EVENT PLANNING

OVERVIEW
This lesson will discuss about planning an event, what are the 5Ws and 1H in creating an event.
This lesson will help the students to be guided in creating their event in the future. Tips in
selecting a venue in an event is also being discussed in this module.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the lesson the students will be able to:

1. Understand the importance of event planning

2. Create their own event following the 5Ws and 1H.
3. Select the good venue for event based on the venue selection guide.

ASSIGNMENT
1. Plan your event by answering the 5ws and 1H. Present your proposal in our class.

DISCUSSION

…Let us start discussing the Event Planning…

EVENT PLANNING

Event Planning Tips

An event planning follows 5 'W's (Why, What, When, Where, Who) and 1 H (How) principle to
create an event plan.

Why?
'Why' means, why you want to organize the event - event objectives.

What do you want to get from the event?

 Do you want to organize the event to enhance your company's brand image, to increase
company's sales, to promote your client's products/services or to promote a social cause

Defining event objectives at the very start of event planning is very important as it gives you the
direction in which you should proceed to accomplish your objectives. Organizing an event
without clear objectives is a huge waste of both time and resources.
What?
'What' means what you are going to do in the event - what will be the:

Prepared by: Mary Rose Angelica B. Antero, LPT Events Management

  Event Name
What will be the name of the event? 'Auto Expo 2007".

 Food and Beverage Menu

It contains the list of food items and beverages you will serve during the event to guests
and target audience. Always consult a caterer while deciding your food and beverage
menu as he knows the best which wine is served with a particular course (i.e. meal).

Keep event theme, preferences and religion of target audience and guests in mind while
deciding the menu. If majority of your target audience are vegetarian, then it is not a good
idea to serve non-veg in the event. Similarly if majority of your guests are very health
conscious then there should also be some low calories food items in your menu. You don't
want them to go back with an empty stomach.

Also keep climatic conditions into account. Don't serve out of season food items and
beverages. Like serving ice cream/cold drink in winter, food (like spicy food) that provides
warmth during summer or food that provides coolness during winter.

 Event Profile
What the event is all about?
*This event is an International exhibition on new models of Cars and its accessories

 Guests Profile
Who will be your chief guest and other guests?
*Your guest list must include organizers, sponsors, partners, clients and specially media
people. Use your imagination to create good titles to woo your guests. Like 'Guest of
honor', star guest etc. Never give special treatment to one particular guest or guests'
group.

 Event Theme
Theme means subject. An event can be based on a particular theme like: Hollywood,
Hawaiian, Egyptian, balloon, clock, red, white etc. Theme based events are generally
parties or wedding. Like we can have party based on flowers theme. Such type of parties
are known as theme parties. In a theme party, everything from dress code, decoration,
games, music, gifts, favors to food and beverages are based on a particular theme.

 Service Providers
Who will be your service providers? Any professional providing any type of service in lieu
of money is a service provider. For e.g.: DJ, anchor, florist, videographer, photographer,
make-up artist, performers, decorator, models, technicians, usher etc.

 Obligations
These are the compulsions on the guests like dress code or the knowledge of salsa dance.

Prepared by: Mary Rose Angelica B. Antero, LPT Events Management

  Type of Entry
Decide how will be the entry. Entry will be by ticket, pass or through invitation only.

 Favors
These are the gifts given to guests. We can give gifts to guests when they enter a party,
when they win a game or when they leave the party.

 Entry fees
What will be the entry fees? If you are going to charge entry fees, then be prepared to
pay entertainment tax. Your entry fees should be according to your target audience's
status. If you overcharge you won't get any audience.

 Event Highlights
These are those activities which you do to catch your target audience and media's
attention. Like inagrauation of your fashion show by Tom Cruise, performance by Latin
singer Shakira or display of the world most expensive car etc.

 Promotional Campaign
How you are going to promote your event, organizers, sponsors, partners and clients pre-
event, at-event and post-event.

 Program Menu
It is the list of various activities that will occur as a part of the event. Sample Programe
Menu of a Conference.

