ENG - Learning Unit 4 - AR

ICT IN EVENTS ORGANIZATION

Learning Sub-units page

Advantages and Disadvantages of Management … 4

Software

… 8

Types of Project Management Software Specialized software for EVENT management

…12

Planning, monitoring and organizing features of …18

event management software

Learning hours:

Workload:

8 25

Unit Objectives Actions / Achievements Using specific ICT management software in the implementation of a determined event Knowledge

Skills

Define the proper management software to be used for the needs of the event naming is advantages and disadvantages Comprehensive of the main principles and types of project management software Fundamental on ICT solutions to be implement on event management Fundamental on efficient usage of ICT in planning, organising and monitoring of events

Compare the scheduled tasks and activities of the event with those to be implement in real time using specific software Prepare budget allocation for each event phase/task/activity under the supervision and directions of the event manager, using specific software Monitor work progress using the selected software for the event management

Competences Act independently in the usage of the selected software for the event management Lead the ICT team according the needs of the event to be implement Give assistance to the event manager in defining the needs of the event to be implement Use feedback as an instrument for quality control of the event using ICT Determine solutions for any problem that may arise during the implement of the event according to the data extracted from the ICT used and suggest them to event manager

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ICT in Events Organization

Summary Event management industry is evolving and changing with the times, and the number one reason for that is technology, as is most often the case in other industries.

When speaking about technology in the context of event

management, we usually mean software. In the last several years, many software solutions geared specifically towards helping event managers and planners do their jobs more effectively have appeared. Event management software is the generic term for a wide range of software products that are used in the management of professional and academic conferences, trade exhibitions, conventions and smaller events such as Continuing Professional Development (CPD) meetings. This Learning Unit is focusing on the basic issues regarding ICT and Event Management and Organization. During his Unit learners will gain new skills, knowledge and competences so at the end

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they will be able to of Using specific ICT management software in the implementation of a determined event.

Keywords 

ICT

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Management software

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Event management software

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Open-source software

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Specialized software

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Types of project management software

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Features of project management software

3 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

ICT in Events Organization

4.1

Advantages and Disadvantages of Management Software

4.1.a What are the Advantages of Project Management Software?

Project managers need specific tools to manage and deliver their projects on time.

Traditional project management software helps these managers perform functions including managing project scope, cost, and resources. Modern collaboration software offers even more tools. These tools help reduce wasted time, such as time spent looking for files or data and time spent manually updating schedules and timetables. They need tools to share files, communicate in real time, and ensure all team players are working on one page. Some tools reduce redundancy -- they consolidate systems, so that information exists in only one place.

And they also avoid file redundancies, which can contribute to what some call a ―versioning nightmare.‖ In addition to mitigating the number of differing files around, project management software also ensures teams use one method to track time, tasks, expenses, other budgeting items such as invoices, and more. Having one systems allows teams to work creatively within a given framework.

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The time tracking benefits are also something to be considered. Projects often have phases, and phases usually have deadlines. For instance, during an analysis phase, a project manager may ask several people to perform different tasks. By using a project management program's Gantt chart feature, the manager can view a chart that shows each individual's progress during the phase. The software can warn a manager if it detects that the team may not meet the deadline that the manager set for the phase.

Progress reports produced by project management software help team members stay focused and work in a goal-oriented manner. The software can also give managers the ability to reallocate and shift tasks easily. For instance, if two team members finish a task early, the manager can use the software to get them started on another task quickly. Managers can generate tasks using email in some project management applications and turn them into Gantt charts.

Communicating via email is fine, but teams may often work more productively when they can log in to computers and share real time project information using project-management software. Look for software that provides this type of communication if your team members don't work in the same location. It also helps when team members can get a big picture of a project's status and detailed timelines. Project management software makes that possible by remembering everything that happens during a project phase and making it available to everyone. Project Management software develops a funnel for communication concerning tasks & projects both internally, but also externally with clients and other stakeholders.

