Event and festival management can be defined as use of managerial practice of task management to create and develop events and festivals. Event management includes, studying the details of a product, recognizing the target audience, formulating the event conceptions mapping out the logistics and also directing the technical side of the event before actually carrying out the modalities of the planned event or festival.
Today, event management has become a strategic marketing tool and communication occasion for many companies.Events such as company gala nights, product launches, music concerts and press conferences are being used by companies as marketing and advertising events to assist the companies to be able to communicate to their customers and potential customers. But companies need to research before carrying out a successfully event. As Boehme (1999) notes, markets keep on changing together with their tastes and interests. Hence, event managers must not assume that they will be directly successful, the need to carry out market research before holding an event.The companies may use the news media to target the audience hoping to get media coverage that can cover thousands of people.
In other cases the companies invite the audience to the events to get in touch with them at the place of the event. Recently, I got one of these invitations to attend the lunch of new Hewlett Packard design jet plotters that was being held at the intercontinental hotel in California. Product launching event Once a company develops a product the next important step is to effectively and successfully lunch that product on market.The process of launching the product must tackle all the issues that will arise later such as, necessary large scale production and plans to carry out marketing activities of the product. The company had to create brochures and newsletter about the product. Train sales staff and also the support staff on product’s details.
Before the event was organized the company had to make sure that the audience is present and willing to attend.The event itself was organized by the company to launch its new product the Hewlett Packard design jet plotters a lot of people who were invited were mainly information technology specialist, dealers, corporate clients, and few non professional. Starting of the event/festival This process includes all the aspects that are going to be undertaken it the launch, from welcoming the visitors o the departure time. The starting point of this event began from the time of guest arrival.After receiving the invitation, I read the card and found out that event was going to be held at the intercontinental hotel on a Saturday as fro four in the evening running up to midnight.
Transport was going to be provided in case any require to be picked by the company cars. On the material day I left my place in car and travelled the ten miles to the location, I found usher and guides at the gate of the hotel who asked to view my invitation card then escorted me to the packing lot where a was given a tag and shown to the board room.My seat located among a group of other five. The arrangement was to have six guests on one table I was given the event program and offered cold drinks to take as I wait for the other guests to arrive. The event was supposed to kick off in the next 15 minutes.
The launching processes Before the event is taking place the company normally undertakes many steps in organisation and management of the event, a lot of marketing is done, there was an elaborate public address system coupled by the press.Also present were business press other media personnel both local and international who had come to launch the product. Various sponsor of the event were also present. The event was spectacular planned through use of detailed planning creative development that ensured success. There was an innovative concept that helped to bring a feeling of bliss. The decorations were good and were in line with the theme of the day.
The launch of the product took place at the intercontinental hotel, the launch it self was well planed and motivating.After every visitor had seated the event manager welcome the technical team to come and give a brief history of the company. This was then followed by the production manager of the team who explained the products being offered by the company and other aspects of the company. Then various speakers from different sectors who had been invited were called on the platform to come and give their views and comments about the company. As the speeches were going on we were offered drinks and beverages which were served by the hotel catering unit.I must say the drinks were okay and they helped to maintain our attentions.
The main event activity The main event of the day was of course the launching the “New Hewlett Packard Design jet Plotters”. The company’s CEO invited the co founder of the company Mr. Packard to come and invite the president of the giant Microsoft Company Mr. bill gate to official lunch the product.
The sales and promotional staff went around the hall giving the visitors brochures about the “New Hewlett Packard Design jet Plotters”. As we awaited Mr. Bill gates to come on the stage. Shortly before Mr.Bill gate got to stage there was a big cheers from the guests. As Mr.
Bill gates got to the stage, he gave a small speech and then officially launched the HP product, by cutting a tape on one of the machines that was uncovered on the stage; the screens in the hall displayed the images of the new computer which were clear and nice to view. The media people then moved into motion has they photographed the new design jet products. The event was being covered live by some local television stations and the program to get in full swing. Food and drinks during the eventAnother important aspect in event organisation is food and the beverage to be served to the audience during the event. The organizers should ensure that good food and beverages are supplied to the audience. This creates a good impression of the company organizing abilities and makes the audience to want to stay for longer periods, and be willing to be associated with the company.
This was followed by the guests being allowed to take a close view of the product and ask any technical question to the technical staff that was present. At that very time, food and drinks was served, the food was good and very enjoyable.The band of music which was hired to entertain visitors starting playing, their music was cool and it went well with the theme of the day. We started circulating in the boardroom viewing various versions of the new products.
The products were a revolution and hard a lot of feature that were proving to a high advancement from any other product on the market. The sales staff was also busy taking orders from customers as the product was being offered at a special introduction price and many customers wanted to take that opportunity, some were just anxiously to get the product and experience its new ventures.The target group of the event The target group of such an event is the most important aspect of the whole event. This will guarantee the success or the failure of the whole occasion. The market research team together with the event organizes must select the target group well. Companies use these events for the purpose of marketing and adverting and must reach the right audience when such an event comes.
Also it is important to ensure that the audience will be able to make it to the selected location of the event.If the event location is far from the target groups many of the audience may fail to turn up hence, making the whole process a flop. The company also must ensure that the event will be socially acceptable to the selected audience. For example, it will not be wise for a company to hold a female beauty contest event in a Muslim country like Saudi Arabia. Thus, different audience social and religious ethics has to be considered when holding these events. The company was a cosmopolitan occasion and a various groups of people were invited.
The many groups of course were the corporate clients of the company, other group was the dealers of HP products and also distributors, even those that do not distribute HP products were invited to the launch. Professional and technical people were invited to the launch. Also in the audience were the end users who are very important to the HP market because they comprise a big market segment. The audience was selected after a market research to ensure that the product was launched to the right audience.SWOT analysis of the event SWOT analysis means strength, weakness, opportunities and threats that the event will face this analysis is important in gauging the outcome of the event.
It is important for the company market research team to carry out this analysis, in order to be aware of the threats that the company may face and try to minimize them. As for the opportunities the company always target to maximise them. From my view as a customer, the event was a success in many ways; from the number of guests who attended the event to how the number of orders that the company made.The organisation was good and the environment was also good. However, few improvement need to be done in the future events, first the hotel boardroom was small compared the number of guests invited. This lead to viewing of the products little bit hard.
The weather also was hot and though the hall was air condition it still it become starve. The good thing also about the event is that it provided an opportunity for the company to show case it other products on the market and make, direct sale to its customers.It offered also an opportunity for the company to get the views of their customers on particular demands and desires that the customers would like the company to undertake. This was a unique opportunity for the company to get new customers.
The threats of this event were that the company could lose those customers who felt that they were not satisfied with the product after observing how the product worked. Another danger of this event was that since, competitors were present they could easily steal or copy the design and go to make some modification of the design, this is the biggest threat.