 Event Budget
To determine your event budget find out what will be the cost for producing and
marketing the event. To determine production cost, create a list of logistics used in the
event and then sum up there hiring/usage cost. You can determine marketing cost on the
basis of historical data like past advertising expenditure for same or similar events.If you
are a first timer, then take help from an ad agency. On the basis of production and
marketing cost, determine your operating cost (i.e. cost to run the business). On the basis
of operating cost decide your own fees and the staff salary.

If you are organizing event for a client, then the client will bear the production and
marketing cost of the event. If you are organizing your own event then you will bear the
production and marketing cost. As an event manager, you must be able to recover your
production, marketing and operating costs plus you must be able to make considerable
profit also. Developing event budget and managing cash flow pre-event, at-event and
post event is quite difficult and requires help from an experienced professional. Better
leave this job to an Accountant if you are organizing

Prepared by: Mary Rose Angelica B. Antero, LPT Events Management

When?
When you are going to organize the event (i.e. date and time)? Keep following things in mind
while selecting date and time for the event:

 Select date and time according to target audience convenience and availability. For e.g.:
don't organize events during work days, examination days or festival times. The best time
to organize events is during weekends like Saturday or Sunday.

 Make sure that your event's date and time, don't clash with other event's date and time
specially bigger event's date and time. For e.g.: it is not a good idea to organize your music
concert on a day when there is Bon Jovi concert.

 Keep climatic conditions into mind while selecting date and time for your event. It can be
disastrous to organize event outdoor on a day when the weather is stormy or heavy rain
is expected. Here you can take help of your own experience if you are familiar with the
climatic conditions of the region where you intend to organize the event or you can take
the help of the meteorological department for the weather forecast. Find out how the
weather will be on the day of your event.

Where?
Where you are going to organize the event (i.e. venue)?

Who?
Who will be your organizers, sponsors, partners, clients and target audience? How many target
audience you are expecting to visit the event and why? You must have very good reason to this
'Why' as you will have to convince your prospective organizers and sponsors that why particular
number of people will attend the event.

How?
How exactly are you going to market and produce the event.

EVENT VENUE SELECTION

Keep following things in mind while selecting a venue for your event:

A. Target Audience/Guest Size

This means the number of people you are expecting to attend your event.

Make sure that your venue can easily accommodate your expected target audience. Your
venue should not be too small or too large for your guests. If too small, then your guests
will feel discomfort. If it is too large then you will unnecessarily end up paying more for
the venue.
Get firm indications whether guests plan to attend your event by sending R.S.V.P clearly
printed on the invitation.

Prepared by: Mary Rose Angelica B. Antero, LPT Events Management

 The term R.S.V.P is a French acronym. Its meaning in English is 'Please Respond'. If R.S.V.P
is printed on the invitation then the invited guest is expected to tell the host whether or
not he/she is attending the event. Since many people don't understand the meaning of
this term or don't bother to reply back, it is advisable to individually call and ask your
guests about their plan to attend the event. In this way you can get quite accurate idea of
the guest size which will help you in deciding food and beverage quantities also.

B. Target Audience Status

If you target audience are rich people then your venue must be a five star hotel or resort
and all the services provided during the event must be of very high quality.

C. Target Audience Convenience

Select venue according to target audience convenience. Your venue should not be very
far from the place where majority of your target audience live. Your venue should have
proper lighting and ventilation. It should not be in a noisy or polluted area. It should be
absolutely neat and clean and free from any type of infestation.

D. Climatic Conditions
Keep Climatic conditions in mind while selecting a venue. If you are going to organize an
event during rainy season or during peak winter then selecting an open-aired venue is not
a good idea. Always try to organize indoor events if possible as there production cost is
lesser than the outdoor events.

E. Venue History
Before hiring a venue check out the history of the venue. Find out how many events have
been organized in the venue so far. In this way you can find out whether or not venue and
the staff there is event friendly. This will help you immensely when you later organize
event there as you will have to do less amount of work in making the venue suitable for
the event. If venue has noise ordinance problems in the past like neighbors calling the
cops to shut down the event, then it is not a good idea to organize event there especially
outdoor event.