Moreover, with the onset of cloud-based project management software, organizations no longer have to work in a single physical location. They can easily work as a team while dispersed across geographies, while retaining the same access, updates, and collaboration levels. Software as a service (SaaS) project management solutions facilitate teamwork -- and thus project delivery, client satisfaction, and repeat business. When your project lives

4 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

ICT in Events Organization

in the cloud, your team can access needed work information anywhere and anytime it's needed. Whether you’re at a client meeting, networking event, or on your living room sofa, cloud software keeps information at your fingertips instead of stuck in your colleague's local computer folders. Whatever platform each member of your team uses — Windows, Mac, Linux — is irrelevant since the only thing a cloud application needs is an internet connection and a web browser. Tasks get done faster when each member of your team can work in the environment they’re most comfortable with. Good cloud project management software offers first-rate security, using highly secure data centers and servers with built-in disaster recovery. If you spill coffee on your laptop, download a virus, or even lose your whole office in a hurricane, you can get back to work without skipping a beat since all your important information is stored in the cloud. And if a laptop gets lost or stolen, all you have to do is log in to your online account and change your password to protect sensitive data.

With cloud based project management system, your IT administrators and network team are freed from maintenance of the software. Since cloud based project management software providers take care of the version upgrade, data backup and various other activities to ensure application remains available, accessible 99.9% of the time. This is another important reason why business people prefers cloud based solutions. The excessive burden and dependent on IT support team is removed with cloud based software.

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Finally, software automates your processes and provides a central hub to manage resources, tasks, schedules, projects, and communication. All this information living in one system gives you a huge opportunity to run progress reports -- whether daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Today’s advanced systems can offer real-time progress reports, so you can easily visualize and share information related to project health. This not only gives you insight into where you can adjust your resources to make smarter project-delivery decisions; it also enables you to give detailed, transparent responses to stakeholder questions. Project management software system assists in making the right decisions as you have all the details in one designated place. Hence the decision process is enhanced and much more accurate.

5 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

ICT in Events Organization

4.1.b What are the Disadvantages of Project Management Software?

Project management software has its cons too. Picking one system requires an investment, which means you need to carefully consider and determine which system will work for your unique workflows. The system you pick should be just as customizable as you need. You should consider the cost of time and possibly money to train your employees. Some programs can be very costly. While project management software can provide great solutions, many times those solutions need to be custom designed or solved by purchasing multiple software programs. These can be costly options and can be difficult to implement.

In regard to access control, the latest versions of online project management solutions enable access for multiple users. This makes sharing of data much easier. However, while multi-user access has its collaborative benefits, you will need to avoid unauthorized viewing of sensitive project data and monitor access control. Forget to change the settings in access control, and you could have many eyes viewing private company information.

Like many applications, project management programs often have a learning curve that varies based on the program's complexity. It usually costs money to purchase quality software or use online management applications. Project managers must learn how to use a program's major features and ensure that team members learn to use the components they need to perform their work. the user must have an understanding of the project management methodology and vocabulary. Most project management software packages rely on this as a prerequisite. Unless the user follows basic planning and task definition steps, the software will not be of any benefit, and may, in fact, complicate the project.

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It takes time to plan a project, define milestones, enter everything into the system and allocate tasks to team members. Project management software may also cause novice project managers to generate projects that are more complex than they should be. Project management software may complicate simple projects. While using project management software is a popular option for many organizations, simpler projects may not need project management software. When project management software is used inappropriately it can unnecessarily complicate matters. Employee adoption of the technology you pick is critical to gain the highest return on your investment in a project management software, as well as avoid having employees not use the system out of lack of understanding its user interface and total functionality.

6 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

ICT in Events Organization

You want your project management software to speed up processes, not create extra burdens on your team’s time. Instead of just ―getting the project done‖, which is the whole point of Project Management, some Project Managers have become so focused and so obsessed about the methodology that the latter has grown to be the ―end‖ rather than the ―mean to the end‖. This jeopardizes the delivery of the project and causes missed opportunities as Project Managers become so closed and so protective their own methodology that they refuse to experiment with another one that might be faster and better for their current project.

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7 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Project management software services are available in a variety of types, scopes and pricing plans. In order to choose the one that best suits your specific requirements you should first of all understands what types of project management software are there. In this article we’ll discuss all important types and we’ll show you which ones are best for specific companies or types of tasks. Hopefully, once you know your options well you will be able to pick a service that will truly let you optimize project management in your company.

