Metrics That Will Measure the Success of Event - Research Paper Example

Proposed Research Topic Developing metrics to Measure the success of Events: Business conferences held in the Philippines Table of Contents Contents Proposed Research Topic 1 Table of Contents 2 Contents 2 Objectives 3 Background 5 Scope 7 Theoretical Framework 7 Formulation of Objectives or theme of the event 8 Determination of the interests of the target audience 8 Development of the Event Schedule 8 Development of Program for each scheduled activity 9 Costing 9 Negotiating for the best price for the events venue and extracurricular destinations 9 Determining the actual impact and benefit of the events both intangible and tangible to justify the event 10 Project Management 10 Methodology 10 Survey Questions 12 Limitations 13 Bibliography 14 Objectives It is the aim and goal of the proposed study to develop metrics that will measure the success of events. In order for an activity to be dubbed a success it is essential that a baseline of what makes an activity a success should be determined. The proposed study will develop the metrics if not the criteria that will determine the success or failure of an event. Success as it is should not be measured in terms of financial gain alone or by opinions of those who attended it since their opinion may not only be tainted but also biased towards or against the event as a whole. Success should consider the attainment of the goals of the other sectors involved in the event such as the government in meeting their tourism traffic. Another measure of success is the peaceful and accident free conduct of the event for the agency in-charge of safety and security. Success can also be measured by the food industry sector when there have been no complaint or raves have been forthcoming from the participants. In terms of the hospitality industry, success can be measured by the provisioning of rooms or accommodation and other hospitality service to guests in the most efficient manner. One of the goals therefore of the proposed study is to show how events can galvanize the objectives of the food industry, the hospitality industry, the safety and security industry, the government specifically its strategy to increase tourism traffic if the management and organizations of the event is not only well planned but also well executed. It is hoped that all sectors such as the food industry, hospitality industry and safety and security industries involved in the execution of an event will be informed of their importance and how their contribution and non-contribution in an event can make an event a disaster or a success. To ensure that the aims and goal of this paper is achieved it is the objective of this paper to determine the monetary and social cost implication of specific events to the organizers, local culture, tourism industry and the participants themselves. The potential of events as a vehicle to harness and advertise local tourism could be a potential solution for tourist destinations that will reinvigorate if not revitalize its tourism industry. There are instances that events are even used to highlight if not present the cultural heritage of one location (Allen, et al., 2010). Using events as a natural marketing strategy to highlight the tourist attraction of a location or a venue could also attract not only the tourists themselves but also the investors that can develop a location further. In this regard a framework that constitutes the participation of educational tours, rest and recreation facilities in addition to the actual event themselves shall be developed. The framework should take into consideration the cost implication of the non event related activities to the profitability of the event itself (Conway, 2009). Various strategies shall also be developed to ensure that there is synergy on the goals of the event organizers and the managers of tourist destination. Developing a standard metric for success that would take into consideration the different goals and aims of the various sectors involved in the execution and management of an event would help the events management industry. The metrics in particular will help in assessing the direction of the events management industry as a serious industry that can stand toe to toe with the other service industries. With the ultimate aim of covering most of the typology above the metric should consider the planning, execution and feedback mechanism as a means to focus the continuous improvement of the practitioner. Proper phase of the events planning should include project preparation, planning, execution and conclusion of the event (Ellen, 2009). Background It is recognized that there are different types of events that can be used as a vehicle to promote the tourism attraction of a particular location. The different types of events can emphasize if not feature the tourism industry of an area. The effectiveness of these events cannot be gainsaid, however, for the purpose of this paper, the management and planning of a conference event shall be used. In determining the benefits if not the actual impact of activities outside the conference subject such as tours, rest and recreation would help in the organization and planning of events to ensure that the conference contribute to the local tourism industry. Conferences normally include several activities such as the discussions of various topics and presentations. However, conferences also include field trips that include tours to the tourist attraction the venue of the conference has to offer. These field trips are conducted in relation to the event theme or simply to high light the cultural heritage and attraction of the venue. Therefore, juxtapose to the goals of this paper, one of the objective is to determine the effects of hosting or sponsoring conference events to enhance the local tourist traffic (Yeoman, et al., 2003). To ensure that the actual benefit is reflected and measured in real terms this thesis shall develop metrics that would determine the relationships of the economics of events and the various coordinating activities required to make such a plan successful. In developing the metrics that can also be used by events planner in particular or the events management industry in general would take into consideration other aspect not considered in planning a commercial event particularly a conference but is essential in other types of events (Fenich, 2007). The metrics should include