Module One

INTRODUCTION TO
EVENT MANAGEMENT
 Basic Understanding Of Event Management Sector,
 Types Of Events,
 Event Management Industry In India,
 Future Prospect.

Introduction to Event Management

An event is a unique moment in time that is commemorated / observed to satisfy

specific needs. It is something noteworthy that happens according to a set plan
involving networking of a multi media package to achieve an objective. Events are
synonymous with occurrences, happenings, incidents, occasions and experiences.

While sometimes events occur on their own, events may also occur as planned
activities directed towards attainment of a defined goal or objective.

Definition of Event:

According to Philip Kotler, “events are defined as occurrences to communicate

particular messages to target audience.”

A comprehensive multimedia definition states that an event is a multimedia package

carried out with a preconceived concept, customized or modified to achieve the client’s
objective of reaching out and suitably influencing the sharply defined and specially
gathered target audience by providing a complete sensual experience and an avenue for
two way interaction.

Characteristics of Events:

1. Events offer a unique, once in a life experience.

2. Events are aimed at fulfilment of certain aims and objectives.

 3. Events are specific occurrences with a shorter life span when compared to
projects.

4. Events involve a substantial and huge requirement of funds and management of

scarce resources.

5. Events require judicious planning and involve all important managerial

functions.

6. Events involve facing an environment of risks and uncertainties.

Type / Categories

Size of Events

In terms of size, events may be categorized as follows.

Mega-events

The largest events are called mega-events, which are generally targeted at international markets.
The Olympic Games, World Cup Soccer,and the Superbowl are good examples. The Superbowl,
for which,in 1967, there were 30,000 tickets unsold, now sells out before the tickets have been
printed and also accounts for the sale of 30,000 hotel rooms. It is televised to an audience of 800
million and adds $300 million to the local economy. All such events have a specific yield in
terms of increased tourism, media coverage, and economic impact. Some cities are continuing to
meet a legacy of debt after hosting an Olympic Games. Salt Lake City, Utah, was fortunate,
however, as with all events of this size, it is difficult to calculate the costs accurately with so
many stakeholders (mainly government) involved. Although the size of the Olympic Games in
terms of expenditure,sponsorship, economic impact, and worldwide audience would undoubtedly
put it in the category of mega-event, it is worth comparing
its size with, for example, that of the Maha Kumbh Mela (which translated means the “Great Urn
Fair”), the largest religious gathering in history. During the 2001 event, approximately 70 million
Hindu pilgrims converged on the Ganges and Yumana Rivers in Allahabad,India, for a sacred
bathing ritual that devotees believe will purify and break the cycle of reincarnation. The
gathering takes place every 12 years. The 2001 festival, described as the “Greatest Show on
Earth,” was arguably the largest gathering of humanity ever for a single event.
Regional Events

Regional events are designed to increase the appeal of a specific tourism destination or region.
FAN Fair, the world’s biggest country music festival, held annually in Nashville, Tennessee, the
Kentucky Derby, and Arts in the Park, a Memphis art festival, are all examples of tourist
destinations achieving market positioning for both domestic
and international tourism markets through their annual events.Although Mardi Gras is celebrated
in cities around the world, it’s hard to imagine the annual celebration not being held in New
Orleans,since it has been historically based there. This event attracts local and international
visitors to New Orleans and has a significant positive financial impact on the city. The annual
National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., is another good example of a regional
event.

Major Events

These events attract significant local interest and large numbers of participants, as well as
generating significant tourism revenue. As an example, Chinese New Year celebrations are held
in many capital cities. In Honolulu, the event includes many festivals and traditions for the New
Year, including the Lion Dance, Lantern Festival, parades,
and Dragon Boat races. Friends and relatives of the Chinese community often visit at this
time.Most major cities have a convention center capable of holding large meetings, trade shows,
and conventions. Chicago’s McCormick
Place is known as North America’s premier convention facility and attracts more than 4 million
trade and public show visitors annually. The McCormick Place Complex comprises three state-
of-the-art buildings and has a combined total of more than 2.2 million square feet of exhibit
space, 1.6 million square feet all on one level, making it the nation’s largest convention center.

