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First published in 2004 Copyright © Stefani Lewis 2004 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or 10 per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act. Allen & Unwin 83 Alexander Street Crows Nest NSW 2065 Australia Phone: (61 2) 8425 0100 Fax: (61 2) 9906 2218 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.allenandunwin.com National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry: Lewis, Stefanie. Events made simple : organise your next function on time and within budget. ISBN 1 86508 854 4. 1. Special events – Planning. 2. Special events – Management. 3. a Budget – Management. 4. Meetings – Planning I.Title 394.2068 Set in 11/13 pt Bembo by Midland Typesetters, Maryborough,Vic Printed in Australia by Ligare Book Printer, Sydney 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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Organise your next function on time and within budget Stefanie Lewis
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Acknowledgments
I
would like to thank the following people for their contribution, advice and support in the preparation of this guide: Sharon Auld of Conventions & Incentives New Zealand, Australian Event Protection, Xanthe Bates, Jane Corby, Julie Ellis of Positively Wellington Tourism, Sonia Ferlauto, Maori Treasures, Michelle Foulcher of Sydney Visitor Convention Bureau, Julia Gelhard-Franklin of White Space Consulting Group Pty Ltd, Nicola Hirschhorn, Tom Lewis, Phil Lockyer of New South Wales Department of Aboriginal Affairs, Stephanie Ridgeway, Anna Soo, Mauro Vianello, and Maureen Wooldridge.
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Contents
Acknowledgments Introduction
iv vii
1. Getting started Where to begin Common events Templates and checklists Your event brief Timing Keeping planning on track Setting a budget Managing multiple events
1 1 3 4 4 5 8 12 17
2. Guests, running order and venue Guests Concepts and themes Finding the perfect venue Event running order Venue inspections
30 30 35 40 42 49
3. Eating and entertainment Catering Planning a menu Entertainment Audio-visual equipment
59 59 64 67 72
4. Invitations, handouts and booklets Invitations Invitation booklets and registration forms Printers Invitation distribution RSVPs
80 80 83 85 88 90
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5. Venue plans, room decorations and gifts Venue plan More on venue plans Exhibition and display areas Room decorations Gifts
96 96 103 108 110 111
6. Other things to consider Security Insurance Transportation Responsible serving of alcohol/host responsibility Protocol and etiquette Sponsorship and fundraising
117 117 122 123 126 127 130
7. Countdown to the big day The final week Event set-up The day of the event
140 140 143 147
8. After the event Follow-up and future planning
150 151
Appendix I: Sample forms Event brief Event management sheet Event budget table Income sheet Guest list Venue checklist Event running order Catering brief Entertainment brief RSVP checklist Speaker confirmation letter Security brief Transport brief
154 154 155 158 158 159 160 160 161 161 161 162 164 164
Appendix II: Helpful websites
165
Appendix III: Questionnaires and surveys
169
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Introduction
O
ne of my earliest experiences in event planning was the time I was working at an art gallery and had to organise a winetasting for an important sponsor. It was only a two-hour function but the experience I gained was fantastic. Everything that could go wrong went wrong—from the tables and chairs not being set up properly to the red wine being accidentally put in the fridge. Even though this sounds like an absolute tragedy, I learnt the three most important aspects to event planning—be calm, be positive and deal with problems head on.The thing is that even though everything seemed to go wrong, I was able to solve each problem in time so that at the end of the event, people were coming up to me saying that it went really well and that they wanted to do it again soon—again soon? At least I would be better prepared next time. This experience led me to develop my own event planning templates and checklists so that I would never have to experience that level of stress again. Looking back, it would have been great to have had some kind of event-planning guide to refer to, and that is the aim of this book—to provide you with practical information so planning your event is an enjoyable and positive experience. It is hard to think of everything that needs to be done when planning an event for the first time. But there is a real sense of satisfaction to be gained when you look at a crowded room of people enjoying themselves, knowing that you were responsible for organising their fun. Event planning is really a process with three main phases: • Pre-event The period from when you decide to organise an event, until the week before it is scheduled to take place;
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• Lead-up The week before the event is to take place; and • Post-event The weeks after the event has taken place. No matter what kind of event you are planning the processes involved are the same—you will always have pre-event, lead-up and post-event phases.This book not only takes you through each planning phase but includes user-friendly templates and helpful hints and tips from personal assistants, executive assistants, secretaries, service providers and professional event organisers. At the end of each chapter a continuing hypothetical event scenario applies theory to practice. Planning an event for the first time doesn’t need to be an overwhelming experience—it really can be a lot of fun and I wish you every success in planning your first event.
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1 Getting started
W
hile this book has been written with mostly corporate events mainly in mind, the areas I have covered and the focus I have designed can be just as applicable to private events—from parties large and small, to weddings and receptions, anniversary celebrations and so on.
Where to begin? How do you begin planning an event? What exactly is involved? These questions may seem daunting but there is no need to feel as if your world is about to crumble when you suddenly find yourself landed with the job. Successful event planning is all about being able to visualise how your event will look, then breaking that picture into the tasks that need to be done in order to make your event happen. Often the hardest and scariest part is getting started.
What is an event? Events are gatherings where people come together to exchange and discuss ideas, make decisions or to celebrate an occasion. It is best to start by defining the type of event you are planning and working out the time you have to plan it. Event planning is a process and if applied correctly will set you up for success every time.The event planning process involves the following steps: • • • •
confirming the type of event you are planning; developing an event brief; establishing the planning timeframe; developing an event management sheet;
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• confirming your event budget; and • working through your event management sheet. Your involvement with an event should first and foremost be as a facilitator.
What type of event are you planning? An easy way to answer this question is to refer to what I call the Five Ws of event planning—the who, what, when, where and why. The Five Ws are a guide to help you visualise your event. Applying the Five Ws to your event planning will help you get started. • Who: Who is this event being held by and who is it to be held for? How many people will attend the event; does this include partners and their children? Will you need to arrange childminding services? (This could prove very popular with parents as it is often overlooked!) • What: What kind of event will it be? What would be appealing to your attendees? Will it be a black-tie dinner, an outdoor picnic, a small dinner at a restaurant, a board meeting or an educational seminar? • When: When is the event going to be held? Will it conflict with other key events that may be of interest to your audience? How much time do you have for planning? How long will the event run—for example, two hours, two days? Will it be held in the morning, lunchtime or at night? • Where: Where should the event be held? In a major CBD area, close to transport, interstate or overseas? What kind of venue will be required? Will it be a function centre, restaurant, major hotel, resort or local park? • Why: Why is the event being held? Is the organisation seeking a specific outcome? Is the event intended to increase the knowledge of staff, build relationships with potential clients, reward staff for a job well done or celebrate the achievement of a colleague?
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Helpful Hint Try to allow at least three months for planning and organising any event. This may not always be possible, but this timeframe acts as a good guide to ensure all tasks can be completed within a reasonable time.
At this stage just run through these questions in your head to get a mental picture of the way your event may unfold. It isn’t important that you write an essay answering all aspects of the Five Ws—that will come later.
Common events What kind of event have you been asked to plan? Is it a meeting, sales conference, dinner for senior managers, staff Christmas party or retirement luncheon? Different events achieve different aims. There will be times where you will definitely know you have to organise a conference or a luncheon but there will also be times where you will have to decide the type of event you should be planning. Just thinking about some of the common event types will help with visualisation.
Meetings A meeting is a forum where two or more people come together to discuss business-related issues; for example, you may meet with your manager to discuss the latest sales figures or the CEO may call a meeting to address all staff. Meetings are often used when a group of people need to discuss issues or make a business decision. Some meetings require special planning such as the preparation of an agenda (a listing of what will be discussed) and the taking of minutes (a record of what was discussed). Minutes and agendas are usually required for formal business meetings such as committee or board meetings. Any good bookstore will have a number of publications on taking minutes and setting meeting agendas if you require further information.
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Conferences and seminars Conferences are gatherings where people come together to gain information and learn skills that may be relevant to their professional development. A conference is usually one to five days in duration, while seminars can range from one hour to one day in length.
Breakfast, dinner or luncheon meetings Breakfasts, luncheons and dinners are really meetings that include a meal.They are more informal and can be used to achieve many aims, including thanking a particular client or celebrating a particular occasion such as a birthday or retirement.These meetings can sometimes include a guest speaker or a particular form of entertainment—depending on the aim of the meeting.
Templates and checklists Now that you have had some time to think about the Five Ws of your event, this is a good place to mention templates and checklists. On planning an event you are often working on a number of tasks at the same time and it is all too easy to forget something. Using templates and checklists prevents you from wasting time on unnecessary tasks.The more templates and checklists you can use, the easier it will be to consistently implement the event planning process.
Your event brief An event brief provides an efficient template for you to answer the Five Ws.The event brief I use is divided into categories that relate to the Five Ws. (A copy of the blank form appears in Appendix I.) The items listed under ‘event needs’ are specific to the ‘what’ of an event.To complete the brief you simply fill in your needs in the details column next to each category. In event planning you must always think about the tasks that still need to be done while at the same time concentrating on completing the task at hand. This is why a form like this can be so useful, providing a quick overview of the tasks to be done. Some useful questions to consider while filling out the details include:
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• Catering: Will you be feeding your guests? Do guests need to bring their own food? • Drinks: Will you be serving drinks to your guests? Will attendees need to purchase their own drinks? • Entertainment: Is entertainment required? If so, what kind of entertainment and how long will it need to run? • Accommodation: Will attendees need to stay overnight at the venue? • Transport: Will transport for guests need to be arranged, such as buses, air fares or airport transfers? • Additional services: What other services will you require to make your event a success? Will you need lighting/audio-visual equipment (AV), wait/bar staff, printing? This event brief template is not set in stone. If you think your event will need to provide specific facilities such as prayer rooms or translator booths, or take account of special dietary needs, you should include them as additional items in the ‘event needs’ category. Legal secretary Mary Mack has been asked to organise a dinner meeting for the firm’s tax law partner, Martin Brown, and a valued client. Her event brief is on page 6, and she now knows what needs to be completed so she can tailor the event for the tax partner and his guest.
Timing With a clear outline of the type of event now in front of you, you now need to look at timing issues. In event management, timing includes a number of aspects—for example, you need to decide when to have your event, how long you actually have to plan it, and when it will start and finish. Working out how long you have to plan an event is easy—once you know when it is to be held, simply count back through the weeks until you arrive at the current date. The hardest part of the timing process is deciding when to have your event. Sometimes it is not just a matter of picking a date at random, for timing can be affected by a number of things. If you don’t take them into consideration, you may find that the number of people who attend your event is lower than expected or, worse still, that no one comes at all.
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Event brief
Name of event: Dinner Meeting with VIP Client Aim of event: Client update meeting Start time: 7.30 p.m. Budget: No. of guests: Venue & location:
Date: 23 November 2004
Event type: Dinner
Finish time: 10.00 p.m. $1000 2 Restaurant with harbour views, Sydney CBD Event needs: Details Catering Yes Drinks Yes Entertainment Not applicable Lighting/AV Not applicable Printing (invitation, brochure, etc.) Confirmation letter to be sent to client’s secretary Security Not applicable Transport Yes—access to taxi rank. Firm to supply cab vouchers for client and partner Insurance/permits Not applicable Accommodation Not applicable Wait/bar staff Not applicable Child minding Not applicable
Conflicting events There are a number of things you can do to avoid having your event conflict with another important event. The first point is to liaise with other areas or divisions within your organisation to ensure the date proposed for your event doesn’t overlap with other commitments or engagements. It is also wise to check the event calendars of major professional associations to ensure that your event doesn’t clash with any major conference or seminar programs or special industry dates. If you are hosting a special event you might also want to check whether any major sporting events, cultural festivals or charity events that could impact on attendance figures have been scheduled.Your state or regional tourist bureau,
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or relevant government department, may publish a listing of forthcoming events on their website.
Public and school holidays Take note of public and school holidays, as many people take annual leave around this time, especially if they have families. Holiday periods may affect the arrival and departure times of attendees travelling by plane—especially Easter and Christmas. You want to make it easy for your guests to attend and it may be difficult to confirm flights and accommodation if an event is held during peak holiday periods.
Seasons At particular times of the year, high and low season rates for travel and accommodation may affect the planning of your event. This can not only affect your budget, but can also mean a particular destination will be crowded with tourists. High and low seasons are also related to weather conditions—you don’t want guests to be trapped in the middle of a cyclone, especially if they have come from overseas. It is a good idea to check with a tourist bureau or travel agent about seasonal rates and weather conditions.
Helpful Hints • There is no magic rule that tells you which night of the week is best for hosting an event. It really comes to down to why you are having the event. For example, in planning a seminar that will involve lots of discussion and group work, you would probably steer away from a Friday afternoon or evening, when people just want to finish their working week and enjoy the weekend. On the other hand, if your event is a cocktail party, Friday evening may be perfect, as attendees generally won’t have to worry about getting up to go to work the next day. • Believe it or not, event attendance can also be affected by late night shopping, popular television shows and Mondayitis. Tuesday and Wednesday nights are often popular for corporate cocktails and networking events, as people are more in the swing of things workwise on those days.
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Travel Travel time, and the time it takes to get to the venue, should also be considered when choosing both the time and the day on which your event is to be held. For example, if you are hosting an interstate conference, you might want to fly in attendees the night before so that they have time to settle in before the conference begins the next morning.
Keeping planning on track Now that you know when your event is being held and how long you have to plan it, you will need to revisit your event brief and break each of the listed categories into individual tasks to create an event management sheet.The event management sheet, which will become your blueprint for success, lists every task, from booking the venue to gaining sign-off for invitations, to thanking the speakers.
Helpful Hint The first thing to do is make a list of all the things you can think of that will be needed to make the event a success. Sometimes you might find you have to pare back your original ideas to match a budget.
The event management sheet can also identify any additional services that you may require, such as catering, printing or sponsorship. It allows you to include completion dates for each task as well as highlighting tasks that have costs associated with them.
Helpful Hint If you are serious about event planning you can purchase specialised event management software, but a good spreadsheet program, such as Excel, Access or Lotus Notes, can also provide everything that you need to develop an event management sheet.
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Designing an event management sheet An event management sheet will take a little while to set up— especially if it is your first.The thing to remember is that you are setting up a template so that once you have designed the master copy you will be able to use it over and over again, saving you time.When planning an event for the first time, you may not be aware of all of the tasks that need to be included, or when each of these tasks will need to be completed. A detailed event management sheet template is included in Appendix I to help you. As you gain more experience in event planning you can tailor the template to match your event needs. Here, timing comes in again. You need to ask yourself two important questions about each task: which tasks need to be completed first, and how long do I need to complete each task? Which tasks need to be completed first? There is no strict order but it is a good idea to begin with items that require long lead times or will affect the information that will be included on your invitation; for example, the venue, speakers/ entertainment, catering, printing, transport and security. How long do I need to complete each task? One way to determine this is to ask the relevant service provider for an estimate.The following timeframes may also help: • Printers—allow usually one to two weeks for actual printing of items once you have approved the final artwork. • Graphic designers—allow one to two weeks for the design of invitations. • Mailhouses—allow three days to one week to distribute your invitations. Your event is a priority for you but it may be the one-millionth task on someone else’s ‘to do’ list.You will need to account for this by allowing time (three days to a week) for people to confirm arrangements, approve actions and respond to requests. The tasks listed under each category of the event management sheet (pages 10–11) should always be listed in order of the completion date.Timeframes for each task can be confirmed with
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Event management sheet
Name of event: Marketing Seminar Date: 4 August Aim of event: Discuss latest Event type: Education seminar marketing strategies Start time: 6.00 p.m. Finish time: 8.00 p.m. Item Date Who Done Comments BUDGET Develop budget
5/5
BB
Budget approved
12/5
Mngr
Develop attendee profile
5/5
BB
Confirm number of guests
12/5
BB
GUESTS
Develop guest list
12/5
BB
Guest list approved
19/5
Mngr
Send guest list info to mailhouse
18/7
BB
RSVP deadline
29/7
VENUE & LOCATION Develop order of proceedings
16/6
BB
Confirm attendee numbers with venue
30/7
BB
Source speakers
12/5
BB
Send letter of confirmation to speaker
16/6
BB
Obtain speaker biography
21/6
BB
SPEAKERS/ ENTERTAINMENT
CATERING Make shopping list
19/5
BB
Buy food and beverages
3/8
BB
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G E T T I N G S TA R T E D Item
Date
Who
Draft seminar flyer
16/6
BB
Finalise artwork for flyer
7/ 7
BB
Done
PRINTING
Send draft flyer to 7/ 7 manager and speakers for approval
BB/Mngr/ Speaker
Send flyer to printer
14/ 7
BB
Receive printed flyers from printer
14/7
BB
Book mailhouse
14/ 7
BB
Send flyers with guest address details to mailhouse
18/ 7
BB
Mailhouse to send flyers
19/ 7
BB
Draft media release
14/ 7
BB/PR
Approve media release
20/ 7
PR/BB/ Mngr/ Speaker
Send media release
21/ 7
PR
Post seminar details on website
21/ 7
PR
Print name badges
3/8
BB
Set up administration desk
4/8
BB
Set up food and beverages
4/8
BB
4/8
BB
5/8
BB
MEDIA & PROMOTION
VENUE SET-UP
EVENT FOLLOW-UP Clean venue Send thank-you letters to speakers
Comments
11
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service providers once you have set up your event management sheet. This all sounds easy enough but what does it look like when you plan a real event? Betty Brown is an executive assistant but one of her main tasks is to coordinate monthly education seminars for the sales department. Each seminar is held at the same venue, which saves Betty a lot of running around. A copy of her event management sheet for one such seminar appears on pages 10–11. Betty’s event management sheet tells us a number of things about her event planning process: • Betty knew she had ten weeks to plan the event by counting the weeks from the scheduled seminar date to the current date. • She has allocated the most time to sourcing speakers. • She has allowed a week for people to confirm, approve and respond to requests.
Helpful Hint Create a list of duties and prioritise them, then create a spreadsheet with the invited delegates ready for RSVPs.
Once you know what needs to be done and the timeframes you have to work within, you now need to look at how much money you have to spend in order to make your event happen.
Setting a budget An event budget provides an overview of what you are spending your money on, how much you think each item may cost (projected costs), how much each item actually costs (real costs) and when the item was paid for. Check the main aim of your budget is to ensure you don’t spend money you don’t have. Begin by drawing up an event budget table, which should consist of four columns (see pages 14–15). • • • •
Column Column Column Column
1 2 3 4
lists lists lists lists
the expenses for the event; the ‘projected costs’; the ‘real costs’; and the dates when services have been paid.
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A blank template of an event budget table appears in Appendix I, on page 158. Start by confirming the total amount of money you have to spend on the event.Then, referring to the event brief, make a list of all the expenses the event will incur, all the services that will require payment—for example, venue hire, catering, printing, entertainment. List these in the expenses column of the table. For items such as the venue, catering, security, transport, gifts and equipment, you may be required to pay a deposit.You will need to allow space in your budget to clearly identify when the deposit and balance for these items has been paid. Once the expenses column has been completed, you can begin allocating projected costs to each item.
Projected and real costs Projected costs are your estimations for each item listed in the expenses column. The real cost is the amount actually spent on each item. If you have no idea about what a particular projected cost might be, you could call a supplier and ask them for an estimate or quote. If this is a repeat event, you could use the real costs from a previous event (if there was one) as your projected costs. Remember to take inflation into consideration by adding an extra 10–15% to the listed prices, especially if the event was held more than two years ago. Once all of the projected costs have been included in your event budget, add them up to get an approximation of how much your event will cost. Compare the total projected costs to the total funds allocated to your event. If the projected costs outweigh the total funds allocated you may need to look at cutting back on items or assessing whether it is cost-effective to host the event at all. If you are going to be charging an admission price for your event or if you receive any income from sponsorship or grants, you will need to record this income on an income sheet.Again there is a blank template in Appendix I. An excerpt from an income sheet for a luncheon could look like the one on page 14. The Read-It Book Company is planning the launch for the forthcoming Peter Pepper crime novel. The launch will be held
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Income sheet
Name of event: E-Commerce Business Luncheon PAYEE
DESCRIPTION
AMOUNT
GST
DATE RECEIVED
Peter Thomas
Registration fee
$22.00
$2.00
2/3/03
Chris Lee
Registration fee
$22.00
$2.00
2/3/03
SUB TOTAL
$44.00
$4.00
2/3/03
TOTAL
$48.00
Event budget table
Name of event: Peter Pepper Book Launch Total funds allocated: $15 000 ITEMS PROJECTED REAL COSTS COSTS Venue Nil Deposit Balance Catering $5000 Deposit $500 Balance $4500 Printing $500 Design $500 Entertainment $1000 Deposit $250 Balance $750 Postage $250 Advertising $1000 Stock Nil Gift bags $300 Transport $100 Security $1000 Deposit $300 Balance $700
DATE PAID
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G E T T I N G S TA R T E D ITEMS
PROJECTED COSTS Audio-visual hire $600 Deposit $200 Balance $400 Equipment hire Nil Deposit Nil Balance Nil Couriers $50 Staff $200 Miscellaneous $4500 TOTAL $15 000
REAL COSTS
15
DATE PAID
at one of their bookstores in the city. The best thing about hosting this event on site is that the Read-It Book Company can save some money on venue hire and allocate those funds to other areas of the budget such as catering. The Read-It Book Company’s event planner has allocated quite a bit of funding to miscellaneous items at this stage.This is actually a good thing as once the real costs are confirmed this amount can be reallocated to other parts of the budget. If you have estimated your projected costs correctly and don’t have to reallocate funds, you will have additional funds to play with. The real cost is entered as each item is purchased. This will also provide the Read-It Book Company with an opportunity to assess: • How much is spent on each item as planning for the event progresses;
Helpful Hints • Remember to include GST in all costs. • Keep a budget file. This is where the event budget table, copies of invoices, receipts and payment records can be filed. • All quotes should be supplied in writing. These can be filed in your budget folder and act as a hard copy reference when determining the projected costs in the event budget.
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• Discrepancies between the projected cost and the real cost; and • Areas where spending may need to be pared back or increased.
Break-even cost If people are paying to attend your event you will need to determine a break-even cost.The break-even cost is the minimum amount of revenue that is required to cover all costs associated with the function. For example, to host a one-day seminar you have added all the projected costs and determined that it will cost a total of $10 000.The room you have booked will hold approximately 120 people seated. The amount you need to charge attendees to break even on costs varies according to the number you expect to attend: • If you expect 20 people to attend, the break-even cost is calculated by dividing 10 000 by 20.You need to charge $500 per ticket; • If you expect 60 people to attend, the break-even cost is calculated by dividing 10 000 by 60.You need to charge $167 per ticket; • If you expect 100 people to attend, the break-even cost is calculated by dividing 10 000 by 100. You need to charge $100 per ticket. If, however, you only wanted to charge $50 to attend the seminar, the break-even cost is calculated by dividing 10 000 by 50.Thus you would need to have 200 people attend to break even, which is more than the venue can accommodate. In this case, you would need to consider cutting back on other costs, or look for a larger venue.
GST In Australia and New Zealand, the GST (Goods and Services Tax) is payable on goods and services associated with an event.When planning your budget ensure that all providers have stated their ABN or GST numbers on invoices and quotations and that all quotations show the cost of services and products inclusive of GST. This includes printing, venue hire, catering, entertainment and sponsorship. However, ther are special exemptions that apply to educational activities. If you are unsure how GST affects your event, contact the relevant authorities.
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Helpful Hint For further information regarding financial record keeping and GST in Australia look at the Australian Taxation Office website, www.ato.gov.au; in New Zealand go to the Inland Revenue Department’s website, <www.ird.gov.nz>.
Managing multiple events There may be times when you have to plan a number of events over a set period of time, for example, if you are planning the staff social club events for the year.To smoothly manage this planning process the following steps will help: • • • •
Develop Develop Develop Develop
an event program; an event management sheet; a program budget; and an event calendar.
Step 1: Develop an event program Your event program is a listing of all the events you plan to organise. You may decide to vary the type of events so people won’t feel as though they’ve attended the same event time and time again. For example, you might decide to have a sausage sizzle one month followed by a morning tea the next, or a two-hour seminar followed by a staff/family picnic. The following questions will help you plan your event program: • What is the aim of each event? For example, to raise funds for charity, recognise employee achievement. • What types of events will be held? For example, drinks in the boardroom, sausage sizzle, sandwiches in the lunch room or dinner at a restaurant. • How many events do you need to have and how often do they need to be held? Monthly, quarterly, annually? • Have you allowed enough time between events so people don’t feel they are always going to events and not getting anything else done?
