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EVENT PLANNING

The first and foremost thing to do while planning an event is to know about
the client's expectations. When a client first approaches you for assigning a
task, sit with him and find out what he wants and how he wants it. Keep in
mind the fact that the client has a very hazy idea of what he wants. He
expects you to change that hazy idea into a reality. So you first need to
strike a good rapport with him. Once you know his expectations you can
start giving your inputs. Since you are a professional event planner he is
bound to believe that you have a better knowledge about these things and
will respect your judgement.

Planning an event planning requires one to take care of the following things:
1. Identify the event
2. Budgeting
3. Catering
4. Venue
5. Security
6. Hirings and rentals
7. Publicity and promotion

IDENTIFY THE EVENT

A PR officer first needs to identify the type of event to be planned, whether
it is going to be a product launch or a conference or a wedding or some
other event. Then sit and draft a rough script of the budget, target
audience, promotional campaigns, publicity, other miscellaneous
arrangements.
Answers to the following questions help the PR personnel to identify the
event clearly:

Who?
First give a thought to who will be present at the event.
… is the target audience?
First the PR personnel has to find out who are the people who will be
coming for the event. This is very important because the whole event rests
on the kind of people who are going to be invited.

What?
Next turn your attention to the type of event you are going to set up
. …type of event are you organizing? You then decide what kind of an event
it is?
* Wedding
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* Party
* Conference.
* Product launch
* Concert
* Others

When?
…do you wish to stage the event?
Here you have to decide on the dates. But before that you have to finalise
the venue. Then the date can be fixed as to whether you, as a PRO wish to
stage it next month or after a few months or one year or even more than
that. Before settling on the duration you, as a PRO need to think over the
time and other things.

Where?
When you, as a PRO are planning the event then obviously an important
factor would be the venue. Therefore the following question would help you,
as a PRO in this aspect:
…do you, as a PRO wish to host the event? If it is a wedding/party it has got
to be a hall, a conference room for a conference/ product launch.
Depending on the nature of the event you decide on the venue.

How?
If you, as a PRO decide to press ahead, ask yourself several 'how' questions
to complete your framework of objectives.
…long should the event last? Think about the duration.
…does the event fit into your overall marketing programme?
Be clear whether it is going as a stand-alone or a one-off event that is
separate and distinct from the other activities. Alternatively it could be a
part of a wider campaign- just one aspect of other ongoing advertising and
marketing work.

BUDGETTING
Undoubtedly the most important thing. The first thing to be done here is to
decide the total cost of the event. How do you, as a PRO want to plan it?
What are the various things needed for the event? In order to simplify
matters further, a checklist should be drawn where PRO writes the name of
the item, the expected cost and the actual cost.
A budget checklist ideally looks like this

ITEM ESTIMATED COST ACTUAL COST

Sponsors - -

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Venue - -
Catering - -
Overnight accommodation - -
Publicity (if necessary) - -
Rentals and hiring - -
Rehearsals(if necessary) - -
Post event activities - -
Miscellaneous - -
ESTIMATED TOTAL - -
GRAND TOTAL - -

CATERING
Now the importance of catering really depends on the kind of event. If it
were a wedding or a party then a major chunk of the entire plan would go
for catering itself. While selecting a caterer check out his/her credibility
from various sources. After you, as a PRO have him on, sort out details
regarding payment, mode of payment, payment dates and other useful
information.
Get all these details in writing and get it signed from him so as to avoid any
problems in future.

VENUE
The choice of the venue naturally depends on the kind of event. If it is a
fashion show or a product launch, then chances are high that it would be
held in a star hotel. Before deciding on the venue you should first decide on
your target audience.

Defining the target audience:

One of the most important things you, as a PRO need to do before arranging
your event is defining your target audience. You, as a PRO should have a
very clear picture of who is going to come for the event. Whether the event
is for entertainment, information or some other purpose. You, as a PRO
can't have a very trendy look for a wedding, there you, as a PRO go for the
traditional look. And again you, as a PRO keep in mind the number of
guests, their status and style, their tastes, likes and dislikes. Similarly you,
as a PRO can't have a traditional Indian look for a pop music concert. In this

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way you, as a PRO have to first identify the target audience to get started
with your event.
After you, as a PRO have decided on the venue, decide on the following
things also:
* Decorations
* Boarding/ Lodging- depending on the nature of the event
* Lighting
* Stage designing
* Outside hiring and rentals for specific purposes
* Security
* Miscellaneous work pertaining to the nature of the event

SECURITY
Whenever you, as a PRO are arranging an event you, as a PRO ensure that
it is safe and secure in all ways. Especially if it is an event which is bound to
attract a lot of attention like a musical concert or a film based award
ceremony or such other events. For this you, as a PRO need to ensure that
you, as a PROr event is fireproof and free from any obnoxious incidents.
You can't prevent them entirely but it helps to be prepared for any
eventuality. For this you, as a PRO may need to approach security service
centres in the city. You, as a PRO should be informing the police in case
there are any important or famous people coming.

