Mega-Events and Modernity - Essay Example

Event Proposal: 1920s NIGHT of the Compiling Business of the Concerned 25 March Event: Objective and JustificationThere is no denying the fact that people tend to watch movies owing to a variety of reasons. One of the primary reasons for watching movies is just for the fun and pleasure involved in the overall experience. Then there are people who perceive the experience of watching movies to be immensely relaxing. However, it goes without saying that though movies are readily associated with pleasure, relaxation and fund, they also tend to have an educational appeal and relevance. Many a times people simply do not get the chance to learn about the culture and concerns inherent in the days of the yore, either because they do not get the time or chance to engage in historical research or studies or because they find the entire process to be boring and drab. However, if an era is presented to an audience in a movie format, accompanied by a commensurate opportunity for fun and pleasure, it could safely be assumed that a majority of the people will prefer to vouch for such an event. Herein, lays the conception of an event by the name 1920s NIGHT. The idea is to organize a 1920s movie night followed by any after show party. The movie to be presented will be The Gatsby that is not only typically representative of the 1920s society, but the themes inherent in it also have a contemporary appeal. A survey was conducted to gauge the people interest in such an event. Forty Five of the 60 participants voted in favour of such an event and the same number agreed to participate in both the sections that is the movie and the after movie party. Thirty three of the participants agreed to participate in both the sections, besides, twenty eight participants agreed to pay for the movie and the party, 7 agreed to pay only for the movie and 28 agreed to pay only for the party. Also, surprisingly, 50 of the 60 participants agreed to dress up in consonance with the theme of the proposed event that is 1920s. Marketing Plan To begin with, the location of the event has been selected while taking into consideration the convenience of the target audience (Watt 2003, p. 190). The primary objective is to enhance participation and to dilute the dropout rate (Watt 2003, p. 190). All the participants will be contacted in a personalized way and the marketing and communications activities will be designed while focusing on a pragmatic segmentation of the target audience (Varey 2002). The pricing of the event has also been so designed to offer the apt pre registration incentives, thereby encouraging the participants for both the movie and the after movie party. A continual line of communication with the participants will be retained so as to curtail the dropout rate. Not only the title of the event is catchy, but care will be taken to inform the target audience as to what they could expect from this event. While doing so care will be taken to focus on the audience segmentation, to engage the target audience with target messaging. The overall strategy is to create an event within an event that is to show the movie while tagging it with an after the movie party. Such, an approach will cater to a larger audience pool. Besides resorting to pamphleteering and banner adds, the organizers will also resort to the ubiquitous social media to educate and engage the potential participants. The organizers will make it a point to exploit, newsletters, meetings and communications to pass on the information to the members of the organizing team and will encourage them to advertise the event through the word of mouth publicity. Besides, every member of the organizing team will be provided with a book of tickets so that they could directly sell the ticket to the interested individuals and groups. As the event is locally based, posters bearing the event details will be posted at the locations where it is legal to do so. Similarly local businesses will also be requested to hand over the event leaflets to their customers to augment the customer interest and curiosity. A week before the event is to take place; a one page press release will be mailed to the local newspapers and the local radio and TV channels, to enhance the public interest and participation. This press release will include the name of the event, the date and time of its hosting and its location. It will be really apt to conduct a SWOT analysis of the event under consideration: Strengths- Since late there has been resurgence in the interest evinced by the people in the old movies. So the organizing team is extending an opportunity to the target audience to watch a movie from the 20s, in a comfortable and stimulating environment. Besides, the customer has been given the flexibility to attend both the segments of the event that is the movie or the after movie party or either of the two segments. This approach could be expected to attract a larger audience pool as the people who are not interested in the movie or the party could attend the segment of their choice and thereby pay accordingly. Besides the organizers have at their disposal a specialized team with high motivation levels. This will go a long way in making the event a success. The administrative work related to the event will be streamlined to avoid any confusion or hassles at a later stage. The organizers will also be resorting to effective event promotion tools, which