Minor Events

Most events fall into this last category, and it is here that most event managers gain their
experience. Almost every town, city, country, and state in the United States host annual events.
For example, Rhode Island,our smallest state geographically speaking, lists on
www.visitrhodeisland.com 234 annual festivals including the Newport
Winter Festival and the Miller Lite Hall of Fame Tennis Championship,as well as the Wickford
Cup Race (a race for plastic sailboats). In the category of agricultural fairs and expos, there are
literally thousands of

Types of Event
1. Religious Events

These are such events which satiate the religious sentiments of the people and
reinforce the belief systems and mark solidarity towards ones very own religion
and religious practices. Example: Kumbha mela, The Haj pilgrimage, Bengaluru
Karaga etc.

2. Social Events

Social gatherings symbolize a sense of togetherness and bonding. These are

usually organised to celebrate major life events and religious ceremonies.
Weddings, anniversaries, gala dinners etc., qualify to be social events. Festive
celebrations such as - Navarathri celebrations, Ganesh Chaturthi etc., are a
combination of both religious and social events.

3. Political Events

They include any function/gathering initiated and organised by a political

organization or candidate exclusively to advance and promote political purposes.
These are gatherings at which people of similar political beliefs assemble to
listen to speakers or express their support, raise morale. Example: Political
rallies, political padayatras etc.

4. Networking Events

Networking is the process of intentionally meeting people, making contacts and

forming relationships in the hope of gaining access to such business related
benefits as referrals, ideas, business leads, career advice and so on. These events
may be formal or informal and are usually organized by professional
organizations or community centres. Example: Business networking event
organized by the Karnataka Chamber of Commerce (FKCCI)

5. Entertainment Events

Entertainment events are of many types and generate the maximum publicity and
viewership among target audiences. These can include live programmes like
musical concerts, dance / drama performances or recorded and televised events
like the Oscar Awards, Golden Globe or the Filmfare awards.
6. Awareness building Events

These are the events which intend to create awareness among the general public
with regards to certain causes or social responsibilities meant for the common
good of the people. These events can include rallies, candle light marches,
marathons etc. Charitable events meant for fund raising towards any cause are
also an example of such events.

7. Sports Events

All events conducted to promote sports activities, be it indoor or outdoor maybe

called a sports event. Sports events today are being collaborated with
entertainment industry thus gaining more acceptance and popularity than ever
before. Example: Indian Premiere League, FIFA world cup etc.

8. Education/Academic Events

Academic events are those where students, academicians and industry

representatives meet and discuss topics related to education. The goal is to
approach the positions of the three stake holders in education through the
exchange of opinions and experience. Seminars, workshops and conferences are
examples of such events.
9. Business Events

Corporates/companies host a variety of events in the form of meetings,

conventions, workshops, presentations etc. Hence while some events in this
category are formal and involve a small gathering, example – board meeting of
directors, some other events may involve a large gathering and be formal or
informal, example – business dinners, banquets.

10. Crafts and Creativity Events

Exhibitions, fairs and expo’s are sometimes organized for the purpose of
exhibiting arts and crafts and other creative products and handicrafts. Such
events help one discover unique, one of a kind talents, merchandise that can be
marketed for a business or a social cause. Examples – flea markets, the arts and
crafts fair at chithrakala parishath etc.

11. International Events

International Events are those which draw a big audience and serve to improve
relationships among nations at strategic, business and political levels. Examples

– International cultural festivals, trade shows, conferences etc.

12. Promotional Events

Promotional events are those which help elevate ones business above that of the
competitors. Introduction of a new product in the market, creative uses of a
product and so on would require promotional campaigns.