Press Advertising
You, as a PRO may also consider advertising in the usual ways, most likely
in the press - an all-embracing term which encompasses a wide and
extremely diverse range of newspapers, magazines and other
miscellaneous publications.
How wide and diverse is the range of press publications?
The range of newspapers spans national dailies and Sundays, regional
dailies, weeklies, bi-weeklies and free weeklies. They all have widely
differing approaches to news coverage and reporting, and appeal to
various, definable groups of the population. They also have different
circulation and readership figures and therefore markedly different
advertisement rates. The breadth of magazines available includes general
interest publications of widespread and popular appeal, consumer-specific
titles aimed at special interest groups and business titles related to
particular products and services, to jobs and careers or to trade and
industries.
They all address their own mix of topics, attract assorted groups of people,
have differing circulation and pass-on readership figures and, again widely
varying advertisement rates. There are also miscellaneous publications,
such as directories, yearbooks, in-house journals, guidebooks and even
programmes, brochures, timetables and maps. All of these deal with
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varying subjects are published for different and definable sets of

organisations and individuals. As with the other groups of publications, their
advertisement rates vary according to their circulation and pass-on
readership figures.
In the following links you, as a PRO will learn what are the Benefits of press
advertising , Should press advertising form part of your promotional
campaign? What are the main factors that influence your decision? and How
should your press advertisements look?

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How To Write A Press Release?

You, as a PRO are co-ordinating a big event in town but don't know exactly
how to inform people about it. You, as a PRO know there is going to be a
mega event in town and you, as a PRO want to enamour everybody with a
glam ad…don't know how to do it. That's what press releases are for. We
will teach you, as a PRO how to write press releases here.

Before you, as a PRO go through the trouble of researching where a press

release should go and get down to write it, you, as a PRO should ask
yourself one important question: Is this subject really NEWS? Do you want
people to hear about it? Don't be too hard on yourself when asking these
questions, though.
1. Research your audience:
2. Organise your information
3. Write the release
4. Add the finishing touches
5. Send it out
6. Decide on the follow-up
Press releases are far less expensive than advertising and can attract the
attention of a large, targeted audience. They take relatively little time to
produce, and can create positive attention for your organization or product.
If you have news to share, what are you, as a PRO waiting for? Get out and
meet the press.

Research your audience:

The first person to see your press release will be a writer, editor, or editorial
assistant at a newspaper, magazine, or television station. This person will
glance at your press release to get a quick idea of what it's about and will
then take a decision as to whether the readers/ viewers will be really
interested in this kind of a subject. Your goal during research is to make
sure you identify the audiences who will answer with an emphatic "Yes!"
The following guidelines can help you reach that goal:
Make a wide search:
Possible audiences may be the readers of a specific section of a local
newspaper or they could be watching certain channels. Find out the
readership/ viewership rate.
Investigate television.
If you're targetting television, watch the daily news programmes to see if
anyone specializes in the subject of your press release. Ask friends if they
know of any writers or television personalities who routinely cover stories
like yours.
Keep good records.

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When gathering this type of information, be sure to write down the proper
spellings of names, correct mailing addresses, phone numbers, and, if
applicable, e-mail addresses.

2. Organise your information

Gather the facts.
Organise all the information you, as a PRO want to cover. Include the who,
what, when, where, why, and how of your story. Make sure you have the
proper spellings for names in your company or organization, and the proper
addresses and telephone numbers.
Organize the facts.
Sit down and file the information into two piles: essential and non-essential.
You're dividing the facts so you, as a PRO can keep your release short, you
don't leave out anything important and you establish what will go first.
Essential information will include who, what, when, where, and why. Non-
essential information might be any background items. As long as you, as a
PRO keep your readers in mind - and anticipate any questions - you should
be able to distinguish between what stays and what goes.
Gather quotes.
Quotes can make a release more personal and therefore more memorable.
Try to make your quote original; platitudes are a waste of space and the
reader's time. If you're promoting an event, quote some of the people
involved and about the community value of their work.
Include a photo.
If you plan to send a photo along with your release, make sure it's pertinent.
Sometimes it's best to save on cost and mention at the bottom of the
release that photos are available. If you produce your own photo(s), make
them as attractive and professional as possible, and check whether the
publication prefers black-and-white or colour photos. When mailing your
photo in, don't forget to write a brief caption on a separate piece of paper -
and attach it to the back of the photo with tape. An interesting photo
sometimes has a better chance of being published than a press release

3. Write the release

a. Before you start writing, take these things into consideration: A press
release should easily fit onto a single 8.5 by 11 inch (21.6 by 25.4
centimeters) piece of paper, preferably business or organizational
stationery. Copy can be single- or double-spaced. If you use plain paper,
identify your organization, its address, and phone number at the centre of
the top of the page.
b. Organize your information into short paragraphs consisting of simple,
declarative sentences. Your goal is to get information across, not to woo an
editor with your writing style. If you have to use any technical terms, make
sure your audience already knows them or that you explain them in the
copy. Make sure the grammar and spelling are correct. When you're
finished, have someone else check it (or use the spelling and grammar
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check on your computer). Always have at least one other person read the
release to make sure it clearly gets its points across.
c. Plan on writing a draft first, and then formatting the draft by filling in
headlines, contact information and so forth. Now, head for the pile of
relevant information. Organize it in a way that makes sense or tells a story.
Begin with the key facts that summarize the main story. Then state why it's
important or include an outstanding quote.
d. From here, include information in descending order of importance to a
reader, for instance, date of opening, address of new business, specialized
items it will carry or repair, hours when it will be open, and who the owner
is. At the very bottom, you can put a little background information.