will maximize the participant density at the event. Besides, the organizers also have very cordial relationship with the supplementary service providers like the security staff and the caterers, which if managed well would go a long way in making the event a success. Overall, the concept underlying the event, that is the showcasing of a popular movie of the 1920s followed by a theme party do portend well for the overall success of the event. Weaknesses- The organizers intend to showcase the movie from the 20s that is The Gatsby, to be followed by a theme party. The Gatsby being a vintage movie, it may fail to appeal to a larger section of the target audience. Irrespective of the exploitation of the apt marketing and customer education tools, many a potential customers may not prefer to attend the event, when they could spend the same amount of money on other fun activities like watching a contemporary movie or going to a discotheque or a night club. In a pragmatic context only a select audience could be expected to be interested in the 1920s NIGHT, going by the vintage of the movie that is to be showcased. Even if the potential customers are educated about the historical and social relevance of the movie to be projected, still there will be a large section of the individuals and groups to whom the idea may seem anachronistic or boring. The other thing is that the available substitutes like the movie theatres, clubs and discotheques also pose an immense threat to the event attendance. The other thing is that the organizers also have a severe lack of funds so as to be able to make all the preparations in advance, as much depends on the proceeds attained through the sale of tickets. If the organizers fail to sell a significant number of tickets in advance, this may seriously jeopardize the event preparations. The other thing is though the event management team is academically competent, it lacks the requisite experience required to make such events a big success. The organizing team in a present context also lacks the requisite media and corporate contacts that could make or mar the eventual success of the event. Opportunities- Though the event 1920s NIGHT faces an immense competition from the available substitutes in the market like cinema houses, night clubs and discotheques, there is no denying the fact that this event stands to be unique and singular in its category. There is no other event available in the target market, which extends such an opportunity for both fun and instruction. So, practically speaking the event 1920s NIGHT stands to be unique in its category and could positively be expected to cull in a larger section of the local movie going and partying folks. Going by the initiatives being taken by the organizers to educate the target audience about the relevance of the given event and the attached opportunity for fun and partying it affords, the selling of the tickets could positively be expected to gain momentum as more people come to learn about it. Besides, given that the 1920s NIGHT is an event that carries much educational and academic appeal, there is no denying the fact that this event will be able to garner much support from the local authorities and movie goers. Also, given the fact that the organizers have been able to select the venue that is in consonance with the theme of the event, this will go a long way in ensuring the success of the event. Threats- As already said that the event under consideration faces a stiff competition from the available substitute like night clubs, discotheques, and cinema houses, if any of the local substitutes comes out with affordable opportunities for fun and recreation on the night the event is to be hosted, this could really jeopardize the possible success of 1920s NIGHT. Hence, a strong competition posed by the local clubs and recreation facilities is the singular most potent threat to the success of this event. Though the event is to be hosted in an indoor facility, still a bad weather could impact the event in a negative way as the participants may prefer to stay home and enjoy them while watching TV or engaging in any other such activity. As the organizers are showcasing a movie from the 1920s, it is imperative that they secure a good print of that movie The Gatsby. In case they fail to do so, this will pummel the entire theme and scope of the 1920s NIGHT and will turn it into an utter failure. Any possible technical glitch on the event day may also mar the eventual success of the event. Time Frame for Different Stages of the Event Location- 1920s night will be hosted at Deaf Institute in Manchester. The venue is amply suitable for hosting an event of this nature as it has the required sitting capacity and an apt area for hosting the after movie theme party. Timing- 8-10pm the movie and then 10-1 the party. The timing has been selected after taking into consideration the varied factors as the target audience, the timing when most of the participants will be able to attend the event and the feasibility of transportation for the participants when the event is over. People who are interested in the movie will be able to watch it at 8pm and the movie will last for 2 hours. The time selected for the party that is 10-1 is ideally suitable for the after movie theme party as many of the participants who work during the day will be able to enjoy themselves in the evening. The timing of the event is such that it will