13. Competitive Events

Competitive events are any such events which involve competition between two
or more individuals or teams. They may serve to test the physical, mental
strength and endurance of the participants as also their talent. These may be
sports events, cultural events or even academic events.

The above listed events may also occur in combination and not necessarily by
themselves in isolation. Example – the IPL is a sports event, competitive event
as well as a promotional event.
 Five C’s of Event Management

1. Conceptualizing

This is the first “C” involved in event management. The event manager
understands from the client the specific reason for which an event is being
planned. This enables the team to come up with a suitable theme or concept
around which the event is to be centred. The theme should be conceptualized
keeping in mind the event objective, target audience, the tentative venue,
media to be used etc.

2. Costing

Costing involves the preparation of budgets, cost estimates and the sources of
acquiring funds. Creating a provision for risk coverage and managing
uncertainties is also done.

3. Canvassing

Canvassing activities involve networking and advertising to generate the

required mileage for the success of the event, with the ultimate objective of
raising funds and obtaining sponsorships for the conducting of the event.

4. Customising

Customisation of an event focuses on client satisfaction. Reinforcing client

requirements towards objective fulfilment and ensuring that it has a blend of
creativity and suitability to match changing trends and tastes of clients.
Involves a customised approach, tailor made specifically for an event to be
successful in engaging the target audience and satisfying the client
requirement.

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 5. Carrying Out, Culmination and Control

This phase involves the actual execution of plans. It includes all those set of
activities and operations that lead to event execution and fulfilment of the
event objective.

In practice, each of the C’s may not adhere to the sequence in which they
have been presented above. There is a complex interaction between the
various C’s before the Carry out stage, depending on client requirements,
budget constraints etc. The original concept undergoes modifications and
revisions on the basis of the inputs obtained from the other C’s.

Event Management Industry in India

Event Management is looked upon as a sunrise industry in the service sector. The word ‘Event’
now needs to be re-defined in view of the manifold growth of the various ‘happenings’ in the
‘commercial’ as well as in the non-commercial’ world. Be it private happenings or public events,
everything now is done on ‘big scale’. ‘Image’ is the key word today. This ‘image’ building
exercise today needs a professional manager, either an individual or an organization, depending
on the size of the exercise. Live Entertainment shows, Corporate events, MICE (Meetings,
Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions), and large scale Weddings have led to several work profiles
and job opportunities. Individuals, Corporate houses and the Society have recognized the need for
hiring professionals for handling events.
Whether it’s a Big Fat Indian wedding or an IPL event, it isn’t a short-term affair. It is the end
result of many months of tireless brainstorming, creative concepts and a lot of sweat and toil.
Most weddings, music launches, concerts, office parties, or themed birthday celebrations these
days aren’t simple events anymore but require the intervention of a specialised type of services
collectively known as event management. Event management can be delivered by an individual
or a group of individuals or a company who specialises in planning and organising events.
These days, events are held by many industries, charitable organisations, and interest groups to
market themselves, build business relationships, raise money, or celebrate achievement. And
India is not far behind in the trend.
The boom of the event management industry in India began in the 1990s with the opening up of
the economy and took off around the beginning of 2002. Since then, it has been growing at a rate
of 16% CAGR and is poised to grow at 20% during the coming years. The ability of the industry
to adapt and grow with innovative technology is driving its exponential growth.
As per a report by EY-EEMA (Event and Entertainment Management Association), the events
industry in India is predicted to cross 10,000 crore mark by 2020-21. The key growth drivers of
event management in India are digital activation, sports leagues, rural expansion and increased
government marketing initiatives. The fad of reality television in the form of reality shows,

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dancing and singing competitions have also contributed immensely to the growth of the event
industry.
Some of the top event management companies in India are
 DNA Networks,
 Cox and Kings,
 Wizcraft,
 Cineyug Entertainment.