4. Add the finishing touches

* Once the first draft is finished, create a headline for it. Make sure to
capitalize the first word and any proper nouns and to boldface, centre, and
underline the headline. It should sit directly over the main copy.
* Include as many specifics as possible to attract interest. Mentioning all
these things in the headline increases the odds an editor may stop and
consider your release.
* In the upper, right-hand corner of the press release, put the word
"Contact" and list the name and phone number of the person to contact if
an editor or writer has any questions. You can also list contacts for the
public and potential customers or funders in the body of the copy.
* At the very bottom of the copy, in the centre of the page, put the word
"end," so a reader knows there aren't any further pages. If your press
release needs to jump to a second page to tell its story properly, put "more"
at the bottom of the first page and head the top of the next page with "Page
2". Also list contacts on the upper, right-hand corner of the second page, in
case the first page gets lost
* When your final draft is ready, proof-read it again for spelling and
accuracy. Once again, have one or two people read it and comment on its
clarity.

5. Send it out
Finally, the moment you've been waiting for :- sending your news out into
the world. Here are some guidelines on mailing and emailing press releases:
* Time your release so the editor receiving it has enough time to assign it as
a story and get it into the magazine or onto the broadcast. This is called
"lead time." Don't send it so far in advance that it's forgotten by the time it
should run, though. If you're in doubt, contact the publication or television
or radio station to find out when they like to receive press releases.
* Prepare mailing labels and envelopes for all the contacts you've
researched. E mailing the release is appropriate only if you're in a high-tech
field or the publications you've targeted specifically request that method.
Paste the release into the message body, instead of sending it as an

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attachment, if you use this method. Also watch for unusual text characters
that may appear.
* If you're mailing copies, make the necessary number you need to send
out. Don't forget to keep a master copy for yourself in case you find other
contacts to send copies to and a working copy to which you can refer.
* Stuff envelopes and apply postage. If your mailing is huge, the post office
will want you to bundle envelopes according to zip code. You should check
with the post office to learn the proper protocol.

6. Decide on the follow-up

* Sometimes a follow-up helps your bid for media exposure; other times, it
hinders it. If you have sent your release to a local columnist in a small
community, a phone call might be welcome and could demonstrate your
willingness to be friendly. On the other hand, if you send your release to a
huge publication or network, where you know the editors are busy, a follow-
up phone call could be interpreted as a nuisance, especially if it's overly
chatty.
* To prevent any problems, make one call only, unless an editor encourages
you to call again. Make your call brief where you confirm receipt of the
release, offer to answer any questions or redirect a second copy of the
release to another editor, and thank the editor for his or her time. It's fine to
leave this information along with your phone number on voicemail if you
can't reach the editor directly.

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EXHIBITIONS
A company must have good reasons to exhibit, otherwise it cannot plan a
strategy that will benefit itself or the exhibition. Therefore the first question
it must consider is whether or not it really does want to exhibit. It is neither
easy nor cheap to stage a worthwhile and successful exhibition stand. As a
project, it can be a frustrating experience. Yet exhibitions can be very
rewarding when the planning and time spent prove to be successful and
trade buyers demonstrate their approval by the enquiries they place with
stand staff. At a public show, orders are usually made directly on the
exhibition stand, and more immediate reaction will be seen. Trade fair stand
enquiries generally require more time for processing and the results are not
so immediate.

Types of exhibition
There are two basic categories of exhibition:
* Trade and industrial fairs
* Consumer/public events

TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL FAIRS

Trade and industrial exhibitions and fairs fall into the following categories,
whether in India or overseas:
* Trade fairs for a particular industry or related group.
* Travelling exhibitions for a group or one company. Hotel, universities and
school exhibitions.
* Combined conference and exhibitions.
* Company product launches

CONSUMER AND PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS

Consumer shows are intended mainly to attract the public. They are staged
in many ways and fall into several categories:
* Public exhibitions
* Garden festivals
* Agricultural and flower shows
* Department store exhibitions and promotions
* Shopping arcade or leisure complex events
* Local events such as carnivals and fetes

HIRINGS AND RENTALS

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By hirings and rentals one refers to the other professionals who will be
working along with you like a photographer, decorator, videographer and a
host of other people who will be helping you out with the event.
When you are hiring them remember to do the following things
a. get a contract letter made
b. decide about the advance to be paid to the person
c. try negotiating as far as possible d. list down your terms and conditions
before signing the contract
e. take into account their terms and conditions
f. when you fix the money, you should also fix up the timings
g. check out for their credentials before signing them on
You would be working with a variety of people during each event. It could
be a choreographer for a fashion show or a stage designer. The basic thing
you must remember is to explain them as to how you visualize the event.
These are the experts who will understand what you are wanting from them
and accordingly co-ordinate with you.
You need not be an expert in everything but you should know how to co-
ordinate with all these people and bring out the best in each one of them.

