and so on. Today, organised events are used to help create business image, launch products, and to celebrate milestones and change. Organised events can also reflect a society’s position in the world or demonstrate public opinion. For instance, public response to incidents that occur in their own country or internationally may also instigate an organised event (e.g. fund raising for a natural disaster).

 Events can be profound and moving (e.g. inauguration of a country’s new leader) or be a mark of respect for lives lost through earthquakes, flood, war or other dramatic occurrence. They can be intimate and private (e.g. a wedding), or a large public celebration (e.g. federation, a coronation, independence etc.). Whether large or small, these events present an opportunity for a well-organised Event Manager to take a leading role.

WHAT IS EVENT MANAGEMENT

Event management is the process of making an event happen, from planning to the staging of the event to the conclusion of the process.

Event managers need to have a firm understanding of the event planned and the reasons for holding it: the What, Where, Why and Who?

• What type of event is to be held and what is the budget?
• Where is it to be held?
• Why is the event being held?
• Who is the event being held for, who are the supporters, and who is to be involved?

A well-managed event will meet the needs of its patrons. Private clients who use event managers to plan and implement their event will often have pre-set ideas on how the event should be run and may have very high expectations. They pay the Event Manager to ensure that all their ideas will work and the event lives up to their expectations. They may also expect the organiser to come up with a range of innovative and interesting ideas. This requires skills beyond those of an organisational and management nature.

An example may be a birthday party for a very wealthy client. The client may expect the Event Manager to show an extraordinary depth of imagination i.e. in the decorations used, the layout of the room, the menu planning and so on. The wealthy client may want the ‘party to beat all parties’. Second best may not be good enough.

It is wise for the event manager, irrelevant of the size and nature of the event, to use the approach: ‘That’s good enough’ is not good enough. Aim for excellence. Developing an excellent reputation is the best way to ensure ongoing work.

Event management also includes planning and organizing the supply of equipment, materials and services well ahead of time. Careful planning enables the use of alternative resources should any of these resources prove be to be difficult to obtain.

Publicising the event is also important, and will encourage attendance. Even a visually pleasing pamphlet or leaflet to promote the event will go a long way to encourage people to attend. Publicising should begin well in advance of the event, as that will give people the opportunity to attend by planning their lives around the event. Creating publicity well ahead of time will allow marketing to be effective with a good ‘lead in time’

b. Advertising to be booked well in advance i.e. advertisers sell space many months before publication.

c. People travelling from other cities or regions to organise their commitments and plan for accommodation, transport or any other needs with ample time