Event Management Processes - Essay Example

Event Management Student’s Name Subject Professor University/Institution Location Date Introduction An event is a management environment created to deliver one or more benefits according to specified investment case (Raj, Walters & Rashid 2008). It can also be looked at as a temporary activity needed to produce unique and predefined outcomes or results at a specified time by use of predetermined resources (Dickson, Robinson & Wale 2010). An event in most cases has some of the following major characteristics; defined life span, measurable event outcomes, corresponding set of activities for achieving the outcomes, an organizational structure having defined responsibilities for managing the event and defined amount of resources (Raj, Walters & Rashid 2008). In most cases, stakeholders may not have worked together in a past event. Therefore, event management process is an attempt to co-ordinate stakeholders working on an event. The process involves organizing and setting responsibilities among those working on an event. Therefore, stakeholders have to be clear about the event’s outcomes and define the ways to achieve them as well as reducing negative impacts from an event. Event managers consider event’s impacts before, during and after holding an event. The impacts of events has to be examined throughout every stage of planning in order to leverage best possible benefits to the community that host an event (Cheng & Jarvis 2010). This discussion aims at unraveling diversity of an event impacts as well as stakeholders’ management and their integration in event management process. It takes into consideration the economic impacts, and unequal distribution of benefits and how they are interrelated will be unraveled (Dickinson & Shipway 2007). It will address the issues interrelated with stakeholders’ management including communication, resource coordination, scheduling and definition of required outcomes. There are benefits that an event can bring since staging an event can promote long-term social and economic benefits. Impacts The reasons, estimated costs and expected benefits involved with an event need to be determined before undertaking an event (Hanstad 2012). An event plan must demonstrate and cover the scope of areas that will be affected by an event. The plan then offers information for decision-making and to continually align the event progress to the set objectives (Mallen & Adams 2008). Failure to have an event plan can lead to adverse impacts. Some events like international cultural festivals or Olympics requires significant efforts while others like a anniversary celebrations in an organization need less effort depending on the impacts the event will have on an organization or the community. The lifespan of an event can lead to insufficient definition of required outcomes hence confusion over what an event is expected to achieve. Similarly, insufficient attention to quality and the beginning and during the event can also lead to adverse impacts. Events context impacts include a variety of both positive benefits as well as negative impacts that might be accrued following the event that takes place. Generally, events impacts are both the positive opportunity and negative threat that result from an event. The impacts and benefits can be apparent before an event takes place, during or after an event. An event affects quite a number of people in different ways and thus there can be inequity in impacts and benefits distribution. Among the common impacts of an event like a mega music festival in a city includes; the economic, social, cultural, physical, environmental, political, physical, urban renewal and tourism destination impacts (Dickinson & Shipway 2007). Impacts can be managed or leveraged in order to get the best possible benefits. Management stages are intended to ensure that the events unwanted impacts are reduced and mitigated. The reasons for undertaking an event should be described and justified. It thus promotes decision-making process as well as aligning event’s progress to objectives and prevailing standards (Turoff, White, Plotnick & Hiltz 2008). Event organization structure can include corporate management, event directors, managers and teams can determine the direction, management, communication and control to map out all elements of an event, for instance, a football league or an event like World Cup competition. The team coordinates activities to ensure that the event will deliver the best outcomes with positive impacts. The policy makers and funding organizations justify public spending on an event based on event impacts. An event plan identifies the resources needed, timeframes for delivery, extra activities that will promote quality, whether targets are achievable and the event outcomes. Planning reduces chances for ad hoc decisions, increase focus for the teams, provide process to measure progress, commitment and communication of different contributors and personal targets. Event control involves decisions that lead to outcomes that meet defined criteria and schedule in accordance to the resources and cost plans. Risk management ensures that the event has up-to-date information on risks to evaluate, monitor and control risks. Configuration management can be proposed if some activities and processes do not promise desirable outcomes. Ultimately, threats can be mitigated and positive opportunities increased. Stakeholders As Raj, Walters & Rashid (2008) points out; impacts can be felt by a variety of stakeholders; participants, host community and local businesses. The impacts link to stakeholders since they specifies the desirable outcomes. As Allen, O'Toole, Harris & McDonnell (2010) observes, stakeholders make use of or benefits from those outcomes and in most cases pay for the event. The provision of skills and resources in order to create the outcomes of the event means that the stakeholders have a bearing on an event. The benefits or threats that result from holding an event are directly felt by the stakeholders. Therefore, an event means a lot to the stakeholders regardless of the outcomes. As event represent something of substance, the stakeholders look for enhancing lifestyle or long-term well-being of destination residents and in the most preferable ways that reflect the local population values. The success of an event is determined by the commitment of stakeholders. The stakeholders have to be aware of the event’s needs, objectives, outcomes and their responsibilities for an event to be successful. For instance, national heart and cancer events bring together private industries, individual investors and the host organization with various needs peculiar to their business or operational needs. As indicated in the definition, an event brings together different people or technical skills in a new environment, serving different or common purposes for different or common customer. The way communication is carried out determines how stakeholders and other interested parties respond to the delivery of agreed outcomes. Stakeholders involvement throughout the event determines the business, service, environmental and management outcomes. Stakeholders commitment depends on how they are included in decision-making, how their roles are structured and communicated prior to and during the event (Söderholm 2008). The management also has to determine the right time to involve them, come up with good communication channels and agree at the outset on required quality as well as continued monitoring of stakeholders input against the set requirements. Event management structure is based on supplier-customer environment. The customer specifies desired outcomes and the suppliers with the stakeholders provide resources and skills for creating the outcomes. An effective organizational structure for an