suit all types of the target participants that are those who are interested in the movie only, those who are interested in the party only, and those who are desirous of attending both the movie and the after movie theme party. The movie will be shown first as it will enable the participants who are interested in the movie only to leave the venue, before the theme party begins. Logistical Plan The logistics pertain to all the important details that will make the event a success (Cfre 2001, p. 140). Hence the logistics plan involves varied things like ordering the food from the caterers, making sure that the venue gets cleaned up once the event is over, hiring the projector for the movie, finding the right location for the event, security arrangements, creating a system adhering to which the interested participants will be able to register themselves for the event, etc (Cfre 2001). Venue- After much research and the perusal of the varied proposals, the Deaf Institute in Manchester was selected as the venue for the event. The Deaf Institute is centrally located and most of the participants will be able to attend the event without much inconvenience or hassle. The Deaf Institute could accommodate near about 300 participants, hence, it is aptly suitable for holding an event of this nature. After much negotiation with the authorities at the Deaf Institute, a contact has been signed with them to assure that the venue is available for hosting the event at the designated date and time. The participants buying the tickets will be provided with a map, and place arrows so that they could easily locate the venue. The event management intends to invite about 300 participants interested in varied segments of the event. The Deaf Institute has 300 chairs to accommodate the target audience, while the tables will be borrowed from a nearby school, which has willing to oblige, going by the educative and informative nature of the event. The required microphones and public address systems will also be borrowed from the school. The chairs and table can be set at the Deaf Institute only after 4pm. The responsibility for setting the chairs and the tables has been assigned to the support staff at the deaf institute. Materials- Every participant buying a ticket will be provided with a welcome pack that will include: A welcome letter from the organizers explaining the nature and scope of the event and the overall objective for hosting the event. A pamphlet explaining the details regarding the movie to be showcased that is The Gatsby. The background information regarding the event hosting team and its objective for hosting an event of this nature. A map of the event location, so that the participants could reach the venue without much botheration. An evaluation form to be filled by the participants at the end of the event, providing insight about the overall nature and quality of the event. A writing pad and the pencil allowing the participants to note down the information they come across and found interesting, while watching the movie. An event ticket affiliated to the specific event segments ordered by the participants, Care will be taken to make sure that the event tickets are not easily reproducible. The projector required for screening the movie will also be procured on rent form some local business. Meals and Refreshments- The meals and refreshments for the after movie theme party will be outsourced from a local caterer having ample experience in catering to the events of such nature and scope. Care will be taken to select the delivery time for the food and beverages in such a way that right after the screening of the movie, the participants who have bought a ticket for the theme party could begin engaging in the evening festivities. The responsibility for organizing the set up and cleaning of the food item has also been outsourced to the caterer supplying the meals and refreshments. The caterer will also make sure that the participants attending the movie have an easy access to water, tea, coffee and other such drinks. To assure an organized and systematic hosting of the after movie theme party, the participants paying for the movie will be given special meal tickets that they will be expected to deposit with the bouncers while entering the party venue. Responding to enquiries and confirming attendance- The participants purchasing the tickets will be facilitated with the phone number and email id of a responsible member of the event hosting team, so that they could easily access the information they need to avail, regarding the event. Also, a list will be compiled containing the name and the contact information (email id, phone number and postal address) of all the participants purchasing the tickets. This will enable the organizers to pass on the important information regarding the event to the participants. A few days before the hosting of the event, the organizing team will confirm attendance and remind the participants who have purchased the tickets, about the event. This will enable the organizers to ascertain as to how many participants will be actually attending the event and will allow them to make the corresponding changes. Security- Going by the fact that the event will continue till late at night and it involves an after the movie theme part, security is of immense importance in such a scenario. The organizers will hire the servicers of professional bouncers to assure that only those