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• Will you need to charge for attendance or will your company fund the events? You don’t need to create a fancy template for your event program. Listing all of the events in a spreadsheet will act as a good reference guide as well as a starting point for the development of your event calendar. You will, however, have to complete an event brief for each event included in the program.
Step 2: Develop an event management sheet With your program finalised you can then develop an event management sheet that includes all the tasks for each event listed in your event program. As the timing for some tasks may overlap it is a good idea to create a master event management sheet listing the tasks for all the events on the program. A sample event management sheet for a financial company’s social club appears below. Two events—a morning tea fundraiser and a staff luncheon—have been selected to illustrate how the one event management sheet can be used to plan more than one event. Event management sheet
Name of event: Morning Tea Fundraiser
Date: 4 August
Aim of event: Raise funds for homelessness
Event type: Morning tea
Start time: 10.00 a.m.
Finish time: 11.00 a.m.
Item
Date
BUDGET Develop budget
5/5
Budget approved
12/5
GUESTS RSVP deadline
29/ 7
VENUE & LOCATION Book lunch room
16/6
Set up morning tea
4/8
Clean lunch room
4/8
Who
Done
Comments
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G E T T I N G S TA R T E D Item
Date
Who
Done
19
Comments
INVITATIONS Draft invitation
4/7
Email invitation to all staff
5/7
Email reminder to staff
27/7
CATERING Remind staff to bring a plate of food
27/7
Allocate space in fridges for food
3/8
Buy milk, tea and coffee
4/8
Name of event: Staff Luncheon
Date: 10 September
Aim of Event: Launch new employee safety program
Event Type: Lunch
Start time: 1.00 p.m.
Finish Time: 2.00 p.m.
Item
Date
BUDGET Develop budget
5/6
Budget approved
12/6
GUESTS Develop attendee profile
5/6
Confirm number of guests
12/6
Develop guest list
12/6
Guest list approved
19/6
RSVP deadline
29/8
VENUE & LOCATION Book boardroom
16/7
Who
Done
Comments
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Item
Date
Who
Done
Comments
CATERING Develop catering brief Order sandwiches from Big Catering Confirm final numbers with caterer AUDIO-VISUAL Prepare AV brief Book AV equipment Confirm set up details with technician Delivery of AV equipment Collection of AV equipment
Step 3: Develop a program budget With your event management sheet in place you can then devise a budget for each event and list the total projected costs for each event in the one overall event program budget. Having an overall budget will help you see how much the entire event program will potentially cost, and how much money has been specifically allocated to each event. If, after determining the projected costs, you find there is not enough money to cover the program, you may Event budget table
Name of event: Social Club Event Program 2004 Total funds allocated: $10 000 EVENT Morning tea fundraiser Staff luncheon TOTAL
PROJECTED COSTS
REAL COSTS
DATE PAID
$200.00
$150.00
4/8/03
$1000.00
$950.00
10/9/03
$1200.00
$1100.00
10/9/03
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need to consider charging people to attend or cutting back on the number of events.The real costs can be added to your overall program budget as you plan each event.
Step 4: Develop an event calendar With your program and budget in place you can now compile an event calendar, which should cover the entire event program period—possibly monthly, annually or bi-annually. To create a calendar, list all the events in date order; you should also include the time, location, any costs and RSVP details. Once completed the calendar should be circulated to potential guests or colleagues as a quick reference guide to the events that are coming up. No template is supplied for this, but a short excerpt from a staff event calendar might look like this: 2004 STAFF EVENT CALENDAR APRIL 5
Staff Sausage Sizzle
Time:
12.00–2.00 p.m.
Place: Head Office Cost:
$5 for sausage sandwich and drink RSVP: To Mary Bloggs by 26 March 24
Anzac Day Morning Tea
Time:
10.00–11.00 a.m.
Place: Newcastle Office Cost:
Nil—All staff to bring a plate of food
RSVP: To Steven Brown by 17 April MAY
Going over budget Sometimes costs can go over budget, no matter how carefully you plan an event. If this happens, don’t panic.The following suggestions may help you find some extra funds:
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• Assess the items you can cut back on, such as table arrangements, entertainment, catering, alcohol and venue decorations. Selecting a less expensive menu, or going without items such as chair covers, can allow money to be spent elsewhere without affecting the comfort of guests. • Discuss the problem with your manager; there may be available funds in another budget that can be used for the function. Delays or surprise costs can really blow your budget, especially if you don’t have a feel for projected costs. It is really important that you reserve some funding for any unforeseen delays or contingencies.
Helpful Hints • Determine the break-even cost for the event. • Obtain at least three quotes from outside contractors. • Utilise special offers where available, such as ‘two for the price of one’ discounts, and bulk-buy discounts. • Make sure you know how many people will be attending and take into account the possibility of unconfirmed delegates turning up. • Find out if you will be charged by the venue for no-shows— and how much this will be. • Clarify exactly what is included in the venue hire. Will you have to pay extra for AV equipment, for example? • Make sure you give all potential suppliers a budget for each item and tell them the absolute price limit. If they can’t do it for the money, find someone else who can.
Sponsorship and budgets Sponsorship is when an outside organisation supports your event by providing cash, products or services in return for benefits and exposure. If you are lucky enough to receive sponsorship for your event, some of the money initially allocated to specific budget expenses can be reallocated to other areas. Please remember that sponsorship should be treated as additional income as opposed to an income stream because you can never guarantee it will be secured.
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So far we have talked about the elements that enable you to visualise your event. Before you get stuck into the actual planning, let’s look at how the theory applies to a practical situation.
EVENT SCENARIO: END-OF-YEAR CELEBRATION It’s Monday morning and you have just sat down at your desk with a cup of coffee to check your emails and begin your day. You find an email from your manager asking you to organise the firm’s end-of-year celebration. Before you break out in a cold sweat and run screaming from the office, take a minute to consider the elements that will ensure your event is a success. You know that to host a successful event you will need to be organised, plan carefully and not panic. With this in mind you begin thinking about the Five Ws and your event brief. After receiving further information about the end-ofyear celebration from your manager, you confirm that the overall aim of the event is to reward staff for a job well done throughout the year. The manager also provides the main details of the function so you can finalise your event brief: Name of event: End-of-year Celebration
Date 19 December
Aim of event: Celebrate a job well done
Event type: Cocktail party—no theme
Start time: 6 for 6.30 p.m. (incl. set up time)
Finish time: 10 p.m. (incl 1/2 hr clean-up time)
Budget:
$15 000
No. of guests:
All employees—approx. 200 people
Venue & location:
TBC—preferably a large hotel in CBD
Event needs: Catering
Yes—cocktail food
Drinks
Yes—alcoholic and non-alcoholic
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Entertainment
Lighting/AV
Printing (invitations, brochures etc) Security Transport Insurance/permits Accommodation Wait/bar staff Child minding Staff gifts
No—background music supplied either by venue or by Celia in marketing Will need microphone and stand to make special staff presentations & speech from Managing Director No—invitations to be designed in-house and sent via internal email Yes—two doormen at entrance No No No Maybe, depending on venue No Yes—each employee given a letter of thanks from Managing Director, plus fun gift, e.g. stress ball or a golf umbrella
Okay, with the Five Ws covered you turn your attention to developing an event management sheet. As it is only the beginning of August and the function will be held in December, you are lucky to have four months to plan the event. With your timings all confirmed you develop the following event management sheet. Name of event: End-of-year Celebration Aim of Event: Celebrate a job well done Start time: 6 p.m. Item Date BUDGET Develop budget Budget approved
1/8 8/8
Date: 19 December Event type: Cocktail party Finish time: 10 p.m. Who Done Comments PR PR & RS
GUESTS Develop attendee profile
4/8
PR
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G E T T I N G S TA R T E D Item
Date
Who
Confirm number of guests
4/8
PR
Develop guest list
11/8
PR
Guest list approved
17/8
PR & RS
Confirm final guest numbers with venue
4/12
PR & venue mngr
VENUE & LOCATION Confirm event location 1/8
PR
Develop venue checklist 1/8
PR
Develop order of proceedings
2/8
PR
Determine shortlist of venues
4/8
PR
Undertake site visits
7–10/8
PR & RS
Obtain quotes from each site
11/8
PR
Determine final venue
12/8
PR & RS
Pay deposit
19/8
PR
Pay balance
4/12
PR
Confirm if need to provide music
12/8
PR
Prepare speech for Managing Director
20/11
PR & AK
SPEAKERS/ ENTERTAINMENT
CATERING Confirm if need to 12/8 provide own catering
PR
Source caterer (if appropriate)
26/8
PR
Confirm caterer (if appropriate)
30/8
PR
Confirm menu and drinks
30/8
PR
Done
Comments
25
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Item
Date
Who
Pay deposit to caterer (if appropriate)
30/8
PR
Pay balance to caterer (if appropriate)
5/12
PR
Confirm final numbers with caterer
5/12
PR
LIGHTING/AUDIO-VISUAL Confirm if venue can provide AV
12/8
PR
Source AV equipment if not provided
18/8
PR
Obtain quote from supplier
25/8
PR
Approve quote
2/9
PR
Confirm supply of AV equipment
2/9
PR
Arrange payment for services
PR
PRINTING—INVITATIONS Draft text and artwork for invitation
25/9
PR
Draft invitations to be approved
7/10
MB
Email invitation to staff
19/11
PR
Send RSVP reminder to staff
1/12
PR
RSVP cut-off date
4/12
PR
SECURITY Develop security brief
12/8
PR
Obtain quote from security company
14/8
PR
Quote approved
20/8
PR & RS
Confirm security arrangements
22/8
PR
Arrange payment for services
22/8
PR
Done
Comments
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G E T T I N G S TA R T E D Item
Date
Who
Done
Source staff gifts
9/9
PR
Approve gift selection
16/9
PR & RS
Obtain quote from supplier
20/9
PR
Approve quote
25/9
PR & RS
Confirm order with supplier
26/9
PR
Arrange payment for gifts
30/10
PR
Confirm access to venue
20/11
PR
Send copy of order of proceedings to venue
20/11
PR
Print name badges
18/12
PR
Set up administration desk 19/12
PR
27
Comments
STAFF GIFTS
VENUE SET-UP
EVENT FOLLOW-UP Clean venue
19/12
Venue staff
Send thank-you letters 21/12 to helpers at the event
PR
Cross-check all accounts have been paid
PR
21/12
PR=Event Organiser RS=Manager initials AK=Managing Director’s Secretary’s initials
MB=Graphic Designers
Event Budget Table You now know what needs to be done and when it needs to be done by. Your next task is to draw up a budget for the event. Your manager has allocated a total of $15 000 for you to play with. You don’t have any additional funding from grants or sponsorship and people won’t be charged for attending so there is no need to develop an income sheet. After referring to your event brief and
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event management sheet, you draft a budget, which is to be approved by your manager. Name of event: End-of-year Celebration Total funds allocated: $15 000 ITEMS Venue
PROJECTED COSTS $500
Balance
$2500
Catering
$5000 $500
Balance
$4500
Security
$1000
Deposit
$300
Balance
$700
Audio-visual
$300
Cab-fares
$150
Couriers
$50
Postage
$10
Stationery
$50
Gifts
$2000
Miscellaneous
$3440
TOTAL
DATE PAID
$3000
Deposit
Deposit
REAL COSTS
$15 000
At this stage you have $3440 allocated to miscellaneous expenses. This is a good thing as this money can act as contingency funding to cover any unexpected or additional costs associated with your event. Once your planning is underway and the invoices begin arriving, the real costs can be calculated. Well done! Having gone through all these steps, you have laid the foundations for a successful event and are about to enter the next phase of the event planning process without having a heart attack or going mad.
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It is at this point that you begin working through the tasks listed on your event management sheet. With your confidence building you turn your attention to the next tasks on your event management sheet—the guest list, event theme and location.
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2 Guests, running order and venue
W
elcome to the next steps in the event planning process! This is where you will begin working on the details of your event as listed in your event management sheet. From here on in, your event management sheet will be telling you what tasks need to be done and when they need to be done by.When you begin working on the details you can really start to get creative and have a lot of fun with the planning. So what tasks come next? In reality the next tasks will be those that have the most pressing deadlines, which means that you could be working on your guest list, planning the order of proceedings, researching a venue and booking your guest speaker all at the same time. This makes a well thought-out event management sheet invaluable. On your event management sheet, the next planning areas listed are guests and venue/location.
Guests Who you invite to your event will depend very much on why you are hosting it.Your first step will be to put together a guest list.There are three easy steps to follow when developing a guest list which will avoid leaving out anyone: • Develop an invitee profile; • Prepare an initial guest list; and • Circulate the initial guest list to relevant colleagues for crosschecking, then forward to your manager for approval.
Developing an invitee profile An invitee profile defines your audience by detailing age range, gender, company title, as well as other characteristics such as
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motivation for attending. An invitee profile also helps when you plan menus, seating, entertainment and gifts further down the track. If you are planning an event for the first time you may need to sit down and work out your invitee profile on paper. Over time you may find that you are planning events for the same audience and won’t need to develop a new profile each time— which will save you some time. If you are having trouble getting started, talking to colleagues about the type of people who are likely to attend can save you from having to guess or assume audience profile details. If you aren’t able to find out all the information about your audience, don’t worry—at least you have considered the question and got a reasonable amount of information. Some examples of different invitee profiles follow. Event 1 The Woodsville Chamber of Commerce is hosting a seminar on new tax legislation for small businesses.The function will be held in the local council’s meeting room between 6 and 8 p.m. The meeting room can comfortably hold 80 people. Invitee profile • Who would attend Small business owners in Woodsville, local councillors, interested members of the public, local media, local ATO representative, members of the Woodsville Chamber of Commerce, relevant employees of the Woodsville Council. • Age range of attendees Approx. 30–55+ years. • Other characteristics Busy people, limited time, coming direct from work, seeking knowledge from seminar. Event 2 An industry association for accountants is hosting its annual conference for industry members. The conference will be held over two days at Auckland’s Royal Hotel. The association is expecting over 350 attendees from all over the Asia-Pacific.
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Invitee profile • Who would attend Association members and their colleagues, potential members of the association, attendees to past conferences/seminars, associated professionals, i.e. company secretaries, chief financial officers, accounting students, etc. • Age range of attendees Approx. 25–55+ years. • Other characteristics Conservative, professionals, medium to high income, time poor, attending to seek knowledge and network with colleagues. Event 3 A performing arts organisation is hosting its annual fundraising dinner.The dinner will be held in the Lucky Casino. In addition to performances on the night a charity auction will be held to raise funds for the organisation’s junior development programs. It is anticipated that 250 people will attend the fundraising dinner. Invitee profile • Who would attend Major donors (past, present and potential), government representatives, sponsors (past, present and potential), key representatives from funding bodies, members, key subscribers, affluent individuals, people known to support the arts, key identities within the arts sector, e.g. celebrities, actors, musicians, etc. • Age range of attendees Approx. 18–55+ years. • Other characteristics High disposable income, attending the function to network, socialise and fundraise for a worthy cause. Event 4 The Company Secretary of Crafty Company is retiring after 20 years with the organisation. The event will be a lunchtime function held at a 5-star restaurant in the CBD. It is anticipated that 50 people will attend the lunch. Invitee profile • Who would attend Company directors, senior managers, colleagues, the person’s partner/family, key clients.
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• Age range of attendees 35–55+ years. • Other characteristics People with a close link to the person retiring, attending the function to wish the retiree well and celebrate his/her achievements. Partners and children There are no fixed rules as to whether you should or shouldn’t invite partners to your event. But remember—inviting partners and children can increase the RSVPs by 2, 3 or 4 times. For example, if the venue holds 100 people you will only be able to invite 50 people and their partners, or 25 families (assuming two children per family).The purpose of your event, and your budget, will also affect this decision—you wouldn’t invite partners and children to a business meeting, for example. If you do decide to invite partners and children not only will you need to ensure your budget can accommodate the additional guests but that your event program holds some relevance and interest for them. If you are in doubt or don’t have the authority to make this decision yourself, discuss it with your manager. Where employees are required to attend lots of work-related events it can eat into their family time. If an event can cater for partners and children not only are employees happy, but employers also find that it can act as a good morale booster.
Guest list timeframes Ideally you should give yourself at least four weeks to develop and finalise a guest list.This will allow you enough time to gain input
Helpful Hint If you want to gain media coverage for your event, you will need to invite media representatives along and distribute a press release to media outlets. Always discuss this aspect with your organisation’s marketing/public relations department or your manager to check that media involvement is appropriate.
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and feedback from the decision-makers within your organisation on who should be included. Even when the lead time for your event is short, an initial guest list and invitee profile should still be developed. The more pressed you are for time, the more diligent you need to be in fasttracking your guest list—you can’t afford to exclude someone important. If you are short on time and this is the first guest list you have ever compiled, you may find these tips useful: • Look at guest lists from similar events held by your organisation. • For a large promotional event it may be worthwhile buying a database or list from an information service provider that matches your invitee profile. A listing of information service providers can be found by looking in the Yellow Pages under ‘Information Service Providers’. Please note: these services cost money, so you need to ensure you have enough funds to cover this. • Conduct a search on your organisation’s database; for example, you may be looking to invite senior account managers working for advertising agencies within a certain postcode.The success of this kind of search will depend on how sophisticated and up to date your database is. • Give people within your organisation a deadline to include suggestions for the guest list and ensure they understand the urgency of your request. How many people should be invited? This will depend upon the budget and the venue’s capacity. For safety reasons, each venue will have strict guidelines regarding numbers. If the safety limit is breached you and the venue can be fined. When developing a guest list you can presume that not everyone invited will be able to attend. A general rule of thumb is to expect around two-thirds of invitees to accept—this means, for example, that if your venue or budget capacity is 250 people, you can send out approximately 375 invitations.
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Guest list template So how do you get started? A guest list (template provided in Appendix I) will help you. Begin by working through each invitee category, listing the people who should be invited. Depending on the event, there may not be a need to invite representatives from all categories.To avoid ending up with too many people, develop two guest lists: list A for the people who must be invited, and list B of people who can be invited when you receive ‘declines’ from people on list A.This will allow you to send the invitations out in stages so you can monitor guest numbers. But be careful that you don’t leave these lists lying around—you don’t want the B-list people to feel offended by knowing they’re on the secondary list! Below is a sample guest list.
Concepts and themes Have you ever attended an event where you felt as though you had been transported to a particular era in time or to another GUEST LIST AS AT: 16 MARCH 2004 Name of event: Judy Collins’ Retirement Lunch Aim of event: Thank Judy for her contribution to the company Invitee category Clients
Listing of invitees in that category Kay Darling—ASI International Michael Cantali—BBS Suppliers Charlie Wong—XYZ Manufacturing
Potential clients
n/a (not applicable)
Board of Directors
All board members—see list attached
Senior management
All senior managers—see list attached
Middle management
All middle managers—see list attached
Specific department within the organisation
All Finance Department employees
All employees
n/a
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Key suppliers
n/a
Media representatives
n/a
Sponsors/Funding bodies
n/a
Patrons/Members/Subscribers
n/a
Government representatives (local, state, federal)
n/a
Celebrities
n/a
Partners of invitees
Judy’s husband Neville
Children of invitees
n/a
Others
n/a
If you don’t have enough space you can include a list of names and attach it to the guest list template.
Helpful Hints • Allow yourself as much time as possible to develop the event guest list. • Develop an invitee profile. • Circulate the guest list to as many key stakeholders within your organisation as possible to ensure no one has been omitted.
place or country? Choosing the right theme can help make your event a memorable occasion enjoyed by all. A theme doesn’t always mean fancy dress balls or toga parties. Event themes can be incorporated in subtle ways to create ambience. If, for example, your event is catering to a fairly conservative group, it may not be appropriate to require guests to come in eighteenth-century costumes. You can still use that theme, but in a more low key way, using decorations reflecting that era, perhaps a small ensemble playing the music of the time very softly.There may be times where a theme is not appropriate at all. If you are in doubt it is best to discuss it with a colleague or your manager.
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Choosing a theme A theme could be as simple as choosing a particular colour or type of cuisine.The venue itself may lend itself to a particular theme— for example, a surf club may suit an event with a beach theme or an Italian restaurant may add a touch of Italy to your event—the possibilities are endless! When deciding on an appropriate theme consider the following: • The type of event—is it a charity fundraiser, Christmas party or retirement dinner? • The type of organisation that is hosting the event—is it a conservative law firm or a young and funky art gallery? • The type of audience that will be attending—are the guests 20-somethings, elderly professionals, corporate clients? Inspiration for event themes can come from almost anywhere; the subject matter of a seminar may provide inspiration, or the features of a new product—its colour, shape or name. The Internet is also a great way to source an event theme, with some sites providing advice on how to decorate and set up a room.The four themes listed here can be adapted for any event but are particularly suited to fun, celebratory events such as end-of-year/Christmas celebrations or fundraising dinners. A splash of colour Bold colours such as red, green or gold could be used for all decorations and place settings. If appropriate, you could also ask guests to come dressed in a particular colour. A day at the beach Bring the beach inside by decorating the room with themed props such as large inflatable beach balls, sand and palm trees. If appropriate, your guests could arrive dressed in their favourite beach attire and invitations could be in the shape of a bucket and spade. Choosing a surf club as your venue could further enhance this theme.
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Retro night Go back in time and ask your guests to come dressed up in sixties, seventies or eighties clothing. In addition to incorporating the theme into the catering and entertainment, you could include activities such as a retro trivia quiz or auction off donated retro memorabilia. Trip around the world Take your guests on a trip around the world by including an array of entertainers from Spanish dancers to Fijian firewalkers. The menu could be designed to add an international feel by featuring a different cuisine for each course. Invitations could be designed to look like plane tickets or boarding passes.Waiters and bar staff could be dressed as flight attendants or tour guides.
Conferences and seminars Any theme you choose for a conference or seminar should be carefully incorporated into the program so that it doesn’t detract from or diminish the subject matter. When choosing an appropriate theme for a conference or seminar, pay particular attention to: • where the conference will be held, • who will attend the event, and • what issues will be discussed. If the subject matter of the event is quite serious, you may not go with a theme but schedule a themed activity during meal breaks or at some specified time during the conference. For example, you could include performances by local musicians and entertainers or trips to landmarks and places of historical significance. Knowing that her divisional manager had an interest in American folk music and American history, and that many of the attendees were from the central west of New South Wales, one event planner went for a western theme, with a variation for each day of the conference such as ‘Going West—exploring new territories’. Everyone loved it!
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Another event manager, working for a large international organisation, hires outside entertainment that keeps to the traditions of the country hosting the conference. For a conference held in Tokyo the event planner liaised with a local events management team to organise outings to a sumo wrestling tournament and to a traditional Japanese tea house with geisha girls and karaoke.
Staff events Organisations often use events to thank and reward staff for their hard work and contribution to that organisation’s success. If the aim of your event is to recognise staff achievement, these themes may be suitable. A thank-you lunch Where the theme for the event is simply ‘thank you’, a certificate of thanks or appreciation for each attendee, signed by the Managing Director, could be placed at each seat. Achieving a sales target or budget If the celebration is for a sales team that has achieved a particular target, for example achieving 100 sales in a month, the number 100 could be used as the event theme.The function could be held at a venue that is 100 years old, or feature a celebratory cake shaped as the number 100. Retirement dinner Does the guest of honour enjoy a particular type of cuisine or have a particular sporting interest which could be used as the theme for the dinner? If the retiree has an interest in water sports, the dinner could have a boating theme and be held on a yacht or at a sailing club. Other general event themes Bledisloe Cup Love Carnivale Space Melbourne Cup Reconciliation Day Money
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Casino Chinese New Year Olympic opening/closing ceremony Colours—red, gold, black and/or white End of financial year
A particular country, e.g. Fiji, Mexico St Patrick’s Day Toga Waitangi Day
Finding the perfect venue When you begin searching for a venue you will quickly see that an event can be held almost anywhere. To help you with your search you should develop a venue checklist and an order of proceedings—what I call the event running order. These templates will help you book the right venue for your event.Working out the event running order at this stage may at first glance seem out of place, but believe me, it’s very helpful. More than likely you will look at several venues; make a short list of the three or four you prefer, and investigate them in greater detail so that you make a final decision based on the venue that can provide the service and equipment you need. If this is the first time you have planned an event it is probably best to research about five different venues, then break this down to a short list of three, before making your final choice.