Some software are specific to a single type, while other software products feature a mix of types. When choosing the right project management software, only get the features you need. However, keep tab of the other features that you’ll need in the future as your business grows. Also look for a vendor that offers free or demo software the better you can assess the features.

Before we compare the types of project management software, bear in mind the three areas how they can be classified: •

Deployment – how the software is installed and accessed

•

Characteristics – how the software is used by its intended user

•

Specialization – the software’s specialization

Some project management software may be the best in their class, but it doesn’t mean it’s good for your business setup. Remember, the software is just a tool, what is important is how you apply it to your project.

8 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

ICT in Events Organization

4.2

Types of Project Management Software (desktop, web-based …)

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ICT in Events Organization

Let’s now review the types of project management software according to the three areas:

By Deployment How you want the software installed or accessed will be a factor in your buying decision.

On-premise (desktop) – the project management software is installed in your computer or server. You usually pay a one-time (or annual) proprietary license to use the software.

Pros  Your files stay with you  You have more control over the software  Usually there’s no recurring license fees Cons  You have to assign an I.T. specialist to manage or troubleshoot the software including security and technical bugs  High capital for servers or computers, upgrades, and hire an I.T. specialist  You can only access the software in your server or computer; mobility is compromised.

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Cloud hosted – the project management software is installed in the vendor’s server and is accessed through the internet. You usually pay a monthly subscription fee to use the software.

Pros  Low capital; often, just the monthly fee that can be as low as $20  No need to hire an I.T. specialist to manage the software; the vendor takes care of security and troubleshooting  You can access the software anywhere there’s an Internet connectivity; you’re mobile.

Cons  Your files are in the cloud and shared with the vendor  Recurring monthly fees that add up over time, costing you more in the long run  You don’t have control over the software (what if the vendor folds up?)

9 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

ICT in Events Organization

By Characteristics How you’ll use the software will also determine the right project management solution for you.

Personal or single-user – project management software designed for home or personal projects. It assumes that only one user at a time will edit the project plan.

What is it for?

This type is often used for small top-down projects, which has a clear structure of a beginning, middle, and an end. For example, a DIY furniture project.

Collaborative – project management software designed for multiple users who can simultaneously read, edit or add to the project plan. More importantly, the additions or changes are integrated with the overall system so the project plan is at once updated.

Collaboration can be in different levels, where others can edit the project plan, others can post notes, and still others can only read the data.

What is it for?

This type is useful for focused or complex projects with teams or individuals working on separate but related sub-projects. The collaborative project management software helps the project leader and stakeholders to estimate and monitor both sequential and parallel activities happening at various stages in different teams. Likewise, this type of software works best on web based infrastructure, where users in multiple locations can access the project plan and enter real-time data.

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Integrated – project management software that integrates with other aspects of business operations, such as CRM (customer relationship management) or collaboration tools.

What is it for?

This type is useful for projects that overlap with other business activities, often, customer relationship processes. For example, a new version software can be implemented using this project management type to handle the project across its stages of development, while a CRM module can be integrated to solicit feedback about bugs or crowdsource ideas for the new version.

1 0 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

ICT in Events Organization

By Specialization These types are often included as modules in many software products. But some projects require to use a feature more than other features; hence, if you have a specialized project, you should also get a project management solution that specializes in one or two of these aspects: Scheduling – this type highlights a scheduling feature, more likely a Gantt chart that tracks the timetable of the project deliverables.

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What is it for?

Schedule-oriented project management software is best for public events or activityoriented projects, such as concerts, product launchings, or major events. The schedule is fixed (moving it will risk public outrage), so the focus is to keep a tight grip on the calendar.

Issue tracking – this type highlights the need to closely monitor glitches or gaps during the project’s progress to ensure they are addressed properly.

What is it for?

It’s most useful for projects that feature a lot of technical specs that a single glitch or change in the plan can cause a domino effect of glitches; thereby, compromising the whole project. Software development needs this project management type to track bugs constantly and fix them, while ensuring the entire system works as planned.

Project portfolio – this type features complex features that allow organizations to handle multiple projects simultaneously. It has an excellent dashboard that provides the big picture at once with drill-down options to check the details of various projects.