participants are able to enter the event venue, who have actually purchased the tickets. Care will also be taken to assure that the tickets being sold to the participants are not easily reproducible. Besides, the organizing team will also configure a specialized team for the on sight event management and on sight vendor management. Financial Plan Cost £ Hall, including chairs, food and drinks 600 DJ 100 Security (Bouncers) 80 Projector for the movie 50 Advertising 50 Total cost 880 Projected Revenue (on the basis of the survey) Entrance fee from participants (party+movie) 165x15 2640 Entrance fee for participants (party only) 100x10 1000 Entrance fee for participants (movie only) 35x7 245 Total Revenue 3885 Profit= Total Revenue-Total Cost= 3885-880= 3005 People Planning There is no denying the fact that without the confabulation of an organizing team dedicated to achieve the aims and objectives of the event, it is not possible to facilitate the management of a successful event (Formadi & Mayer 2009). Hence building and managing an organizing team is a pivotal aspect in the overall management of this event. The salient characteristics expected of a good organizing team are: The team members should be able to work together in a coordinated way. The members should be able to support the organizers planning the event. The members should be such that they could be trusted with the tasks assigned to them. The members should enjoy the tasks allocated to them. Hence, the organizing team will be selected on the basis of the above mentioned aims and objectives. All the important decisions pertaining to the event will be taken in consultation with the organizing team. The smooth functioning of the organizing tea will to a great extent be dependent on the ability of the members to be able to function in a close and cooperative way. A team coordinator will be selected who will be responsible for organizing the meetings of the organizing team and will coordinate the work being done by varied members of the organizing team. The organizing team will meet regularly to discuss the issues impending on the event, extend new ideas, and gain new insights regarding the event. It goes without saying that team coordinator will happen to be the most important member in the organizing team, and the eventual success of the event will to a large extent be dependent on the skills and acumen of the team coordinator. So while selecting the team coordinator, the organizers will look to it that they select the person who has the requisite abilities and skills. Task Allocation Tasks will be defined as the steps needed to organize the overall event. These tasks will involve the responsibilities during the planning of the event to the responsibilities during the actual execution of the event. In the spirit of the proper task allocation, the following task responsibilities will be assigned to the specific team members: Fund Raiser- A fund raiser will be appointed who will be responsible for the selling of the tickets to the expected or potential participants. This fund raiser will work in close coordination with the marketing and media coordinator. The fund raiser will also perform the responsibility to provide the requisite information to the participants in an organized and systematic way (Roche 2000, p. 145). The fund raiser will be expected to meet the team coordinator on a regular basis to discuss the progress being made by one. The fund raiser will also be expected to work in tandem with the other appointees, so as to assure the selling of the tickets in a systematic and organized way (Roche 2000). There is no denying the fact that the success of this business will be to a great extent dependant on the acumen and capabilities of the fund raiser. Logistics Coordinator- A logistics coordinator will be appointed who will be responsible for the logistics of the event. The logistics coordinator will look to it that most of the logistics tasks associated with the event move in a seamless and organized way. The logistics coordinator will be responsible for the logistics related issues and responsibilities associated with the event. Media Contact- The media contact will be responsible for the press releases pertaining to the event and contacting the press (Johnston 2007). The media contact will work in a close liaison with the fund raiser and the team coordinator. The primary duty of the media contact will be to look to it that the potential customers do get the relevant information regarding the event through the press releases made in a systematic and organized way (Johnston 2007). The media contact will also be responsible for the advertising activities pertaining to the event. Hence, it will be assured that the selected media contact has the requisite skills pertaining to marketing and advertising and has the skills to engage in social media marketing, both during and after the event. Materials Coordinator- Materials coordinator will be responsible for planning and providing most of the materials required by the participants and the organizers. The materials coordinator will work in close cooperation with the logistics coordinator. Risk Analysis A risk assessment will be carried out regarding the event under consideration, while taking into consideration most of the hazards, the extent and scope of the risks involved and the actions required curtailing or controlling these risks. Identified or Potential Hazard