PUBLICITY AND PROMOTION

If you know how to plan and organise your event, you should also know how
to market it. If there is something very peculiar or special about your event
then that has to be the main thing to be highlighted. A product launch for
example requires a sales promotion campaign either before or after the
launch. In that case the product is advertised through banners and media
and even door-to-door canvassing. Effort is taken to ensure that people sit
up and take notice of the event. Sometimes it could be an event like an
award ceremony, which is to be shown on television. You then have
different companies making a beeline for sponsoring their respective
products in due course of the programme. This is the way publicity and
promotions work.
In this section we will discuss all about Press Advertising.
We will further go on to learn How to write a press release? And after having
drafted an advertisement, how do you set about advertising in the press?

CONFERENCE MANAGEMENT
Steps:
1. Set appropriate objectives
2. Establish a realistic budget
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3. Drafting a programme
4. Planning a schedule
5. Choose the right venue
6. Bring in speakers
7. Invite delegates
8. Publicize your conference effectively
9. Employ outsiders for assistance
10. Use equipment satisfactorily
11. Stage rehearsals properly
12. Manage the event successfully
13. Have a proper follow-up

SETTING OBJECTIVES
To begin with, you must be absolutely clear about what you want to achieve
from your conference. The most efficient way to do this once again is to ask
the six basic questions - 'who, what, when, where, why and how'. Answering
them fully and accurately will provide you with a framework of objectives to
work within and towards as you organise the event.
Who?
First give a thought to who should be at the conference - speakers,
delegates - and the numbers of people involved.
…will be speaking at the event?
See if there are in-house speakers like the marketing director or the sales
manager or the managing director. Decide on how many in-house speakers
are there. Another alternative is to employ outsiders - a specialist in the
field or a celebrity who can act as an attraction to the delegates
. …all are attending the conference?
Whether you would like to call in-house staff or only people from selected
departments in the organisation. - Whether there is a limit to the number of
people attending. - Would you have to invite the company clients, media
representatives, professional associates or members of trade bodies. All
these things should be taken into account.

What?
Next turn your attention to the type of conference you are going to set up
and what do you want the speakers to do before and after the event?
…type of event are you organising?
1. Sales - If the intention is to review sales results, to set new targets or to
motivate delegates to work harder and better.
2. Incentive - If the objective is to reward best sellers, motivate and inspire
them or to encourage them so that they can attend next time also.
3. Promotional - If the objective is to launch new products and services or
rebuild the image/brand of the product.

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4. Press - If the aim is to give news/information to the media or obtain free

publicity.
5. Trade - if the objective is to discuss market activities and trends or to
reach a trade agreement
6. Training - if the objective is to show how to use products and services or
demonstrate how to carry out tasks and duties.
7. Combination - By this term it means a single show with two different
purposes like a sales and training
…do you want the delegates to do?
By this it means the aim to encourage the delegates to do something, to
maintain or improve their performance, work harder, agree on a common
approach to market problems or do a job differently.

When?
Timing is an aspect, which is always overlooked or not taken into
consideration. Therefore fix up the date and time of the event well in
advance. Don't accept dates which you think would be inconvenient.
…do you wish to stage the conference?
Consider whether you would wish to stage the event in the following month
or after a few months or a year or even later. Think over the duration and
see if you have enough time to co-ordinate the whole thing before the
stipulated time or should you consider postponing the event.

Where?
Another obviously important factor to be kept in mind is the VENUE.
Therefore the following question would help you in this aspect:
…do you wish to run the conference?
Whether this will be in the office premises or in a conference room in a hotel
or a specifically built conference room or just anywhere
…would participants want the conference to be held?
Would the speakers want the dais to be unusual or pleasant or comfortable?
Would the delegates have the same wants as the speakers themselves?

How?
If you decide to press ahead, ask yourself several 'how' questions to
complete your framework of objectives
…should the event be conducted?
Will there be one speaker talking to delegates en masse or several speakers
running various smaller sessions? Are there going to be any speeches,
presentations, demonstrations and discussions. Also consider whether it will
be just a business programme or it is going to be a melange of both serious
activities and fun or just all play and merry
…long should the conference last?
Think about the duration. Can you strike a balance to make it short enough
to maintain your delegate's interest and limit your costs, but long enough to
cover everything thoroughly?
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…does the event fit into your overall marketing programme?

Be clear whether it is going as a stand-alone conference or a one-off event
that is separate and distinct from the other activities. Alternatively it could
be a part of a wider campaign - just one aspect of other ongoing advertising
and marketing work.