Venue checklist A venue checklist will help you obtain consistent information from each venue you are considering for your event. So that you don’t have to start from scratch, a checklist template is provided in Appendix I. A completed checklist might look like the one opposite. The template for this checklist can be tailored for your event. Another good thing about the venue checklist is that it can act as a permanent record of what a particular venue space has to offer, which can save you from having to contact the venues again when planning future events. It should be noted, however, that once a
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Venue checklist
Name of event: Half-yearly Sales Conference Proposed venue: Capital Hotel Function Room Venue criteria Can the venue provide:
Provided
A space that complements the event theme
A booking on the required date
Access at the required times
Catering services, e.g. food/beverages, wait staff
Business administration services, e.g. phone, fax, Internet
Room capacity for the expected number of guests
Access to public transport
Disabled access and facilities
Easy access to the office
Audio-visual equipment
Sufficient power points for equipment
Accommodation for guests (if appropriate)
n/a
Additional rooms for workshops (if appropriate)
n/a
Separate rooms for meals (if appropriate)
Transport services (if appropriate)
n/a
Contact information for room decorations, costume hire, etc. (if appropriate)
n/a
checklist is over two years old it is worthwhile double-checking that your information is still current. Before contacting venues you need to be sure that you haven’t left anything off your checklist. The best way to do this is to go through what will happen during your event in a fairly detailed way.This may seem a little difficult at first, because you will need to use your imagination to some degree. An easy way to begin is by pretending that you are a guest entering the venue for the first time. What happens when you enter the room? Do you simply sit down to wait for the speaker/entertainment or do you help yourself to refreshments? What happens next? Does the speaker present? What happens next? Is there time for questions from the audience? At the event’s conclusion, will
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refreshments be served or will attendees just get up and leave? Once you have thought about how your event will unfold, you then transfer this visual information into a written event running order.
Event running order The event running order (a template appears in Appendix I) details what will happen during each part of your event—from the minute the first guest enters the room until the last guest leaves—just like an itinerary. Begin by writing down the start time, then allocate times for each part of the event, for example, 15 minutes for guests to register, 30 minutes for the guest speaker and so on. How much time you allocate will depend on how long the event goes for, how many speakers you have, whether you have a set period for entertainment and whether you will be serving refreshments. In allocating timeframes it is also important to think about things from your guests’ perspective. For example, how long would you like to stand or sit for a presentation? If you are planning a Friday night cocktail party you don’t want to have your guests standing throughout an hour-long presentation! An event running order for a two-hour education seminar appears opposite. For a two-hour seminar, 15 minutes have been allocated for people to arrive and register their attendance before kicking off official proceedings.The speaker will present for an hour, leaving half an hour for questions and networking at the presentation’s conclusion. Half an hour has been allocated to cleaning up once all guests have departed.
More on timing . . . It is good to work to a 20–30 minute timeframe for speeches and presentations. If your presentation is longer than 30 minutes, including a short break, some entertainment, question time or introducing a new speaker enables the audience to refocus their attention.
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Event running order
Name of event: EFG Customer Service Seminar No. of attendees: 80 Type of function: Seminar Time: 6.00–8.30 p.m. Time Activity 6–6.15 p.m. Guests arrive and collect name badges from admin desk 6.15–6.25 p.m. Guests asked to be seated Chairperson welcomes guests and introduces speaker, Mr Herman Glumpf 6.25–7.30 p.m. Guest speaker presentation 7.30–8 p.m. Questions from the audience 8–8.30 p.m. Refreshments and networking 8.30 p.m. Event ends, guests depart 8.30–9 p.m. Clean-up
A general timeframe guide for presentations is: • 5–20 minutes For events where people don’t have allocated seating, such as cocktail parties, staff meetings. • 20 minutes–1 hour For events where people have seating such as seminars, conferences, dinners. • 1+ hours For events where people have seating such as seminars and conferences. You may need to incorporate a short break during the presentation for people to refocus their attention. For venue set-up and clean-up, the time required can vary from 15 minutes to a week. How long you allocate for these tasks will depend upon the venue. If you have to set up everything, including chairs and tables, you may need a day or two. If you only have to set up a registration desk you may only need 15 minutes.You should allow the same amount of time for cleaning up as you did for setting up the venue. The time you need to allow for guest registration will depend upon how many guests you are anticipating, whether they will be paying on the night and whether they need to collect any materials.The more guests have to do when they arrive means the
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longer you will need to allocate for event registration, anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. These are rough guides only; every event you organise will be different. Once you have put together your first event running order, allocating timeframes will become easier to do.
Conferences and seminars For conferences and seminars, or any event running for more than one day, you will need to draft a running order for each day. The running schedule for a two-day conference might look like the one opposite the WXA Company. No template is provided for this—it’s just a matter of increasing the number of columns on your event running order template. With your checklist and order of proceedings finalised, you will start to gain a feel for the type of venue you require— whether it is a large hotel, your local club or a 5-star restaurant. The next thing to do is narrow your search by developing a short list of preferred venues.
The search for the perfect venue There are literally thousands of venues around Australia and New Zealand where you can host an event. In addition to using the venue checklist and order of proceedings, there are a number of organisations that can also help find the right venue for you. Convention and visitor bureaus Convention and visitor bureaus are located in all capital cities within Australia and New Zealand. These organisations offer a range of services including venue sourcing, information sessions for event planners, guest activities, choosing menus and sourcing speakers or entertainers. Bureaus offer membership to organisations that are part of the event planning industry, or which regularly host events. Event planning associations The Meetings Industry Association of Australia (MIAA) and the New Zealand Convention Association (CINZ) provide education
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Extended event running order
Name of event: WXA Company Sales Conference No. of attendees: 350 Type of function: Two-day conference with break-out sessions Day 1 Time:
9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Running order for event
Day 2 Time: 9 a.m.–10 p.m. Running order for event
8.30–9 a.m.
Registration
9–10 a.m.
9–9.15 a.m.
Official opening 10–11 a.m. and Welcome to Country
Keynote speaker Guest presenter
9.15–10.15 a.m. Keynote speaker
11–11.15 a.m. Morning tea
10.15–10.30 a.m. Morning tea
11.15 a.m.– 1 p.m.
Panel session debate
10.30–11.30 a.m. Guest speaker 1–2 p.m.
Lunch and guest speaker
11.35 a.m.– 1 p.m.
Guest speaker 2–3.30 p.m.
Break-out discussion groups
1–2.30 p.m.
Lunch with 3.30–3.45 p.m. Afternoon tea guest speaker
2.30–3.30 p.m.
Guest speaker 3.45–4.45 p.m. Guest speaker
3.30–3.45 p.m.
Afternoon tea
4.45–5 p.m.
Conclusion of conference
3.45–4.45 p.m.
Break-out discussion groups
6–10 p.m.
End of conference dinner
4.45–5 p.m.
Conclusion of day one
courses and helpful resources for event managers. They can also assist with all aspects of event planning, including the sourcing of venues.
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You can find out more information about them on their websites <www.miaa.com.au> or <www.conventionnz.co.nz>. Professional conference organisers and event management companies External consultants can also be hired to assist in planning an event. To source an organisation near you, look up ‘Conference Organisers’ in the Yellow Pages or undertake a search on the Internet. If you are planning an event for the first time it is sometimes helpful just to talk to someone about it. Contacting a convention or visitor bureau or speaking to the event manager at a well-known hotel, or similar venue, can be a good starting point.
Venue location When deciding on a suitable location you may consider hosting the event in your own office (on site), using the boardroom or training room as your venue. This can save money on venue-hire fees—but what you will probably find is that you have to organise all the catering, audio-visual equipment, chairs, tables and security yourself. (Many outside venues can do a lot of this for you.) You may be lucky enough to work for an organisation that has its own kitchen facilities and caterers, which comes in handy.You may be even luckier, and work for an organisation that has a dedicated onsite venue space, either interstate or overseas, which will save you a lot of time trying to source a suitable venue in a location that you don’t know very well. If you decide to host your event in a venue outside your office (off site), you will most probably be looking at hotels and function centres, clubs, restaurants and outdoor venues. Hotels and function centres Hotels and function centres usually offer a range of venue spaces and facilities for events. They are particularly suitable for large events such as fundraising dinners, charity balls, seminars and conferences, with hotels also providing the option of accommodation. Hotels and function centres may also give you a listing of
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preferred caterers or service providers, which means that when hiring their venue facilities these organisations must be used for catering or equipment hire. This can be a blessing if you are pressed for time, or a curse if your organisation has its own preferred service providers and you can’t use them. Such venues often employ their own event manager, who will assist with your event planning. Clubs Clubs also offer a range of venue facilities, suitable for conferences and seminars as well as training workshops and meetings. These venues often have on-site caterers and in some cases can provide accommodation. Some clubs offer discounted rates to members for venue bookings. Restaurants Restaurants provide a more intimate setting and are particularly suited to dinners, lunches and even cocktail functions. Remember that restaurants may not be able to provide audio-visual equipment or areas for dancing. If you are set on such a restaurant as a venue you may need to source additional equipment or alter your event running order to accommodate any restrictions. Outdoor venues Outdoor venues such as parks, gardens and civic centres can provide a beautiful setting for your event.They are usually managed and maintained by a local government authority or similar bodies, because they are considered to be public spaces. If you are planning an outdoor event you may need to consider: • Applying for permits to use the space or serve alcohol; • Additional costs to remove rubbish or clean up the site after your event; • Hiring a marquee or tent to provide some form of shelter; • Additional costs to ensure guest safety and comfort, such as public liability insurance or the hire of portable restroom facilities; • Having an alternative venue booked in case of bad weather.
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Your state Department of Local Government, regional, district or city council or similar body should be able to provide information on the criteria and approval processes for events in public spaces. Changes to public liability insurance may affect the viability of holding an event in a public space. Any queries regarding insurance for events in public spaces should be confirmed with the relevant authority and your insurance broker. While the details may differ from place to place, hosting any outdoor event will involve some form of application process. It is wise to lodge any application as early as possible because the length of time often taken to assess it could affect your event timings and deadlines. These tips may help in preparing your application: • Determine who is the relevant person/division/section within council, or other relevant body, to speak to about your application; • Provide a listing of all details of your event; and • Include information on the impact your event may have on the environment and the immediate community—and illustrate how this will be managed.
Helpful Hint If you need to hire toilet facilities for your event, as a general rule of thumb there should be at least one such facility to every 75 guests.
Other venue ideas There are a number of interesting and unusual venue spaces that can provide your guests with a unique experience. The Sydney Unique Venue Association (SUVA) publishes an annual guide to Sydney’s unique venues.This can be purchased by accessing their website at <www.suva.com.au>. Even if you are planning an event elsewhere, the venues listed in this useful publication can give you some ideas to explore. Interesting venue spaces might inclue:
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Aeroplane hangars Amusement parks Aquariums Factory warehouses Historic houses Museums and art galleries Overseas passenger terminals
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Railway stations Shopping centres Theatre foyers University halls Upmarket clothing or furniture boutiques Zoos
Organising interstate or overseas functions If your event is going to be held overseas, finding a suitable venue may require some serious detective work.These suggestions may help: • Does the organisation you work for have an affiliated office in the region that could source the venue on your behalf? You would need to provide a copy of the venue checklist and event running order to ensure that the event requirements and expectations are clearly communicated. • Appoint a professional event organiser based in the location. To ensure you source an accredited event organiser, it may be wise to contact a professional association such as the Meetings Industry Association of Australia, New Zealand Convention Association or your local convention/tourism bureau.
Venue inspections Once you have determined a short list of venue options, arrange to inspect the facilities.Venue inspections are important because they provide you with a context in which to visualise your event. To arrange an inspection, contact the venue manager or coordinator. You can prepare for the inspection by: • Requesting an information pack to be sent to you beforehand— this may include sample menus, venue floor plans, terms and conditions of function room hire; • Looking at the venue’s website; and • Preparing a list of questions to ask at the inspection.
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With thorough preparation you can be confident of asking the right questions during the venue inspection. There are several categories to consider. Securing the venue booking • What are the venue hire costs? • Do the costs cover the room only, or include set-up and cleaning of the space? • When do bookings need to be confirmed? • Does a deposit need to be paid to secure the booking? • What is the process if the event needs to be cancelled? Venue • Are there any restrictions surrounding the number of attendees or the venue itself? • Are time limits for events flexible? • If your event runs longer than scheduled, can the time limit be extended and would this attract additional costs? • What is the maximum number of people that can easily be accommodated by the venue? • If applicable, is it possible to hang sponsor banners around the room, place a registration table at the entrance of the venue, or allocate meeting space for delegates/sponsors? • Who is responsible for cleaning the space? • What is the process for setting up the event? Audio-visual equipment • Does the venue provide audio-visual equipment? If not, can you supply your own? Catering and sample menus • Can the venue provide copies of the latest menus and price lists? • Are children’s menus available? Are there catering options for special dietary needs (vegetarian, kosher, halal, nut and seafood allergies)? • How does the venue charge for catering or refreshments? Is it as a fixed price based on the number of attendees (cost per
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head) or will attendees need to purchase their own drinks (cash bar)? Service providers • Can the venue provide contacts for entertainment, gifts, table decorations, audio-visual and hire companies? • Is there a preferred list of suppliers? • Do you have to use a preferred supplier? • Can your sponsors provide alcohol, catering or equipment? Business facilities • Does the venue offer business facilities such as email and Internet access, computers and fax? • Are there additional charges for these services? Accommodation • If the event is being held at a hotel, can special accommodation deals be offered to attendees? • Can the venue recommend accommodation if they cannot provide it? Following your venue inspection you should receive a written quote from the venue confirming all the conditions. Make sure you read the fine print as many such quotes are valid only for a set period. It is also a good idea to cross-check the quote against your venue criteria checklist. If a particular item has not been included, adding it may increase the quoted price. Once you are happy with the quote you then secure your booking by paying a deposit.Your search for the perfect venue is over and you can now concentrate on the next tasks, which are organising the food and entertainment. However, if you cannot answer the who, what, when, where and why of your event at this point, you need to go back and double-check that you have put together your event brief, event management sheet, event criteria checklist and event running order correctly. If you haven’t got everything straight at this point, the next event planning tasks will be difficult to complete, and very stressful.
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EVENT SCENARIO: END-OF-YEAR CELEBRATION Using your event brief you put together the following invitee profile for the Wizzbang Organisation’s end-ofyear celebration. Invitee profile Who would attend: Age range of attendees: Other characteristics:
All members of staff, key suppliers Approx. 18–55+ years Range of people, generally conservative, coming to celebrate and enjoy the company of colleagues
Guest list After discussing the invitee profile with your manager and the different product divisions of the Wizzbang Organisation, it is agreed that partners and children will not be invited to attend. You now complete your guest list template: Name of function: End-of-year Celebration Purpose of function: To thank staff for their support during the year Invitee category Listing of invitees in that category Clients Mary Bloggs, National Sales Manager, IT Incorporated Mr Robin Knight, Divisional Marketing Manager, SOS & Associates Potential clients Not for this event Board of Directors All directors Senior management All senior managers Specific department within the organisation All departments Employees All employees (full staff listing to be emailed from Human Resources)
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Invitee category
Listing of invitees in that category
Key suppliers
Jim Smith, Managing Director, Black Spot Printing
Media representatives
Not for this event
Sponsors/Funding bodies
Not for this event
Patrons/Members/Subscribers
Not for this event
Government representatives (local, state, federal)
Not for this event
Celebrities
Not for this event
Partners of invitees
Not for this event
Children of invitees
Not for this event
Others
Not for this event
You then circulate the guest list template, along with the staff listing provided by Human Resources, to all senior managers for their approval. A week later it comes back approved, and you turn your attention to securing a venue. The venue From your event brief you know that the firm is looking for a venue that: • • • •
can accommodate 200 people; is situated in the CBD area; is preferably a large hotel; and can provide catering, audio-visual equipment and wait/ service staff.
We know that the event is to be held on 19 December between 6 and 9.30 p.m., but you will need access to the room from midday to set up and until 10 p.m. to clean up once the event is over. With this in mind you put together a venue checklist and event running order.
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Venue Checklist Proposed venue: Name of event: Address: Venue criteria
Provided
Comment
Can the venue provide: A venue space on 19 December Access to the venue at the required times Catering services, e.g. food/ beverages, wait staff Room capacity for the expected number of guests (200) Access to public transport Disabled access and facilities Easy access to the office Audio-visual equipment Sufficient power points for equipment Transport services (close to public transport and cab ranks) Contact information for decorations, costume hire, etc. Event running order Name of event: End-of-year celebration No. of attendees: Approx. 200 Type of function: Cocktail party Time: 6 p.m. for 6.30 p.m., until 9.30 p.m. Time
Running order for event
6–6.30 p.m.
Registration
6.15–8.00 p.m.
Drinks and canapés to be served to guests
8–8.20 p.m.
Official speeches and presentations Service of refreshments to cease during presentations
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Running order for event Entertainment Drinks and canapé service resumes
9.15 p.m.
Last drinks Guests begin departing
9.30 p.m.
Event concludes
With your checklist and running order in place you begin searching for a suitable venue using the Internet and help from your local convention and visitor bureau. After a few phone calls you come up with the following short list: Proposed venue 1: Empire Theatre Address: 335A George Street, Sydney Name of event: End-of-year Celebration Venue criteria
Provided
Comment
Can the venue provide: A venue space on 19 December
Yes
Access at the required times
From midday for set-up and until 10 p.m. for clean-up
Catering services e.g. food/ beverages, wait staff
In-house catering and staff
Room capacity for the expected number of guests 200
Max. capacity 300
Access to public transport
Close to public transport and cab ranks
Disabled access and facilities
Lift, ramps and disabled toilets
Easy access to the office
5 mins walk
Audio-visual equipment
Has preferred supplier for AV
Sufficient power points for equipment
n/a
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Venue criteria Contact information for decorations, costume hire, etc.
Provided
Comment Can provide info for room decorations
Proposed venue 2: Brighton Five Star Hotel Address: 23 Abercrombie Street, Brighton Name of event: End-of-year Celebration Venue criteria
Provided
Comment
Can the venue provide: A venue space on 19 December
X
Only one available with capacity of 100 people
Access at the required times
X
Catering services, e.g. food/ beverages, wait staff
In-house catering and staff
Room capacity for the expected number of guests (200)
X
Can cater for only 100 people
Access to public transport
Close to public transport and cab ranks
Disabled access and facilities
Lift and disabled toilets
Easy access to the office
X
45 minutes from CBD
Audio-visual equipment
Has preferred supplier for AV
Can provide info for room decorations
Sufficient power points for equipment Contact information for decorations, costume hire, etc.
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Proposed venue 3: Harbourview Restaurant Address: 96 Miller Street, The Rocks Name of event: End-of-year Celebration Venue criteria
Provided
Comment
Can the venue provide: A venue space on 19 December
Access at the required times
Catering services, e.g. food/ beverages, wait staff
In-house catering and staff
Room capacity for the expected number of guests (200)
Caters up to 350 people
Access to public transport
X
10 minute walk from public transport and cab rank
Disabled access and facilities
_
Disabled toilets but no lift for wheelchairs
Easy access to the office
10 minute walk
Audio-visual equipment
X
Would need to source our own
Sufficient power points for equipment
Contact information for decorations, costume hire, etc.
X
But will need to book the whole restaurant
Would need to source our own
This type of function could be held almost anywhere. Even though your original event brief stated a large hotel as the preferred venue, after inspecting each of the sites you decide to host the celebration in the foyer of the Empire Theatre. Not only can they provide your guests with a unique experience but the venue:
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• is able to provide catering and the required audiovisual equipment; • has a lift and ramps that allow disabled guests to access the entrance, exit and bathrooms; • provides a cost-effective alternative to a large hotel, which allows extra money to be spent on catering; and • provides the necessary access for set-up and clean-up. As you send off the paperwork and deposit to confirm your booking, you begin to think about what you are going to feed your guests and how they will be entertained.
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3 Eating and entertainment
T
he initial decision to provide guests with food and entertainment should have been made when you put together your event brief.You have now reached the stage where you need to plan the food and entertainment details.
Catering Whether you are doing the cooking yourself, the venue is supplying the catering or you appoint a professional caterer, it is important that you not only have enough food and drink for guests but that the costs are within your budget. Developing a catering brief is the best way to plan your menu and ensure that you stay within your budget.
The catering brief In addition to the general who, what, when, where and why of the function, the catering brief includes the necessary information for you to brief prospective caterers on your event requirements. For example: Timing • How long will people have to eat? • When do you want the food to be served? Catering budget • You may decide not to include this in the first instance and wait to see what the caterer quotes; it’s up to you.
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Invitee profile • Include a description of the type of people who will be attending. Kitchen facilities • Can food be prepared at the venue? • Does the venue have a fully equipped kitchen or reheating facilities only? • Will cutlery, plates and kitchen/serving utensils need to be provided by the caterer? Food preferences • Is there anything you can’t serve (taking into account cultural requirements, allergies, vegetarianism)? • Does the food need to complement a theme? • Do you want to serve hors d’oeuvres or a three course meal? Service of food • How will the food be served: table service, buffet style, on trays? • Will everyone receive the same meal, will you give guests a choice or will dishes be served alternately (e.g. one person gets chicken and the person beside them gets lamb)? Service staff • Will wait staff and bar staff be required? These questions form the basis of the catering brief, which will look something like the one opposite when filled in. (Again, there is a template in Appendix I.)
Finding the right caterer If you find yourself having to organise your own caterer, do not despair—the following information should ensure that your guests don’t go hungry! You can save a bit of time if your organisation already uses a particular caterer for events or if your venue can provide a listing of preferred caterers. The best things about using a preferred caterer are that their services have been tried and tested before, and that they have a working knowledge of the
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Catering brief
Name of event: Sales Team Meeting Aim of event: Update team on new sales targets Event theme: n/a
Date: 10 March 2002 Event type: Lunch meeting
Start time: 1.00 p.m.
Finish time: 2.30 p.m.
Budget
$500
No. of guests
10
Invitee profile
All sales reps
Venue & location
Head Office Boardroom L6, 116 Kent St Wellington
Kitchen facilities
Small kitchenette with refrigeration
Food preferences
Sandwiches (meat & vegetarian) fruit & cheese platter
Drink preferences
Fruit juice & mineral water
Service of food
Food arranged on trays No service requirements for drinks have own jugs & glasses
When food is to be served
Please deliver by 12.45 p.m.
Service staff required
None
Additional notes
n/a
venue and its kitchen area. If you decide to go with a preferred caterer, all you will need to do is contact them, brief them about your event and ask them to supply you with a menu and quote. If your organisation or your venue does not have a preferred caterer, you will have to do a little more research. In Australia and New Zealand there are many good caterers to choose from. The process is similar to the one you undertook when you researched your venue.You develop your brief, research a number of caterers and determine a short list. After making your short list you might like to make an appointment to meet and brief each caterer on your event, after which you can ask them to provide written quotes. Professional associations like restaurant and catering associations are good places to begin your search.You can also look up ‘Caterers’ in the Yellow Pages or search on the Internet.
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You could ask around for the top three caterers in your price bracket to get an idea of who to ask for a quote. Local hire companies will be able to tell you who is who in a particular area. If you have time, you could ask those on your short list to cater a small in-house lunch.You could also visit the caterers and sample their menus.
Service staff When planning catering, you also need to consider whether the venue will be providing waiters and bar staff. If not, you will need to source these services as well. Your caterer or venue manager may be able to recommend a relevant employment agency if you get stuck. Alternatively, look under the listing ‘Service Agencies’ in the Yellow Pages, or search ‘Recruitment’ on the Internet.
Helpful Hints • Venue restrictions or protocols can affect your catering brief. For example, some heritage-listed venues prohibit the serving of red wine as it can stain brickwork and carpets. • Remember that you may need to include menu options to cater for people with food allergies or religious restrictions.
Planning your menu Deciding on the menu for your event can be fun, but remember, you may not be able to cater for all tastes.While it is best to keep food selections simple, there is no need to choose bland and boring foods. In developing a menu you can either choose the dishes yourself or ask the caterer to put together a set menu. Set menus can be used for any kind of event. Sometimes you will have two or three different menus to choose from, at a set price per head.The great thing about a set menu is that you don’t need to agonise over choosing each dish—the hard work has been done for you. Even though the menu is referred to as being ‘set’, a caterer will often modify it if certain dishes cannot be served for a particular reason.