What is it for?

Organizations that conduct multiple projects at once should use this project management software. Because it has more robust editing, tracking, and other features and it requires more advanced infrastructure, expectedly, this software type is expensive. Construction companies, property developers, and engineering firms are some of the common users of project portfolio management software.

1 1 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

ICT in Events Organization

Conclusion To stay competitive in today’s business environment that demands accurate and on-time deliverables under an ever narrowing turnaround period, you need project management software. But these solutions come in different packages. With a general understanding of their types, you’re on the right track to getting the most cost-effective project manage software for your business.

4.3

Specialized software for EVENT management (exam ples of open and free-software)

Event management software is the generic term for a wide range of software products that are used in the management of professional and academic conferences, trade exhibitions, conventions and smaller events such as Continuing Professional Development (CPD) meetings.

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EVENTBRITE Eventbrite is arguably the most popular event management software. It is a cloud based platform that allows event organizers to plan, promote, and sell tickets to events and publish them across Facebook, Twitter and other social-networking tools directly from the site’s interface.

CVENT Cvent is a leader in event management, online event registration, venue sourcing, and mobile event app technology - with over 183,000+ active system users. Cvent modernizes the traditional processes associated with event management. Their integrated platform, help planners find venues more efficiently, plan events, engage attendees, measure the impact of their events, and much more.

1 2 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

ICT in Events Organization

EVENTZILLA Eventzilla provides the most affordable event management and registration solution for organizers of any size. If you are hosting a free event, Eventzilla is 100% free to use. For paid events, their 1$ flat fee per attendee is the lowest in the industry today. Whether you are throwing a birthday bash or organizing a music festival, we have you covered with industry leading features you have come to expect, and then some more.

PURPLEPASS TICKETING Full scale cloud-based ticketing platform for online presale, marketing, printed tickets and wristbands, social media, and an array of equipment options for selling at the door and scanning tickets. Whether you manage a performing arts center, organize massive festivals, host small events, or you are putting on a fundraiser, you will have everything you need for an easy and successful event through Purplepass.

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REGPACK Regpack is the leading, fastest growing event management software trusted by 5,000+ organizations worldwide, such as the NFL and Goodwill. Regpack allows you to control the full lifecycle of your event, from registration to attendance, payment, and reporting, all while saving you money!

TRELLO Trello is a web-based project management application originally made by Fog Creek Software in 2011, that was spun out to form the basis of a separate company in 2014 and later sold to Atlassian in January 2017.The Company is based in New York City.

1 3 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

ICT in Events Organization

PRIMAVERA Primavera is an enterprise project portfolio management software. It includes project management, product management, collaboration and control capabilities, and integrates with other enterprise software such as Oracle and SAP’s ERP systems. Primavera was launched in 1983 by Primavera Systems Inc., which was acquired by Oracle Corporation in 2008.

ASANA Asana is a web and mobile application designed to help teams track their work. It was founded in 2008 by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and ex-engineer Justin Rosenstein, who both worked on improving the productivity of employees at Facebook.

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MICROSOFT OFFICE Word and especially Excel can be used for event management as well. Especially the mail merge feature in word using an excel spreadsheet is very helpful. It can be used to create multiple documents at once. These documents have identical layout, formatting, text, and graphics. Only specific sections of each document varies and is personalized. The documents Word can create with mail merge include bulk labels, letters, envelopes, tickets and emails. There are three documents involved in the mail merge process: your main document, your data source, your merged document.

1 4 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

ICT in Events Organization

Tutorials Watch the video below and get to know more about the mail merging process. https://goo.gl/JMJMFE or https://goo.gl/VupJXr

Mail merge is used to create multiple documents at once. These documents will have identical layout, formatting, text, and graphics. Only specific parts of each document will vary and are personalized using the merge feature. The documents Word can create with mail merge include bulk labels, letters, envelopes, and emails. There are three documents involved in the mail merge process:  Your main document  Your data source  Your merged document Also in the video below you can learn how to create a simple Gantt chart in Excel.

