Event Management. It’s a phrase that’s bandied around a lot, but what precisely does it mean beyond the literal definition of managing events? More importantly, how can it be used in events?
Every type of event demands a distinct combination of skills and knowledge that will assist you in mitigating chaos and running seamless, entertaining events for your attendees.
There’s a lot to cover, which is why we’re going to walk you through the essential ideas of event management and show you how they can benefit your events in this write–up.
What is Event Management?
Event management is supervising all logistics leading up to and during an event, whether it’s a conference, wedding, or any other type of organised gathering. Event managers carry out the event plans by overseeing workers, finances, vendor connections, and other responsibilities.
To put it simply, event management is the coordination, planning, organising, and execution of an event.
Learn more about event management and whether it is a good fit job for you.
Why does Event Management matter?
It is critical to properly manage an event in order for it to be a success. In other words, no matter how wonderful your location, speakers, or entertainment are, neglecting to get the fundamentals right, such as budgeting and logistics, means you could face unexpected issues. Keep in mind: the more time you devote to event management, the more successful and professional your event will be.
What does event management look like in the era of COVID-19?
The good news is that we now have the technology to deliver and plan events online. The rapid expansion of online events has forced us to adapt our knowledge of in-person event management to the virtual space. Companies can continue to hold a variety of events, from one-on-one meetings to full-fledged conferences, by utilising video conferencing and other online event platforms and tools.
In the age of Covid-19, event management is all about choosing the correct technology, providing valuable content, and engaging attendees which has replaced in-person tasks such as finding a venue, developing health and safety protocols, and catering.
As a result, while managing a virtual event, you need not only to grasp the logistics, but you should also place a premium on providing engaging content.
What are the steps of event management?
Now that we’ve covered the fundamentals, let’s look at the five main steps of event management.
- Define your objective and create an action plan
It all starts with a simple idea. A theme. A strategy. A goal.
- What is the purpose of the event?
- What kind of experience do we want them to have?
The first stage of any successful event is to identify your goal and develop an action plan for how you intend to achieve it as it is impossible to plan an event without defined objectives. Begin by determining what you want to achieve, then narrow your focus to one goal and go all in. In many cases, this will be self-evident. For instance, if you want to introduce a new product or create more leads.
Whatever you pick, it is critical to dive into the specifics because this will provide you with a clearer image of the event, making it easier to handle in the long run. Then, once you’ve determined your goal, it’s time to conduct your research.
With that said, microdissect what you want to accomplish and sketch out the steps that will get you there. This will aid in the refinement of the scope of your event and the identification of the actions required to attain your goal.
The more research you conduct, the more detailed and refined the event will be. In addition, you will have a better knowledge of the event’s sustainability, particularly in terms of funding and how this corresponds to your objective.
Your event’s objective will drive the content, presenters, and venue from the start. Then it’s time to get the fundamentals in order.
2. Pick your theme and outline the event
Now that you’ve completed your research, it’s time to put your findings into action by developing a concrete action plan for your event. Importantly, this will lay the groundwork for you to begin designing your event, so go over every detail, no matter how minor.
To get things started, here’s a list of questions to ask to help you iron out the details:
- What is the event’s theme?
- Who is the intended audience?
- When and where will the event take place?
- What is the structure?
- How long will the event last?
- How many people can I expect to attend?
- Who will give a speech at the event?
- Is it my intention to provide activities or entertainment?
- How can I keep the audience interested?
- Will you charge a fee for tickets?
- Do you require sponsors?
- What event technology do I require?
There’s lots of food for thought here, as well as plenty of unanswered questions. What is critical is that you enter a meditative state in which you consider every potential aspect and eventuality surrounding the event. This allows you to spot any potential issues early on.
3. Focus on the details
You should have a solid notion of how the event should look by now, which means it’s time to make it into a reality. This is by far the most time-consuming step, with a long number of steps depending on the type of event you’re hosting.
- Identifying venues (or online event platforms), vendors, presenters, and sponsors, among other things.
- Creating a website for the event and beginning pre-event messaging
- Event promotion and promotion
- Keeping track of RSVPs and event registration numbers
- Attendee interaction
- The day-of–event logistics
- Critical event documentation, such as the minute-by-minute schedule, is designed and finalised.
- Creating signage and designing the event check-in process
- Communication after the event
4. Staging the event
It’s the day of the event, and you’ve put in a lot of effort by following the preceding procedures. You’re nearly there. It’s now time to put on an event that will engage and excite your attendees. Here are some of the steps you should take to get over the last hurdle and ensure a smooth and successful event.
- Ensuring that everything is in place
- Communication with the check-in guest
- Managing difficulties and emergencies that arise unexpectedly
- Speaker and guest assistance delivering-events through social media and audience involvement
There will be last-minute changes, so you and your team must be alert. What counts most is how well you planned for it, how well you perform under pressure, and how fast you are notified of the problem when it comes.
