Event Planning and Project Management – Interim Assessment BD

Event Planning and Project Management – Interim Assessment BD
Plan
Task 1: Outline and Compare the concepts of event planning and
project management
Event Planning
 Definition and explanation: Event planning is defined as the
process of management of any project that relates to convention,
meeting, tradeshow, team building activities, convention or any
ceremony. The aspect of event planning includes budgeting,
selection and reservation of the event sites, establishment of
timelines, acquiring permits, coordination over transportation,
arranging of facilities and activities, selection of keynotes and
speakers, management of risks and development of contingency
plans.
The aspect of event planning begins with the process of
determination of an objective that would be the primary
achievement of the sponsoring organization. Thus, the event
planners are responsible for choosing of content, entertainment
facilities and speakers for covering over the entire event (Dowson
and Bassett 2015). The event planning is also defined as the
energizing act of choreographing activities and people for the
purpose of creation of a show that would be able to create
memories for an organization or individual.
Project Management:
 Definition and explanation: Project Management is defined as the
application of needed skills, knowledge, tools and techniques for the
purpose of meeting with the project requirements based on
performing certain project activities. The application of proper skills,
methods, tools and techniques would be mainly used for achieving
certain project objectives, which would further suit with the project
acceptance criteria and also within the agreed parameters (Verzuh
2015). The processes linked with project management would be
considered as divided into five groups. These include: initiation,
planning, execution, controlling and monitoring and project closure.
Project management brings forward a focus that is shaped with
goals, schedule and resources that would be unique for each
project.
From the start activities till the end of the project, every project
would comprise of a plan that would be able to outline the different
ways in which the project would be completed and the objectives

would be successfully accomplished. Every project would have a
scheduled time frame and a detailed estimation over the budgetary
aspects. Hence, with the knowledge of project management, every
concerned activity would be moving on time, within the estimated
budget and in a smooth process.
Similarities between EP and PM:
1. During the process of event planning and project management, the
initiation process groups would need to discuss the plans of the
event or project to each concerned team members. This is mainly
intended for obtaining authorization based on the starting of a
phase of the project (Bygstad 2017). In the initiation phase, it
involves the process of defining a project and further gaining of
approval over the project works and then performs the acts of
working over the project.
2. Communication is the most important key to enhance the purpose
of achieving the entire plans set for an event or project.
Communication for the details over a meeting would help the staff
and other people involved within the project to detail any issues or
problems and thus it could be sorted (Turkulainen, Aaltonen and
Lohikoski 2015). In both aspects of event planning and project
management, the event planner and project manager would be
responsible for developing different communication plans based on
sharing of progress to key stakeholders and forward meeting details
with the attendees during the meeting.
Differences between EP and PM
1. The project management software is mostly used for storing vast
form of information in relation to the project. Within the PM
software, the project managers are responsible for determination of
resources. Each of the resources is allocated certain costs according
to the activities. Further, the PM software also helps in detailing the
activities, scheduling them, allocating resources to each activity,
determination of predecessors and bringing out the costs for each
activity (Meredith, Mantel Jr and Shafer 2017). On the other hand,
event planning details out the activities that would be performed
during the event in a sequential manner. It would further detail out
the updated activities of the event, the people responsible for

different event activities and invitation list of guests visiting the
event.
2. The project managers primarily make use the PM software for the
purpose of organizing different internal teams on to a common
platform that would be integrated and detailed within the system.
One example in relation to this discussion is that a marketing team
might make use of a dedicated project management software for
the purpose of keeping a track that the different deliverables would
be completed within the set date and thus the target for the project
would be achieved accordingly (Golini, Kalchschmidt and Landoni
2015). On the other hand, event planners are responsible for
collaborating and managing of the three V’s, which are vendors,
venues and volunteers. The external group who are collaborating
within the project would be granted with some kind of limited
permissions.

Task 2: You have recently taken a job as an event planner at ExCeL.
Analyse the phases and fundamental techniques needed to plan and
produce an exhibition
Event Planning Model: Since the case relates to the planning over the
event and included phases and fundamental techniques over the planning
over the exhibition centre, ExCeL, it can be discussed that the Shone and
Parry Planning Process could be chosen (Van Niekerk and Getz 2016).
Planning for an event and making it reach towards the completion while
executing it with all planned inclusions is a challenging factor for the
event planner. In the recent case, there is a need for the planning and
execution of an exhibition within the center.
(Figure 1: Representation of Shone and Parry Planning Process
applied for event planning)