MAKING A BUDGET
Once you have clarified your objectives, move on to making a budget. First
work out where the major funding is going to come from. For that consider
the following points:
Is there any money available from prospective sponsors?
If you are staging a trade-related conference, a professional association
may provide funds and would be worth approaching. Alternatively approach
organisations or individuals who might stage a complementary exhibition or
similar marketing activity alongside your own conference.
Detailing possible expenditure
It is vital that you should look at the areas where money should be spent in
order to ensure a successful conference. This factor is very important and
should never be overlooked. Identify these areas and make a rough
estimate of how much it is going to come upto and now study the following
areas:

Venue
While fixing the venue find out whether it is a fixed price or a per capita
charge. Then include the cost of the additions like facilities, services,
equipment hire, technicians, set up and dismantling charges. If you have
overnight accommodation for the delegates then include room charges,
extras, facilities and services.
Speakers
Consider the cost of finding speakers, approaching and negotiating, writing,
updating, telephoning and confirming. In addition to that consider their fees
for attending - are they specialists or celebrities. You will need to meet their
travel and accommodation expenses. Find out if they are coming from a
long distance? Do they want first class travel? Then the food and the
miscellaneous expenses need to be catered to.
Delegates and partners
Here you have to make a note of finding the delegates, the cost of inviting
them, obtaining mailing lists, printing invitations, posting them and writing
again and telephoning them. You have to consider their travel and
accommodation charges.

Publicity
If you intend issuing press releases you have to take into account the cost
of the ads, mailing charges, stationery and faxing the releases to magazines
and newspapers.
Outside help
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Needless to say, if you are considering taking outside help in the form of
organisations or individuals, some important things have to be kept in mind.
These include:
1. Printing or supplying publicity material -
This will include printing costs, packaging materials, special memorabilia for
the event, pre-conference documents and maps, postage and spares.
2. Transporting participants and goods -
This covers the stage setting, lighting and equipment such as televisions,
cameras, projectors etc.
3. Decorating the venue -
Floral decorations, banners and other miscellaneous items to be used both
inside and outside the venue.
4. Hire charges -
Now if you do not have certain facilities and services inside the venue, you
would be required to have those things hired.
5. Security -
Special people and special equipment may have to be hired as a safety
measure.
6. Catering Arrangements -
Whether it is going to be like a reception, breaks, luncheon/ dinner or a
banquet.
7. Social activities, entertainment -
whether it is needed inside or outside the venue for partners and what kind
of entertainment is needed.
8. Insurance -
Cancellation of the event, damage caused to the property, freak or serious
accidents are some of the things that could occur in the course of the
organisation. Be ready for such testing times.

Rehearsals
If a rehearsal is a must then you have to include their costs also. Travel,
boarding and lodging, accommodation, transportation, extra facilities and
services are some of the areas where you should look into.
Programme
Again this includes the total cost of the event. All that we saw till now
should be put together and the final amount should be made.
Post conference allotments
When making the budget, take into consideration the changing rates of
some items. What costs Rs. 1000 today, may cost more or less tomorrow.
Miscellaneous
Allot this section for emergency / necessary / unnecessary charges you
might come across while organising the function.