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How much food is enough? If you are going to design your own menu, how will you know if you have enough for everyone? Your venue manager or caterer can assist with food and beverage quantities.The following guidelines are helpful: Two or three hour cocktail function Select four hot and four cold items and plan for each person to have at least two servings of each. Lunchtime meetings with sandwiches Allow one-and-a-half sandwiches per person for a meeting attended mainly by women. If the meeting will be attended mainly by men, allow two sandwiches per person. Formal dinner Hors d’oeuvres on arrival followed by a three-course meal including an entrée (sometimes you may choose two different entrees to be served alternately), a main meal (you may also like to choose two and serve them alternately) and a dessert. Alcoholic beverages Allow two to three standard drinks per person over a two to three hour period. It is a good idea to be familiar with the blood alcohol limits (Australia) or Drink Drive Guidelines (New Zealand). These can easily be downloaded from the Internet at <www.rta.nsw.gov.au> or <www.alcohol.org.nz/effects/other/ drive>.
When should guests be fed? Meal times should be included on your event running order so that all key timings are outlined in the one document. When it comes to feeding the masses the following timeframes are fairly standard: • Breakfast Anytime between 6.30 a.m. and 9.30 a.m. You should allow between 1 and 2 hours for people to eat.
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• Morning tea Anytime between 10 a.m. and 11.30 a.m.You really only need to allow 15–20 minutes so people can grab something to eat, go to the bathroom and refocus their attention. • Lunch Anytime between 12 noon and 2 p.m. Like breakfast, you should allow between 1 and 2 hours for people to eat. • Afternoon tea Anytime between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Allow the same amount of time as for morning tea. • Dinner Anytime between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Again, allow anywhere between 1 and 2 hours for people to eat. If your program doesn’t include any speeches, presentations or entertainment during meals, you may only stick to the minimum limits to allow enough time for attendees to eat in a fairly relaxed manner and get straight back into whatever they were doing. If you will be incorporating presentations or entertainment during meals you will probably need to allocate the maximum amount of time suggested. It is usually best to hold off serving food during speeches or once the entertainment begins as noise from clinking cutlery or plates can be distracting for both guests and presenters. If dancing will be part of the event’s activities it is best to serve the meal before the dancing starts, because once people get up to dance you may find that they lose their interest in eating and the food will just sit on the tables.
Planning a menu When it comes to deciding which dishes to serve, it helps to start with an existing menu, adding and subtracting dishes until the menu is entirely your own.Your venue manager or caterer should really be able to help you decide what to serve so that you end up with a balanced and enticing meal. These are examples of menus for different events.
Menu 1 Event A small business seminar for approximately 50 attendees on a Wednesday night between 6 and 8 p.m.
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Invitee profile Small business owners. Most attendees will be coming straight from work and leaving to go home. People are attending the seminar to gain knowledge. Thus event is knowledge focused rather than entertainment or food focused. As this event was quite small and primarily aimed at providing attendees with information, the organisers decided to provide light refreshments only—non-alcoholic drinks, and biscuits. The refreshments were left out for attendees to help themselves during the seminar’s intermission and conclusion. Keeping the menu simple meant that people didn’t have to wrestle with trying to balance a plate of food on their lap while taking notes. If this seminar had been held in the morning, pastries and muffins could have been included on the menu so that people didn’t miss out on breakfast. The following instructions were then added to the event running order: 5.45 p.m. Set up refreshments, homemade biscuits, tea, coffee and orange juice. Refreshments to be left on buffet table for duration of seminar. 8.15 p.m. Refreshments to cease and be cleared away.
Menu 2 Event An annual two-day conference for industry professionals at a large hotel.The organisers anticipated approximately 350 attendees. Invitee profile Industry professionals, attending to update skills and network with colleagues. This conference was held over two days so catering was needed for breakfast, morning/afternoon tea, lunch and dinner.To ensure the same dishes were not served each day, the venue manager assisted the organisers choose the menu. The following instructions were then included in the conference event running order.
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Day 1 10–10.15 a.m. Morning tea: Tea/coffee, orange juice, sparkling mineral water, selection of pastries, home-made biscuits and muffins. 1–2 p.m. Lunch:Two-course meal Main dish: Alternate servings of sirloin steak with steamed vegetables and mashed potato, or grilled chicken breast fillets with a honeyseed mustard sauce, steamed vegetables and rice pilaf Dessert: Fruit salad and vanilla ice-cream Beverages: White and red wine (optional), house beer (optional), soft drinks and water 3–3.15 p.m. Afternoon tea:Tea/coffee, homemade biscuits 7–9 p.m. Dinner—Italian Feast:Three-course meal Entrée: Antipasto platter (1 per table) Main dish: Alternate servings of beef lasagne or veal pizzaiola, served with steamed vegetables, roasted sweet potato and salad Dessert: Alternate servings of crème caramel or mixed gelato cup Beverages: Tea/coffee, red and white wine, house beer, soft drinks and water Day 2 7–8.30 a.m. Breakfast: Buffet menu, including hot/cold breakfast selections, fruit, tea/coffee, orange and apple juice 10–10.15 a.m. Morning tea: Tea/coffee, selection of cakes and pastries 1–2 p.m. Lunch: Hot and cold buffet menu Cold meat platter Variety of salads and condiments Mini steaks in pepper sauce Chicken thighs marinated in soy sauce and honey Fried calamari Bread rolls Fruit platter Tea/coffee, soft drinks 3–3.15 p.m. Afternoon tea:Tea/coffee, homemade biscuits
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Once you have finalised your menu it is always a good idea to have a colleague look at it before approving it with the caterer. That way, if you have left anything out or it is not balanced, you can change it without too much hassle.
Entertainment Entertainment, whether in the form of a band, guest speaker or juggler, contributes to your guests having a good time and can even encourage people to attend your event. Making a bad choice regarding entertainment will ensure your event is remembered for all the wrong reasons. Entertainment details should be confirmed as soon as possible, especially if you would like a high-profile person such as a sports star, politician or well-known industry expert to appear. Booking entertainment may also cost money, so you will need to include any projected costs in your event budget.
Selecting entertainment Do you need entertainment simply to create ambience, or will it be a feature of your event? For example, if you are hosting a fundraising dinner where people have bought tickets to attend, you may feature a high-profile guest speaker talking about the cause the event is in aid of, followed by a band to create a party atmosphere. For something like a product launch you might invite a celebrity to endorse the product, then stay to sign autographs and host a media conference. For a conference you will have to ensure that guest presenters are secured for each session and you may even arrange for additional entertainment such as a singer, comedian or industry expert to entertain guests at lunch and dinner breaks. For an art exhibition opening you might invite a high-profile member of the community to open the exhibition, then play some CDs to provide some ambience. For an office barbecue, you may have the Managing Director give a short speech then invite people to enjoy their meal. For an office Christmas party you may have a willing employee dress up as Santa and hand out gifts to staff.
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If you have never organised entertainment before it is a good idea to develop an entertainment brief. This will help you match the right entertainment to your event.The format suggested here can be used to organise everything from a small cocktail party to a three-day conference. (A blank template appears in Appendix I.) Beverly Bloggs was organising an-up-and coming landscape painter’s exhibition opening. Beverly wanted a high-profile celebrity who had some connection to the paintings to open the show. The role of the celebrity was to declare the show open, talk a little about the work and then invite the audience to look around and buy some art. After the official opening Beverly played CDs to create a party atmosphere. Here is Beverly’s entertainment brief: Entertainment brief
Name of event: From City to Country Art Exhibition
Date: 23 July
Aim of event: Generate sales and interest in artist’s work Event type: Art exhibition opening Event theme: n/a
Start time: 6 p.m.
Finish time: 8 p.m.
Budget
$50 to cover any travel costs
No. of guests
200
Venue & location
Bloggs Art Gallery, 2 Paint Street, Paddington
Entertainment start time
6.30 p.m.
Entertainment finish time
6.45 p.m.
Type of entertainment
Short speech by well-known celebrity
Aim of entertainment
Generate interest in attending the opening and officially open the exhibition with a bit of glamour
Luckily for Beverly, one of the gallery’s board members had a connection to a well-known celebrity gardener whom Beverly was able to secure for the opening without having to pay an appearance fee.What also helped Beverly was that she contacted the celebrity as soon as her event and entertainment briefs were developed.This way she was immediately able to provide clear and concise details about the event and what was expected of the celebrity.
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Finding entertainment Apart from asking board members to use their connections, as Beverly did, there are a number of ways entertainment can be sourced, including: • • • • •
asking your venue for suggestions or recommendations; contacting a speakers’ bureau; consulting your specific industry body or professional association; contacting your National Speakers Association; inviting performers, artists, or the sporting team your company sponsors to provide the entertainment; and • contacting the celebrity directly, with a letter of invitation. Speakers’ bureaus Speakers’ bureaus have all sorts of entertainers on their books, including musicians, high-profile business people, singers, dancers and comedians. They charge a fee to secure the services of their talent and the higher the profile, the more money you should expect to pay. If you are organising entertainment for the first time and have some money allocated to entertainment, a bureau can be really helpful. National Speakers Association The National Speakers Association of Australia and the National Speakers Association of New Zealand are industry bodies representing professional speakers. Both organisations have websites that list recommended professional speakers and speakers’ bureaus.They also run workshops and educational seminars. They can be found at <www.nationalspeakers.asn.au> and <www.nationalspeakers. org.nz>. Once you have found the right entertainment for your event, you will need to send them a confirmation package. This includes a letter confirming the booking, details of the event including the invitee profile, a copy of the event running order and a sample of the event invitation, brochure or flyer (if it is ready at this stage). It is also a good idea to meet either in person or over the phone
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to go through the confirmation package in detail.This is especially pertinent in the case of guest speakers or comedians—as you don’t want them to be talking about something that may be irrelevant to the occasion or making fun of something that might be seen as bad taste by the attendees. The sample confirmation letter outlined below can easily be adapted to suit any event you are hosting.
SPEAKER CONFIRMATION LETTER Dear Patsy, Thank you for agreeing to speak at the forthcoming PMK Business Luncheon. This letter confirms your appointment to be our guest speaker and requires you to complete and return the relevant section below. Details of the PMK Business Luncheon in which you will participate are outlined below: Event: Other speakers: Date: Venue:
PMK Business Luncheon None Thursday 10 June 2000 The International Hotel, 45 Brown Street, Perth Contact information: Kim Currie, Marketing Assistant, PMK Ph: 09 888 4466 PMK will: • • • •
undertake all administration of the event coordinate the program for the event develop and undertake event publicity and promotion make copies of and distribute any speakers’ handouts or promotional material if required.
If you are in agreement with the above, please sign and date both copies of this letter, retain one for your records and return the copy to Kim Currie, Marketing Assistant, PMK, PO Box 125 Perth WA 6000 by Monday 10 May 2000. Please also inform us if any of your requirements change prior to the event taking place.
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Yours sincerely, Signed: __________________________________ Kim Currie Marketing Assistant
Date: __________
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF CONFIRMATION I agree to the terms outlined in the letter above. Signed: __________________________________ Patsy Turnbull
Date: __________
Attachment 1: Entertainment details Event title:
Career Dilemmas–Balancing Work and Family Commitments
Time and date:
Thursday 10 June 2000 12.30 p.m. – 2.30 p.m.
Format:
Solo presentation with question and answer session at conclusion
Content and goals:
To provide audience with an insight into how one of the Asia–Pacific’s most successful business women has been able to balance her work and family commitments
Chair/MC:
Luncheon to be chaired by Barry Tomi, CEO, PMK
Number of attendees:
Approximately 100 people
Invitee profile:
A combination of PMK staff and key clients
Attachment 2: Presentation details (to be completed by the speaker) Audio-visual requirements:
Please indicate your presentation requirements, e.g. overhead projector, slide projector. Please be specific to ensure your needs are met
Additional requirements:
Please indicate any additional materials required by you, e.g. whiteboard, lighting, raised stage area, presentation notes photocopied, etc.
Media coverage:
Please indicate below if you would be happy to be interviewed by a member of the press in relation to your appearance
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Distribution of notes: (mainly used for conferences)
Please indicate below if you agree to have copies of your paper published on our website and/or publications distributed to attendees. ❑ YES ❑ NO If yes, please provide a copy of your paper, even in draft form, to [INSERT CONTACT DETAILS] by [NOT LATER THAN 10 DAYS FOLLOWING THE SEMINAR]
Biography:
Please attach or email a brief biography (between 60 and 100 words)
If your entertainment involves the managing director or other staff member of your organisation giving some form of presentation, you don’t need to send them a formal confirmation package. In cases like this you can adapt the confirmation letter as required so that they have a copy of the event details and background information on what is expected of them at the event.
Helpful Hint Always ask your entertainment for a short biography. You can use it to promote the event and to provide people with further information about guest speakers.
Audio-visual equipment Audio-visual (AV) equipment not only ensures your guests can hear presenters and entertainers, it also adds a professional touch to your event.There is nothing worse than attending an event where you are unable to hear what is happening on stage—especially if you have paid a lot of money to attend. It is also bad for the entertainment because if your guests can’t hear them, they won’t pay attention. Once you have decided on the entertainment for your event you can then confirm any AV equipment you will need.
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Your venue should be able to provide you with contacts for AV equipment hire. If they can’t, AV equipment can be hired through an equipment hire or audio-visual organisation. Listings of specialists can be found in the Yellow Pages under ‘Equipment hire’ and ‘Audio-visual’. AV equipment includes everything from microphones to cassette players.
Microphones Lapel microphones These are small microphones that can be clipped to a presenter’s collar or jacket lapel—hence the name ‘lapel mic’.This type of microphone is perfect if a speaker needs to walk around the room a lot or if there are a number of speakers participating in a panel session. It saves the speaker from having to hold a microphone and leaves their hands free. Standing microphone This type is usually fixed in one position, either next to or attached to a presenter’s lectern.They are mainly used for presentations where the speaker will not be walking around. Roving microphone This is basically a cordless microphone held by the presenter or speaker which allows them to move around the presentation area.They are commonly used for events where there may be questions from the audience.
Overhead projectors Overhead projectors have been around for a long time and even though they are beginning to be phased out, some presenters and organisations still prefer to use them. Basically overhead projectors allow images and text to be projected onto a screen during presentations. Images and text are written or photocopied onto clear plastic film. The film is placed on the top of the projector, which then projects the image onto the screen.
Data projectors Data projectors are used when a presentation has been generated using a computer. The presenter saves their presentation onto a
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floppy disk or CD-ROM. The data projector is connected to a laptop computer, which allows the presentation to be projected onto a screen. Data projectors are also used to project videos and DVDs onto a larger screen. TV/video/DVD and tape recorders This equipment allows speakers to add another dimension to their presentations by incorporating videos, music or taped recordings into a presentation to enable them to enhance or further explain a point. Lighting If your function will include live entertainment or a space for dancing you may need to hire lighting equipment. In addition, if your event is being held outside at night there may be a need to hire floodlights to ensure guests can see where they are going. Jukeboxes and DJs Jukeboxes can be hired from party hire shops and the great thing about them is that your guests choose the songs they want to play. Unlike the jukeboxes you find in pubs or clubs, you don’t have to insert any money to select a song. DJs can be found in the Yellow Pages under ‘Disc Jockey’. When hiring a DJ make sure you brief them on the type of music you would like played and supply them with a song list if you have specific requests. When hiring audio-visual equipment enlist the same process as you did for sourcing a caterer and venue—make a list of your needs, determine a shortlist of providers, call or meet with each supplier, then obtain a written quote. Before you pay a deposit on any equipment, make sure the quote lists the precise equipment you asked for, and check if there are any penalties if equipment is broken or stolen or returned late. Also find out whether the supplier will deliver the equipment—that way it will be under their insurance while in transit.
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Helpful Hints • If you need to hire lighting for an outdoor event held at night, you may need to take into account that lights often attract all sorts of bugs such as moths and mosquitoes. To avoid guests and guest speakers being attacked you may need to consider hiring or buying bug deterrents such as citronella candles or mozzie zappers. Your equipment supplier may also be able to offer solutions to this problem. • Most companies have rack rates for one-off hires and special rates for long-term customers, so try to build up a relationship with a particular company to ensure prompt and reliable service—this will really pay off when you forget something on your hire order and need an emergency delivery at 6.30 p.m. for an event at 7 p.m.
EVENT SCENARIO: END-OF-YEAR CELEBRATION Following your inspection of the Empire Theatre, the venue manager provides you with a listing of available dishes and a number of sample menus. The venue manager has confirmed they have on-site caterers and will supply the waiters and bar staff for your event. Even though it is almost lunchtime you take half an hour to sit down and begin planning your menu. The speech by the managing director has been scheduled for 8 p.m. After speaking with your manager you decide not to serve food and drinks while the MD is speaking (you value your job too much!). You make a note on the order of proceedings that the food and drink service will stop 10 minutes before the speech begins and will resume as soon as the speech is over (at approximately 8.20 p.m.). With the timings sorted out you get stuck into deciding what dishes to serve. You really want the menu to reflect the festive atmosphere of the end-of-year celebration but this doesn’t
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mean the food needs to be served with firecrackers and a laser show going off in the background. You think about how you can serve the food in more interesting ways than on the usual silver platter garnished with a few sprigs of parsley. The sample menus provided by the Empire Theatre give you some ideas about what to choose and how many items to serve. With 200 people attending you know the food selections will need to cater for a variety of tastes. You decide to serve guests a selection of hors d’oeuvres (four hot, four cold). The menu will need to provide a little bit of everything without going overboard or becoming too bland. For the drinks you have selected a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, which will be charged at a set price per person. In keeping with the theatre theme the venue has offered to serve the food on the trays used by the ushers to sell snacks and drinks during intermission at theatre performances. The tray is basically an open box with a leather strap attached which goes behind the waiter’s neck. Drinks, on the other hand, will be served on regular silver trays as these are easier for the waiters to manage. Having the food served on trays means that your guests will be able to move around the venue without having to interrupt their conversations as they get something to eat and drink. The half hour you dedicated to this task has turned into an hour, but it’s worth it because you have come up with the perfect menu for your end-of-year celebration. Suggested Menu Food and drinks will be served on trays. Hot food Spinach, sun-dried tomato and fetta parcels Beef stir-fry served in boxes with chopsticks
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Thai fish cakes with sweet and sour dip Chicken kebabs with a honey mustard glaze Cold food Miniature boxes of Jaffas, Minties and Fantales Corn cups filled with caramelised onion marmalade and crème frâiche Chargrilled vegetables in basil pesto on panini Miniature nori rolls with soy and wasabi dipping sauce Beverages White and red wine, local beers, soft drinks and mineral water You update the event running order to include the entertainment and food service timeframes: Name of event: End-of-year Celebration No. of attendees: Approx. 200 Type of function: Cocktail party Time: 6 p.m. for 6.30 p.m. until 9.30 p.m. Time
Running order for event
6–6.30 p.m.
Guest registration
6–7.20 p.m.
Drinks and canapés
8–8.20 p.m.
Official speeches and presentations
8.20–9.15 p.m.
Entertainment Drinks and canapé service resumes
9.15 p.m.
Last drinks Guests begin departing
9.30 p.m.
Event ends
Because the event ends at 9.30 p.m. you decide to stop serving food and drinks at 9.15 p.m. to act as a signal to guests that the event is coming to a close. If you serve food and drinks until the very end of an event guests often take longer to leave and you can end up having to pay additional venue-hiring fees.
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With the menu now confirmed you send it off to the venue manager so they can brief the caterers. You can now step out of the office and grab some lunch—all that menu planning has made you hungry! Entertainment and AV The venue is going to provide a microphone and lectern for the managing director’s speech as well as CDs for you to play to create a party atmosphere. The only confirmation letter you need to prepare is for the managing director, who will be making a short speech.
END-OF-YEAR CELEBRATION COCKTAIL PARTY Dear Jim Following are the details about the end-of-year celebration cocktail party scheduled for 19 December. I have also included a copy of the order of proceedings so you can see when your speech has been scheduled. Please give me a call on extn 765 to confirm if you need any additional audio-visual equipment other than a microphone and lectern, which have already been organised. Best wishes PRESENTATION DETAILS Event title:
End-of-year Celebration Cocktail Party
Time and date:
6–9 p.m. Friday 19 December
Content and goals: Thank staff for working hard all year Additional entertainment:
CDs will be played before and after speech
Chair/MC:
Mark Mitchell, Marketing Manager, will MC the evening and formally introduce you to the audience
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Number of attendees:
200
Invitee profile:
All staff members have been invited to attend
Audio-visual requirements:
A microphone and lectern will be provided by the venue
Additional requirements:
Please confirm with me on extn 765
Now you know what people are going to eat and how they are going to be entertained, you can keep working through your event management sheet. The next tasks involve communicating the event details to your guest list. Developing an invitation, dealing with printers and distributing information about your event are all part of this.
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4 Invitations, handouts and booklets
T
his next area in event planning is all about deciding how you are going to let people know your event is taking place. This will usually entail putting together some kind of invitation or registration form and distributing it to your guest list.You may decide to send out information via email or get some invitations professionally printed. No matter how you plan to notify your guest list, there are a number of planning issues you will need to consider.
Invitations Invitations must contain the Five Ws: the details necessary to ensure that guests know what the event is, why it is being held, where they are going, when they have to be there and how they should register their attendance.Your invitation should also include the following information: who the invitation is from, who is hosting the event, venue, date, time, RSVP contacts, dress code, a request for notification of any dietary requirements, whether the invitation is transferable, whether the invitee can bring a guest and directions on how to get to the event. Invitations can be designed to reflect your event theme, or you may feel that a simple letter is enough. You may decide to engage a graphic designer to design the invitation, but if your budget is tight you may have to design it yourself. A couple of invitation styles are included opposite to help you get started on the wording of your invitation. Because invitations are such individual items, templates have not been provided.
Timeframes Invitations should be sent to guests at least four weeks prior to your event to allow people to schedule it into their diaries. For
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large-scale events such as conferences and fundraising dinners, you may send out invitations six weeks beforehand. If you need to advise people about your event even earlier, you could distribute a ‘diary reminder’ like the one illustrated on page 82.
Card format WHO
To: __________________________________________________________________ [INSERT NAME] & [NAME OF GUEST IF APPROPRIATE] To thank you for your support throughout 2004, the Chairman cordially invites you to attend
WHY
_______________________________________________________________________
WHAT
[Name of event] to be held on: Thursday 23 December 2004 Time:
6.00 p.m. for 6.15 p.m. until 10.00 p.m.
Venue:
The Premier Room, Government House, Macquarie Street, Sydney
Dress:
Formal
WHEN & WHERE
WHAT
Cocktails and Dinner to be served Please RSVP to Ms Corrine Person on 02 5555 5555 or return the enclosed acceptance form to PO BOX 555 Sydney NSW 2001 by 14 December 2004.
Letter format Hartley Gardens Trust ABN 12 345 678 910 PO Box 2222 North Hartley NSW 2222 Phone: 02 5555 5555 Fax 02 5555 5555 Email
[email protected] 3 October 2004 WHO
Mr & Mrs David Smith 4 The Crescent Smithsville NSW 1111 WHAT
WHERE
Dear David and Jane, John and I will be hosting a small gathering at Hartley Gardens on Saturday 17 November and we would be delighted if you could attend. WHEN
RSVP
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Hartley Gardens is a unique cultural and environmental asset and its development is a project to which I am deeply committed. We feel the most effective way to communicate the scale and importance of Hartley and the Trust’s work is for people to see it first-hand. We will gather at 11.30 a.m. at Hartley Court (see map attached) for drinks and refreshments and a tour of the Hartley Library. We’ll then make our way to the Hartley Homestead at about 12.30 p.m. where we’ll view the gardens and the nature walks before enjoying a buffet lunch. The luncheon should conclude around 4 p.m. to leave you enough time to return to Sydney. Should you choose to stay for the weekend, I can suggest some wonderful choices of accommodation. I do hope that you both will be able to attend. Please give me a call on 02 5555 5555 by Friday 2 November to confirm your availability. Warmest regards,
RSVP
Veronica Lane Director
Diary reminder Dear Don’t forget to mark Friday 25 August 2004 in your diary! The WVA Foundation will be hosting its annual fundraising dinner and would like you to be there. This year is bound to be the biggest and best dinner yet with guest performances by The Crackerjack Band and radio personality Bobby Brown. Your invitation will be sent to you shortly. In the meantime, if you wish to register your interest in attending please complete the form below and return it to Kelly Klark on fax 02 9143 6055. Notification of intention to attend WVA Foundation fundraising dinner Contact details: Title: _________ First name: __________________ Last name: _________________ Organisation: ________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________
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Position: ____________________________________________________________________________ Postal address: ___________________________________________________________________ State: _________________
Postcode: ______________
Telephone: ( ) _____________________
Facsimile: ( )______________________
Email:_______________________________________________________________________________
Helpful Hint Remember to factor weekends and holidays (school and public) into your timeframes, as they can delay the delivery of invitations to guests.
