Managing and Planning an Event

This report explores the process of managing and planning an event, including investigating sources of market and customer research, key principles for developing event plans, methods for monitoring and evaluating event success, and recommendations for improvement. The report emphasizes the importance of market research, budget planning, understanding target audience, managing risk, and having a backup plan. It also discusses methods such as monitoring social media activity, conducting post-event surveys, measuring revenue and overhead costs, and analyzing sales numbers. The report concludes with recommendations for improving event planning and execution.

Managing and planning
an event

Contents
INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY.......................................................................................................................................3
P1Investigate sources of market and customer research to inform the event plans............................3
P2 Key principles of developing and agreeing event plans in line with customers............................4
P7 Discuss methods for monitoring and evaluating the success of an event......................................5
P9 Evaluate the results of monitoring the success of an event and make recommendations for the
improvement......................................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES....................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Event planning is a process that involves coordinating of all the details that begins to
determine target objective that sponsoring firm wants to attain (Burka, 2018). It involves the
application of project management practices to the creation of large and small scale events
that could be wedding ceremonies, formal parties, festivals, conference and concerts etc. This
is a reflective report which is based an already organised event which is Origami event. Thus,
this report is going to determine source of market and customer research and some key
principles of developing and agreeing event plans. Furthermore, methods for monitoring and
evaluating success of an event as well as some recommendation on the basis of results of
monitoring process.
MAIN BODY
P1Investigate sources of market and customer research to inform the event plans
A business research is the method of gathering data to enhance knowledge within an
organization about market and industry.In order to plan an event, an organisation requires to
collect appropriate information as well as data that helps to form an expected event
effectively. It has been analysed that a market research can assist in determining customer’s
requirement and market trends with the help of different sources of data collection. For
Origami event, it could be a beneficial to investigate information through different sources as:
Primary sources:This type of sources/research is characterized as a technique used
by researcher in order to gather data directly rather than collecting information from
previously done research (Fried and Kastel, 2020). An organisation can themselves conduct
primary research or can employ a third party who conduct such type of research on the behalf
of the organisation. The method of primary research can be:
 Survey: Now a days, most of the researcher uses survey which can be in the form of
online or offline in order to gather information directly from the respondents. For an
event company, it could be a beneficial method for analysing and evaluating data by
evaluating views and opinion of direct customers. In order to collect information from
these sources, researcher can sent open ended and close ended questions to
respondents via mail by which they can develop an effective plan for their event.
 Customer feedback: This is a most effective approach that helps in analysing views
of clients directly. For an event organisation this observation approach can aid to

make changes in their planning process on the basis of customer’s requirements and
need. It can also be in the form of reaction of a customer that researcher or event
organiser needs to observe. On the basis of direct feedback of customers, an event
firm can mould their future planning process in order to satisfy needs of their
customers.
Secondary sources: These are the type of sources that was later generated by
someone who had no first-hand experience or engagement in the incidents or situations that
someone now researching (Higgins-Desbiolles, 2018). For an event organisation, it could be
beneficial to gather information by analysing trends and market condition that are affected by
customer’s behaviour. The source of secondary information could be:
 Social media: Now a days, social media marketing is known as one of the common
platform through which an event organisation can build direct connection with their
target customers. Currently, maximum event organisers are gather information of
customer’s likes and dislikes on the basis of different trends. This process assists them
to plan a new event by analysing market values and requirements.
 Data analysis: This is a suitable option for those organisations which believes to
analyse information from predetermined sources. These types of data cannot be more
reliable because their existence basis on previous information. Thus, this is beneficial
only for those who wants to inform their customers that what they can offer based on
previous events.
P2 Key principles of developing and agreeing event plans in line with customers
Event management is all about planning a focused and professional event by
analysing requirements and needs of their target customers. Planning of an event involves
organizing, budgeting and executing process initially. The event can be in the form of
musical concert, product launch, wedding, celebration, seminars and fashion show etc. The
key principle of an event are:
Objectives of event:Planning of an event is impossible without having a clear
knowledge of its objective (Nunkoo and et.al., 2018). Therefore it is required for event
organisation and customer to analyse what experience so they want people to have. For
example at a time of organising Origami event, it is required for event planner to analyse if
they want to sell products or wants to render information about such product to enhance
customer experience.