DRAFTING THE PROGRAMME

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Your next job is to sketch a programme for the conference. Think about the
theme before you actually create and devise business and social activities,
which will comprise a well balanced programme.
Having a theme
Some conferences are built on a theme. If you plan to have a theme you
should think over some questions before planning it out.
The purpose
If you want to create an impact on the delegates and others, the theme
should be a strong one. It should be able to bring in speakers for the
conference, which again is the main reason for bringing in the delegates.
Selecting the right theme
An unnecessary theme does more harm than good. First you need to decide
whether you really need a theme inorder to sell the event. Once this is
confirmed, the best option would be a theme which puts across the
message and the main idea of the conference in a clear and concise
manner.
The type of event
The basic factor of all activities is to decide the type of event you want.
Decide whether it has to take the shape of a product launch or a sales
conference or something else. A list of the different kinds of conferences is
given below:
1. A training programme
The topics that are normally covered at such an event is information about
something, data and feedback, safety procedures, maintenance and usage.
Interactivity is the key word here. Topics could be covered in the form of
lectures, discussions and demonstrations. Decide whether you want plenty
of time to lengthen the session as required, to ask more questions, to
attempt new practices under supervision or to examine the products until
the delegates are comfortable with them.
2. A Press Conference
Essentially to inform the media about something. It could be any type of
event like the above but attention is paid only to the media. It could go on
like a speech, a discussion, a demonstration or an examination and freebies
for the journalists to obtain press coverage. Keep in mind the length and the
order. Ideally it could be a speech, question and answers, a demonstration,
an examination followed by a relaxed session.
3. A Trade Event
This kind of event is generally held to commemorate something related to
trade or information about the market place, developments, trends,
opportunities, coverage of trade actions and reactions, acknowledgement of
various people in the industry. This kind of event could generally be like a
speech/es, a discussion forum and/or question-answer session.
4. A Promotional Conference
It could be information about a new product, the reasons for its launch, its
USPs, statistical data, reason for its launch and why delegates should buy it,
details about the product, special features etc. Normally it could be followed
Notes COMPILED by prof. Jaya Dudani, for SYBMS, Public Relations Management
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like this - a short introductory speech about the product and the company,
then a demonstration of the product (should give the delegates an
opportunity to touch, feel, test and examine the goods) and the company's
services and then the question-answer session.
5. A Sales Conference
Here you need the statistics of past sales figures, future sales, product
selling methods and strategies. It could be an award function where the
best performing sales personnel could be honoured. Have your time
planned accordingly. Have short breaks in between to keep everybody
interested in the event. It shouldn't be too long a session, which might end
up being dull and drab.
6. An incentive event
More or less similar to a sales conference excepting there are fewer
delegates here and the location is more exotic in nature. The objective of
such an event is to appreciate the employees for their hard work and
honour them. Speeches here could be inspirational in nature and there
could be award presentations. Consider the order and length of the
programme and its activities. Actually her you could allot more time for
breaks.
7. Social activities
Mix business and pleasure together carefully at the conference. Too many
speeches, facts and figure will tire the people so it is necessary to have light
sessions in between. The purpose is to allow the delegates to socialise,
meet and relax.
Food
The type of catering you want depends on the type of conference and its
overall timetable. Possibilities here are light refreshments, lunches, buffets,
sit-down meals and dinners. Consider entertainment also. Decide on the
length of meals and coffee or tea breaks. Co-ordinate the timings between
the meals and coffee breaks so that there is no wastage of time in between.
Entertainment
This part should not be forgotten. When you are making arrangements for
delegates, you should also remember the partners. Entertainment could be
of two types: - in-house and outside entertainments. Make a list of what
kind of entertainment is generally wanted by your client and make a proper
checklist. Think of how should everything be managed and co-ordinated?
What kind of entertainment do they want? How should entertainment be co-
ordinated with business activities? When you go about arranging the
entertainment see to it that it does not coincide/interfere with the business
activity. Parallelly work on transportation also because if it is going to be
away from the venue then the delegates needed to be taken there.
Suitable for everybody
Last but not the least, see to it that the kind of entertainment you provide
suits their tastes. Take into account everybody's tastes (of course…that's a
bit difficult) but what this means is to do something which everybody would
appreciate.
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Flexibility
Also make your programme very flexible. Supposing it so happens that you
are forced to remove some of the activities, then the rest of the programme
should not get hampered.

PLANNING A SCHEDULE
Timetabling your activities
After making a fairly lengthy list of activities that you need to carry out, you
arrange them into a timetable, which you can use for the follow up after the
event. You will need to adjust your timetable according to the time frame
given to you for organising the event.
The first month?
The second month?
The third month?
The fourth month?
The fifth month?
The sixth month?
At the event

CHOOSING THE VENUE

When you get a clear picture of what you want, you can select the town or
city where you will stage this conference. In all cases you will have settled
for three or four locations which seem to be suitably sited and now just
need to make a firm choice. When studying readily available material and
subsequently visiting towns and cities on your shortlist, address these
specific issues before reaching that all-important decision.
Is the location convenient?
When you are going about this part, ask whether:
* the speakers and delegates feel excited enough to want to attend
* it is convenient for everyone
* it is connected properly by air, rail or road
* participants will be able to reach the location on time or you will have to
delay the start of the event
* they will be able to go home at a reasonable hour.
Have arrangements been made for transportation?
* Are there buses to use during the day and in the evenings - for speakers,
delegates and other people?
* Do you need to make any special arrangements for certain people?
Are there any interesting things to do in that place?
* Are there shops to look at, gardens to visit, trips to enjoy and so on for
partners who have free time while the business programme is being
conducted?
* Are there pubs, restaurants, theatres and clubs and such like for speakers
and delegates when business activities have been concluded?

Notes COMPILED by prof. Jaya Dudani, for SYBMS, Public Relations Management
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Of the utmost importance, does the town or city provide a good choice of
conference and overnight accommodation?
* Are there a sufficient number of conference venues in the locality for you
to choose from?
* Do these venues meet your set criteria?
For overnight accommodation, check that there is a choice of hotels for you
to pick from, which meet your requirements.
Shortlisting venues
Visiting the venue
Making a provisional booking

BRINGING IN THE SPEAKERS

Clearly your first task must be to identify the people you wish to talk at the
event, lead a discussion, demonstrate goods and so on. The following
questions should help you to recognize suitable people who can then be
approached in due course.
Generally, whom should you select to speak at a conference? What qualities
are you looking for in speakers?
They should be people who are fully familiar with their subject matter and
really know what they are talking about. You might also want them to be
regarded as experts on that subject, and to have the respect of their
audience. Ideally, they should be experienced and capable of doing what
you want them to do - to make an interesting speech, control a lively
discussion, handle tricky questions or demonstrate a product in a clear and
concise manner. You might also need them to attract delegates to the
event. Should they be a personality, then? Make a note of the particular
qualities and attributes that will suit your purposes.
How many speakers are going to participate in your event?
Is it the managing director or the sales director instead? If more than that,
how many? The number of speakers depends partly on your approach.