costing, impact to the locality in terms of economics, sociological and environmental impacts. Event’s management for aspiring event managers or those who aspires for actual specialization and mastery of events management as an art should veer away from on the fly planning. On the fly planning is organizing a few activities and gathering data to determine the actual cost and then justifying the event to get its funding. The lack of framework in events management is due to the infancy of the skills as a serious industry (Raj, et al., 2008). Lack of planning often leads to the failure of the event, the proposed paper with its objective of developing metrics of success will help events manager in this regard. Figure 1: Typology of Events - (Raj, et al., 2008) The complexities and demands for a meaningful interaction and actual benefits from events demands that a serious metrics for events planning should be considered. Figure one presents the various typologies of events that practically cover essential aspect of an individual or a group of people’s lives. Be it a celebration of a simple birthday to presidential inauguration events management have been slowly creeping into the social consciousness of modern civilization as an essential industry for the promotion of its culture and its preservation (Shone & Parry, 2010). Scope The typology of events as elucidated by Raj in his books shall be the ultimate goal of the metrics that will be developed by this paper. However, for purposes of developing the framework a business conference event shall be used as basis. The event venue shall be in the Philippines. It will be attended by Medical Practitioners from around the world to promote new techniques and advances in the medical field. The scope of the study will include the complete project planning of the event that will be described in detail in the theoretical framework. Theoretical Framework In building the theoretical framework of a proposed research topic it is essential that the foundation emanate from the topic itself and the field of study of the researcher. The theoretical framework will not only act as the guide but it will be the basis of the structure of the research (Bryman & Bell, 2011). The framework that will guide the proposed thesis shall be confined to the following: Formulation of Objectives or theme of the event The proposed study will answer the basic question of how to develop the theme and define the objective of the event. The theme or the objective should be tangible that will make the participants identify with it at the very least. The buy in of the participants as the most important aspect of the event to ensure its success should start and end with the objective and theme of the event (Kilkenny, 2011). Normally the proponents of the event or even the sponsor of the event define the parameters in which the theme and objective of the event shall revolve. Determination of the interests of the target audience Intimately knowing the target audience and their general collective preferences in terms of food or dishes needs to be assessed. The preferred activities such as golfing, water sports, attending cultural shows or events should also be determined. Preference on the topic that will be covered by the event should also be determined by the organizers. Conducting a survey amongst the target participants would ensure maximum attendance and participation (Silvers, 2003). More details and strategies shall be determined by the proposed study to ensure a more comprehensive determination of the likes and dislikes most especially the personal preference of the prospective participants. Development of the Event Schedule After knowing the initial information described above the proposed thesis will guide its readers on how to develop the initial or tentative event activities. Development of Program for each scheduled activity The program activity should cover the interest of the attendees of the conference. This should include other activities outside the conference that will target tourist destination in the locality where it will be held. Costing Event Venue – survey required Speakers – survey required Peripherals and Logistics in the event – survey required Extracurricular activities – survey required Destination Costing – survey required Activities Costing – Survey required Logistics needed – Survey Required Facilitator costs Negotiating for the best price for the events venue and extracurricular destinations Determining the actual impact of the added tourism traffic to the destination – survey required. Determining the actual impact and benefit of the events both intangible and tangible to justify the event This shall be part of the source data of the metrics that will determine the success and efficacy of any events that will be developed by this paper. Project Management This will include the actual execution, organization and planning of the event. The data gathered in this part of the planning will be an invaluable source of data for the metrics that will be developed Methodology This study will use secondary and primary data as its main use of reference to capitalize on the knowledge of experts in the field of behavioural science, mass communication, marketing and sociology. By using the published books, journals and other written works of experts this study will be able to extract the correct information as attested and certified by the experts who wrote them if not used them in their works (Saunders, et al., 2007). In general there are two types of primary research – quantitative and qualitative data collection. Primary research generally refers to that research which involves the collection of original data using an accepted research methodology. Secondary research normally denotes an activity whereby no new original data is collected but where the research project draws on existing (“secondary”) sources alone (Clark, Riley, Wood, & Wilkie, 1997). Primary data is normally specifically collected in pursuit of particular research objectives. It is originated by a researcher for the specific purpose of addressing the problem at hand. Thus, primary data is “new” and original data and there it differs to secondary data. Secondary data was collected for some purpose other than a specific problem at hand. It is all available information as for example books, statistical reports from government and other agencies, articles and so forth. Primary data collection is necessary