Possible Harm Possible Solution Electrical short circuits Electrocution All the electrical equipment at the venue is covered or well insulated Severe cold weather Discomfort/Ill health The venue is centrally heated and all the participants will be advised to bring woollens. Movement of equipment or goods at the venue Injury owing to lifting or moving Manual lifting will be limited as much as possible and the lifting activities on the site will be monitored by event coordinators to check any mishap. Storage of equipment on sight Theft and public access The security staff will be present at the venue. Vehicles and cabins utilized for storage purposes will be locked to avoid the participants coming in contact with any harmful equipment or to check theft. Failure of electrical supply A major event risk A standby electrician will be retained at the event venue. A backup generator will be made available at the event venue. Crowds Overcrowding of the venue The tickets will be sold in consonance with the sitting capacity at the venue. Security staff (bouncers) will be present to check the entry of uninvited guests. Fire Electrical fire The participants will be made aware of the location and arrangement of the fire exists at the venue and care will be taken to assure that there are fired extinguishers available at the venue Food and Refreshments Food poisoning It will be assured that the catering contractor availed has the experience in attending to such types of events. The contractor will be required to submit a written statement of the food safety management system. Besides recognizing the potential risks and hazards at the venue, the organizing committee will meet on a regular basis to identify the possible hazards and to discuss the steps that could be taken to ameliorate the risks from such hazards. Safety will be treated as the prime priority in the organization of this event. Environmental Considerations Care will be taken to assure that the event being organized is planned while taking sustainability into consideration and has a minimal impact on the environment. The following steps will be taken to make the event sustainable and environment friendly: The venue is centrally located so as to minimize the travelling on the part of the participants. The location of the venue is such that a good number of the participants could approach the venue on foot. The haulage will be minimized by procuring the required equipment and supplies from the local contractors and caterers. Care would be taken to see to it that the printing activities during the event tend to be minimal to avoid the wastage of paper. Efforts will be made to affiliate to digital modes of communication as much as possible. In case there is any material that the participants may require to go through at a later stage, such a material or text will be made available online. Care will be taken to minimize the waste generation during the course of the event. Reusable or biodegradable table ware will be used during the event and during the hosting of the after movie theme party. As far as possible cloth napkins and real tableware will be used. In case there arises a need for disposable tableware, it would be assured that the disposable tableware used happen to be biodegradable. Clearly labelled recycling bins will be placed at the event venue to make the recycling easy and feasible. A special parking area will be set aside at the venue for the participants and the organizers who will cycle their way to the event. Legal Considerations The organizing committee will look to it that in case permission is required to host and event of the nature of 1920s NIGHT, it is availed well in time. During the organization of the event it will be seen that the organizing committee sticks to the guidelines facilitated by the concerned statutory authorities. The participants will be provided in advance with a list of do and don’ts to help them participate in and enjoy the event without causing any inconvenience to others. How to Gauge the Success of the Event The framework required to gauge the success of the event will be quiet expansive. Certainly, the profits accrued during the event will be a measure of the eventual success of the event. However, it will also be seen that the event gets accomplished while sticking to the impending statutory and environmental guidelines. Besides, the participation satisfaction will be prime criteria for ascertaining the success of the event. Thereby participants will be request a feedback farm at the end of the event. Conclusion It goes without saying that no matter how planned an event turns out to be, still many deficiencies and lacunas are always left. The organizing committee will look into the mistakes made and lessons learnt during the organization of the 1920s NIGHT. Care will be taken to use the knowledge acquired in this event is put into use in the organization of any future events. Reference List Cfre, JSA 2001, Planning Special Events, Jossey-Bass, London. Formadi, K & Mayer P 2009, ‘Employee’s Value Anticipation in Event Management’, Journal of Tourism Challenges and Trends, 2(2), pp. 115-120. Johnston, J 2007, Media Relations, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, N.S.W. Roche, M 2000, Mega-Events and Modernity, Routledge, London. Varey, RJ 2009, Marketing Communication, Routledge, London. Watt, DC 2003, Sports Management and Administration, Routledge, New York. Read More