INVITING DELEGATES
You should first know who are the delegates who are going to / supposed to
come for the conference. As soon as you get the information ask yourself
the following questions:
1)How many delegates should be invited to your conference? A selected
few, just the top salespeople perhaps, the best or the elite - is that wise?
Perhaps all the sales team - in-house and outsiders, the most successful,
the least successful? Should you invite everyone and anybody? What is
most sensible?

2)What should be the main influences on your decision regarding the

number of delegates to invite? The purpose of the event is a major
influence on your decision. Is it to reward the best of the sales team and to
Notes COMPILED by prof. Jaya Dudani, for SYBMS, Public Relations Management
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motivate others to do better, or to review everyone's sales results and set

company-wide targets for the whole sales force? Another factor is the
budget available to you. Are delegates paying their own way - and their
partners too? How much have you set aside to pay for delegates and
partners, their travel, accommodation and any extras? What will happen if
you exceed these limits? Can you balance it out elsewhere and, if so, what
will be the effects of these cutbacks?

3)Are you free to select your delegates? If so, review all these questions,
answer them fully and piece together a clear understanding of the type and
number of delegates required. Do you know who in particular you wish to
invite? If not, perhaps you have been told to invite certain people and not
others by the managing director or someone else. Can you still invite
additional delegates though those who will benefit both themselves and
your firm by attending, and so on?
After you have finished collecting the above information you should know
the main activities involved in the selections of delegates and they are :
1)Drawing a contacts list
2)Approaching delegates
3)The best way to invite these delegates to the conference
4)Information to be given to delegates .
5)After the invitation to your event has been accepted

EMPLOYING OUTSIDERS FOR ASSISTANCE

Decide whether or not you should bring in outside assistance, Think about
the types of individuals and organisations you might commission and the
main benefits and drawbacks of using them before going on to make this
decision.
Ask the following questions:
1. Which outsiders are you most likely to commission to help you?
2.Will you use outside individuals and organisations? On what does your
decision depend?
3.Can they print or provide publicity material for you?
4.How about transporting participants and products to and from the venue?
5.Can they equip the conference for you, providing equipment, facilities and
services which you need?
6.Can they supply security services?
7.What about catering arrangements?
8.How about social activities?
9.Will you need to take out any additional insurance cover ?

USING EQUIPMENT SATISFACTORILY

In this section you would basically know two things - incorporating visual
and audio-visual aids.
Notes COMPILED by prof. Jaya Dudani, for SYBMS, Public Relations Management
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Incorporating visual aids:

There are many visual aids which you may choose to include in your event
either for you or other speakers to use, as and when required.
Have you considered product displays set up by those outsiders decorating
the venue on your behalf?
Their main advantage is that they give delegates the chance to see, touch
and even taste what you are talking about – all of which helps to create a
powerful and lasting impression.
What about their disadvantages? Are they difficult or too expensive to
transport? Are they too large and bulky for the venue or perhaps too heavy
to be supported? Anything else?
Are there any similar alternatives, such as models of buildings, equipment
or machinery? Are there samples available of materials used in a particular
process or component parts of a machine? What are the advantages and
disadvantages of these? Are they easy to examine – can you gain in instant
impression? What is the cost of models? Are the samples unrepresentative?
How about overhead projectors?
Their pluses are that they are cheap to sue, down-to-earth and
unpretentious. They may be most suited to small numbers of in-house
delegates.
Their minuses include their rather basic, even unprofessional image. They
can be tricky to use and are less suitable with larger numbers of outsiders
expecting an upmarket, classy presentation.
How about slides?
The pros- They are vivid, colourful and memorable. They give a
professional, polished image and are seen by many people.
The cons?-They are costly and prone to errors – slides may be in the wrong
order, back to front or upside-down. They can be fiddly to operate and are
unsuitable for in-depth details needing to be shown in a darkened room,
which reduces speaker-delegate contact.

STAGING REHEARSALS PROPERLY

Gathering everyone and everything together for rehearsals may seem to be
nearly as complicated and time-consuming as doing it for the actual
conference – but it is worthwhile if it allows you to avoid mishaps and
mistakes which might otherwise damage or destroy your firm’s reputation if
they occurred at the event. Various individuals and organisations may need
to be coordinated for this.
1. Will all the speakers attend rehearsals?
2. What about delegates? Who will step in for them at rehearsals?
3. Are the rehearsals taking place at the conference venue?
4. How about your suppliers?
5. Will anyone be staying in the overnight accommodation before, during or
after rehearsals?

Notes COMPILED by prof. Jaya Dudani, for SYBMS, Public Relations Management
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It doesn’t end here. You should also know how to supervise activities and
make last minute changes so that your event doesn’t get goofed up in the
last minute.