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https://goo.gl/SZecqz

1 5 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

CONFTOOL VSIS ConfTool, ConfTool’s open source system, is available through a free license for noncommercial events. It is intended for academic and non-professional event planners.

For up to 150 participants, it offers a customizable registration form, file uploading and online submissions, and online review forms. At a conference, you can use it to check in attendees.

For payment processing other than cash, check, or bank transfer, you’ll need the pro edition.

Features: Online registration, Custom branding, Data management.

ODOO Odoo’s open source event app has a slew of features for every stage in the event planning process.

You can create event pages with a user-friendly editor and make agendas for each event.

Sell tickets online at multiple levels, promote using automated emailing and social media integration, and track site success with Google Analytics.

Odoo also offers SEO tools and landing pages and integrates fully with the rest of the Odoo suite of apps.

Features: Ticketing Events schedule Social media integration Email marketing Google Analytics integration Sponsor management

1 6 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

ICT in Events Organization

OPEN SOURCE OPTIONS

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ICT in Events Organization

OPENCONFERENCEWARE OpenConferenceWare is an open source web application for events and conferences. Its customizable general-purpose platform provides proposals, sessions, schedules, tracks and more.

For those who are particularly tech-savvy, OpenConferenceWare requires a Rails application.

It’s customizable, and is a platform where anyone can list sessions for an event, create and update proposals, subscribe to a feed, show rooms, and create a profile. Administrators can create and change events, set proposal deadlines, and manage rooms and sessions.

Features: Events schedule Room block management Session management Event attendee surveys

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1 7 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

ICT in Events Organization

4.4

Planning, monitoring and organizing features of event management software

A key to knowing the answer to: what is event management software? is to ask, what are the features of event management software? Depending on the feature set, these solutions offer tools to cover the planning, event and post-event stages. Let’s identify these key features.

PLANNING FEATURES Event marketing tools You should integrate your website with a website analytics tool to track visitors’ behavior in your site and identify the weak points to maximize your marketing efforts.

The software should allow you to stream your events live on YouTube and other video sharing websites for a broader reach.

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There should be lead management tools for the sponsors to acquire and manage prospective clients throughout the events.

They have all the features of a event management software, allowing for promoting your event to reach a wide online audience and solicit leads. Marketing channels include social media, email marketing, media and blog sites. The tools vary but solutions feature the basics like event website builder, an integrated mailer and event calendar.

The event web builder establishes the landing page for your pitch and online registration.

Most solutions feature plug-and-play builders with drag-and-drop functionality, allowing anyone to create event pages without a hitch. A mobile version may also be featured, which is important considering that many participants may access your landing page from their smartphones.

A mailer, on the other hand, culls information from the online registration for email marketing campaigns. You can send emails at various event stages with different specific themes, namely, nurturing leads, encouraging feedback and sending reminders or a call to action for early-bird deals. The mailer can be branded by you with personalized merge fields to lend to the message more engagement. The mailer can also track real-time data (open, clicks, etc.) and display sponsorships as this platform is likely part of your media values to sponsors.

Meanwhile, an event calendar, whether built-in or integrated, can show participants the different programs plotted across the event dates. Some solutions allow participants to click on a specific date or program on the calendar from where they can reserve a slot.

Management This project Budget has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

It’s another key feature to help you monitor funds, re-estimate expenditures and calculate

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It’s another key feature to help you monitor funds, re-estimate expenditures and calculate savings. This module captures all your event transactions and ensures the accuracy of budget details, from high-level estimates to granular line items, resulting in precise ROI. This feature can also track deals or quotes and actual payments made and evaluate the average cost per participant to help you scale estimates. Build event budgets, track fund across events, calculate variable costs and assess meeting spend.

ICT in Events Organization

Budget Management

4 MONITORING FEATURES Monitor the sales your promotions are driving over different time periods. Monitor ticket sales, seat availability, and attendance—all in one place. Reporting & Analytics, get a snapshot of your events' total revenue, tickets sold, page visits and payouts. Get an overview of your sales and comp tickets—processed online, manually, or at the box office.

Event reports Develop a pictorial journey of each attendee with special attention given to interests, sessions attended and group participation.

