Event planning and production

Event planning and production is an important area in the creation and development of successful events, meetings and conferences. A successful event can involve the studying of the company brand, identifying the target market, creating the event concept, planning the logistics and coordinating the audio/visual aspects of an event along with organising all the usual necessities such as accommodation, food and beverages and meeting facilities to mention just a few..

The continued growth of the incentive and events industry around the world means that the organising of events can no longer be ad hoc. Larger Events and festivals can have a large impact on their communities and, in some cases, the whole country. In these cases special grants or permits may have to applied for from local bodies.

The events and incentives industry incorporates events of many sizes from a large scale corporate event down to a business meeting for ten pax. Every industry, charity, society and association will hold events of some description in order to market themselves, raise money, offer employee incentives or to celebrate achievements.

Event planning and production is a multi-million pound industry, growing rapidly, with large scale corporate events and exhibitions held regularly. Recent reports suggest that the trend will continue to grow as results show that is usually a productive return on investment.

In-house event production
In the majority of cases 'The Event Planner' is the person who plans and executes the event from in-house. They may have all the qualifications in an events role or it could be a small family business that the secretary is organising. Event planners and their teams are often behind-the-scenes running the event, involved in more than just the planning and execution of the event but also building the company brand, being involved with the marketing and communication and giving creative input. It is a multi-dimensional profession and utilizing the services of independent planner working in a specific area can have enormous benefits in the amount of time and money saved, particularly if an event is being staged abroad and there are language barriers.

Independent planning and production companies
Independent event planners and production companies usually offer services in a wide variety of areas including corporate events, conferences and company incentive trips. Often they will specialise in a specific area making their knowledge invaluable with regards to logistics and industry contacts. They can usually work with your budget in mind and utilise their experience and local know how to obtain competitive daily delegate rates at suitable venues and hotels, organise productive team building activities, advise on suitable restaurants for gala events and parties or arrange corporate entertainment.

Marketing - getting the word out
Event Planning and Production is considered one of the key marketing and communication tools by groups and companies of all sizes, from product launches to congresses. Often companies will create promotional events that target their market audience by using the several tools. The old fashioned media outlets like t.v and radio hoping to generate media coverage is one such avenue. There is also a wide variety of event management software aimed at the events management market and these can assist visitors sign up to attend, keep track of enrolments, save a lot of time and effort in keeping track of all the delegates and also keep the users informed of your particular event or conference.

Working in the event production industry
There are an increasing number of universities which offer Graduate Degree/ Diploma in Event Planning and Production, especially in the UK where they have been quick to catch on to the new interest and many are now offering certificate, diploma, degree and masters degree coursework. In addition to these academic courses, there are many associations and societies that provide courses on the various aspects of the industry. These courses though not official, are still useful additions to a resume.

Study includes organizational skills, technical knowledge, P.R., marketing, advertising, catering, logistics, décor, glamour identity, human relations, study of law and licenses, risk management, budgeting, study of allied industries like television, other media and several other areas.

Categories
Events can be usually be classified into four broad area based on their purpose and objective:

*Leisure events e.g. leisure, sport, music, recreation
*Cultural events e.g. ceremonies, festivals, art and heritage
*Personal events e.g. weddings, birthdays, anniversaries
*Organizational events e.g. congresses, conferences and incentives

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