Evaluation of Events Management - Essay Example

?Events Management Introduction Recent times have seen events turn into popular vehicles for regeneration of the urban areas and for economic growth and development as well as playing a massive role in reflecting the extensive changes that have taken place in culture and the society (Raj, Walters and Rashid, 2008). As a result, the events industry has emerged and grown so large leading to some suggestions that the events management field should become a discipline of its own (Smith, 2012). Many countries around the globe have seen growth in their events industries with the industry contributing handsomely to the respective country’s Growth Domestic Product (GDP). An event is a short-term organisational phenomenon that is bounded both in space and time that features in a calendar on a regular basis (Smith 2012). Despite the fact that events are temporary, Hede (2007) asserts that they are overseen by professionals that are well trained and operate in business networks that are very complex. Event managers always take into account the impacts associated with holding an event all through the planning process of the event as well as after the event. The minds of the policy makers and funding organisations are also taxed so as to justify whichever negative externalities and public spending associated with the event (Hede, 2007). This paper aims to provide the reader with a detailed evaluation of the current level of understanding of event management and its impacts on the economy, culture, environment and the general society as well. In addition, the paper also provides the reader with a detailed evaluation of events stakeholder management. Definition of Terms Event – Getz, Andersson, and Larson (2007a:123) defined an event as “a unique moment in time celebrated with ceremony and ritual to satisfy specific needs”. Furthermore, Getz, Andersson, and Larson (2007b:127) refer to an event as a provisional occurrence with a predetermined duration. He further reiterates that “events are transient, and every event is a unique blending of its duration, setting, management, and people”. Event Stakeholder – Getz, Andersson, and Larson (2007a:125) define event stakeholders as “those persons or groups who can influence the organisation or are influenced by it”. Another author, Reid (2011:21) defines event stakeholders as “…those people and or groups with a stake in the event and its outcomes, including all groups participating in the production of the event, sponsors and grant givers, community representatives, and everyone impacted by the event”. Event Management Process (EMP) – this process involves the planning, execution and evaluation of corporate, non-profit, association, social and government events (Reid, 2011). Reid (2011) reveals that the process requires those who work in it to possess solid creative, organisational and budgeting skills in order to ensure the success of an event. Impacts of Events In the context of an event, impacts can take two formations: positive impacts or rather benefits, and negative impacts. Both forms of impacts amass as a result of an event taking place, either before the event takes place, during the happening of the event or even after the event has taken place. A host of stakeholders can be affected by these impacts and they include the hosting community, the participants as well as the local businesses. Events differ greatly and as a result they have different impacts in different ways and on different people resulting in uneven distribution of the impacts. Today, the most commonly sought after impacts of holding events include physical impacts, environmental impacts, social impacts, political impacts, economic impacts, cultural impacts and tourism destination impacts (Hede, 2007). Legacy These are the actual impacts felt by the host community or rather hosting destination. These benefits are in most cases conceptualised as positive impacts and not negative impacts, usually in terms of corporeal benefits for instance new jobs or employment opportunities and or physical infrastructure. On the contrary, other benefits that are not physical may be realized. According to Getz, Anderson and Larson (2007b:130): “Regardless of the actual form that a legacy may take, the idea underlying legacy creation is that it represents something of substance that will enhance the long-term well-being or lifestyle of destination residents in a very substantial manner—preferably in a way that reflects the values of the local population”. Generally, many across the hospitality industry are of the assumption that legacy exists though; most recent research shows that there is still inequity in the distribution of legacy as well as questioning the benefits associated with holding these events with respect to the hosting community. Leverage This involves efforts aimed at reaping the most benefits out of holding or hosting an event. According to Dwyer et al (2005:355), leveraging is “the process through which the benefits of investments are maximised”. Leveraging can either be closely associated with the aspects surrounding the actual occurrence of the event, for instance the spending power of guests and or visitors and the utilisation of the locally available supply chains, or the long term benefits or rather positive impacts related to the event both before and after the occurrence of the event, for instance, the image of the destination or simply the image of the hosting community. The table below provides a summary of some of the impacts of holding events. Social Benefits Social Costs Development of the community Pride of the public. Noise Disruption of the residential lives of people in the neighbourhood of the event’s venue Damage of property Vandalism Traffic congestion and overcrowding. Economic Benefits Economic Costs Promotion of the event over longer periods is beneficial to the economy Additional development of business and trade in general in the hosting community Increased value