5. Post-event duties
Your event has ended, but the story does not end there. You should have a good notion of how the event went by now, and it’s time to start collecting feedback, engaging guests, and planning for the future.
The first step is to send a thank you email with a post-event survey to your participants 12 to 48 hours after the event. This gives participants plenty of time to reflect on how they found the event, providing you with valuable feedback on how to improve.
Then, with all of the valuable feedback you’ve gathered, gather the team for a debrief. These discussions and chats are really beneficial in terms of exchanging personal impressions and determining what can be done to go forward.
These steps can be applied to any event and should provide you with plenty of insight that you can directly apply to your events, in whatever shape or form they take.
The Benefit of Event Managements
Whether your company has several divisions, including marketing and public relations, or not, you’ll need to hire an expert event management agency to reap the maximum benefits, which includes:
- Promotion for a new product or service.
- Achieving the optimal level of exposure and brand awareness.
- Increasing the number of prospects and clients drawn by exhibits and trade shows.
- Professional gatherings and conferences help to improve brand positioning.
- Innovative methods to ensure the highest level of visitor satisfaction.
- Taking care of all licenses, permits, insurance, and security concerns.
- Hiring experienced event managers allow you to save time, effort, and money.
- When working with experienced event planning businesses, you might get additional experience for your company’s internal public relations and marketing teams.
- Reducing the probability of any situations that may jeopardise the professional environment.
- Reducing the stress of internal company event planning and management
How do you hire an event management company?
When planning an event, you have two options: do it yourself or hire a management company. If you have never organised an event, be aware that it is a hard and demanding undertaking. If you decide to hire a corporation, there are some things you should know.
First and foremost, choosing an event management company may appear to be as simple as Google them and picking a management to plan the event for you.
But there’s a catch: how to choose among the multitude of event management companies? How to pick the best?
First, know what you want. Make a wish list. Pre-verify that the organisation can provide exactly what you require. Be concise and specific in your requests. It never hurts to get an official offer from the event management firm and learn about their event types.
Secondly, check out the company’s history or previous work. Getting to know the firm you hired is best due to legal and contractual requirements as well as work quality. Check the legitimacy of their paperwork and the existence of the office if you have chosen a small, new or unknown company. You don’t want to pay upfront and never hear from them.
Third experiences matter. Choosing the ideal provider should be based on both experience and price. So, why? Practice makes perfect, and a few successful jobs usually speak for quality. How to know better? Ask for references and if feasible a video presentation of some of the events they have organised. A professional appearance might be an indicator of the company’s sincerity. You can also contact old and present customers to get their feedback.
Next, communication is a vital element of an event manager’s work. A great event manager will be approachable. Working with a large group of individuals demands sophisticated social skills. So make the most of your initial meeting with the company’s representative. Use this opportunity to ask any questions you may have regarding the event and to see if the manager can be available at all times, as your ideas may alter and they must be flexible to accommodate your needs.
Fifth, events are created by employees, partners, and agencies, not by event planners. So learn everything you can about them. Ask for a list of suppliers, vendors, and others, and check their quality of goods and services.
Sixth, budget is an important factor in picking a company. If you are on a budget, keep in mind that employing a low-cost provider does not always imply poor quality.
Seventh, ensuring they provide top-notch gear. If your event requires a light and sound system, logistics, or other specialised equipment, ask if the company owns and uses it. If not, you’ll have to do it yourself.
Choosing the best event management firm should never be based on a single criterion. They all have a lot to offer, but you may not need everything.
How to make sure Event Management and Event Technical Production works well?
Whether this is your first event or you’ve organised a few, creating an event that catches people’s attention involves hard work and dedication, solid preparation, and a creative flair. We realize that event management of any kind may be a frightening experience, particularly when it comes to technical event production.
Because there are many elements that contribute to an event, there are several sites of failure. Understanding the risks, the possibility of each one occurring, risk-mitigation measures, and building a solid backup plan in the event of a disaster is a non-negotiable responsibility in event management.
With DOREMI events on your team, you can leave the technical aspects of event production to experienced professionals while remaining confident that we have taken everything in consideration. As a forward-thinking technical event management company, we are constantly on the lookout for new and developing technology, attending creative trade fairs around the globe to stay motivated and get our hands on the latest equipment.
The Final Rundown
Event management entails creating an unforgettable event, enabling interactions, adding leads to the sales pipeline, and verifying success. It’s a challenging profession that entails spinning an infinite number of plates and working around the clock to provide attendees with an amazing experience.
Here at DOREMi, we encourage our clients to think of us as partners working together to achieve the same goal of putting on a memorable event! Contact DOREMI immediately to begin planning and managing your upcoming event. Just one call away for a successful event.