Planning of budget:After deciding the objective, it is required for event planner to set
a budget of their overall event. This is a required process because an effective management of
budget minimises risk. Delivering a great event is impossible without having a required fund
therefore it is required for an organiser to set budget of the event initially.
Understanding target audience: Before organising an event, it is required for
organisation to identify their target audience. It is a required step before initiating any event
because after having proper knowledge of customers an organisation can only build an event
around them. One major requirement of having appropriate knowledge of customers is to
build anawareness only for specific targets in order to grab their knowledge easily.
Managing risk: Event management contains several complexity because it having
several components that lead to an incident implies many potential failure points.Therefore, it
is required for event organiser to manage their understanding in order to strategically plan the
overall process of event. These kind of practices assist to reduce risk of failure by managing
all the situation with the help of a contingency plan.
Backup plan: This is a strategic approach that determines a planning for contingency.
This is a required need that an event planner have back-up plan because no one wants to
create a negative image among its customer by the failure of any strategy. These kind of
practices assist in minimising risk with the help of robust contingency plan (Getz, 2018).
P7 Discuss methods for monitoring and evaluating the success of an event
The events so organised must be monitored and evaluated so that the factors that lead to their
success can be identified and the one that created problem can be determined. The methods
that have been used for monitoring and evaluating the Origami event so organised are given
below:
Monitor the social media activity: The origami events are quite attractive for the
people and considered to be popular craft today due to which the success of the event can be
monitored by tracking the social media activity. The number of retweets, likes and sharing of
the posts related to the event signifies the level of engagement of the people. In addition to
this with the help of the comments and likes it can be evaluated that which sessions, speakers,
booths were most liked by the attendees. Apart from this a special initiative can be taken by
the event manager as thanks giving for the one who attended the origami event on social
media platform (Keller, Deleersnyder and Gedenk, 2019). On the basis of revert on it the
success of the event can be measured in terms of satisfaction level of the attendees.

Post-Event Surveys: The success of the event can be analysed by asking taking
feedback from the attendees in context to what they like the most and what was less likely. It
will enable to get the general idea regarding the perception of attendees as well as it will
facilitate to evaluate the weak point of the event which can be improved further. The genuine
feedback develop an understanding of event experience as while taking feedback the
attendees can be given a scale for scoring their experience in between 1 to 10 with the help of
which success rate can efficiently be determined.
Measure revenue and the overhead cost: The best monitoring and evaluating
technique is key performance indicator as it facilitates the organisation to compare their
actual performance with that of the standard performance so identified by them. The
parameters that can be used for monitoring the performance include anticipated cost versus
actual cost, anticipated revenue versus actual revenue and actual cost versus actual revenue.
As the expenditure slightly go up then the revenue the event automatically becomes the
failure. The success of the event is not only depend upon the revenue but also on the branding
and ability to attract new customer due to which more money is to be spend on promoting the
event so that event ends up successfully. All this can be monitored by analysing the revenue
and income statement of the event (Newman, 2019).
Sales number: The success of the event can be monitored with the help of analysis of
the number of sales of the tickets of the event. This facilitates to evaluate the type of
customers such as whether they are repeat customers or first time visitors. Apart from this by
tracking the check-ins of the attendees the success of the event can be ensured along with the
registration done by the attendees for the workshops that were organised in the Origami
events. The numbers can be compared with the last event so that the growth can be monitored
along with the differences that have seen as well as the pattern. This facilitates to ensure
better planning of the event in future.
P9 Evaluate the results of monitoring the success of an event and make recommendations for
the improvement
With the help of various methods of evaluating and monitoring the success of the events
the results are identified and on the basis of which the planning of future event can be done as
per the recommendations so provided to the organisers. The tracking of the responses on
various social media facilitated to understand that the event was successful as the people who
attended the event had positive respond as the arrangements in the events were better but the

responses in context of the quality of foods on the stalls were not satisfactory. The tickets of
the events were sold at the prices which were kept and due to which the revenue from the
event was acceptable but was not as what was anticipated. The survey that was organised
enabled to understand that the time of registration period was short and the information about
the event were not clear to the attendees due to which they could not get themselves
registered for the workshops but the overall experience of the people was good. The
expenditure which was done on different activities can easily be monitored as for all proofs
are available but the revenue could be enhanced so that aims of supported the artisans can be
fulfilled (Alexander, 2017). The recommendations on the basis of the results are given below:
 The promotional efforts of the organiser has to be improved so that all the information
regarding the event is available to the target audiences so that they can apply and get
themselves registered for all the activities to be organised in the event.
 The food stalls that are organised must be tested in context of the quality of the food
that they are offering so that the interest of the attendees can be considered.
CONCLUSION
It is concluded from the above report that the event has to be planned significantly so
that the possibility of the success of the event can be ensured. For this better market research
is facilitated with the help of both primary research and secondary research. Along with this
the principles must be considered such as planning of the budget, managing the risks etc. in
addition to this the monitoring and evaluation of the success of the event is necessary so that
planning of the future event can be done efficiently.

REFERENCES
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Fried, G. and Kastel, M., 2020. Managing sport facilities. Human Kinetics Publishers.
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Higgins-Desbiolles, F., 2018. Event tourism and event imposition: A critical case study from
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Keller, W.I., Deleersnyder, B. and Gedenk, K., 2019. Price promotions and popular
events. Journal of Marketing. 83(1). pp.73-88.
Newman, C.L., and et. al., 2019. Benefitting a few at the expense of many? Exclusive
promotions and their impact on untargeted customers. Journal of the Academy of
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