when a researcher cannot find the data needed in secondary sources. Three basic means of obtaining primary data are observation, surveys and experiments. Primary data involves all six steps of the research process (Malhotra, 2009): Secondary data is generally less expensive that primary data and it can be located quickly. In other words, compared to primary data, secondary data can be collected easily and more rapidly, at a quite low cost, and in short time. For secondary data, there are internal and external secondary data. As shown in the research tree, the secondary data can be classified into internal and external data. Internal records are sales/ patronage outcomes, marketing activities, cost information, customer feedback, published report, information disclosed in website etc. These data are ready availability, reasonable accessibility, and relevance to the organization’s situation. There are two significant advantages of internal data. The records are easily available and the acquisition is inexpensive. It is actually, the least costly research data of marketing research and the importance for companies is increasing, since the popularity of database marketing rose. Quantitative research gathers and analyses statistical data. It contains research on large scale and relatively large number of representative sets of data as the research seeks to quantify data. This method place reliance upon the research instruments employed to gather data and analyze/ measure it; as for example experiments or questionnaires. Quantitative data can be distinguished in descriptive and casual research. Both research methods are types of conclusive research. Qualitative research refers to studies when the researcher gathers and analyses detailed data of ideas, feelings and attitudes. This method is necessary for finding out what is in a consumers’ mind. The data is collected in order that researchers can know more about things that cannot be directly observed and measured. Sometimes qualitative data is undertaken to explain the finding obtained from quantitative research. Both methods shouldn’t be seen as competing methods but rather as a complementary. For any new marketing research problem, quantitative research must be preceded by appropriate qualitative research. The characteristics of depth interviews are like focus groups. However, depth interviews are conducted on a one on one basis. It is a direct way of obtaining information from a single interviewee. A highly skilled interviewer tries to uncover in a personal interview underlying motivations, beliefs, attitudes, and feelings from the respondent. Through the personal way of depth interview can uncover greater depth of insights than focus groups. Survey Questions Surveys with question will first be tested for their efficacy to determine if the questions are appropriately asked to solicit the expected answers from the individuals being surveyed. The questions will then be revised as appropriate to ensure that the respondents of the survey reply correctly, the process will be repeated until the proper response and replies is symmetrical to each other or corresponds to the intended answer. To illustrate: Question that should be answered by yes or no should not be asked in a manner that the answer would require further clarifications. Questions that require a specific values or numbers should not be answered by yes or no. Only valid answers should be provided in order for the survey to be accepted. There is also a need to provide a minimum requirement in terms of qualification for the respondents to be a valid respondent. There should not be a situation wherein questions that are supposed to be answered by resort owners are answered by chefs or retail outlets. This is to ensure that the answered provided by these respondents are based on facts and not from their theoretical knowledge. Limitations The proposed study will limit itself to the formulation of a standard framework that can be used in events planning. The study will consider costing and actual planning of the activities and its schedule in the thesis. However, the study will not dwell on the intricate planning of the individual tasks in developing the framework. Straight survey and price comparison will be used in determining costing options. Internet search for costs shall be considered for venues and destinations locations. Activities peripherals and logistics cost shall be derived from ebay.com. With regards to the impact of the events activities to the destination and local tourism a Likert questionnaire will be used but shall only be used in direct interpretation of the data. No intricate determination of impact or numerical impact analysis will be conducted. Bibliography Allen, J., OToole, W., Harns, R. & McDonnell, I., 2010. Festival and Special Event Management. 5th Edition ed. Sydney: Wiley. Bryman, A. & Bell, E., 2011. Business Research Methods. 3rd Edition ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Clark, M., Riley, M., Wood, R. & Wilkie, E., 1997. Researching and Writing Dissertations in Hospitality and Tourism. Stamford, Connecticut USA: Cengage Learning Business Press. Conway, D., 2009. The Event Managers Bible: The Complete Guide to Planning and Organizing a Voluntary Event or Public Event. 3rd Edition ed. New York: How To Books. Ellen, J., 2009. Event Planning: The Ultimate Guide to Successful Meetings, Corporate Events, Fundraising Galas.Conferences, Incentives and other Special Events. 2nd Edition ed. London: Wiley. Fenich, G. G., 2007. Meetings, Expositions, Events and Conventions. 2nd Edition ed. London: Prentice Hall. Kilkenny, S., 2011. The Complete Guide to Successful Event Planning. 2nd Edition ed. New York: Atlantic Publishing Group. Malhotra, N., 2009. Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Raj, R., Walters, P. & Rashid, T., 2008. Event Management: An Integrated and Practical Approach. New York: Sage Publications Ltd. Saunders, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A., 2007. Research Methods for Business Students 4th Ed.. Harlow, UK: Financial Times Prentice-Hall. Shone, A. & Parry, B., 2010. Successful Event Management: A Practical Handbook. 3rd Edition ed. London: Cengage Learnning EMEA. Silvers, J. R., 2003. Professional Event Coordination. 1st Edition ed. New York: Wiley. Yeoman, I. et al., 2003. Festival and Events Management: An Internationalo Arts and Cultural Perspective. 1st Edition ed. London: Taylor and Francis. Read More