F. Venue Services
Before hiring a venue check out the number of services provided by the venue like:

G. Parking facility
Make sure venue has its own parking space. It should be big enough to accommodate
your target audience's vehicles conveniently. If parking space is not adequate then look
for other venue. Never compromise on parking space especially if you are organizing
event on a large scale.

H. Security Arrangements
Security of guests, service providers and target audience is a very important issue which
should never be neglected or compromised at any cost. Make sure that your venue has

Prepared by: Mary Rose Angelica B. Antero, LPT Events Management

 adequate number of fire extinguishers, fire alarms, emergency escape routes, sprinkler
system (a system consist of overhead pipes designed to control or extinguish fires),
security personals, handicap ramps, security cameras, first aid kits and power backup (like
generator, inverter, UPS). Your venue must have separate entrance and exit gates and it
should not be more than 30 minutes away from the nearest hospital. If your venue is at a
remote location then presence of doctor and ambulance is a must. Also make sure your
mobile phone properly works there. If your mobile phone network area is weak there or
doesn't exist then you must have some other modes of communication like satellite
phone. For large scale events presence of fire fighters, fire engine, police, paramedical
team with ambulance is a must.

I. Venue Staff
Your venue must have adequate number of staff to serve your guests. Find out the ratio
of servers to guests. The venue staff must be friendly, helpful and courteous. It should be
decently dressed. Give special attention to their personal hygiene. Nobody likes to be
served by someone who is stinking and looks like a pirate of the 13th century. Ask you
venue manager whether or not the staff is able and willing to work overtime.

J. Restrictions
Every venue has some unsaid restrictions like photography and videography restrictions,
alcohol restrictions, music restrictions, dress code, decoration related restrictions (like
you cannot install your own structure and lights for decoration or paste/paint anything
on the venue's wall), advertising restrictions (like you cannot put a banner on the main
gate of the venue) and other restrictions like outside caterer is not allowed or outside
security service is not allowed etc. Find out all these restrictions before hiring a venue.

K. Additional Services
Some venue provides additional services like catering, floral decoration, fireworks, audio-
visual aids; Staging, Lighting, props, decor for event production; ticketing, reservation,
transportation and sightseeing tours for the guests; DJs, anchors, performers for event
programs.

L. Venue Fees
Ask following questions from venue manager before hiring a venue:

 What is the venue fee?

Does it include all other taxes? (Negotiate rental fee to ensure the best deal.)
 What is included in the venue fee?
Is dance floor included in venue fee? Are table, chairs and linens included in the
venue fee? Is security and liability coverage included in the venue fees?

 What is not included in the venue fee?

 Is there any cost for parking?

Prepared by: Mary Rose Angelica B. Antero, LPT Events Management

 Generally parking space is provided free of the cost by the venue but some venues
may charge separately for parking facility.
 What is the price range for a seated/buffet lunch and dinner?
 What are the Corkage fees?
i.e. fees to server liquor. Make sure that venue has the license to serve alcohol.
Check the license for expiration date.
 What is the cost of sleeping rooms?
 What is your cost per person and per food item?
 What are your bartending and bar set up fees?
 What are your fees and how do you charge for providing additional services?
Such as floral decoration, fireworks, audio-visual aids; staging, lighting, props,
decor for event production etc.
 What modes of payments are available?
 What are your payment, refund and cancellation policies?

M. Venue Inspection
If you will go as an event manager to a venue for inspection you will be shown the venue
as an ideal venue for organizing your event. So best way of inspecting a venue is to check-
in there as an anonymous guest, stay there for 2-3 days and deliberately use all the
services provided by the venue.

Make sure Air Conditioners, fans, water tabs work properly, elevators are operational.
There is adequate lighting and ventilation. Check out for sanitation and infestation.

Find out how helpful, courteous and professional is the venue staff. Check out whether
or not the venue has a noise ordinance in the area where it is located? If yes? At what
time is it enforced? E.g.: 10:00PM, 11:00PM. Check out whether or not security is
provided in the parking lot and how is the law and order situation in the area where the
venue is located. Make sure that the venue suits the event theme.