MANAGING THE EVENT

Having staged rehearsals successfully, you should be able to approach the
conference itself with quiet optimism – by now, you have done all that you
can to ensure this is a winner. To manage the event well you have to
oversee various tasks and duties. Most notably: getting everyone there,
watching business activities, monitoring social activities and sending
everybody home.
Getting everyone there

Your initial task is to make sure everyone arrives punctually for the
conference and in a positive frame of mind, and in addition that every thing
is in place for them on their arrival, and thereafter.
Has everything been arranged for speakers?
Travel arrangements:
Are they making their own way here. Do they know where to go? Do they
have a map? Do they also know when to arrive? Do they have those pre-
conference documents? Are they aware of what to do in an emergency? Are
they being collected? At what time? Are they and the collectors aware of
the details? Are standby arrangements in existence in case of problems
such as strikes, curfews or breakdown.
Accommodation:
Have sufficient rooms been booked and at the right times for the correct
periods? Are they the right types – singles? Twins? Doubles? Family rooms?
Are they in the required places? Ground floor, perhaps to give easier access
to disabled speakers and their partners, possibly? Are facilities and services
available and ready as well?
Have all the necessary arrangements also been made for delegates?
Travel:
Are they coming on their own? How are they coming? Do they know all they
need to know – where and when to arrive and so on? Are they being picked
up by taxis, minibus or coach? Is everyone familiar with the pick-up points
and times? Do you have someone on standby in the event of difficulties?
Outsiders?
Accommodation arrangements:
Have the right numbers and types of rooms been made available and on the
correct dates? Have they been booked for the right lengths of time and are
they sited where you want them to be? Have the facilities and services that
were requested been provided?
What about arrangements with the venue?
Concerning speakers and delegates participating in the conference, are the
conference executive and his or her team aware of who is attending, the

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number of people who will be there, when they will be present and for how
long?
With regard to your particular requirements, which conference rooms will be
occupied by the participants? When exactly are they being used? How long
are they being occupied? What facilities are required – where, when and for
how long? What services and equipment?
Have all the appropriate arrangements been made with your suppliers?
Has everything been tested already, viewed and amended and agreed in
writing? Has everything been arranged with individuals and organisations
supplying those facilities and services which are unsatisfactory or
unavailable at the venue itself? What about other outside suppliers? Do
security staff know precisely when and where the conference is taking
place? Do they also know just how long they need to be there and what
their responsibilities are while they are at the venue? Is sufficient insurance
cover in place for everyone and everything involved with the event?
How about the overnight accommodation?
Which speakers, delegates and their respective partners are staying
overnight? How do they divide up, into single rooms, twins, or doubles and
family rooms? So, how many rooms are needed, what types, when and for
how long? One night for some perhaps, two for others? Where? Ground floor
for some, anywhere for others?
Regarding your specific needs, does the hotel know what you want to be
provided for those people staying overnight? Which facilities, services,
equipment and any other needs? Are they catering for these requirements,
and satisfactorily?

FOLLOWING THROUGH
Reviewing the event:
Often, a conference is judged to be a success or a failure without any
detailed assessment being carried out at all – typically, it is considered to
be successful if participants seemed happy and satisfied, and unsuccessful
if they did not. Clearly, this is inadequate – it is essential that an event is
reviewed carefully and thoroughly so that more objective conclusions can
be reached about its strengths, weaknesses and the consequences of
staging it.
Should you analyse the early stages when you were planning to organise
the conference?
How about the build-up to the event?
Should you evaluate the conference itself?
Who else can help you to review the event? How?

Notes COMPILED by prof. Jaya Dudani, for SYBMS, Public Relations Management
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PUBLICISING YOUR CONFERENCE

Issuing press releases
One of your first promotional actions may be to draft a press release to be
sent to appropriate media contacts that can help to publicise your business
and the conference.

What is a press release? What are the advantages and

disadvantages of issuing them?
A press release is a one- or two-page statement outlining a recent or
forthcoming news event which is forwarded to selected media contacts in
anticipation of free publicity for that event and to the individuals and
organisations involved with it. The types of `news event’ that might be
covered in a press release are the addition of a new director to the board,
the opening of another shop, office or factory and the staging of a first-class
conference.

What are the key advantages of using press releases to publicise

your event? There is minimal expense involved – they cost you virtually
nothing, just your time plus some stationary and stamps, and are certainly
much cheaper than other forms of promotion, such as press advertising.
They are also flexible – it is up to you what to include, how to state it, how
long you take to state it, when you send them and where you send them. So
there is very little, if anything, to be lost by issuing them.
Their main disadvantages are that they are hard to write well. Typically
they are full of gaps (so when exactly does that conference start?), contain
irrelevant material (what does the chairman’s life history have to do with
the event?), can ramble on and on (so what’s the point of it?), and the
response is unpredictable.
There is an element of potluck involved here. Will the recipient be
interested? Will there be space to publish an article? Will it be printed when
you want it to be? The answer is often no.
1) What should your press release look like? What should be included in it?
2)Should you use press releases as part of your promotional activities?
What are influences on your choice?
3) Having written a press release, what should you do with it?

Notes COMPILED by prof. Jaya Dudani, for SYBMS, Public Relations Management