Invitation booklets and registration forms If you are planning a conference or similar event where you need to communicate a lot of information to invitees, your invitation will need to be a little different to the card and letter template previously shown.You may have to produce an invitation booklet— which should include a title page (announcing the event), the event program (an event running order—the inclusion of timings is optional) and a registration form. The registration form not only provides a way for people to register their attendance, it also provides options for people to tailor their experience by allowing them to attend a particular day, session or additional activity associated with your event. Registration forms are usually located on the back page of your invitation booklet to encourage people to read through the whole program before deciding which options they wish to choose. A registration form for a conference might look like the one on page 84. When developing a registration form, to ensure that all the necessary information has been included, fill it in as if you were planning to attend the event yourself.That way you won’t have to make any last-minute changes before it gets printed and sent out.
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Registration form
2004 XYZ ORGANISATION INDUSTRY CONFERENCE
Company Logo
13–15 August 2004 ROYAL PARK HOTEL, BRISBANE REGISTRATION FORM Contact details: Title: _________ First name: __________________ Last name: _________________ Organisation: ________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Position: ____________________________________________________________________________ Postal address: ___________________________________________________________________ State: _________________
Postcode: ______________
Telephone: ( ) _____________________
Facsimile: ( )______________________
Email:_______________________________________________________________________________ Conference registration Registration costs are per person and include a two-day program, morning and afternoon teas, lunches, cocktail party and official conference dinner. All costs are GST inclusive. Early Bird Fee (register before 13/05/04)
$1100.00
Delegate Fee
$1200.00
Group Fee*
$1000.00
*cost per person based on 3 or more registrations from the same organisation Single Day Delegate
$600.00
Partner Fee (includes cocktail party and official conference dinner)
$200.00
Special dinner on Wednesday 14 August $35.00 Accommodation I require the following accommodation to be arranged. Per person per night at the Brisbane Royal Park Hotel—Royal View Room $174 or River View Room $196 . Check-in date ______Check-out date ______ No. of nights ______ Payment summary Conference registration
$___________________________________
Partner registration
$___________________________________
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$___________________________________
Accommodation (one night’s deposit) $___________________________________ Total cost
$___________________________________
Method of payment: Cheque Amex Diners Club MasterCard Visa Card Bankcard Name of cardholder:_____________________
Exp. date: ________
Credit card number: Signature: _________________________________________________________________________ Please make cheque payable and return to: XYZ Corporation, PO Box 888, Sydney NSW 2001. Tel: 02 5555 5555 Fax: 02 5555 5555. A letter of confirmation will be sent to conference delegates once full payment is received. Please note full payment must be received before the conference commences.
Once you decide upon the invitation format you are going to use you will need to think about: • whether you are going to have them professionally printed, • how you are going to distribute them, and • how you are going to record the RSVPs.
Printers At some point in your event planning you may need to use the services of a printer, not just to print the invitations but also the hand-out sheets, training manuals, booklets and any other guest information.
Helpful Hint If you do need to get several items printed it is a good idea to get it all done at the same time. This will not only be faster but possibly cheaper as well.
When dealing with printers (or any outside service provider for that matter), you need to clearly communicate your needs verbally and in writing—printers are not mindreaders, nor should you expect them to be.
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Print specifications Before contacting a printer identify all the items that you need printed and how you would like them to look. This is usually referred to as the ‘print specifications’. In particular, your print specifications should detail: • What needs to be printed—invitations, speaker notes, menus, etc.; • The overall look you are trying to achieve—colourful, professional; • Who will be supplying the artwork—you, a graphic designer; • The type of paper needed—matt, glossy, recycled, coloured, cardboard; • How many colours will be used—simple black on white, two colours, four colours; • The quantity—50, 100, 1000; and • The date the job should be completed—preferably six to eight weeks before the RSVP date.
Finding a printer Once you know what needs to be printed you can begin sourcing a printer. There are numerous printers listed in the Yellow Pages. Sometimes you can take a short cut if your organisation has a preferred printer or a colleague can recommend someone. Just as you did with your venue search, make a short list of companies and arrange to meet with one of their sales representatives to confirm your printing needs and obtain a written quote. With printers it is really important that you meet with them so you can show them what you need.They need to have the same mental picture of your printing needs as you. When you receive your quote, double-check to see that all your printing specifications have been covered. If you don’t feel comfortable sourcing a printer yourself, a graphic designer—if you are using one—can manage the printing process for you for an additional fee. Before your documents are printed, a final version of everything will be sent to you for approval. If you need to make changes at this point, be aware that costs may be incurred each
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time a change is made. It is always a good idea to have someone else proofread your documents before they go to the printer.
Helpful Hints • Allow an extra 10 per cent over the quotation from the printer to cover the likelihood of extra costs for making changes. • Always confirm the additional charges associated with changes to the printing proofs at the time the changes are made.
Printing timeframes The actual printing of your documents really doesn’t take that long. You will find that most of the time involved is actually spent designing the documents and waiting for them to be approved.To give you an indication of how long the printing process may take, the timeframe for a seminar invitation follows. Once you confirm your printing timeframes these tasks can be transferred to the event management sheet. Printing checklist
Task
Timeframe
Invitation Meet with printer and graphic designer to discuss print specifications
1 day
Finalise invitation details
1 week
Send invitation details to graphic designer
1 day
Designer to draft invitation
1 week
Review of invitation artwork
3 days–1 week
Designer to make changes to invitation
3 days–1 week
Second review of invitation artwork
3 days–1 week
Approve invitation artwork
3 days–1 week
Send artwork with specifications to printer
1 day
Printing of documents
1 week
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Invitation distribution The usual ways to distribute invitations are by mail, either through your office or a mail house, or by fax or email.To assist you, here is some general information about invitation distribution.
Mail houses Just say you have a couple of hundred invitations to send out. You don’t have the time to do it yourself, and your organisation doesn’t have the facilities. Using a mail house may be just the answer for you. Mail houses coordinate the entire mailing process from placing invitations in envelopes to mailing them to your guest list. Some mail houses can also provide printing services. A listing of mail houses can be found in the Yellow Pages under ‘Mailing Services’. When using a mail house, it is advisable to confirm all the details of your mail-out at least nine weeks prior to your event. The mail house will also need to be provided with the following items: • • • •
your invitations envelopes mailing list (usually supplied on computer disc) instructions on when the invitations should be sent and what is to be done with any leftover envelopes or invitations.
Like the printer, a mail house will need to be provided with written specifications for the job. An example appears opposite: From the opposite specifications you can see that the address details for the invitation recipients have been saved on disc and sent to the mail house.The mail house will advise you on the form in which they would like to receive the address information. By including your own name and a couple of dummy addresses in the mail out, you can track how and when the invitation is received. Mail houses are also set up to handle personalised invitations. A mail-out of personalised invitations may take a little longer to
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MAIL-OUT SPECIFICATION SHEET JOB:
XYZ Company Cocktail Party Invitations
SPECIFICATIONS Mail-out date:
Monday 3 September 2004
Database:
Database of recipients on disc (enclosed).
Address method:
Mail house to produce address labels from supplied database and attach to envelopes supplied.
Supplied materials:
2000 invitations, 2000 envelopes (samples enclosed).
Returns:
On completion of job the database disc and all leftover invitations and envelopes are to be returned to XYZ Company, Level 3, 56 Werribee Road, Werribee
coordinate as the mail house will need to check the right letter is in the right envelope, so the timeframe for this kind of job may be a little longer, and it may be more efficient to do such a mailout yourself. It really comes down to how much control you want to have over this part of your event planning.
Bulk mail services Australia Post offers a discount on postage.The service is called a Post Bulk Mail Discount and to use it requires the completion of a form. You can also look up bulk mail details on the Australia Post website <www.austpost.com.au>. New Zealand Post offers a service called Volume Post which provides a range of options to assist you to send out bulk mail. To determine which option suits your postage needs, look up the details on the New Zealand Post website <www.nzpost.co.nz>.
Email and fax streaming Email and fax streaming are used when you want to send your invitations electronically. It is really good if you need to distribute invitations to a large number of people quickly. These services are provided by organisations known as information services
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providers. It is like using an electronic version of a mail house in that you provide an electronic copy of your invitation and they send it out to your guest list, using a guest list provided by the organisation or one that you supply. Information service providers can be found by looking under ‘Information services’ in the Yellow Pages. Distributing information this way is popular because it is fast and cost effective. If you don’t want to use an information services provider you can have a go at email streaming yourself by purchasing an email software package.
Helpful Hint In Australia, when using mailing lists and databases it is important to ensure that you do not breach any privacy legislation requirements. The Australasian Legal Information Institute’s website <www.austlii.edu.au> or the Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner <www.privacy.gov.au> provides a full listing of current Privacy Legislation in Australia. The Privacy Commissioner’s website in New Zealand <www.privacy.org.nz> is also a good resource.
Delivery timeframes Invitations can take up to a week to be distributed. Opposite is a mailing checklist with a list of the tasks involved with invitation distribution. Once you confirm your timeframes each task can then be transferred to your event management sheet.
RSVPs RSVP is a French abbreviation for ‘répondez s’il vous plaît’ or, in English,‘please reply’. Once your invitations are sent out it is only a matter of time until you begin to receive RSVPs from your guests. It is important to set up a process for recording acceptances so that you are able to keep track of guest numbers.A table like the one opposite will help you record the RSVPs as you receive them. (A template appears in Appendix I.)
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Mailing checklist
Mail-out tasks
Timeframe
Distribution of invitations Confirm delivery specifications with mail house/information service provider
1 week
Send invitation and guest list to mail house/information service provider
1 day
Mail house/information service provider to distribute invitations
1 day–1 week
Mail house to return any leftover invitations
1 day
RSVP checklist
Name of event: Staff Fundraising Barbeque RSVPs as at 19 March 2004 Title
First name
Last name
Organisation/ Department
No. of guests
Mrs
Jenny
Chan
Sales
—
Mr
Colin
Brown
Finance
—
Ms
Kerry
DeSouza
Sales
—
An RSVP table can be tailored to include a ‘paid’ column or a ‘date received’ column to record when the guest paid for their ticket or when the RSVP was received. It is a good idea to record the date in the footer of the RSVP listing each time it is updated so you can be sure you are working with the current version.
Helpful Hint Include honorifics such as Mr and Mrs on the RSVP list so that guests with names that can be masculine or feminine (Robin, Chris, Kerry, and so on) are addressed correctly.
RSVP timeframes Ideally, you should allow one week to ten days for guests to RSVP. The cut-off date for RSVPs should be no later than one week prior to your event.This provides you with enough time to
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chase any late RSVPs and confirm final attendance figures with the venue and caterers.
Helpful Hint When deciding how many invitations to send out, one experienced event coordinator works on the principle that of the total invitations sent out, expect two-thirds to RSVP.
If your guests will require security passes to enter your event, as is the case for some VIP events, it is appropriate for the RSVP cut-off date to be closer to ten days before the event so that you have enough time to send out guest passes or security information (see Chapter 6 for more on security).
RSVP forms For events where people will be paying to attend you may like to include an RSVP form with your invitation. This is similar to a registration form and allows people to pre-pay for their attendance. An example of an RSVP form for a fundraising dinner is given opposite, but I have not included a template in Appendix I as such forms are highly variable.
Reply paid envelopes or free post These services provide an easy way for attendees to RSVP. To use reply paid envelopes, your organisation will need to complete an Australia Post Reply Paid Service Application form and receive a reply paid permit number. The permit guarantees that your organisation will pay the postage on any reply paid cards or envelopes that are returned to Australia Post. An additional small fee to use this service may also be charged to your organisation. For further information contact Australia Post direct or go to their website <www.austpost.com.au>. New Zealand’s Free Post service operates in a similar way and an application form can be found at <www.nzpost.co.nz>.
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RSVP form
LOCAL THEATRE COMPANY ANNUAL FUNDRAISING DINNER—24 March 2004 RSVP FORM Name:
Mr
Carl
Longhurst
(Title)
(First name)
(Last name)
Mrs
Judy
Longhurst
Dr
David
Wong
Ms
Sally
Ng
Guest name/s:
Total guests:
3
Address details:
C/- Level 7, 162 Elizabeth Street Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel No.:
03 9237 5500
Fax No.: 03 9237 6677
Mobile:
0404 777 777
Special meal request: nil
Total cost:
$1500
Method of payment: Cheque Amex Diners Club MasterCard Visa Card Bankcard Name of cardholder:_____________________
Exp. date: ________
Credit card number: Signature: _________________________________________________________________________ Please make cheque payable and return to: Local Theatre Company, PO Box 222, Sydney NSW 2001. Tel: 02 5555 5555 Fax: 02 5555 5555. I cannot attend the Local Theatre Company Annual Fundraising Dinner but would like to make a donation of $ . Donations of $2.00 or more are tax deductible. Please make my receipt out to ________________________________
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EVENT SCENARIO: END-OF-YEAR CELEBRATION Invitations for the end-of-year celebration will be sent to guests via internal email, which means that you do not have to get invitations professionally printed or contact a mail house/information service provider regarding invitation distribution. But it still means you have to design something to be sent out. Your organistion uses a local graphic designer for all marketing and promotional material, so you decide to brief them about the invitation for this event. In your brief you specifically request that the invitation be simple and eye-catching, so it won’t cause the firm’s computer system to crash when it is sent out! The designer sends the draft invitation to you for approval within three days and it looks fantastic—you then forward it to your manager for a final proofread and approval. The following invitation is then emailed to all staff. To: Jim Smith and Partner To thank you for your support throughout the year, the Chairman cordially invites you to attend The XYZ End-of-year Celebration To be held on: Friday 19 December 2004 Time: 6 p.m. for 6.15 p.m. until 9.30 p.m. Venue: The Foyer, Premier Theatre, Market Street, Sydney Dress: Business attire Light refreshments will be served Please RSVP to Ms Delia Day on extension 5555 by 9 December 2004.
To record the RSVPs you set up the following table: Name of event: End-of-year Celebration RSVPs as at 9 December Title
First Name
Last Name
Division/Company
Mrs
Mary
Bloggs
IT
Mr
Robin
Knight
Finance
Mr
Paul
Pratt
Sales & Marketing
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You have reached a milestone! This is the point where you feel that all the planning you have done to date is beginning to come together—people are actually RSVPing, they really want to attend, it’s a real event! It is now time to work through the planning issues surrounding the venue where your event will be held.
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5 Venue plans, room decorations and gifts
I
f you thought the planning associated with your venue involved just booking the venue and turning up on the day, you were wrong! You will need to do a little bit of work to ensure your guests feel comfortable and your event runs smoothly. This is where you find yourself developing a venue plan, hiring any room decorations and ordering gifts for speakers or guests. This part of event planning requires you to visualise how your event will look, and turn this image into a reality. One of your first tasks is to think about how you want the room to be set up on the day of the event.You do this by creating a venue plan.
Venue plan A venue plan is really a map that will help venue staff to set up for your event. On it you will include details such as how many chairs and tables are required, and where they need to be placed, as well as information on the following if they are relevant to your event: • • • • • • • • • •
Seating arrangements Audio-visual equipment Entertainment areas Stage area Administration desks Exhibition/display spaces Refreshment areas Rubbish bins Powerpoints Emergency exits
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A venue plan doesn’t need to be a fully scaled diagram—it just needs to be clear and concise. Depending on where your event will be held, you may be supplied with a venue plan diagram to complete, if not, you will need to devise your own. Diagram 1 is a venue plan for a two-hour education seminar. Diagram 1 Emergency exit
3 chairs & 1 table
Windows
Stage
50 chairs in rows facing stage, include centre aisle
Key: = Microphone = Powerpoints = Light switches/ airconditioner = Chairs = Tables
Refreshment tables
BALMAIN ROAD
Windows
Wall
Main reception desk
Administration desk (1 table & 2 chairs)
Windows
Wall
Emergency exit Main entrance GEORGE STREET
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The seminar was a panel session featuring three speakers. A microphone was placed in front of each speaker so they didn’t have to stand to address the audience. Powerpoints for each microphone were located in the floor and marked accordingly on the venue plan.To keep the venue plan simple, a key was included to indicate where smaller items such as powerpoints, light switches and air conditioning were located. The administration desk for the event was set up just outside the seminar room so that any late arrivals didn’t disrupt the speakers or those working at the main reception desk.The refreshments were placed at the back of the room and were served to guests once the panel session concluded.With a total of 40 RSVPs, the organisers put out 50 chairs just in case there were any last minute arrivals. The chairs were placed in rows facing the stage area with a centre aisle to allow plenty of room for people to get in and out.
Seating arrangements You might not think that the way tables and chairs are arranged could affect your event—but it does. It is important that your guests feel comfortable and you utilise the maximum amount of space available to you.There are six common seating arrangements. Classroom Classroom style (see Diagram 2) is popular for interactive events such as lectures, seminars and conferences where attendees are required to take notes.The room is set up with chairs and tables in rows either facing the front of the room or on a 45-degree angle. Half-moon The half-moon seating arrangement (Diagram 3) is fantastic for luncheon or dinner events as the chairs are set only around one side of the table. It allows all attendees to face the front of the room, speakers or entertainment. Round or oval tables are mainly used for this arrangement and it is great for both small and large audiences. This seating arrangement is also referred to as ‘crescent style’.
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Diagram 2: Classroom style Presenter’s table
Key: = Chairs = Tables
Diagram 3: Half-moon style Stage or presentation area
Key: = Chairs = Tables
Horseshoe The horseshoe seating arrangement (Diagram 4) is suitable for a small group of people attending an event such as an education seminar or business meeting, where there will be discussion, notetaking and a need for a more informal setting.The room is usually set up with square tables arranged in a horseshoe formation with the facilitator or presenter seated at the open end of the horseshoe. This seating arrangement is also referred to as the ‘U shape’ setting.
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Diagram 4: Horseshoe style Presenter sits here
Key: = Chairs = Tables
Round table The round table arrangement (Diagram 5) is suitable for events where people are going to spend most of their time sitting down, eating and networking, such as fundraising dinners and award presentations. Round or oval tables are mainly used with this style of seating. Chairs are placed around the whole table in place settings of 8, 10 and sometimes 12.The round table seating arrangement is quite flexible and can be used for both small and large audiences. Square The square format (Diagram 6) is perfect for board meetings, brainstorming sessions, conference workshops or events where there is a great deal of discussion or note-taking. This arrangement is best suited to more intimate events with a small number of attendees. Square tables and chairs are arranged in one large, connecting square. The lecturer/speaker/facilitator sits at one of the tables as part of the group. Theatre Also referred to as ‘auditorium style’, the theatre seating arrangement (Diagram 7) is suitable for both small and large events
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Diagram 5: Round table style Presentation area
Key: = Chairs = Tables
Diagram 6: Square style Key: = Chairs = Tables
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(5–500 guests), where attendees do not have to take notes and are not required to sit down to a meal. For large events especially, this layout allows you to utilise the maximum amount of floor space. Theatre style seating is basically rows of chairs facing the front of the room, with a centre and, sometimes, side aisles. Chairs can be placed directly facing the presentation area, or in rows at a 45-degree angle. (The angled layout is often referred to as ‘chevron’ seating.) Diagram 7: Theatre style Presentation area
Key: = Chairs
NB: You may need to specify the number of chairs in each row when briefing your venue
Once you have decided on a suitable seating arrangement you can start to finalise your venue plan.This is when you may discover that the venue offers a few planning challenges that need to be overcome. For example: • Are there any pillars or columns in the room that could obstruct the view of the guests, presenter or entertainment? If so, you may need to adjust your seating arrangements to compensate. • Are the light and airconditioning switches clearly indicated? Knowing where these switches are allows you to solve lighting or airconditioning problems quickly without having to call on venue staff.
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• Do you need to indicate where each guest will sit? If so, does the venue require name/place cards? This sort of information may be important if you are planning an event that will be attended by a lot of dignitaries or feature a guest of honour. • Is the dance floor or entertainment area already set up? Will this affect the seating arrangements you have chosen for your event? • If the event is being held overseas, will you require translator booths? If so, can they be incorporated easily into the event floor plan or will they need to be located in an adjacent room? If this is the case, you may need to do two floor plans. • Will your seating arrangements obstruct any emergency exits? Does your floor plan clearly show where the emergency exits are? • Will centerpieces or other items such as balloons to be placed on each table? Once your venue plan is completed you can use it on the day of your event to cross-check that everything has been set up as per your instructions.
More on venue plans As well as illustrating where chairs and tables should be located, your venue plan can also contain more detailed information such as seating allocation, instructions regarding the administration desk and where exhibition/display areas or room decorations are to be arranged. You are probably thinking there is so much information to include in a venue plan that it is going to look like a scribbled mess. The thing to remember is that a venue plan provides an overall indication of how your venue should be set up. Additional details still need to be noted on the venue plan with specific instructions and arrangements attached as a separate document. Keeping the instructions with the venue plan will give the people setting up your venue the best opportunity to have it looking exactly the way you want it. Information you may need to include with your venue plan may cover place cards, the staff area and the administration desk.
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Place cards If you are going to allocate seating to each guest you will need to produce place cards, small cards with a guest’s name on each one, placed on the tables to mark where each guest should sit. How you communicate where each place card should go will depend upon the seating arrangement you have chosen. If you aren’t clear in your instructions to the venue this part of event planning has the potential to go horribly wrong. Round table and half-moon arrangements For these room settings it is best to group seat allocations by table. Each table will accommodate a set number of seats. Treat the table as if it were a clock and position the first place card roughly at 1 o’clock—this is now known as seat number 1.The remaining cards are placed clockwise around the table. You need to illustrate the place card settings on your venue plan, as in Diagram 8. Diagram 8: Positioning place cards
8.
S
eat
1.
TABLE 1
FRONT OF ROOM S
8.
eat
1.
TABLE 2
8.
S
eat
1.
TABLE 3
* A total of 8 places are at each table
Rather than cramming all the guests’ names onto the venue plan, it is a good idea to provide a written list of the seat allocations as an attachment to the plan, like the one opposite: Place the cards, in seat order, into an envelope marked with the table number. This will make it easier for venue staff to lay them out correctly.
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VENUE PLANS, ROOM DECORATIONS AND GIFTS TABLE ONE
105
TABLE TWO
1. Mr Colin Smith
1. Mr Chris Colley
2. Ms Kerry Connelly
2. Ms Anna Ming
3. Miss Katrina Brown
3. Mrs Jolene Ricken
4. Mr Joe D’Angelo
4. Mr Colin Lovett
5. Mrs Jasmine Chin
5. Ms Emma Handy
6. Mr Joel Kantinario
6. Mr Craig Champion
7. Ms Jane Lee
7. Ms Sharon Stupple
8. Mr Toby Blue
8. Mr Allen Ackerman
Classroom, horseshoe, square and theatre arrangements If you are using the classroom, horseshoe, square or theatre arrangements you can nominate where the first seat will be, then work around the arrangement. Ways you could illustrate this on your venue plan are shown in Diagrams 9 to 12—using the guest list below: Diagram 9: Classroom place card layout SEATING LIST 1. Steve Smith 2. Joan Green 3. Chris Yen 4. David Crean
5. 6. 7. 8.
James Black Anna Bruscia Paula Green Jenny Block Presenter’s table
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Key: = Chairs = Tables
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Diagram 10: Horseshoe place card layout Presenter’s table
Key: = Chairs = Tables
8.
1.
Diagram 11: Square place card layout Presenter’s table
8.
Key: = Chairs = Tables
1.
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Diagram 12: Theatre place card layout Stage
1.
20.
21.
40.
41.
60.
61.
80.
81.
1
00.
1
01.
1
20.
The stage area If your event will include entertainment you may need to have a stage area in your venue plan.The stage area can be at floor level or raised, depending on whether the entertainment is something that will happen in the background to create ambience, or is to be a feature of the event.There are no hard and fast rules as to where a stage should be positioned but if the entertainment is a key feature it should be placed for maximum visibility. In addition to a stage area, you may also need to include a dance floor. Let’s face it, if you want your guests to boogie the night away you need to provide a space for them to let their hair down.
Administration desk The administration desk acts as the first point of contact for your attendees. This is where everyone will register and collect name tags, seat or table numbers and any other information relating to your event. Payment facilities can also be located here. It is therefore important to put some effort into planning where it goes, how it will operate and who will be working on it. It is best to position the administration desk just outside the door, or in the foyer of the venue, because it can be such a busy area. People will be able to register and pay for your event then move into the venue without disrupting anything. In addition, if guests arrive late, you don’t have to hold up the event start time.