event is crucial for success. The event needs direction, communication, management and control in a sufficient and flexible manner in order to ensure success. As Dickson, Robinson & Wale (2010) observes, events stakeholder are organizations and individuals actively involved in an event and whose interests can be positively or negatively affected as result of event execution or event completion. Stakeholders can also exert influence over event and its results. They involves the local government, elected officials, private industry, agencies, business community and local population whose values, lifestyles and well-being are affected in one way or the other by the event. Harrison, Bosse & Phillips (2010), the actual event have impacts depending on visitors spending, utilization of the local supply chains and long-term benefits before or after an event and stakeholders focus on how they can leverage the benefits from an event. Stakeholders are involved in various responsibilities like travel and accommodation services and supply for event’s needs. They have to gauge potential severity of special event and determine with certainty how the event will affect the normal operation and activities. They also respond in developing infrastructures like transportation, advanced planning as well as day-today event management and activities. If the effect will be great, the elected officials can see the economic and various benefits to the community. If the benefits surpass potential negative consequences, the event will be of greater importance to the stakeholders. Acquier, Gand & Szpirglas (2008) observes that, the stakeholders are the decision makers and their actions determine many issues related to an event such as transportation, public safety and community interests. The government agencies and offices plan the event and participate in management emergency situations. The media functions are to disseminate information on travel and real-time conditions. The private industry contributes to services like traffic consultations and control. Regional organizations like metropolitan planning organizations oversee planning and implement of transport management strategies. Event organizers own the venue and the event while elected officials serve prevailing community interests. The law and enforcement agencies ensure and facilitate event security, enforcement and traffic control. Public safety agencies provide emergency services like in the incidences of fire or any natural disaster. They offer advice on emergency access or exits from the venue. The public represents the community residents, associated community groups and businesses potentially affected by an event (Cheng & Jarvis 2010). Mallen & Adams (2008) further points out that, an event is a process with technical stages that are planned and directed by the stakeholders. The stakeholders start up and initiate activities for the event, controls and manage different programs to the close of the event. There are quite a number of management needs that pertains to different event’s requirements. The stakeholders promote organization, planning, control, ensure quality in the event environment, configure and change control to achieve the best outcomes (Getz 2012). There are a number of objectives for an event which depend on established level of control, reporting, monitoring and meeting the communication needs. To achieve these objectives stakeholders are important Event Management Processes The event impacts and stakeholders management are intertwined in that, poor stakeholders’ management will ultimately lead to dire economic and negative impacts from an event. Hanstad (2012) observes that, risk is factor to consider in an event management. Event management must contain and control risks if it has to stand a chance of being successful. There is always a degree of uncertainty of outcomes. Risk taking is always inevitable if the event has to achieve its objectives. The task of event management process is to bring stakeholders to manage event’s exposure to adverse conditions that are specific and with potential impact in case they occur. As Carlsen, Ali-Knight & Robertson (2008) observes, event management processes aims at managing exposure by taking required action in order to keep exposure to an acceptable level and in a cost-effective way. In turn, stakeholders ensure that the management access reliable and up-to-date information on risks. Decision-making processes have to be supported by risk-analysis framework and evaluation. The management ensures that processes are put in place to monitor risks and there is a right control balance to deal with risks (Turoff, White, Plotnick & Hiltz 2008). Event Management Processes are function-based knowledge areas that direct inputs, tools, and techniques and outputs. They provide separate and interrelated stages that act as manuals to explain how an event will be managed. They offer tips and hints in using and tailoring various activities to suit the various situations of an event. They are applied depending on the event occasion and scaled according to the different sizes and needs of an event. Te major processes have sub-processes that ensure an efficient flow of the event. Therefore, management processes define the event into phases and bring together related event’s activities for completion and delivery of event’s outcomes. For instance, a graduation ceremony is a process with phases and coordinated by the institution to flow well to promote desirable outcomes and reduce adverse impacts that the institution might experience for holding the graduation ceremony. As indicated, events impacts and stakeholders management are major issues that determine the success of an event. In both, event management processes have to be initiated, planned, controlled, executed and closed. These processes overlap depending on the time each activity has to be done in the course of the event. The environment of an event requires different stakeholders to understand the broader context for managing activities necessary for the success of an event. The management processes describes to the stakeholders or offer them a generalized view of how different event management processes will interact. Event management must identify the relevant stakeholders, determine their critical requirements, manage and influence all those requirements for the success of the event. The roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders may at times overlap. Event Management Processes are suited to meet major event’s expectations. Similarly, management processes aims at decision-making, initiation of actions and delivery of activities to ensure that they leverage opportunities for better outcomes. Conclusion As demonstrated from the definition, an event is a short-lived management activity. It can thus be characterized by various impacts; majorly economic and at times negative impacts. Insufficient attention to check on a description of reasons for conducting an event can lead to negative impacts. Any single event has different social, economic, political, cultural, environmental, physical and post event impacts. The way these impacts are distributed depends on how the event is managed. There is always a degree of uncertainty for every event and thus, event management processes help in determining, directing and controlling various impacts. Stakeholders have different interests in an event and in turn, they contribute a lot to an event through their activities, skills and inputs. Event management processes aims at managing the two; impacts and stakeholders through a cycle of initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing processes. Ultimately, the event can achieve desirable outcomes and outputs that meet the interests of the stakeholders. 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