The back-end dashboard of the event management software should be accessible from both PC and handheld devices. As you are the event manager, every important data such as total number of speakers, total number of ticket buyers, total revenue generation and survey report should be visible to you.

Event Reporting You can run analytics with event management software before, during or after the event, enabling you insights for a more informed decision. Some solutions allow for real-time reporting to help you assess attendance, expenses and other key metrics and make adjustments if necessary to keep on target. Reporting can take the form of summaries or drill-down details that you can share with your teams, partners, sponsors and other stakeholders. Tracking trends is also possible with event analytics to help you build on your best practice set. Moreover, you can customize reports to focus on important metrics for future events.

1 9 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Budget Management

ICT in Events Organization

It’s another key feature to help you monitor funds, re-estimate expenditures and calculate savings. This module captures all your event transactions and ensures the accuracy of budget details, from high-level estimates to granular line items, resulting in precise ROI. This feature can also track deals or quotes and actual payments made and evaluate the average cost per participant to help you scale estimates. Build event budgets, track fund across events, calculate variable costs and assess meeting spend.

4 MONITORING FEATURES Monitor the sales your promotions are driving over different time periods. Monitor ticket sales, seat availability, and attendance—all in one place. Reporting & Analytics, get a snapshot of your events' total revenue, tickets sold, page visits and payouts. Get an overview of your sales and comp tickets—processed online, manually, or at the box office.

Event reports Develop a pictorial journey of each attendee with special attention given to interests, sessions attended and group participation.

The back-end dashboard of the event management software should be accessible from both PC and handheld devices. As you are the event manager, every important data such as total number of speakers, total number of ticket buyers, total revenue generation and survey report should be visible to you.

Event Reporting You can run analytics with event management software before, during or after the event, enabling you insights for a more informed decision. Some solutions allow for real-time reporting to help you assess attendance, expenses and other key metrics and make adjustments if necessary to keep on target. Reporting can take the form of summaries or drill-down details that you can share with your teams, partners, sponsors and other stakeholders. Tracking trends is also possible with event analytics to help you build on your best practice set. Moreover, you can customize reports to focus on important metrics for future events.

2 0 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

ICT in Events Organization

ORGANISING FEATURES Attendee management You should be able to design custom registration pages and mention the ticket prices with a purchase option.

Allow the speakers to register for your meeting in advance and let them collect their ID badges by checking in at the hotels they will stay during the event.

There should be a bar-code scanning system so you can scan it and view the items that each event attendee must receive. When an attendee gets his items, the database should tick off his name from the list. This way, you can make sure that everyone gets the right objects.

An option for building an online community is a must. The speakers or performers can list their names here as do the members of the audience. This online forum will help you know what event attendees like and dislike and, since an online community lasts longer than an event, people will interact with each other even after a particular meeting or conference is over. They will even share the news of upcoming events among their friends.

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Session scanning facility is also a crucial feature. If your event is going to last for three days and there are multiple sessions, you can scan the attendees’ badges to track which sessions were watched by the maximum number of people and which sessions failed to generate interest among ticket buyers.

Data security is probably the most crucial feature of an event management software. Both the speakers and ticket buyers will share their personal details on your site. Therefore, make sure your chosen software comes with state-of-the-art data protection facility.

2 1 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

ICT in Events Organization

Online event registration One of the admirable features of event management software is the shift of entering registration details from the organizer to participants. This is made possible by online registration, where participants key in their information directly into the event database.

Sophisticated solutions even allow for multi-track or multi-session registration, where guests can opt for specific event programs or workshops to attend. To protect data integrity against spam and trolls, these systems can feature restrictions like registration code or unique ID system for each guest. The same database can be used for event marketing and on-site processing

Database management The database is at the core of event management software. It pulls together online registration, on-site guest list, mailing lists and analytics. Look for import/export capabilities, variations in sorting to extract different metrics and integration with key business systems for CRM, help desk, workflow management and cloud communication.

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2 2 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

ICT in Events Organization

Excercise 

As already explained in this unit, a Gantt chart is a key tool for planning and tracking a conference. In its simplest form it works as a schedule management tool that allows controlling the milestones and activities related to the conference by tracking the start/end dates and the people directly responsible for each activity.