The events and activations industry in India is expected to cross Rs 10,000 crore mark by 2020-
21, as per an EY-EEMA (Event and Entertainment Management Association) report. The
industry, which was atRs 5,631 crore in 2016-17 overall, has been growing at a 16% CAGR,
even overtaking the Indian media and entertainment (M&E) industry, which is growing at 11-
13% CAGR, the report called ‘#Experience_Next’ said.
Key growth drivers for growth -
Key growth drivers for growth are digital activation, sports leagues, rural expansion and
government initiatives followed by IPs, personal events, product launches, expansion of
minimetros and below the line spends, the report, based on a survey of 64 event management
companies and 31marketers .

The past decade of the Indian economy has witnessed an alarming growth in the size of Event
Management Industry. It has grown by leaps and bounds in the recent past and most of the experts
in the industry strongly believe that this is just the beginning of a new era. According to the
survey done by some leading Research agencies, the organized Event Industry in India is poised
to grow by at least by 25% annually and is estimated to reach INR 5500 crores by 2014–15.

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The scope of Events has been widening day by day and the Events & Entertainment Industry
today encompasses events like Fashion & Celebrity shows, Film awards, Celebrity promotions,
Road shows, Musical concerts, Bollywood-shows, T.V. Reality shows Company conferences,
Banqueting facilities, Tourist attractions, Sports, Culture, Corporate seminars, Workshops,
Exhibitions, Wedding celebrations, Birthday parties, Theme parties & Product launch. The
continuous rise in the number and the scale of all such events has emerged as the main growth
drivers in the sector.

Events are playing an increasingly important role in the Marketing and Communications mix for
all companies. Today, Event Management has become an integral part of any Marketing plan. A
large number of companies have already recognized the benefits of Direct Marketing through
events. Events are considered as a means to Launch, Advertise or Build a brand.
Weddings are very expensive in India. A recent survey has revealed that an average amount of
$31,213 is spent by an Indian for his wedding. This number has observed a 4.5% than the
previous year. The same survey has revealed that an average amount of $27,000 is spent by a U.S
Citizen for his wedding. As the $38-billion Indian wedding market continues to grow bigger in
size, the bridal brigade — brides, grooms and their respective families — across the country seems
to have embraced the spending frenzy with open arms. About a decade ago, the most talked about
society weddings were generally limited to familial lineages. Things, however, are changing now
and anyone who has the required finances can surely have a grand wedding of their dreams.

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The Indian M&E industry grew from INR 728 billion in 2011 to INR 821 billion in 2012,
registering an overall growth of 12.6 percent. The industry has achieved a growth of 11.8 percent
in 2013 to touch INR 917 billion. The sector is projected to grow at a CAGR of 15.2 percent to
reach INR 1,661 billion by 2017.

Future Prospect of Event management Industry.

In today’s digitally saturated business environment, live conferences, meetings, and events
are more important than ever to establish an in-person touch point. And, as a result,
an event planner’s role is more critical than ever as every event provides a conduit for a
business connection that is wrapped around a unique live event experience for all
attendees. Event management has cropped up as one of the most profitable and best career
opportunities. The number of companies/individuals organizing and hosting events has been
growing rapidly. It varies from large-scale international events to small time private events. A
large team comprising of professionals is required to visualize concepts, plan budgeting, execute
and organize events.

Nevertheless, the supply of qualified event managers is insufficient to meet the growing demand.
This gives rise to great employment and earning chances. Event management is catching up as a
bright career option due to element of style, flamboyance, glamour and glitz associated with
pertinent corporate and social events because of the increasing trend in marketing and retail
sector.

Which direction will the event management progress take? The short answer: it all depends on
how the emerging event technology trends will be used.
The latest trends in event management show that there are some major changes in the way an
event lifecycle is approached. As social media and mobile communication are turning into our
best friends in the real life, they also become an integral part of event lifecycles. The innovative
tools that facilitate interaction now allow grabbing the attention of visitors both online and
offline. Event planners are mastering the instruments for targeted event promotion, enabling
fantastic personalization, and getting new agenda for engagement.