of property Induced expenditure on construction and development in preparation of the event. An exodus of the residents Normal days of business are interrupted Under-utilisation of infrastructure. As earlier noted, events are widely recognised to possess the power to possess impacts of economic, socio-cultural and environmental nature on the destination or rather the hosting community with the immediate community suffering the direct impacts of the event. According to Hede (2007:17), events are usually “evaluated from an economic perspective and largely driven by the needs of government and tourism agencies to justify the staging of special events based on their economic contribution to the host economy”. Bladen et al. (2012) believe that the government’s involvement in the staging of these events is due to the benefits or rather economic spur related to events that link events and development of the local economy. A suitable example is a report from an economic impact study by the URS Finance and Economics regarding the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. According to Daniels et al. (2004), the event created more than four thousand part-time and full-time jobs during that period. In addition, the event was estimated to generate revenue in the region of AU$55 million to the Commonwealth Government while additional industry sales were estimated to generate AU$494 million during the same period. In general, the whole event had a massive boost on the economy of Australia, adding an estimated total of AU$289 million on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country. A second study regarding impacts of events took into account the FIFA World Cup held in South Korea and Japan, labelling the event as economically unsatisfactory (Daniels et al., 2004). This can mostly be attributed to the fact that football has not been a traditional sport in Asia. However, Bladen et al. (2012) asserts that the two countries benefited from cultural exchanges as well as cultural development with no major cultural or societal/community problems and or issues. This is in line with a host of studies that argue that events strengthen the social bonds of those attending the event as well as spreading the joy or enjoyment. Overcrowding is usually a common happening or rather experience in events, hence, the expected environmental impact is litter; a problem that can be solved via provision of litter bins at strategic points at the venue of the event. Events Stakeholder Management A successful event requires the collaboration of various stakeholders namely the public, private as well as volunteer organisations such as sponsors, event organisation, sports clubs, local restaurants, local government, artists and security companies (Getz, 2012). An interaction between actors has uniform traits in collaboration and competition in order to gain a higher market share i.e. attract more visitors. As a result, Raj, Walters, and Rashid (2008) reveal that conflicts arise, for instance, conflicts over the performance time of an artiste, best spots etc. Stakeholders in an event are those persons or rather group of people and or individuals who can have substantial effect on the organisation of the event. Reid (2011) defines a stakeholder as any individual or group with the power to affect or is affected by the achievement of the objectives of an organisation and or event. Another author? Getz (2007) went ahead and identified three key attributes of stakeholders namely legitimacy, power and urgency. Event Stakeholders An event, as earlier indicated, requires a collaboration of a host of stakeholders for it to be a success. Among these stakeholders are the visitors, the music and entertainment industry, public authorities that comprises public organisations and the local municipality, sponsors, clubs and associations, volunteers, restaurant owners, the media industry, and the local trade industry (Raj, Walters and Rashid, 2008). Visitors Visitors of most events are required to pay for tickets which usually generate huge revenue depending on the event type. In cases where the events held are free of charge, those visiting are irrelevant with respect to financing of the event as the finances are generated from indirect taxation of both visitors and local citizens regardless of whether they are participating or not. Events with huge visitors usually attract attention from other associations, persons and organisations (stakeholders) forcing them to commit themselves to production of different parts of the event product. The Music and Entertainment Industry Many events have live music as one of their criterion with the responsibility of supplying these services charged to the music and entertainment industry (Doug, 2007). Most artistes are managed by contractors or rather agents who need to be contacted for the services of specific artistes. Production companies are vital for lighting and setting up the sound as well as building the scenes; which according to Getz (2012) makes Events customers of both production companies and contractors/agents. This in turn provides these companies and contractors with good revenue as well as market the artistes involved in the event. Booking of artistes is done depending on the identity and type of event being held as well as the perceived image of the potential visitors regarding the event. Public Authorities The public authorities involved in events are the police, the municipality, medical and rescue services, guards, the fire brigade, the environmental government, the department of water as well as the county council. The municipality is the most crucial stakeholder as it has the mandate to determining if the event will occur, when and how it is supposed to occur. It was earlier noted that power is among the best attributes of stakeholders. Being crucial means that it is irreplaceable meaning it has the highest power in determining the occurrence of the event. With respect to the process of event management, Ferdinand