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Helpful Hint If you host an event where you expect a large number of attendees, say over 50, it is a good idea to set up a number of administration desks broken into sections of the alphabet. For example, for an education seminar that hosted over 150 attendees we set up two administration desks—one labelled A–K and the other L–Z—sorted by the guest list by alphabetical order and split it into two. The seminar started on time as guests were able to register and pay for the event quickly and efficiently without having to wait in one long queue.
The administration desk will also provide a contact point for attendees should they have any questions, special requests or feedback regarding your event. Staff stationed at the administration desk will need to know where the toilets, cloakroom, parking and other business amenities, such as computer and fax services, are located so they can assist and direct attendees as required.
Exhibition and display areas Exhibition or display areas are a great way for guests to obtain further information or buy products at an event. They are most commonly seen at larger events such as conferences or seminars but if it is appropriate, there is no reason why you can’t have an exhibition or display at other events such as a fundraising dinner or meeting. A local council might have a display area at a community fair telling residents about community initiatives in the area; a charity might use a display at its annual fundraising dinner to highlight a particular program or educational initiative. Exhibition areas are often sold to other organisations wanting to reach a particular audience and can thus be a way of raising additional income for your event. But remember there is no guarantee that you will be able to sell the designated exhibition or display areas.
Planning an exhibition or display area If you are planning an event that will include an exhibition or display area, you need to consider the following:
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• • • • •
109
Where will the exhibition space be located? How much space should you allow? Will you have individual stands or booths? What size will each exhibition space be? Can exhibitors provide their own display stand?
Exhibition and display areas are usually located outside the main venue space. To help you decide on the best location, consider how attendees will be entering and exiting the venue: will it be through one main door or via a number of exits? This will allow you to also determine whether there will be any potential congestion problems that may prevent the maximum number of attendees seeing all the displays. If attendees will exit from a number of places you may like to plan a small number of exhibits at each exit. Positioning the display area near food stations can also encourage attendees to interact with the exhibitors as they help themselves to refreshments. The organisers of one conference booked a venue where the auditorium was at one end of a long corridor and the venue for lunch breaks was at the other end.They incorporated a small exhibition space in the corridor to lead delegates from one venue to the other.The concept worked well and provided an opportunity for the exhibitors to meet and do business with the delegates. If you are going to include an exhibition or display area at your event it is a good idea to generally mark the area on your venue plan, and provide the venue manager with a more detailed plan as an attachment (See Diagram 13).
Trade shows or expos Events such as trade shows or expos comprise many individual exhibition or display areas. Exhibitors pay to hire the space for the duration of the event. The trade show or expo organiser usually looks after the marketing and administration of the expo while exhibitors are responsible for decorating their space.The planning and room layout guides discussed here are just as applicable to these events as to any other event.The only difference is that the venue plan will be more detailed.
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Diagram 13: Detail plan of exhibition area Key:
Display Area 1 1. = Exhibitor 1
E
2. = Exhibitor 2
VENT AREA
3. = Exhibitor 3 4. = Exhibitor 4
Display Area 2 E
NTRANCE
1. = Exhibitor 1 2. = Exhibitor 2
Registration table
3. = Exhibitor 3 4. = Exhibitor 4
E
D splay a ea i
r
1
D splay a ea i
r
2 3
2
D splay a ea i
r
1
1
1 4
Display Area 3
XHIBITION AREA 4
2 3
4
2 3
3
1. = Exhibitor 1 2. = Exhibitor 2 3. = Exhibitor 3 4. = Exhibitor 4
Helpful Hint The amount of exhibition space available will really be determined by the event venue. A basic exhibition stand area is approximately 3 metres 3 metres, and you need to allow enough room between stands for people to circulate freely. A good way is to test if you have left enough room is to imagine you are wheeling a pram or wheelchair around the space. If you think they will easily fit you have left enough room between each stand.
Room decorations Room decorations can include anything from tablecloths, chair covers and candelabras to theatre props and motorcars. The standard set-up at many venues may include tables, tablecloths, glasses, cutlery, chairs and stage area. To have chair covers, flowers on the table, streamers and balloons, or candelabras, will almost certainly cost extra. If you want to do something unusual—bowls of fruit, theatre props, banners, other special themes—you may need to contact a party hire business. Party hire companies can be found
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by looking in the Yellow Pages under ‘Party Hire’ or searching the Internet. Sometimes theatres and opera companies hire props out for events. If all you want to do is place your company banner at the front of the room, obviously this will cost nothing to hire, but you may need some help from the venue to hang it. If you decide to hire props for your event make sure you check that they are in good condition, and will fit into the venue space, before you confirm any booking. If the company will deliver and set up any larger items, this will save you time, money and heartache! Where the decorations will be located should be noted on your venue plan. If special instructions are needed for setting them up, you should attach them to your venue plan.
Gifts Gifts become part of event planning when you want to thank someone for contributing to your event. This can range from a simple verbal thank you and handshake to a formal presentation of flowers or gift. How you say thank you will be determined by: • Who the gift is for A guest of honour, speaker, performer, guests or staff; • Why you are giving it to them Is it a thank you for attending, speaking, helping? • Whether it reflects the type of event For a retirement dinner you might present the guest of honour with a gold watch; for a conference each delegate might receive a t-shirt; for a fundraising dinner you may have a card at each place setting with a message from the charity. It is really determined by what you feel the audience will be expecting. • Your budget Have you allocated any money to buying corporate gifts? Do you have any leftover funds that could cover this? Other things you should take into consideration when choosing gifts include:
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• Religious and cultural beliefs Do religious or cultural beliefs prevent gifts such as alcohol or certain foods being accepted? • Travel Can the recipient travel overseas with their gift? People don’t want to be lugging huge items home or having to leave their gift behind if they can’t take it on the plane. • Gender Is the gift appropriate for both men and women? Some gifts may seem more appropriate for one gender than another, and vice versa. Remember this will also depend on the person who is receiving the gift. • Personality Does the recipient have a particular hobby or interest? • Diet Are there certain foods or beverages that the recipient is not able to eat due to allergies or diet? • Misperceived intention Could the gift be misperceived as a payment or bribe? This particularly applies to government departments and some professional firms such as lawyers and accountants. In such cases you will need to confirm the correct protocol with the recipient’s office.
Sourcing gifts If you are stuck on what to give there are a number of corporate gift companies that can help you make your decision.You can find a full listing in the Yellow Pages under ‘Corporate Gifts’ or ‘Promotional Products’ or by searching these headings on the Internet. Here are some gift ideas to get you started: books, Chinese chiming health balls, chocolates, compendiums/diaries, drinking glasses, flowers, food or gift hampers, gift vouchers, golf tees or balls, key rings, novelty items (such as squashable stress balls), pens, product samples,‘show bags’, t-shirts, umbrellas, wine.
Buying gifts Depending on how many and what sort of gifts you decide on, you might go to a major department store or utilise the services of a corporate gift company. The great thing about a corporate gift company is that not only do they organise the gifts for you but will print logos, pictures or slogans onto them as well.
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Helpful Hint Guest speakers are not the only people who need to be thanked. The staff who have helped make your event a success also need to be acknowledged. This doesn’t mean that you need to buy bunches of flowers for everyone—a simple thank you card or email can be enough. Often a t-shirt commemorating the event or something similar can be good. Providing paid overtime or time in lieu is often a better way of ensuring that staff realise their contribution is appreciated, especially when working at such events is not part of their everyday job description.
Most corporate gift companies will have a catalogue you can look through to choose your gift.Alternatively, if you have a particular gift in mind they can help you source it through their contacts with suppliers. Once you have decided on your gift you will then need to confirm your order in writing. Make sure you include the following information so you get exactly what you asked for: • • • • • • •
Item name and product code Quoted price per item Size of item Quantity required Delivery date Delivery address Any wording or logo to be placed on the item.
When ordering gifts it is often a good idea to include a picture of the item—as the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Once you have placed your order it is just a matter of waiting for the gifts to be delivered.
Helpful Hint Try to have gifts delivered no less than two weeks before your event. That way if they are late or the order is incorrect you have time to fix it or organise replacement gifts.
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Buying gifts in bulk If you are giving gifts to attendees you will probably need to purchase them in bulk. Some corporate gift companies may ask that you place a minimum order—for example, you may need only 250 items but have to order a minimum of 500 to get them at the price you want. It is usually only worth doing this if you can use the leftover items as client giveaways or promotional items later. If you do decide to use leftover items as giveaways, make sure that any lettering or logo doesn’t date them. It’s not a good look to be giving clients a stress ball that says ‘Merry Christmas 2003’ in June 2005.
EVENT SCENARIO: END-OF-YEAR CELEBRATION The Empire Theatre doesn’t have a venue plan template so you design your own. Looking over your event brief you know you will have to provide some seating and tables for people to rest and place their drinks. You decide to use the round table seating arrangement because the event is a social function and people need to be free to network with colleagues. The theatre has also offered you the use of four couches that are often used as theatre props. You decide that instead of hiring room decorations you can use the couches to create two lounge areas for guests. The only room decoration you will have are two corporate banners that will hang from the ceiling to the floor. These are usually used at trade shows but you thought they would add a nice touch if placed either side of the stage area where the managing director will be making his speech. The administration desk will be the old ticket booth which is located just inside the entrance to the foyer. The main event area will be partitioned off so people have to register at the ticket booth before gaining entry. After a few drafts your final venue plan is completed.
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DIAGRAM 14 ENTRANCE TO THEATRE
Key: = = = = =
Microphone Powerpoints Tables Chairs Lounges
Banner Two
Stage area
Banner One
Ticket booth & administration desk
Security barriers Main entrance
GEORGE STREET
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There is no need to make place cards but you do have to organise a gift for each attendee. After discussing a couple of possibilities with your colleagues you decide to have golf umbrellas printed with the company logo on them. A total of 250 have been ordered and each person will receive one as they leave the event. The tasks on your event management sheet are beginning to disappear and your event is getting closer and closer. Before you start on the home run, however, there are a few planning areas that still need to be addressed.
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6 Other things to consider
B
efore you send out any invitations there are several other areas of planning for your event that you should address. These include security, insurance, transport, protocol/etiquette, sponsorship and fundraising. Sometimes you can become so focused on organising the venue, guest list and invitations that these areas seem to become less important. But if you don’t think about how they could impact on your event you could miss a great opportunity or wind up fighting a lawsuit. So what do you need to know?
Security Security is a very important issue. Guests want to feel safe and you don’t want to have gatecrashers. This is especially important when VIPs or high-profile social or political figures will be speaking at or attending your event. You will be glad to know that the stereotyped image of a beefed-up security guard leering at guests is fast disappearing. Security companies these days realise that their staff can add to the ambience of your event and if they are friendly and approachable it can put guests at ease as well as create a good first impression. In addition to acting as a public face for your event, security companies offer a wide range of services from bag checks, bodyguarding and crowd control to bar staffing, car parking and ushering—you can even request female or male security personnel (this is handy if you want staff to regularly check bathrooms, etc.). Security companies in Australia and New Zealand are required to hold a special licence or certificate of approval indicating that they provide high-quality security services. The security services most commonly required in event planning are:
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• Asset protection This mainly includes static guarding, including overnight protection, maintaining checkpoints, bag searches and traffic management for set-up of events. This normally involves a guard or guards standing outside the entrance to your event, checking bags and generally keeping an eye on things. • Bodyguarding These services include personal protection, personal assistant and driver services. Specialist security personnel are assigned to each high-profile guest to take them where they need to go and ensure they arrive safely. You may only require this kind of service for VIP guests. • Crowd control These services include working at licensed premises (bouncers), crowd management for big events, and public safety.You would use this kind of security service if you were hosting an event like a concert or large community fair which will be attended by hundreds of people.
Finding the right security How do you decide what kind of security you require for an event? To get you started, ask yourself the questions listed here. You will be able to find most if not all of the answers by looking at your event brief or event running order. • What type of event is being hosted, e.g. large concert, highprofile dinner? • How many people will be attending? • What is the attendee profile, e.g. people aged 18–25, families? • Where will the event be held? • What are the event start and finish times? • Will alcohol be served? • What do you want security professionals to do? • Will you require gender-specific guards? • Will you be the contact person for the event? • How do you want the security professionals to be dressed? • Do you require security for setting and cleaning up the venue space? The answers to these questions should be recorded in a security brief. This will help you to accurately advise a security
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company so they can provide you with a quote for their services. A sample brief appears below, and a template is given in Appendix I. Name of event: QXY Product Launch
Date 7 July 2004
Aim of event: Launch of new haircare product
Event type: Product launch/media conference
Start time: 10.00 a.m.
Finish time: 12.00 p.m.
Security budget: $2000
Contact person: Lola Pearsen
No. of guests: 200
Venue & location: Lucy Louis Hair Salon 23A St Kilda Rd, St Kilda
SECURITY NEEDS:
DETAILS:
Services Asset protection
Two guards at front entrance to check invitations and guest list
Crowd control
—
Bodyguarding
—
Drivers
—
Bar staff
—
Ticketing
—
Other
—
No. of personnel (incl. gender split)
2 male guards
Helpful Hint As a rule of thumb it is usually considered safe to have one security professional for every 100 guests. If you are unsure you can contact your local police station for further information.
Finding a security company When you are looking for a security company you can adopt the same process as you did when you searched for catering, your venue and a printer. Identify what kind of security services you
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need, research a short list of providers, contact or meet with them to discuss your needs, ask for a written quote, then make your final decision. When you first begin contacting security companies, in addition to going through your security brief you can ask the following questions to determine if they are the right company for your event: • • • • •
Do they possess the relevant licence or certificate of approval? Are they a member of a security industry professional association? What range of services do they provide? How long they have been in business? Do they possess public liability insurance (and how much is this valued at)? • Do they have workers’ compensation? If you are organising a large event such as a concert or street fair, the security company may want to undertake a site inspection to enable them to provide a more detailed security plan and quotation.
Helpful Hint When you appoint a security company make sure you receive contact details for the personnel who will be working at your event so that if they are late or there is some other problem you can get in touch with them immediately.
Developing a security advice Once the security company has been appointed, you will need to develop a detailed security advice.This is similar to an event running order but includes information such as pick-up times, where to meet and what services are required by the security professional. This sample advice was developed for a product launch involving high-profile celebrity Joe Blow, and his publicist Sue Smith. The person assigned to look after them (the key contact) was Chris Brown. Chris needed security personnel to act as chaperones and drivers for his VIP guests. All security personnel were requested to
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dress in business attire in order to present a professional image to the VIP guests and the public. The security company Chris engaged also provided the vehicle for his VIP guests. SECURITY ADVICE as at Wednesday 1 June DAY ONE—THURSDAY 2 JUNE 8 a.m.
Joe Blow and his publicist, Sue Smith, arrive in Sydney on QF3223 from Los Angeles. Require 1 security pick-up including a car to take them to the Hotel Intercontinental Sydney. Key contact Chris Brown will meet security at the airport and travel with Joe and Sue.
Additional notes: Joe and Sue may want to sightsee as it is their rest day. If this is the case, security will be required until 9 p.m. DAY TWO—PRODUCT LAUNCH, FRIDAY 3 JUNE 10.15 a.m.
Leave hotel to attend product launch at Cockle Bay Wharf. Transport to venue has been arranged.
12.30 p.m.
Leave launch and attend private lunch for 30 guests at Dizzy Lizzy Restaurant.
Require 2 security at entrance to product launch.
Require 2 security at restaurant as guests arrive. Lunch to conclude at 4 p.m. Joe and Sue will make own way back to hotel, no car or security required. 8 p.m.
Leave hotel for dinner at Quayside Restaurant. Require 1 security to ride with Joe, Sue and Chris plus car.
DAY THREE—SATURDAY 4 JUNE 10–12.30 p.m.
Joe and Sue in interviews all morning so no security required.
2 p.m.
Joe and Sue to leave for airport, departing on flight QF4435 for Los Angeles. Require 1 security plus transport to airport. Key contact Chris Brown will be travelling with Joe and Sue to airport. Chris will make own way from airport, no security needed.
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A copy of the security advice should be given to the security company, the security professional on duty and the key contact for the event. A copy should also be kept on file in case anyone loses their copy. If you make any changes to your security advice you will need to redistribute so that everyone is working from the most up-to-date instructions.
Insurance Insurance is all about protecting yourself from something that might happen. The insurance industry is in a constant state of change, which means it is hard to find set rates or policies relating to event management insurance. Before deciding what kind of insurance is best for your event, it is a good idea to speak to your insurance broker about a specific policy that will cover your needs. If you don’t have a preferred insurance broker, prepare a short list of insurance companies and ask them to provide a quote on the type of insurance you need. With insurance costs in a constant state of change, coverage for events can only really be secured two or three months prior to your event taking place. If you haven’t factored this into your planning it could impact on your event budget and timeframes. With this in mind, it is important to ask your insurance broker to update you with any changes that may occur so you can be sure your event is properly covered.
Types of insurance What types of insurance might you need for your event? Listed below are some examples of event insurance. You may find that when you speak to your insurance broker there are different names for similar coverage. Public liability This is where attendees to the event can be insured against bodily injury to third parties, as well as damage to third party property. For example, if a guest trips over at your event, your insurance
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should cover your expenses and their recovery if they decide to make a claim against you. Cancellation If an event has to be cancelled due to bad weather, budgetary restrictions or lack of attendees/registrations, this insurance covers your loss. Personal accident for volunteers This coverage is similar to public liability but is tailored for volunteers. If you need to employ a number of volunteers, this type of insurance covers them for injury that may be incurred while working for you. Prize indemnity Should circumstances arise where prizes offered at an event or function cannot be redeemed or are not honoured by the supplier, you and the recipient can be compensated for that loss. Insurance is a precaution you take to prevent disaster. Your organisation may decide that it is not important to undertake insurance for particular events but before this decision is made the pros and cons should be weighed up and discussed.
Transportation Transportation can play an important part in event management. Whether you are transporting guests to a venue or getting items delivered, you need to think about how you move people and things quickly and cost effectively. What type of transport will you require? For example, a large conference, an awards night and a product launch will all have different transport needs.You may find that for the conference you have to organise a shuttle service to pick up people from the airport as well as couriers to transport materials to the venue. For the awards night you may need to hire a flotilla of limousines to transport VIP guests. For the product launch you may just include a map and details of the nearest parking station with the invitation.
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Helpful Hint Your venue may have its own airport shuttle service that can be used by event attendees saving you time and money.
Preparing a transport brief To source a company that can meet your needs and budget, adopt the same process as you did when you researched caterers and venues. Begin by putting together a transport brief that includes: • • • • •
Event start/finish times; The kind of transport you require, e.g. mini buses, limousines, boat; The number of passengers; Where they need to be picked up from (pick-up details); and The venue address (drop-off details).
A transport brief might look like this (a template appears in Appendix I). Transport brief
Name of event: Employment Law Seminar
Date: 16 June 2004
Aim of event: Discuss changes to employment law
Event type: Lunchtime seminar
Start time: 12.45 p.m.
Finish time: 2.30 p.m.
Transport budget:
n/a
No. of guests:
150
Venue & location:
Hyatt Hotel, Reisling Room 16 St Anthony St, Adelaide
TRANSPORT NEEDS:
DETAILS:
Type of transport
1 car
Name and number of passengers
2—Minister for Employment Hon. Barry Williams MP and assistant Mark Thomas
Pick-up details
11.30 a.m. collect minister from airport
Drop-off details
3.30 p.m. drop off at airport
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When you have finalised your brief, make a short list of transport companies, contact them and ask for a written quote. You can find transport companies by looking up ‘Bus and Coach Hire’, ‘Car Hire’ and ‘Boat Hire’ services in the Yellow Pages or on the Internet.
Helpful Hint If you have to organise an airport pick-up service for guests, provide the transport company with the guest names, their arrival and departure times, the name of the airline and your contact information. The transport company will have enough information to pick up the right person or contact you if the flight is delayed or the guest doesn’t arrive.
Transporting guests For large events you may have to hire cars or buses to transport guests to and from the event.You will need to allocate an area or pick-up point for drivers so that guests can be collected and dropped off without causing major traffic delays. Buses are a great way to transport a large number of people. If you wanted to host a movie premiere for charity, followed by an after party, rather than clogging up a main street with a sea of limousines you might hire a number of luxury coaches to transfer guests from the cinema to the party. Additional transport management issues you may need to address are: • Will transport wait for guests if your event runs late? • If there is a breakdown can the company arrange replacement transport? • What special permission do you need from the local council, police or government authorities? There may be additional costs for overtime or back-up services in the case of a breakdown. These costs should be confirmed when you finalise your transport arrangements.
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Helping guests organise transport If guests need to find their own way to and from your event, make it easy for them by including parking or public transport information with invitations, registration brochures or meeting agendas. This should include details on the nearest parking station, bus stop or train station, costs and whether there are any discounts for attendees.You may be able to reserve a number of parking spaces either within your office building, the event venue itself or a parking station. Making the effort to cater for your guests in this way ensures that getting to and from your event is easy and stress free.
Helpful Hint Take into consideration parking access for attendees who may be disabled; you may have to arrange transport from the car park to the venue. Similarly, if there is a risk of the car park filling up sooner than expected, you may need to arrange back-up parking as well as transportation from the car park to the venue.
Transport timeframes It is important to have transport needs sorted out by the time you are beginning to finalise your invitations so that all necessary information about your event can be sent to guests at the same time.
Responsible serving of alcohol/host responsibility Australia and New Zealand have programs dealing with alcohol service issues for those working in the event and hospitality industries. In Australia it is referred to as ‘Responsible Serving of Alcohol’, in New Zealand it is called ‘Host Responsibility’. Both programs address a range of issues surrounding alcoholrelated violence and anti-social behaviour. Such programs are
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fast becoming a criterion of employment for people in the hospitality industry. Venues are responsible for ensuring they have the correct licence to serve alcohol and that their staff are aware of responsible serving of alcohol practices. Before paying your deposit, make sure your venue complies with these practices. If the event is being held in a unique venue space such as a building foyer or courtyard, you may need to apply for a special licence in order to serve alcohol. This will probably involve completing an application form and paying a fee. For further information relating to function or liquor licences in your state or region, contact the relevant government department. If your event is being held in a public space such as a park or community centre, you should check with your local council if alcohol can be served at all. This may particularly apply if your event will be attracting a lot of underage attendees. More and more public spaces are being designated alcohol-free zones.
Protocol and etiquette Protocol and etiquette are words that describe accepted customs and social behaviour within a community. Things like saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, or the way you introduce people, are all part of protocol and etiquette. You may think that it’s all a bit over the top, old-fashioned or snobbish, but following the right protocols and etiquette at your event will put people at ease, demonstrate your respect for other cultures, and may even educate your audience at the same time. Getting protocol and etiquette right is a matter of being aware of what is expected by and from a particular audience or speaker. If you don’t take the time to find out if there are any expected protocols or etiquette that need to be followed, you could end up seriously offending people or give your firm and yourself a bad reputation. There are many books available on social etiquette that will tell you how to address people correctly or which knife and fork you should use. Rather than go into too much detail about how to greet a VIP or set the table, the following information provides
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a few tips so you at least think about what protocols and etiquette may apply to your event. There are two main steps to follow regarding protocol and etiquette. • One ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ This is all about putting yourself in other people’s shoes. If you were a guest or speaker at your event, what kind of protocols or etiquette would you expect? The most common event protocols involve formally greeting guests and thanking contributors to your event. • Two Research. Do your homework as to what protocols and etiquette may be expected. This may be as easy as asking the guest speaker or their office how they like to be addressed or reading a book on protocol and etiquette.
Is protocol compulsory? Events such as citizenship ceremonies, local council meetings, annual general meetings and official state dinners do have specific protocols, which must be followed. If you are in doubt about which formal protocols or forms of etiquette should be adopted for your event, government departments in your region or state should be able to provide you with guidelines or further information.
Cultural protocol and etiquette With Australia and New Zealand being such culturally diverse nations, it is important that you have an understanding of which cultural protocols should be adopted for your event to ensure you properly respect the various cultural groups involved.
Welcome to Country In Australia, more and more events are incorporating a ‘Welcome to Country’ ceremony.This acts not only as a mark of respect to indigenous Australians but also as a gesture of reconciliation.