For this assignment you may provide the final Gantt chart using Google spreadsheets and the information provided below. You may suggest the duration of each activity, always taking into advice the proposed starting time before, during and after the conference (for example, the draft budget should be done at least 18 months before the conference).

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You may as well propose more activities at a certain period according to your training and experience.

PROPOSED STARTING TIME

24-18 months before

PROPOSED ACTIVITIES

   

Location / Venue / Date Conference Committees Draft Budget Bank Account(s)

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Communication plan (website, logo, social media, etc.)

Grants' applications

18-14 months before 

15-10 months before

 

Call For Papers (CFP) Set deadlines (speakers, exhibitors, volunteers, staff)

10-6 months before

  

Registration (fees, form etc.)

Paper review process Invitation to keynote speakers and authorities Conference venue design



2 3 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

6-4 months before

  

   3-1 month before

    

3-1 week before

 

    Hold Conference 

 Post-Conference 1-4 weeks after

  

Contracts (staff, volunteers, external suppliers) Revise Budget Accommodation / Transportation services Finalize / Update Branding material (website, social media, printing material, etc.)

ICT in Events Organization



Press-release arrangements Audiovisual support (facilities, record) Supplies (gifts, supporting printed material,etc.)

Menu / Catering Reminders (e-mails, social media, etc.)

Collect final paper summaries Final program draft

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Prepare final reporting method (survey, format, etc.)

Final attendants’ list Final confirmations (all parts included: exhibitors, suppliers, speakers, etc.)

Weather- altering scenarios Onsite Registration Monitor Budget and daily activities Internal meetings (committee, staff, volunteers) Post-conference preparations (share and collect surveys for feedback evaluation, etc.)

Appreciation letters (speakers, volunteers, exhibitors, supporters) Survey form to attendees Process outstanding bills Prepare final report

When applicable, each activity should be labeled, eg. color or other relevant method, under one of the following general activities: Coordination, Marketing, Budget, HR.

2 4 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

ICT in Events Organization

Further Reading 

Primavera Enterprise environment user guide and training manual by Paul E Harris (Harris, P. (2015). Planning and Control Using Oracle Primavera P6 Versions 8.1 to 15.1 PPM Professional. Victoria, Australia: Eastwood Harris./ https://goo.gl/dvxzZF )



Microsoft Project 2016 Step by Step by Carl Chatfield , Timothy Johnson (Chatfield, C. and Johnson, T. (2016). Microsoft Project 2016 step

by

step.

Redmond,

Washington:

Microsoft

Press./

https://goo.gl/MReJup) 

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Do Better With Asana : Your Guide To Doing Great Things With Asana by Bastien Siebman, Jeremy Roberts and Mike Vardy (Siebman, B., Roberts, J. and Vardy, M. (2015). Do Better With Asana: Your Guide To Doing Great Things With Asana. 2nd ed. / https://goo.gl/VFa4xn )



Demo: How to Use Asana to Manage Your Projects (Content Sparks (2016). Demo: How to Use Asana to Manage Your Projects. [image] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH7QW3xyGdI&t=27s [Accessed 1 Oct. 2017].)

2 5 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

ICT in Events Organization

Bibliography HOOKS, J. (2017). Project Management Software Advantages and Disadvantages. [online] Small Business Yahoo. Available at: https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/project-management-softwareadvantages-disadvantages-144914106.html [Accessed 1 Oct. 2017].

Lee, K. (2017). Project Management Software Pros & Cons. [online] Smallbusiness.chron.com. Available at: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/project-management-software-pros-cons70003.html [Accessed 1 Oct. 2017].

Techopedia.com. (2017). Project Management Software. [online] Available at: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/13132/projectmanagement-software [Accessed 1 Oct. 2017].

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Project Management Learning. (2017). What Are the Disadvantages of Project Management? –. [online] Available at: https://www.projectmanagementlearning.com/what-are-thedisadvantages-of-project-management.html [Accessed 1 Oct. 2017].

Mavenlink.com. (2017). What is project management software?. [online] Available at: https://www.mavenlink.com/resources/what-is-projectmanagement-software [Accessed 1 Oct. 2017].

2 6 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

ICT in Events Organization

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2 7 This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.