Public Relations Prospects: Event Management Part 3

By Erica Wenham, Wednesday 13 February 2013.

Public Relations Practice & Skillset (Week 18)

Implementation

“The co-ordination of a wide range of disparate and even unusual activities, facilities and services can be overwhelming.”

Organisation

5 Principal Event Functions:

1.      Visitor Services (including Meet & Greet, Information, Hospitality/Catering)

2.      Operations (Production)

3.      Marketing

4.      Finance

5.      Administration

Staffing

·         Event size/numbers attending

·         Volunteer vs. professional

·         Layout complexity

·         Method of service provision

·         In-house vs. outsource

·         Demand patterns over day

·         Technical expertise?

AND ensure all have:

-          Clear job descriptions

-          Responsibilities

-          Relationships

The Event Host/PR Manager

·         Walk around as a visitor/guest

·         Manage by walking about - individually motivate and overlap by professional team organisation

·         Consistently check key locations

·         Delegate

·         Work steadily

·         Ensure visibility at beginning and end of the event

Post-Event

·         Often an area looked over. Never underestimate the post-event stage

·         The experience only ends when the last guest leaves (including the host)

·         Ensure all admin completions (including tips and thanks)

·         Clear-up

·         Work breakdown/sequence, anchor PM

·         Never under-resource

·         Contract acquittal

·         Outstanding bills

·         Completing accounts

·         Summarise lessons learnt

·         Reporting

·         Closing

Evaluation

1.      Objectives?

-          Quant (visitors, profiles, income, stats) – action on site if possible?

-          Qual (perceptions, staff/volunteer feedback, stakeholder 360)?

-          CDQ overall?

2.      Options for improvement?

Divestment and Legacy

Make your event stick out in the audience’s brain. Every event offers some form of legacy:

-          Re-use (most basic)

-          Re-purposing

-          Regeneration

Risks

Social Skills

“The ultimate PR skill... You are the host... You make everyone welcome, valued,

happy...”

1.      Meet and greet properly... Show the way... Offer coffee... Guide to room... Don’t anyone leave on their own.

2.      Build bridges... Make introductions...

3.      Flatter people... Use names... It’s powerful.

4.      Network... Network... Network.

5.      Watch your body language... You are on display at all times.