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The Welcome to Country is performed just before an event commences. Its main function is to welcome people onto the land of the traditional owners.Where possible, a welcome should be performed by a local elder or community leader who has ties to country. If not, an elder or community leader from another group who lives in the local community can also perform the welcome. The host, MC or guest speaker of an event may choose to acknowledge country, which means they are acknowledging the traditional owners of the land. A suggested form of wording for this is: I would firstly like to acknowledge the traditional owners of this land, the [INSERT NAME OF PEOPLE e.g. Gadigal] people of the [INSERT NAME OF NATION e.g. Eora] nation, whose land we meet on today. Indigenous cultural protocols may vary from community to community and each individual may perform a welcome differently. To ensure that you respect indigenous protocols correctly, contact one of the following organisations for assistance: • State government department dealing with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues; • An Indigenous Land Council; or • A local Aboriginal organisation, such as a legal or medical service.
Powhiri or Pohiri In New Zealand, the main purpose of the ‘Powhiri’ or Maori welcome ceremony is to establish a relationship with the guests. There are ten stages to the ceremony with each part focusing on the five senses (sight, touch, smell, sound and taste) by including speeches, songs, prayers and food.The Powhiri ceremony is performed by elders with specific parts for men and women. Protocol for the Powhiri can vary from community to community. To ensure that you respect the Maori culture correctly contact one of the following organisations for assistance:
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• The nearest Te Puni Kokiri Office (listed in the blue pages of the white phone book); or • Your local tourist or convention bureau. Other examples of cultural sensitivities would be not serving alcohol to a Muslim audience or serving kosher food to a Jewish audience.
Sponsorship and fundraising Sponsorship and fundraising are often linked with event planning. Sponsorship can provide additional funding, products or services in order to make your event happen; fundraising is an activity incorporated into your event to benefit a charitable cause. Both areas require a lot of planning. If you are organising such an event for the first time, it is a good idea to consider engaging a professional sponsorship or fundraising consultant to help you.
Sponsorship and fundraising consultants Employing a sponsorship and fundraising consultant will cost you money but can mean the difference between getting this part of your event planning right or biting off more than you can chew. If your organisation does not have the funds to hire a consultant directly, you could try to negotiate the fee or see if they are prepared to work with you on: • a commission-only basis—which means the consultant takes a percentage of the funds raised; or • an in-kind or pro bono basis, which means the consultant provides their services free of charge but may be acknowledged as a sponsor or supporter of the event. If you are unsure where to find a consultant the Fundraising Institute in Australia and New Zealand or the Australasian Sponsorship Marketing Association can help you with information on reputable consultants.
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Helpful Hint Raising sponsorship takes time. It is important to allow yourself a minimum of three months to confirm sponsorship support.
Sponsorship If you decide to organise sponsorship yourself this information should help you get started. Sponsorship is an investment by a business of money, products or services in return for benefits enabling that organisation to gain exposure to a particular audience. Events such as conferences, seminars, charity balls, exhibitions—any event that will be attended by a large number of people—can provide attractive sponsorship opportunities. The main benefit of sponsorship is that it takes some pressure off your budget. For example, a printing company may offer to print all of your invitations for free; an accounting firm may pay the airfare of an international guest speaker; a wine company may provide all the wine for your event or a bank recruit staff as volunteers at your event.The money you save on these expenses can be reallocated to another area of your budget like insurance, advertising or staff. While sponsorship sounds like a magical saviour the overriding factor is that it can never be guaranteed. In addition, rather than just supporting one particular event or giving a cash donation, many organisations are now looking for more long-term sponsorship opportunities that can involve their employees and other key stakeholders. So if you are thinking about sourcing a sponsor you may have to approach each company with a long-term strategy rather than asking for support of a one-off event.
Getting what you want from sponsorship Before you start contacting companies, you need to work out what your event needs from a sponsorship arrangement. For example:
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• What kind of sponsorship do you want? Funding to host the event or pay for a high-profile speaker to attend? Complimentary products for use at the event or free services such as printing, advertising, catering? • How many sponsors will you need—one, three, six? • Will you have a hierarchy for sponsors so the higher the investment the higher the benefits and profile at your event? However you decide to structure it, you will need to clearly define what you are going to offer a sponsor so there is no confusion as to what they are getting for their investment. • What are you prepared to offer a sponsor in return for their support?
What will you give the sponsor? You will also need to think about what you are prepared to give a sponsor in return for their investment.This is referred to as sponsorship benefits. Common benefits offered to sponsors include: • Naming rights Where you name the event in honour of your sponsor, e.g. the YZK Sales and Marketing Conference. • Complimentary tables Sponsors can bring clients or employees to your event without having to pay for their attendance. • Discounted or free tickets A number of free or discounted tickets can be reserved for sponsors to use for clients or employees. • Access to speakers After your event is over the sponsor may want to host their own event for clients or employees featuring a speaker from your event. • Sponsor’s address If it is appropriate you may invite a sponsor to open your event, present a paper or address the audience in some manner. • Distribute sample products This provides a good way for a sponsor to get a particular product in front of a specific audience. • Host an exhibition stand or display area Pretty similar benefits to those above. • Sponsorship of similar events throughout the year If your event is one that will recur throughout the year, sponsoring the
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whole series will provide your sponsor with an ongoing association with your audience. Supply of articles to newsletters, etc. Some sponsors may have particular services or technical knowledge that would benefit your event attendees. Direct mail to attendees Sponsors may like to send information on special offers to your event attendees. Links to websites If attendees are interested in finding out more about your sponsor they can easily go to their website. Endorsement of event Sponsor endorsement of your event gives it kudos amongst the sponsor’s target audience as well as the wider public. Logo on flyers and advertising Again, further promotes the sponsorship to your target audience.
Once you have decided on the benefits you will provide, you will then need to work out how much the sponsorship opportunity is worth.You can do this by allocating a cost to each benefit and adding up the total.
Developing a sponsorship proposal Once you have articulated your needs and sponsorship benefits, the next thing to do is develop a sponsorship proposal.This will become the main selling document for your sponsorship opportunity and should contain the following information: • An executive summary A summary of the who, what, when, where and why of the event and why it makes sense for the organisation to sponsor it. This should be written so the sponsor can clearly see what’s in it for them. • Information on the event A basic background on the event including the latest program, special speakers, etc. • Key dates and time lines A summary of what needs to happen by which date. • Marketing and advertising plan An outline of how you will market and promote your event. • Listing of benefits What you will offer your sponsor for their investment.
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• Sponsorship administration How you will look after the sponsor once they are on board. • Conclusion Reiterating the points covered in the executive summary. A sponsorship proposal is no more than 10–15 pages long and includes only the relevant information. It is really important that your proposal clearly highlights the benefits of the opportunity, as companies receive hundreds of these proposals each week and you want to make sure yours stands out for all the right reasons.
Researching potential sponsors Contacting potential sponsors is not a matter of ringing every company in the Yellow Pages. Start by making a short list of ten companies that you think should sponsor your event. Before you contact them do a bit of research to gain a sense of what that company looks for in a sponsorship relationship. The best place to begin is by visiting their website to see who they sponsor or whether they have any sponsorship guidelines. Another thing to do is read business newspapers and journals to get an indication on what is happening in business circles. This may prevent you from approaching a company that is about to go into administration or downsize staff. It will also tell you which companies are launching a new product or business division that could benefit from having some association with your event.
Making contact Once your short list of prospective sponsors is finalised you can start to contact them one at a time, with the aim of setting up a meeting to talk about the sponsorship opportunities associated with your event. Don’t be discouraged if in the first instance you are requested to send something ‘in writing’ or are given a flat ‘no’.Asking you to send something through allows a company to assess the opportunity before meeting. If you receive a flat ‘no’ at least you can move on to your next prospect straight away. If you do secure a meeting with a prospective sponsor it will be your opportunity to tell them about your event in more detail
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and really ascertain if they are interested in sponsoring it. You may need to further tailor your proposal to cover any additional benefits discussed at the meeting. When a company agrees to sponsor your event you then need to send them a contract or letter that confirms their support and outlines the terms of the sponsorship. Before sending your contract off to a potential sponsor, have your legal counsel or company law firm review it.
Looking after your sponsor Sponsorship doesn’t end once your sponsor signs an agreement. The benefits you promised now need to be activated. Working with your sponsor to deliver the benefits not only ensures you build a great working relationship but will help to renegotiate their support for your next event. It is imperative that a sponsor feels they have received return on investment for their support.
Fundraising If you decide to organise a fundraising event yourself, this information will help. Fundraising activities can really enhance an event as well as raise much needed funds for a charity or non-profit organisation. In Australia and New Zealand, there are laws in place that determine what fundraising activities can be held and how they should be conducted. Organising a fundraising activity must suit the type of event you are hosting. Events such as annual general meetings, sales meetings and business dinners wouldn’t incorporate fundraising because they are business-focused events, but with more and more companies wanting to give back to the community, incorporating a fundraising activity with events such as conference dinners, Christmas parties and staff picnic days is becoming more common. If you work for a non-profit organisation or charity, having to organise fundraising events will most probably be considered a very important part of your business. If this is the first time you are organising such an event, it is a good idea to start with a simple fundraising activity such as a
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raffle or guessing competition. It is better to have something well run than set up a more complex event that promises the world and doesn’t deliver. Some fundraising events, particularly those that involve raffles and prizes, will require a permit. It is best to check with the relevant government authorities in your state or region for details. Some of the more common fundraising events are listed below.
Raffles Raffles are where you sell a number of tickets that go into a draw for a selection of prizes. If you are holding a raffle you may need to apply for a licence. This will depend on the total value of the prizes you are offering. The rules surrounding raffle tickets generally require that the ticket shows: • the same serial number as the ticket butt; • the price of the ticket; and • the full name of the non-profit organisation.
Casino and gaming nights Casino and gaming nights are popular as fundraising events. Attendees are given or purchase chips or tokens to play games such as blackjack, roulette or two-up. So that you don’t end up being charged with running an illegal casino, make sure you confirm any regulations that need to be followed with the relevant government authorities in your state or region.
Auctions There are two main types of auction, live and silent. In a live auction, you have an auctioneer and a room full of people bidding for each item or prize. In a silent auction people write their bids on a form; the person who’s offered the highest bid at the close of the auction receives the item. Online auctions are also gaining in popularity because of the flexibility of being able
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to bid over the Internet. For further information on how to run an auction, contact an auctioneer by searching the Internet or the Yellow Pages under ‘Auctioneers’. If you need assistance with fundraising activities there are a number of places in which you can get some help. • The Fundraising Institute in Australia and New Zealand hosts fundraising courses and provides a listing of professional fundraisers on their websites, <www.afi.org.au> and <www.fundraising. org.nz>. • Advertising or public relations agencies that specialise in sales promotions can also help you by designing the activity and sourcing equipment and staff to run them. • You can read one of the many books available on fundraising.
Where do I find prizes? For some fundraising activities you will need to source a range of prizes. Begin by deciding the number of prizes you will need.Will you have a major prize and smaller prizes for second or third place? Or will you just have the one main prize? If you don’t have a budget to purchase prizes then you will need to contact various organisations and ask if they would like to donate something. Suggestions for prizes include alcohol, artworks, cars, chocolates, clothing, computers, dinners for two, flowers, food, free petrol/ shopping/house cleaning for a year, gift hampers, gift vouchers, golf/tennis/music lessons, holidays, holiday homes, jewellery, luggage, stereos, and tickets to see shows or sporting events.
Helpful Hint In Australia, charities and other non-profit organisations that are not registered for GST cannot charge GST on supplies such as sales of tickets, nor can they claim input tax credits on expenses. If you are unsure about GST and your fundraising activities contact the Australian Taxation Office at <www.ato.gov.au> or the Inland Revenue Department at <www.ird.govt.nz>.
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If you find you have a lot of prizes that are similar or complement each other, such as gift vouchers, dinners and tickets to shows, you could package them up as a prize hamper.You might be able to offer a backyard makeover prize that includes lawn mowing and gardening services for a year, a gift voucher to a nursery, a barbecue and outdoor setting.
EVENT SCENARIO: END-OF-YEAR CELEBRATION At the weekly work in progress meeting your manager asked about the security arrangements for the end-ofyear celebration. You are really pleased with yourself as you hand over a copy of the draft security advice and provide the group with an update—don’t you just love it when you are more organised than your boss! At the meeting you explained that you sought quotes from three security companies and ended up going with the security company that was hired for the recent shareholders’ meeting. The security company will provide two personnel to act as bouncers and deter any gatecrashers. They will be stationed at the venue entrance and to make it easy for them to identify attendees, fluorescent pink wrist-bands will be given to each guest when they register on arrival. A total of 220 wristbands has been ordered. They will also help track how many people have actually turned up. The following security advice has been developed. END-OF-YEAR CELEBRATION SECURITY ADVICE AS AT MONDAY 5 DECEMBER ITINERARY 6 p.m.
Two security personnel to arrive at Empire Theatre (223 Brown Street, City). Security to be stationed at theatre entrance. Security to be dressed in business attire.
10 p.m. Once all guests have left the building security to leave building.
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Your manager reviewed the security advice at the meeting and asked you to go ahead and confirm all security arrangements. When you inspected the venue they advised you that their public liability insurance was up to date. You have also contacted your local Indigenous Land Council to arrange for an elder to perform the Welcome to Country ceremony at the event. With this confirmed you update the venue running order and send a letter of confirmation to the elder providing details of the event. There is no sponsorship to organise for this event but the social club has been granted permission to hold a raffle to raise funds for the XYA charity. Luckily for you the social club is taking care of the raffle details and prizes, but they have agreed to keep you in the loop with planning for the event. Tickets will be on sale two months before the event with the winner drawn at the end-of-year celebration. With the last details secured you are now ready for the downhill run to the event.Things are starting to get busy and you turn to your event management sheet to see what needs to be done next.
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7 Countdown to the big day
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he official countdown begins in the week before your event. This is when you are most likely to experience last-minute, unexpected changes to your event preparation, which can make it a stressful but exhilarating time all at once.To help make it as stress free as possible, it is wise to review and reconfirm all of your arrangements so that you are absolutely clear on what needs to be done, when it needs to be done by and who needs to do it. Tasks you may need to do can range from confirming the final number of attendees to formulating a wet-weather plan, and developing a post-event questionnaire or survey.To ensure that you are not a nervous wreck by the time your event rolls around, information to help you effectively manage these final tasks is included in this chapter.You may be thinking that this all sounds a bit too scary but as long as you don’t assume anything you will be all right—as the old saying goes,‘assume makes an ass out of u and me’!
The final week In the week leading up to your event the first point of reference will be your event management sheet, which provides you with a listing of the outstanding tasks. To make these tasks more obvious, highlight them in a different colour. As you complete each one, update your event management sheet. Outstanding tasks may include: Attendees • Confirm final numbers with venue • Confirm final numbers with caterer
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• Confirm additional attendee requests such as accommodation and travel • Produce name tags and place cards (if appropriate) • Put together information packs for attendees (if appropriate) • Develop an attendee evaluation form (if appropriate) Venue • Confirm room layout has been received by the venue • Confirm times in which venue will be available for set-up • Send through event running order to the venue manager • Confirm set-up schedule for exhibition/display areas, including set-up time for exhibitors (if appropriate) • Develop additional directional signage if needed, e.g. cloakroom and bathroom signs • Allocate staff to cover administration desk and welcome VIP guests • Brief staff on event running order, location of bathrooms, etc. For an outdoor event • Confirm relevant approvals have been sought from council/ government authorities • Confirm lighting, additional bathroom facilities with hire company • Ensure copy of insurance policy is in file • Finalise wet-weather plan Caterers • Confirm final numbers with caterer • Confirm menu with caterer • Confirm delivery times and provide copy of order of proceedings to caterer • Confirm the event address and contact details have been provided Speakers/presenters • Obtain copy of speaker notes/speeches • Ensure all speakers have correct event address and contact details
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• Ensure travel and accommodation arrangements are in place (if appropriate) • Confirm with venue that required AV equipment has been ordered, or if this has been arranged by you confirm with hire place all equipment has been ordered RSVPs • Chase any RSVPs not received At this point it is a good idea to develop a listing of key contacts with telephone numbers, email and street addresses for every organisation associated with your event.
Wet-weather plan A wet-weather plan is used if your event has the potential to be affected by inclement weather (including rain, hail, wind) or some other natural occurrence out of your control. It really applies more to events that are held outdoors.Your plan should include the following information: • A telephone number (preferably toll free) for attendees to check whether the event is still going ahead. • Booking a community service announcement on the radio or television advising of alternate arrangements. • Placing signage around the venue, notifying people of the change in event plans. If you decide to still go ahead with your event, even though the weather is terrible, you must have a back-up venue and ensure that people know where this is.This may mean booking a second venue space (could be expensive) or hiring a marquee to provide shelter from the elements. If you cancel your event you will need to notify everyone involved as soon as possible—hopefully within 24 hours of making the decision.You will also need to check agreements and contracts to see if there are any cancellation fees you may need to pay.
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A wet-weather plan is a bit like an insurance policy as you are taking steps to protect your event against something out of your control.
Event set-up With all of the pre-event planning now under control, how long it takes to set up your venue will depend upon what time your event will start, how many people are attending, the type of event it is and what time you can gain access to the venue. This is the moment when all your planning starts to be put into action and just about everyone—except the actual guests—is to some degree involved. Professional event organisers often refer to this part of planning as the ‘bump-in’. Your venue manager will organise the venue staff to set up the room following your venue plan. Usually all you will need to worry about is setting up the administration desk, any room decorations and advising the venue manager of when service providers such as caterers or audio-visual specialists will need to arrive and set up.
Do-it-yourself set-up If your event is being held in a venue like a community hall where there is no staff to help you, allow at least 6–8 hours to set up all chairs, tables, food and beverages and any audio-visual equipment—especially if you have a large number of guests coming along.
Helpful Hint Don’t worry if you overestimate the time you need to set up your venue—it is better to be ready and have time to spare than to be rushing around frantically at the last minute.
Set-up schedule A set-up schedule is set out like an event running order but also includes key contact information. Its main aim is to ensure that
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setting up your venue is no worse than organised chaos! Apart from what needs to happen when, your set-up schedule will provide information on who will be entering the premises and whether there are any special needs that should be catered for. You should appoint one person to oversee the set-up process (most of the time this will be you or the venue manager) who will be the first point of contact should there be any questions or problems. If the venue is handling all the set-up, it is a good idea to pop down there regularly and have a look at how things are going. Sometimes security personnel are involved in the set-up process to keep out uninvited guests. Security personnel should receive a copy of the set-up schedule so they know exactly what’s going on. Because set-up schedules are so individual, I have not provided a template, just this example of one (opposite) for a three-day conference.The conference was organised by the managing director’s executive assistant, Kerry Crystal. Kerry organised an administration desk and an exhibition area to be positioned near the entrance of the venue.A professional exhibition company was hired to come in and build the exhibition booths on site. Exhibitors were then able to come in and decorate them. Audio-visual specialists were hired to look after the technical needs for the conference speakers. The venue manager was the main contact overseeing the set-up process but Kerry visited the venue regularly to check on progress. Kerry allowed two days for the venue set-up. The night before the conference the venue was ‘locked down’, which meant that no one was able to enter the room until an agreed time the next morning. This also acted as a security measure preventing people entering the room unsupervised. This might sound like overkill, but once your set-up schedule has been completed it is a good idea to contact all of the people involved and reconfirm what time they need to arrive and any security or delivery details. Once everything is in place, it is advisable to do a final check of the venue at least an hour before your event begins. This way you can make any small last-minute adjustments without too much stress. It is also a good way of checking that service providers such as audio-visual companies, musicians and
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Set-up schedule
XYZ SALES CONFERENCE Monday 8 May 8 a.m.
Exhibition Professionals arriving to erect exhibition area (Key contact John Brown, Exhibition Professionals Ph: 0011 555 555)
12 noon
All exhibitors to arrive to set up displays
Name
Company
Contact number
Bill Bloggs
XYZ Limited
0001 222 444
Tina Tim
ABC Limited
0001 444 555
Venue staff begin to set up room (Key contact: venue manager on duty) Conference materials to be delivered to venue by Fast Fleet Couriers (Key contact: Kerry Crystal Ph: 0011 777 888) 3 p.m.
AV specialists arrive to set up microphones and stage area (Key contact: Mike Moore, AV Specialists, Ph: 0011 888 999
5 p.m.
Final check of room set-up, including audio-visual sound check by Kerry Crystal and venue manager
7 p.m.
Room lock down until 7 a.m. 9 May
Tuesday 9 May 7 a.m.
Set up administration desk and conference materials (Key contact: Kerry Crystal)
9 a.m.
Conference begins
caterers have set up properly.With your final check completed, walk out of the room and do something away from the venue. If you become too obsessed with making everything perfect you may overlook something. Having a break at this point allows you some time out and a chance to gain a perspective on things.
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Other tips for setting up your venue include: Venue • Compare the room set-up to your floor plan. • If additional decorations are to be placed around the room, ensure there are enough people on site to help you put them up quickly and efficiently. Staff • Allow at least an hour to set up the administration desk with name tags, information kits for guests, table/seating listings and directional signage. Caterers • Run through the order of proceedings with caterers to doublecheck service times. Audio-visual specialists • Make sure you meet the people setting up so that they can run through any technical aspects of operating the equipment. Reconfirm with them the time they will be returning to collect the equipment and where it will be stored overnight if applicable. Entertainment/guest speakers • Run through the event running order, the song list (if applicable) and areas where performers can get ready.
Helpful Hint Room set-up schedules are essential when you have to coordinate a lot of people. You may not always need this kind of schedule, especially if your event is small and intimate. For smaller events you may just put together a ‘To Do List’ that provides you with a final checklist of outstanding items to double-check before your event kicks off.
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The day of the event This is it, the day of the event and you have made it without having a heart attack or collapsing in a blubbering heap! With all your planning about to be put into action, the old Girl Guide motto, ‘Be Prepared’, will apply from now until your event concludes. Before the first guest arrives there are still a few things you will need to do.To be prepared for anything, make sure you have the following items with you when you arrive at the venue: event running order, staff rosters (if applicable), RSVP list, name tags and place cards (if applicable), writing paper, mobile phone, key contact list, mobile phone, camera (if applicable) and your event toolkit.
Helpful Hint An event toolkit is something that will help not only on the day of the event but with setting up and cleaning up your venue. The toolkit is basically a small bag that contains scissors, Blutack, stickytape, thumb tacks, packing tape, paper, blank name tags, pens, felt pens and your business cards—in other words, it is a portable stationery shop. If you need to put up additional signage or write out extra name tags you have all the necessary items on hand to do it.
It may seem quite pedantic but it is always best to doublecheck that the audio-visual equipment and the guest speaker’s presentation aids all work—especially if there has been a short lead time for planning your event.The reason for this is that sometimes things can go wrong—like the time a presenter turned up with the slides to go with his presentation on a computer disc half an hour before giving a three-hour workshop. When the disc was tested, the slides had not been saved properly and the presenter ended up having to give the workshop without any visuals. Not a great thing to have happen, but at least it was discovered beforehand and the presenter was spared being embarrassed in front of 40 attendees.
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Briefing staff On the day of your event all staff members who will be helping you should be given the latest event running order so they are aware of any last-minute changes and know exactly what is expected of them during the event. If a number of people arrive at the same time, for example, encourage staff to take the initiative to step in and assist on the administration desk by distributing name tags or ushering guests. Above all, it is important that staff feel part of a team. To encourage this, set in place simple procedures to follow if they are confronted with a problem during the event. This could be as easy as nominating a key or main contact—again this will usually be you—to come to if a problem arises.The key contact can then look after the problem allowing staff to get back to their doing their jobs.A quick and simple procedure will also encourage staff to ask questions if they need help. Now that the room has been set up, the staff briefed and the guests have arrived, it is time for you to take some time to enjoy the results of all your planning.
EVENT SCENARIO: END-OF-YEAR CELEBRATION The set-up schedule for the end-of-year celebration will be pretty straightforward as the venue will be setting up the chairs, tables, lounges and hanging the banners. All you will need to do is set up the administration desk, check the AV equipment and CD player work, and deliver the final event running order to the venue manager. The venue manager has said that the room should be set up by midday so you decide to arrive there at 4 p.m. to set up the administration desk and do the final sound checks. That will give you enough time to set everything up and make any minor adjustments before the guests begin arriving. You have asked the staff who will be manning the administration desk, and
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the security guards, to arrive at 5.30 p.m. for their final briefing. SET-UP SCHEDULE WIZZBANG COMPANY END-OF-YEAR CELEBRATION Friday 19 December 12 noon
Set-up of tables, chairs and banners to be complete (Key contact: venue manager) AV specialists arrive to set up microphones and stage area (Key contact: Mike Moore Ph: 0011 888 999)
5 p.m.