N. Amount of Work Required

On the basis of venue history, services provided by the venue and venue's inspection
determine how much work is needed to be done to make the venue suitable for your
event. Select a venue where lesser amount of work is required to be done. Lesser the
work, lesser will be the production cost of the event.

O. Contracting the Venue

Creating an agreement with the venue that is enforceable by law. Find out more on the
contracting the venue page.

CONTRACTING THE EVENT VENUE

Prepared by: Mary Rose Angelica B. Antero, LPT Events Management

What is a Contract?
It is an agreement that is enforceable by law.

What is an Agreement?
An agreement is a promise or set of promises.

When a contract is considered to be valid?

A Contract is considered to be valid when:

1. The agreement has been made between two or more parties who are legally competent
and authorized to enter into a contract. For e.g. you cannot enter into a contract with a
minor.
2. The agreement has been made on the free will of the parties. Free will means, the
agreement has been made:

- Without giving threats or use of physical force.

- Without any undue influence i.e. party in the dominating position didn't take advantage
of its position or authority to get consent from the other party.
- Without fraud. Fraud means deceiving or misleading someone intentionally
- Without misrepresentation of facts.
- Not by mistake. You can declare a contract as Null and Void if you are able to prove in the
court of law that the agreement has not been made on the free will or the other party is
not authorized or legally competent to enter into a contract.

3. The contract contains consideration (i.e. benefits and detriments). A contract without
detriments (i.e. damages and harms) is legally insignificant. For e.g. if your contract
doesn't contain the penalty/compensation if a certain clause is violated, then it has no
significance.

4. The objects and consideration in the contract are not lawful either wholly or in parts. For
e.g. the following contract is considered to be void: 'After getting payment of US $ 1.22
million from Black Rose Corporation you will kill person 'A' or you will do a robbery on our
behalf.'

IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER WHILE CONTRACTING EVENT VENUE

1. Whatever you negotiate, whatever that is offered to/by you or mutually agreed upon
(including venue services, fees, items' cost, rules and restrictions), should be specified in
a written format on a stamp paper duly signed by the parties who are entering into the
contract and who are legally competent and authorized to enter into a contract.

2. Never negotiate anything verbally. If the other party refuses to accept your proposal or
their own promises in a written format, then don't do business with them.

Prepared by: Mary Rose Angelica B. Antero, LPT Events Management

 3. Decide the compensation in case your event is forced to shut down or cancelled because
of: noise ordinance, venue staff strike, change in the management staff, change in the
ownership of the venue, buy outs, bankruptcies or other guests housed by the venue who
are not associated with your event.

Make sure that the contract guarantees:

 The booked dates, time, venue space, return of deposits.

 Exact, itemized list of all the services promised and the fees associated with those
promised services including maximum cost (i.e. the cost will not go over this amount)

 Promises and commitments discussed and agreed upon.

4. Never sign a contract immediately after the venue inspection. Take a copy of the contract
agreement home/office. Read it thoroughly several times and discuss it with your team
members and attorney. Compare the contract with contracts of other venues and then
accept/reject it.
5. Always consult your personal attorney to review the contract for you and make sure that
the contract protects your interests against forceful shutdown of the event, venue staff's
strike/shortage, and change in the management staff or ownership of the venue, buy
outs, bankruptcies or violation of any agreement or clause.

During Contracting With The Venue Manager Make Sure That Your Contract Contains The
Following Clauses:

1. There should be no construction/repair work of the venue building or any of its parts
without prior approval on the day of the event. (Decide the compensation with the venue
manager if this clause is violated.)
2. No other event can take place in the venue on the day of my event. (If this is not possible
then make sure that the other event doesn't affect the services provided to you by the
venue like shortage of staff or parking space. It should not produce any party noise, music
or announcement that affects your event's programs. Decide the compensation with the
venue manager if this clause is violated.)
3. This contract is all inclusive and no other oral or written contract exists between the two
parties stated in this agreement.

Reference:
https://www.eventeducation.com/venue-contract.php

Prepared by: Mary Rose Angelica B. Antero, LPT Events Management