Festive Event Management

Subject Code: CEM4103

Lecture 8

Developed & Presented by :Roy Ying

Onsite logistics & crisis management

Note: Pictures used in this

power point file is for academic

Purpose only

Table of Content

• Elements of event logistics

• Crisis management

• Case studies sharing

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Resources - talent

• What should event manager be good at?

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A good event manager must be

good at supplier management

• Audio visual production house

• Designers

• MC & performers

• Transportation companies

• Securities

• Part-time staffing agencies

• PR agencies

• Marketing service providers

• Database rental companies

• Website developer

• Photographers & video crew

• Media agencies

4

• Modeling agencies

• Travel agencies

• Translation agencies

• Web 2.0 software developers

• Audit firm

• Market research companies

• Team building agencies

• Charitable organizations

• Insurance companies

• Airport VIP access service

• Telecommunication service

• Others…….

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Elements of festive event logistics

Prior to onsite

• Supplier management is the key

• It’s more important than just issuing RFPs

• They become an extension of your service

• Every PCO should havea system to qualifytheir suppliers

Ticketing

• Marketing of tickets should happen prior to the festival, but if tickets are sold onsite, queuing should be considered

Transportation• When thousands of people leaving at the

same time, special arrangements should be made

Flow of audience, VIP & crew

• Where do audience enter the venue?

• Where do VIPs come in?

Communications

• Contact list

• Radio / walkie-talkie

• Telephone cards

• Signage

• Runners

• AV Cues

Amenities and consumables

• Depends on events, but should at least include:

• Petty cash

• Stationeries and office supplies

• Electricity adaptors, extension cables

• F&B (or at least take-out menu)

• Contact lists prepared by everyone

• Personally, I’d always have my overnight kit with me on “move-in” day

Check List for Festive Event Manager

• Event Brief

• Contact List

• Registration List

• Venue Floor Plan

• Entertainment

• Catering Menu

• Transportation & Logistics

• Event Rundown (for yourself)

• Sponsors Entitlement

• Media Reception Plan

• Staff and Volunteers

• VIP Reception Plan

• AV & Production

• Task Delegation Chart

Festive Event Crisis Management

• What can go wrong?

– Macro

– Micro

MACRO

Too many bosses

Too many bosses Who (not)

to invite?

Who (not)

to invite?

Financial constraint

Financial constraint

Supplierdeadlines

Supplierdeadlines

Expectation unmatched

Expectation unmatched

Cross border communication

Cross border communication

No clear

direction

No clear

direction

Political vsBusiness Protocol

Political vsBusiness Protocol

MICRO

Too many possibilities

Venue

Design &

Production

Program

Audience

Media

Speakers /

performers

Technical

Marketing

Security

Registration /

crowd control

Partnership

Traveling

Examples of “flagged items”

• When your festival has the following circumstances, be prepared that things will go wrong

1.Large numbers of attendees

2.Use of volunteers and inadequately trained staff

3.Untried (new) venues and sites

4.Complex and specialist activity

5.Newly formed corporate event management agency

6.The high-risk period just prior to the start of an event

7.Subcontractors and suppliers who are not influenced

by the promise of possible work in the future.

How do you plan for crisis?

• Part of the knowledge gained by a person with event experience is the ability to identify when crisis will occur.

• Asking those people with the most experience to provide input about potential crisis.

• Other common sense crisis management tools include:1. Meeting with event stakeholders

2. Employing risk management experts

3. Raising the issue at staff and volunteer meetings

4. Consulting the local authorities, including the fire and police

5. Asking the emergency service suppliers

Crisis Expectation – risk level

• Depending on the type of events, there are certain crisis that you can expect to see from time to time.

– For events in Summer, plan for bad weather

– For events with celebrities, plan for delay

– For events involving live audience interaction,

plan for poor response

– For business development events, plan for a

discouraging guest registration list

Crisis Expectation

Bad Weather

Crisis Expectation

Celebrities

• Contract with production house or PR firm who supplies you the artist

• Rehearsal planning

• MC selection

• Venue access and flexibility

Crisis Expectation

Live Audience

• Plant your own audience

• Conduct rehearsal with the “extra”together with the script

• Alert MC

• Back-up logistics

• Media relations

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Example – extreme urgent case

• Investment forum from Brazilian Consulate

1st telephone

call to enquire

my service

Event date -

expect full

house

attendance

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What have I done?

• I was a PCO. There was no strategic goal. My tactical goal is to deliver full house.

• Made sure client knew what kind of nightmare they had got themselves into.

• Evaluated the job based on 5W and 1 H.

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5W + 1H

• What – Invest in Brazil

• Why – Emerging market / BRIC concept

• When – Sorry, no choice

• Where – I even get to pick

• Who – Investors, private equity, accountants, consultants

• How……..in 3.5 working day?

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How….think of “who”

• Only 3 tools I could use:

– Direct mail (database)

– Telemarketing

– Online advertising

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Back up? Contingency?

• Using the Consulate’s name, I managed to solicited support from HKGCC

• Usually when Brazilian minister comes to HK, the business community from Macau would be interested

• Hired temp. staff to hand out event flyer at investment fund retail outlets in Central that offer BRIC products

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Results & lessons learned

• I promised 40 attendees. 90 showed up. It’s just expectation management.

• Use the 5W1H framework

• Project manager must be experienced and resourceful

• Don’t do it all by yourself. Try to strike strategic alliance as much as possible.

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Unexpected Crisis• Sometimes, crisis would catch you totally

off-guarded. You just have to find a way to deal with it.

1. Don’t Panic! Approach the situation with a clear head

2. Seeking advice from your senior

3. Teamwork, surround yourself with a council of genuine knowledge of the situation – your not alone

4. Make decisions based on fact – not opinion

5. Play safe, don’t gamble, if your unsure then choose the safe option

6. Take your time – don’t be rushed into making someone else’s mistake

7. Recording …. If necessary

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Example – how to turn hopeless

events into a job “well done”• New designer. His dad paid for a fashion

parade to be held at Grand Hyatt.

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Client wanted fashion buyers

• A fundamental change to the event was required

• Using the 5W1H model, client was willing to

adjust “What”, “When” and “How”

• Buyers will not attend because of his collection,

but will come to a fun party with celebrities

• PR agent was contracted

• Extra space was created to cater for paparazzi

• The timing of the fashion parade was pushed

back because of the availability of the artists

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Buyers, retailers and media ended up coming because it’s now an interesting event

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Unexpected Crisis

• Event documentation becomes crucial

– Contact List

– Guest List, VIP List

– Seating Plan / Photo Shooting Plan

– Gantt Chart

– Rehearsal Schedule

– Rundown / Itinerary

– Site Map

Legal Issues in

Crisis Management

• Contract terms

• Liability issues

• Payment collection

Legal Issues

Case Sharing

• The organizer of an art festival went bankrupt

• Liquidator wanted all revenue we as PCO collected on behalf of the organizer be returned

• Legally, all ticket holders would not get refund unless they file claims to liquidator