[INSERT YOUR NAME] to arrive to set up administration desk and do AV and CD player check
5.30 p.m. Staff and security guards arrive for final briefing 6 p.m.
First guests to arrive
You also develop the following clean-up schedule: CLEAN-UP SCHEDULE WIZZBANG COMPANY END-OF-YEAR CELEBRATION Friday 19 December 9.15 p.m. Pack up administration desk and take down banners. All materials to be left in Empire Theatre ticket office. Wizzbang Company to send a courier for collection on 20 December AV equipment to be left as is. Mike Moore returning at 9 a.m. 20 December to dismantle and collect
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8 After the event
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o your event went off without a hitch—but what happens now? Event managers refer to the cleaning up part of event planning as ‘bump-out’. Cleaning up at the end should be handled in a similar way to set-up by developing a ‘bump-out’ or clean-up schedule. Before you work out the schedule, confirm how long you have access to the venue after the event to pack everything away. Once the schedule is complete confirm with caterers, security, exhibitors and audio-visual providers the times they will be required to attend the venue and clean up. The most important aspect to this part of event planning is that the venue must be left as you found it—especially if it is a venue that you want to use again. If the venue is damaged or not left in a suitable condition you may find yourself paying additional cleaning or service fees or, worse still, barred from hiring the space again. One thing is for sure, when your event is over you don’t want to be working back until 1 a.m. dismantling and cleaning up the venue space. There are a number of things you can do to make bump-out fast and easy, such as: • Prepare address labels for items that need to be couriered back to your office and keep them in your event toolkit. This will save you time in having to write them out at the conclusion of your event. • Ask the venue to provide you with some storage space where you can keep the boxes and bubblewrap required for packing items at the conclusion of your event. Having access to storage space is also great for things such as room decorations, leftover registration tags and AV equipment as they can be packed up and left in a safe place for collection later that day or the next morning.
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• See if there is anything that can be packed away as the event proceeds. If your event is an exhibition opening, for example, have someone walking around picking up empty glasses and washing them. Not only will you never run out of glasses but when the event is over you will have fewer glasses to collect and wash up. If you are hosting a dinner or short seminar, once your event has started you can usually clear up the registration desk, leaving only the name tags of people who have not turned up on the table or pinned to a noticeboard by the door.
Follow-up and future planning Congratulations! You have survived planning an event, but event planning doesn’t end when the last guest leaves. Before you hang up your planning boots you will need to do some event followup work. This will help you gain valuable feedback which will help you plan your next event.
Debrief staff In the week following your event it is important to hold a debrief session for the staff who helped make it a success.This provides a way for you to personally thank people for their support, ensures mistakes aren’t repeated and constructive feedback can be incorporated next time round. If people know their assistance was appreciated it will make it easier for you to recruit volunteers for future events. As part of the debrief, you should also contact the venue to confirm all went well at their end and discuss any outstanding issues or payments that may need to be made. It is a good idea to do the same thing with any outside help such as caterers, AV specialists and security firms as well. This not only provides those organisations with feedback but helps you build ongoing relationships with them.
Collating event evaluation forms If you have undertaken any formal evaluation either during or after your event you will also need to review the results and report
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any feedback to staff, service providers or the venue. Hopefully you will also gain an indication if people enjoyed themselves or suggestions that could improve future events. For more on event evaluation see Appendix III.
Reporting and filing Once the event is over and it is back to business you should make a concise record of your event by filing important papers, briefs and your event management sheet in a safe place. Keeping these documents will save time when planning your next event. You may also need to write a formal report for your board, fundraising committee or management team. When putting together a formal report you will need to include not only the hard statistics, such as how many people attended and how much everything cost, but also the following information: • Whether the venue provided a suitable setting for your event, and the venue staff were easy to work with. • Whether you had enough internal support to make your event a success. • Statistics and quotes from the evaluation forms. • Any initiatives you could undertake next time to make the planning and administration more efficient. • If the event was covered by the media, include photos or any press clippings. Event reporting not only ensures you have a permanent record of the event, but gives a history of the planning so you can use it as a reference point for your next event.
EVENT SCENARIO: END-OF-YEAR CELEBRATION Once you have assessed your evaluations, written any reports, and filed away all documents relating to the event your event is officially over. Can you believe it? Where did the time go? I hear you ask.
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The next morning you come into work and there is an email from your manager congratulating you on a job well done. As you get yourself a coffee a number of colleagues tell you what a great time they had and that they are looking forward to next year’s event. Even though you are a little tired you are feeling really pleased with yourself—and so you should—considering three-and-a half months ago you had never planned an event before. What were you ever worried about? That afternoon your manager calls you into his office for a formal debrief session along with the staff that helped out on the night. Apart from the positive aspects you also discuss how to improve the event for next year. This is when your manager asks if you would like to manage the planning for the following year. You accept and the best thing about doing it all again next year is that you have more time to organise the event and all of the templates have been set up. By the time next year’s event rolls around you will be an old pro at event planning. You may even wonder whether you should throw in your job to become a professional event organiser!
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Appendix I Sample forms
T
hese templates can be photocopied and enlarged. You can tailor them to meet your event needs.
EVENT BRIEF Name of event:
Date:
Aim of event:
Event type:
Start time:
Finish time:
Budget: No. of guests: Venue & Location: Event needs: Catering Drinks Entertainment Lighting/AV Printing (invitation, brochures etc) Security Transport Insurance/permits Accommodation Wait/bar staff Child minding
Details:
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APPENDIX I: SAMPLE FORMS EVENT MANAGEMENT SHEET Name of event:
Date:
Aim of event:
Event type:
Start time:
Finish time:
Item BUDGET Develop budget Budget approved GUESTS Develop attendee profile Confirm number of guests Develop guest list Guest list approved Confirm final guest numbers with venue VENUE & LOCATION Confirm event location Develop venue checklist Develop event running order Determine shortlist of venues Undertake site visits Obtain quotes from each site Determine final venue Pay deposit Pay balance SPEAKERS/ ENTERTAINMENT Confirm if need to provide music Prepare speeches (if appropriate)
Date
Who
Done
Comments
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Item CATERING Confirm if need to provide own catering Source caterer (if appropriate) Confirm caterer (if appropriate) Confirm menu and drinks Pay deposit to caterer (if appropriate) Pay balance to caterer (if appropriate) Confirm final numbers with caterer LIGHTING/ AUDIO-VISUAL Confirm if venue can provide AV Source AV equipment if not provided Obtain quote from supplier Approve quote Confirm supply of AV equipment Arrange payment for services PRINTING/ INVITATIONS Draft text and artwork for invitation Draft invitation to be approved Determine invitation distribution method Distribute invitations
Date
Who
Done
Comments
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APPENDIX I: SAMPLE FORMS Item
Date
Send RSVP reminder (if appropriate) RSVP cut-off date SECURITY Develop security brief Obtain quote from security company Get quote approved Confirm security arrangements Arrange payment for services STAFF GIFTS Source staff gifts Approve gift selection Obtain quote from supplier Approve quote Confirm order with supplier Arrange payment for gifts PROTOCOL/ETIQUETTE Confirm protocols/ etiquette Confirm protocol/ etiquette details VENUE SET-UP Develop set-up schedule Confirm access to venue Send copy of event running order to venue Print name badges (if appropriate)
Who
Done
Comments
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Item
Date
Who
Done
Comments
Set up administration desk (if appropriate) EVENT FOLLOW-UP Develop clean-up schedule Clean venue Send thank-you letters to helpers at the event Cross-check all accounts have been paid
EVENT BUDGET TABLE Name of event: Total funds allocated: EXPENSES
PROJECTED COSTS
REAL COSTS
DATE PAID
Venue Deposit Balance Catering TOTAL
INCOME SHEET Name of event: PAYEE
SUB TOTAL: TOTAL:
DESCRIPTION
AMOUNT
GST
DATE RECEIVED
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GUEST LIST GUEST LIST AS AT [INSERT DATE] Name of event: _________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Aim of event: ____________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Invitee category Clients Potential clients Board of Directors Senior management Middle management Specific department within the organisation All employees Key suppliers Media representatives Sponsors/funding bodies Patrons/members/subscribers Government representatives (local, state, federal) Celebrities Partners of invitees Children of invitees Others
Listing of invitees in that category
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VENUE CHECKLIST Proposed venue: Name of event: Venue criteria Can the venue provide:
Provided
A space that complements the event theme A booking on the required date Access at the required times Catering services, e.g. food/beverages, wait staff Business administration services, e.g. phone, fax, Internet Room capacity for the expected number of guests [enter figure] Access to public transport Disabled access and facilities Easy access to the office Audio-visual equipment Sufficient power points for equipment Accommodation for guests (if appropriate) Additional rooms for workshops (if appropriate) Separate rooms for meals (if appropriate) Transport services (if appropriate) Contact information for room decorations, costume hire, etc. (if appropriate)
EVENT RUNNING ORDER Name of event: No. of attendees: Type of function: Time: Time XX.XX–XX.XX a.m./p.m. XX.XX–XX.XX a.m./p.m. XX.XX–XX.XX a.m./p.m. XX.XX–XX.XX a.m./p.m. XX.XX–XX.XX a.m./p.m.
Activity
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CATERING BRIEF Name of event:
Date:
Aim of event:
Event type:
Event theme:
Start time:
Finish time:
Budget: No. of guests Invitee profile Venue & location Kitchen facilities Food preferences Drink preferences Service of food When food is to be served Service staff required Additional notes ENTERTAINMENT BRIEF Name of event:
Date:
Aim of event: Event theme:
Event type: Start time:
Finish time:
Budget: No. of guests Venue & location Entertainment start time Type of entertainment Aim of entertainment RSVP CHECKLIST Name of event: RSVP’s as at [Insert date] Title
First name
Last name
Organisation
No. of guests
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SPEAKER CONFIRMATION LETTER Dear [INSERT NAME] Thank you for agreeing to speak at the forthcoming [INSERT EVENT]. This letter confirms your appointment to be our guest speaker and requires you to complete and return the relevant section below. Details of the [INSERT EVENT] in which you will participate are outlined below: Event: Other speakers: Date: Venue: Contact information: [INSERT COMPANY] will: • • • •
Undertake all administration of the event Coordinate the program for the event Develop and undertake event publicity and promotion Make copies of and distribute any speakers’ handouts or promotional material if required
If you are in agreement with the above, please sign and date both copies of this letter, retain one for your records and return the other to [INSERT NAME] [INSERT DATE] [INSERT ADDRESS DETAILS] Please also inform us if any of your requirements change prior to the event taking place. Yours sincerely Signed: __________________________________
Date: __________
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF CONFIRMATION I agree to the terms outlined in the letter above. Signed: __________________________________
Date: __________
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Attachment 1: Entertainment details Event title: Time and date: Format: Content and goals: Chair/MC: Number of attendees: Invitee profile:
Attachment 2: Presentation details (to be completed by the speaker) Audio-visual requirements:
Please indicate your presentation requirements, e.g. overhead projector, slide projector. Please be specific to ensure your needs are met
Additional requirements:
Please indicate any additional materials required by you, e.g. whiteboard, lighting, raised stage area, presentation notes photocopied, etc.
Media coverage:
Please indicate below if you would be happy to be interviewed by a member of the press in relation to your appearance ❑ YES ❑ NO If yes, please indicate the best telephone number for the media to contact you:
Distribution of notes: (mainly used for conferences)
Please indicate below if you agree to have copies of your paper published on our website and/or publications distributed to attendees. ❑ YES ❑ NO If yes, please provide a copy of your paper, even in draft form, to [INSERT CONTACT DETAILS] by [NOT LATER THAN 10 DAYS FOLLOWING THE SEMINAR]
Biography:
Please attach or email a brief biography (between 60 and 100 words)
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SECURITY BRIEF Name of event:
Date:
Aim of event:
Event type:
Start time:
Finish time:
Security budget:
Contact person:
No. of guests:
Venue & location:
SECURITY NEEDS:
DETAILS:
Services Asset protection Crowd control Bodyguarding Drivers Bar staff Ticketing Other No. of personnel (incl. gender split):
TRANSPORT BRIEF Name of event: Aim of event:
Date: Event type:
Start time:
Finish time:
Transport budget: No. of guests: Venue & location: TRANSPORT NEEDS: Type of transport Name and number of passengers Pick-up details Drop-off details
DETAILS:
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Appendix II Helpful websites
Convention bureaus Adelaide Brisbane Cairns and Regions Canberra Christchurch Dunedin Gold Coast Hawkes Bay Lake Taupo Melbourne Nelson Northern Territory Perth Queenstown Regional Tourism Offices Rotorua Sunshine Coast Sydney Tasmania Townsville Waikato Wellington Whitsundays
www.acta.com.au www.brisbanemarketing.com.au www.cairnsconventionbureau.com www.canberraconvention.com.au www.christchurchnz.net www.dunedinnz.com www.goldcoastconventions.com www.hawkesbaynz.com www.laketauponz.com www.mcvb.com.au www.conferencesnelsonnz.com www.ntconventions.com.au www.pcb.com.au www.queenstownnz.co.nz www.bayofplentynz.com www.rotoruanz.com www.sunshinecoast.org www.scvb.com.au www.tasmaniaconventions.com www.townsvilleonline.com.au www.waikatonz.co.nz www.wellingtonNZ.com/conventions www.whitsundaytourism.com
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General event information Australasian Special Events Conference Online Events North Queensland Top 100 Conference & Event Venue Listing New Zealand Conference and Incentive Magazine AA New Zealand Travel Guide Conventions New Zealand
www.specialevents.com.au www.conferenceonline.com.au www.eventsnq.com.au www.nationalbusiness.com.au www.meetingnewz.co.nz www.aatravel.com.nz www.conventionsnz.co.nz
Government and related departments Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand Australian Taxation Office Department for Victorian Communities Department of Local Government and Planning (Queensland) Department of Premier and Cabinet (Tasmania) NSW Department of Local Government NT Department of Local Government NSW Department of Gaming and Racing Govt.nz (New Zealand Government Portal) Office of ACT Revenue
www.alcohol.org.nz www.ato.gov.au www.dvc.vic.gov.au www.dlgp.qld.gov.au
www.dpac.tas.gov.au www.dlg.nsw.gov.au www.nt.gov.au/cdsca www.dgr.nsw.gov.au www.govt.nz www.revenue.act.gov.au
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APPENDIX II: HELPFUL WEBSITES
Department of Fair Trading (ACT) Department of Industries, Business and Industry Development (NT) Queensland Treasury Department of Racing, Tourism and Fair Trading Office of the Liquor and Gaming Commissioner (South Australia) Tasmanian Gaming Commission Victorian Casino and Gaming Authority Liquor Licensing Victoria Office of Racing, Gaming and Liquor (WA) Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner
www.fairtrading.act.gov.au www.nt.gov.au
www.treasury.qld.gov.au www.dtrft.qld.gov.au www.sacentral.sa.gov.au
www.treasury.tas.gov.au www.gambling.vcga.vic.gov.au www.liquor.vic.gov.au www.orgl.wa.gov.au www.privacy.gov.au
Other Australia Post Yellow Pages New Zealand Post
www.auspost.com.au www.yellowpages.com.au www.yellowpages.co.nz www.nzpost.co.nz
Professional associations Australasian Sponsorship Marketing Association Direct Marketing Association of NZ Fundraising Institute of Australia
www.asma.com.au www.dma.co.nz www.fia.org.au
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Fundraising Institute of New Zealand Institute of Security Executives Meetings Industry Association of Australia New Zealand Convention Association Restaurant and Catering Australia Sydney Unique Venue Association Venue Management Association National Speakers Association New Zealand NZ Entertainment Venues Association of NZ
www.fundraising.org.nz www.security-exec.asn.au www.miaanet.com.au www.conventionsnz.co.nz www.restaurantcater.asn.au www.suva.com.au www.vma.org.au www.nationalspeakers.org.nz www.evanz.co.nz
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Appendix III Questionnaires and surveys
A
n evaluation system allows you to measure feedback about your event from guests, exhibitors and sponsors. Common methods used by event planners include having an informal chat with a few guests at the end of the night, devising a formal survey or questionnaire or undertaking telephone interviews with guests after the event. The type of event you host will determine the evaluation method you use; for example, if you are hosting a retirement dinner or business meeting you wouldn’t place a formal questionnaire on everyone’s seat. In this instance you may ask a few people at the end of the event if they enjoyed themselves or if the meeting achieved the desired outcomes. If you were hosting a seminar or conference, you may choose to use a structured questionnaire or survey.
Helpful Hint When talking about event evaluation you will hear the words ‘questionnaire’ and ‘survey’ mentioned quite a bit. Questionnaire and survey really refer to the same type of evaluation method—a list of questions, which you ask participants to complete in order to gain their opinion on a situation or subject. For event evaluation purposes these terms are interchangeable and it is up to you which term you prefer.
Undertaking some kind of formal evaluation is not meant to be a venting of what went wrong at your event, but a reflection of an attendee’s experience so that you can gain constructive feedback. The most common forms of event evaluation are questionnaires or surveys. Ideally, the best time to determine whether you will be
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undertaking any type of evaluation is when you are putting together your event brief. That way you can factor the development of a questionnaire into your timeframes and allocate some funding if you need to employ someone to devise a questionnaire for you.To find an organisation that develops surveys or questionnaires, search ‘Survey and Questionnaires’ on the Internet. If you need to develop a survey or questionnaire yourself, the following information will help you.
Creating a questionnaire or survey Creating a questionnaire or survey isn’t that hard, but a bit of strategic thought needs to go into it so that you get the feedback you are looking for.There are four main steps involved in creating a questionnaire or survey: • Determine the method of evaluation you will use—face-to-face interviews, written survey/questionnaire or telephone interview. • Determine how the evaluation will be distributed—undertaken in person, handed out to people at the event, mailed or emailed to attendees after the event. • When you have decided on what kind of evaluation method you will use and how it will be distributed, construct the questions. Questions need to be succinct and to the point— the longer a question is the less chance people will answer it properly, if at all. • Once you have developed your questionnaire you and a few colleagues need to complete it as a test—that way you can determine if anything has been left out or doesn’t make sense.
Formulating the questions The following points will help you formulate the questions for your event evaluation. (For ease of reading, the word questionnaire here includes surveys.) • Who will be filling out the questionnaire—attendees only or attendees, exhibitors and sponsors?
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• What is the main thing you want to know from your evaluation? For example, did people have a good time or how did your event help them grow their business? Identifying the main reason for undertaking your questionnaire will make it easier to develop questions that are relevant. • Does the questionnaire follow some logical path that leads the respondent through it? A logical progression also prevents you asking the same questions over and over again. For example, if you want to know how the venue ensured that guests had a good time you may have a whole section of questions dedicated to the venue, such as: How well do you think the venue suited the function? Please select one of the options below: Not at all Moderately well Well Extremely well Does the questionnaire measure if the aim of your event was achieved? • Have you included prompted answers so participants answer more than just ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a question? For example. Did you attend the conference to:
Gain further knowledge about a particular area? Network with colleagues? Listen to a particular speaker? Other; please specify in the space below:
• Another way to encourage more detailed responses is to ask participants to provide reasons for their answer. For example: Did the conference meet your expectations? Yes or No Please provide reasons for your answer in the space below.: ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________
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• Will all attendees including sponsors and exhibitors, complete your questionnaire? If so, some questions may not be relevant to all participants. Include information that leads participants to the next relevant question; for example: Were you an exhibitor at the conference? Yes or No Yes, go to question 8. No, go to question 11. • Have you included an introductory paragraph at the beginning of your questionnaire? This should explain the aims of the survey up front and lets participants know how you want it filled out; for example: The aim of this survey is to measure your experience at the YXW Conference. Please complete the questions below and return it to the UUY Offices via fax or mail. • Have you thanked people for participating? If you want people to supply any personal details a space should be included at the end of the questionnaire. It is often a good idea to give people the option of including their personal details so you are not infringing on their privacy. • Don’t expect to be overwhelmed by the number of responses you will receive. It is commonly expected that using surveys or questionnaires to evaluate an event usually results in a very low return rate, perhaps as little as 2 per cent.To try and increase the return rate, you might like some form of incentive, like a free keyring to respondents who return their evaluation form within a set period. One way to ensure a higher return rate is to ask people to submit their questionnaire at the conclusion of the event, allowing a short period for people to complete them so that they hand them in as they leave. Included in this Appendix are two questionnaires used at recent educational seminars. A professional association distributed the first questionnaire to its members following a marketing seminar. The questionnaires were placed on each seat and attendees asked to hand them in as they left. The second questionnaire followed
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a seminar entitled ‘Getting Started in Your Own Business’, and was distributed to all attendees by email the day after the event. To complete the questionnaire attendees clicked on an Internet link which took them to the questionnaire. Once completed respondents then selected a button which automatically emailed the questionnaire to the event organisers.
Questionnaire 1 The XYQ Association MARKETING MADE EASY 29 May 2003 SEMINAR EVALUATION Please take the time to complete this evaluation form. Your feedback will help us better understand your needs and improve the quality of our events. Please be assured your comments will be treated in the strictest of confidence. DID THE SEMINAR MEET YOUR NEEDS? How would you rate the seminar? Excellent
Satisfactory
Good
Poor
Please give reasons for your answer below: _______________________________________________________________________________________ What were your reasons for attending the seminar? 1. ___________________________________________________________________________________ 2. ___________________________________________________________________________________ ACCESSIBILITY Is the venue convenient for seminars? Yes/No Other venue suggestions: _____________________________________________________ Does the 7 p.m. timeslot suit you? Yes/No Is there a more convenient time? _______________________________________________________________________________________ FUTURE SEMINARS What topics/speakers would you like the XYQ Association to present at future seminars? _______________________________________________________________________________________
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THANK YOU FOR COMPLETING THIS QUESTIONNAIRE *OPTIONAL NAME:_____________________________________________________________________________ JOB TITLE: _______________________ ORGANISATION:________________ MAIL ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________________________ PHONE: __________________ EMAIL: _________________________
Questionnaire 2 Post-event Questionnaire If you can give us two minutes of your time you will receive a FREE gift. Please complete and return this questionnaire by Friday 2 May in order to receive your gift—an XYA diary valued at $34.95. About the Seminar Please rate the areas relating to the seminar held on April 20: Overall experience
Poor Average Good Excellent
Content of seminar
Poor Average Good Excellent
Number of speakers
Too few Just right Too many
What is the single most valuable thing you have learnt from this seminar? Please provide your answer in the space below: _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ What topics were of MOST interest to you? Please provide reasons for your answer in the space below: _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ What topics were of LEAST interest to you? Please provide reasons for your answer in the space below: _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ How would you improve future seminars? Please provide reasons for your answer in the space below: _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________
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About you So we can better plan future seminars, please take some time to provide us with some information about yourself. Your email address:______________________________________________________________ Do you own your own business? Yes No If Yes, how long have you been in business? Please select from the responses below: Less than one year 1–2 years 2–5 years 5–10 years 10+ years How many staff do you have in your business? Please select from the responses below: 1–5 6–10 11–20 20+ Thank you for making the time to give us your feedback. Your free gift should arrive within four weeks.
With the second questionnaire it is difficult to keep respondent details confidential, because with email the sender can be identified, hence an incentive can encourage people to respond. If you are worried about privacy and confidentiality you can include a paragraph letting respondents know that their details will not be given to anyone without their consent. Undertaking a questionnaire, no matter how many or how few responses you receive, is a good idea because it provides you with valuable feedback to plan your next event. EVENT EVALUATION To measure feedback from the event you develop a short questionnaire that can be distributed to employees on the company intranet. To encourage people to respond,
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your manager has agreed to offer an incentive of two movie passes to the first 50 respondents. Even though you had not planned to undertake a formal evaluation when you first began planning your event, you are glad that you have some money in your budget allocated to miscellaneous expenses. That way the cost of the movie passes is covered and you are still within budget. EVENT QUESTIONNAIRE Please take some time to complete the following questionnaire on the end-of-year celebration. Your responses will help us plan a better event next year. The first 50 responses will receive a double movie pass. 1. Did you attend the End-of-year celebration? Yes No If yes, go to question 2. If no, go to question 4. 2. Did you enjoy the event? Please list reasons for your answer below: ___________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Could the event have been improved? Please provide reasons for your answer below: ___________________________________________________________________________________ 4. From question 1: In the space below please let us know why you did not attend? ___________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Do you have any suggestions for next year’s end-of-year celebration? Please provide reasons for your answer below: ___________________________________________________________________________________ Thank you for completing this questionnaire. All responses will be treated in confidence. If you are one of the first 50 respondents, you will be notified by return email.