and Kitchin (2012) affirm that stakeholder management and relations form an integral part of the event. Prior discussions with influencers, decision-makers, sponsors, workers and other vital stakeholders are essential in forming a universal goal, a strategy or rather strategies to be followed, and an effective plan that can result in a successful event. In the process of event management, Hede (2007) argues that stakeholder relations can be regarded as discussions held with influential people of the event or those directly affected by the event with an aim of forming a universal understanding strategies and outcomes that are best suited to each individual. The above approach can be applied in a host of businesses but it bears great power with respect to event management. As the planner of the event, it is essential to engage in early stakeholder relations. Identification of stakeholders is a step taken even before drawing up the budget and outlining of the goals and strategies to be used to arrive at these goals. The sole aim of this process is to establish the desirable outcomes, expectations and visions of the event that serve all parties equitably. Conclusion Identification and management of stakeholders is a vital part of event management particularly with stakeholders powerful enough to determine the success or failure of the event (Foley, McGillivray and McPherson, 2012). Event managers usually work through complex networks of stakeholders who either influence or are influenced by these events. Event managers can choose to strategically respond to issues and pressures of stakeholders in a much simpler way that will lead them to dependence on a single or a number of powerful actors. On the other hand, Getz, Andersson and Larson (2007a) believe that event managers can proactively try to outline and manage the relationships they share with stakeholders. Stakeholder management provides for an environment that is more stable with improved long-term outcomes for all parties involved. The study of the impacts of events in the present world has been driven by the need to evaluate the negative and positive impacts holding events has, justification of public spending on events as well as leveraging the best probable gains for the hosting community, usually referred to as legacy. Future Research Today, Conway (2009) argues that literature regarding event impacts is limited due to the fact that events are often one-offs hence developing a concrete body evidencing the same has been slow. There has been a tendency to predict the economic impacts of events rather than analyse the impacts after the occurrence of the event. As a result, there are a number of claims to certain economic impact studies as well as methodologies. Furthermore, these studies and methodologies provide very little or no detail regarding the negative impacts of holding events as well as their unevenly distributed benefits in the society or community. Much of the present literature puts emphasis on economic benefits but an author like Reid (2011) is of the opinion that more research needs to be done regarding social, tourism, environmental and physical impacts of events and the relationship that they share. In future, it is vital for studies to adopt a new focus with complete emphasis on leveraging the positive impacts of events. This focus is dependent on qualitative studies to conduct the analysis of equitable benefits as well as exploration of the highest producing or rewarding strategy (s) that will ensure the community reaps the maximum benefits from holding an event (Getz, 2012). Furthermore, most of the existing literature relates to events management in limited developed countries. In order to fully evaluate and understand the differences emerging from cultural and environmental influences, more research needs to be done regarding events held in non-western and developing nations as well as those with vast religious, ethnic and linguistic differences. In this way, our understanding of the different impacts of events and management of events stakeholders can hugely be increased. References Bladen, C. et al. (2012) Events management – an introduction, UK Routledge. Conway, D.G. (2009) The event manager’s bible: the complete guide to planning and organising a voluntary or public event, Oxford, UK, How To Books Ltd. Daniels, M.J. et al. (2004) ‘Estimating income effects of a sports tourism event’ Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 180-199. Doug, M. (2007) Special event production: the resources, UK, Elsevier. Dwyer, L. et al. (2005) ‘Estimating the impacts of special events on an economy’, Journal of Travel Research, vol. 43, pp. 351-359. Ferdinand, N. and Kitchin, P. (2012) Events management – an international approach, London, UK, Sage Publications Ltd. Foley, M., McGillivray, D. & McPherson, G. (2012) Event policy – from theory to strategy, Abingdon, Oxon, Routledge. Fredline, E. & Faulkner, B. (2000) ‘Host community reactions: a cluster analysis’, Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 763-784. Freeman, R. (1984) Strategic management: a stakeholder approach, Boston, MA, Pitman. Getz, D. (2007) Event studies. theory, research and policy for planned events, Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann. Getz, D. (2012) Events studies – theory, research and policy for planned events, Oxon, UK Routledge. Getz, D., Andersson, T. & Larson, M. (2007) ‘Managing festival stakeholders: concepts and case studies’ Event Management, vol. 10, pp. 103-122. Hede, A. (2007) ‘Managing special events in the new era of the triple bottom line’ Event Management, vol. 11, pp. 13-22. Raj, R., Walters, P. & Rashid, T. (2008) Events management: an integrated and practical approach, London, SAGE Publications Ltd. Ritchie, B. & Adair, D. (2002) ‘The growing recognition of sport tourism’ Current Issues in Tourism, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 1-6. Smith, A. (2012) Events and urban regeneration’ Oxon, UK Routledge. Read More