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When looking ahead, many event managers get scared of mass robotification and events moving
into the virtual space. Instead, it’s critical to focus on a different scenario that features the happy
future of events, complemented by SMART tools.

Trends of event management

Check out the current trends in event management that are changing the future of the industry:

#1. Using Internet of Things (IoT technology). The father of SMART cities and wearables, IoT
is impacting event management on different levels of event lifecycle. The technology optimizes
automated solutions for SMART parking, accelerates attendee registration, and facilitates floor
traffic tracking. In other words, the Internet of Things has now advanced capabilities for bringing
attendees to the venue, letting them in, and observing how they are doing during the event.

#2. Evolution of technology and safety. Online data, is data that requires protection. With event
software use, there is an urgent need to stay on the safe side and ensure that no cyberattacks or
data breaches can damage your strategy. The use of 2-step data verification and system log
protection, the modern software platforms help in preventing any unauthorized changes.

#3. Radio frequency identification. One more wave of SMART attributes for event
management is catered by radio frequency identification (RFID). With all opportunities that the
establishment of a RFID system opens up for an event manager, it’s a true multitasker:

 accelerate registration and onsite check-in processes;

 elevate the data analysis to develop a more targeted event marketing strategy;
 increase event engagement through solutions for online and offline interaction.

#4. Multi-use apps. Event attendees have to forget about guides on event agenda and paper-
based training, while the multi-use apps cater for all needs you can have before, during or after
the event. Registration and onsite apps enable painless check-ins; through the tools for
networking, event guests can socialize with other participants in any convenient form; website
building applications allow crafting beautiful event landing pages with no coding experience. By
adding value to attendance experiences, multi-use apps make the major trend events need.

#5. Social ads. Who needs mailing lists when there are social ads that shape the decisions of
event registrants? The future of event management is definitely connected with social media
advertising that allows event promoting, indicating who is going to attend, and sharing
information.

#6. Big data & privacy. The buzzy big data event trend is the key player when it comes to event
analytics and targeted promotion. With the help of big data intelligence, event managers can:

 get the top-notch agenda for attendee segmentation;

 track the performance and preferences of target audiences;
 adjust promotional strategy to behavioral changes.

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#7. Improving engagement. It’s a huge mistake to think that new trends in event management
are going to make people self-reliant and thereby, isolated. Tech tools should enable flexibility
and independence, but also help attendees connect with each other. This is the mission that the
apps for networking and social media platforms carry.

#8. Personalized experience. If you know what people expect to get from you, you’re more
likely to cater for their needs at events. With the key trends in event management industry that
enable targeted advertising, survey analysis, and advanced analytics, the odds are highly in your
favor.

#9. Augmented & virtual realities. Trending events promote not only advanced interaction with
each other but also with the objects that aren’t physically present. Augmented & virtual realities
account for immersive experiences and take exhibitory activities, as well as product testing, to
the new level.

#10. Wearable technology. Wearables represent a real “level up” for event interaction. By
making a good use of iBeacon, digital bracelets, and wristbands, behavioral triggering will
become a casual practice in the future of events.

#11. One-stop-consolidation of tools. 2 tools are always better than 1. And what about all tools
in one place? Event management trends reveal that one-stop platforms are gaining value on the
global market. Takeaway: the future opts for all-in-one event management software.

What to expect in the future?

Technology in events may be used in diverse ways, both conventional and new, but the future
still remains unknown. The only valid prediction that we can make about new trends of events
management industry: the future of it is mobile. Portable devices are going to govern interaction,
registration, and promotional activities. By learning how to elevate your expertise and master
new trends in event management, you can get ready for tomorrow.
No questions should go left unanswered.

Reference video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tekRVsqYjos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkVcuTE6I-s

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