Your First Event! by William O'Toole

Is this your first big event? event? Is this

Organising your first event Intro

Is this your first event? - are you worried! That is a good sign as you will not take it for granted. Event management is no ‘walk in the park’. You will be dealing with the expectations of a lot of people including your boss, client, sponsors…. If the event does not work it will be remembered for a long time. Everyone thinks they know how to run an event - they don’t they panic, things go wrong, they blame everyone …. and if it is serious they can …. well … you can imagine. To create and organise an event is a step by step process that requires leadership, a good team and attention to key tasks and details at exactly the right time. So if this is your first big event - follow these steps. I have written these two chapters based on my thirty years of experience creating events and working with thousands of event directors, coordinators, managers, staff, sound/lighting suppliers and more in over 40 countries. CAVEAT This is an introduction - it opens the doors - it is not all you need by any means. There is far more on my CDROM - Your First Event? – including checklists and templates - find it at www.epms.net

What you are about to read may seem at first irrelevant, believe me it is not. If you dive into your event without setting up the management you may have a success but that will be by sheer luck. At some point your boss or client or sponsor or other agency wants to know what is happening. Without a step by step plan - you won’t know what to say. Not a good look! Like building a bridge or planning a holiday - preparation is vital. These two chapters are written in straight forward language with steps you can take right now– so no excuses! Now get out your pen and paper (or pad) and draft the event plan while you read the chapter. These two chapters are free - if you think this is working then purchase the CDROM.

Chapter 1: Break it into chunks of work Any job is made easier if you first break it down into ‘chunks of work’. Particularly if this is your first time. That is the basis of project management. By reading this chapter while using it for your event, you will create the core management plan. It is used to plan the event, look for problems, show you are professional. It can be used to demonstrate to your sponsors, clients, host and other interested parties. you know what you are doing. Introduction This section is divided into three parts - the scope of the event, the cost and the time. As an event manager or coordinator you will have to first plan these three area and second keep control of them. If you loose focus of any of these areas then the event can risk failure. Sometimes the amount of time that can be devoted to any one area of the event has to be sacrificed because of changes in the cost - or budget, or it could be changes in what is on at the event. In other words the event manager needs to juggle each of these areas if the event is to be a success. Fortunately the body of knowledge called project management has developed a number of processes that can assist the event manager. What is Project Management? A brief background of project management will help you understand the concepts introduced in this section. A project is a one time venture that has a finishing date and a definite objective. An Annual General Meeting, for example is a project. As it occurs once ( each year will have unique aspects to it) it means there is a unique combination of factors - such as volunteers, venue, and budget. Project management is the planning and control of those unique factors to create a successful end product. The principles of project management have been used for ventures as diverse as NASA's man on the moon, the London Olympics and a local wedding ceremony. But do not be scared by the fact that it is used on huge projects, the principles are the same for very small events and for parts of the event. All these events require the organizer to manage the three areas of time (T), cost ($) and scope and from this is allotted the responsibility (R)

Scope Facts The scope of the event is the content of the event and the work required to put it all together. The later is called the scope of work. It is essential to understand the amount of work that has to be done to get the event happening. Without understanding the scope the event manager can not plan the event let alone control all the myriad of changes that will happen. The tool to use is the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). The WBS is a method of breaking down or decomposing all the work needed to create the event into manageable chunks. I’ll uses something you have been to - a music festival. It is first divided into Site/venue, Promotion, Entertainment, Finance, Human Resources and Staging as illustrated in figure 1.1 . Each of these categories could then be subdivided as shown in figure 1.2. Then on the next level of detail it can be divided again. As shown by figure 1.3. In this case only one area - the Internet - is shown. Figure 1.1 First level of the Work Breakdown Structure

Figure 1.2 Second Level of the WBS

Figure 1.3 Third level of WBS

From the WBS many other aspect of event management can be created. For example who is responsible for each of the areas of the event can be written next to each of the work units . In Figure 1.3 a person's name can be put beside the web design. They then become responsible to produce the web design. In this way all the work can be apportioned out to the event team - or may be you will have to do it all yourself. But at least you will know what has to be done. These particular bits of work that can be given to one person (or a subcontractor) are called tasks. Steps for your event 1. Use the event you are about to organize and set out the areas of management in a list. 2. Also write down some key or critical tasks. 3. Break down the categories into sub categories. 4. Now who will be responsible for each of these sub categories – write their name next to it. 5. This is your Work Breakdown Structure - asess the WBS - is there anything important that has been left out?

TIP “But there is nothing about the event itself” I hear you saying. A common mistake for newbies is to assume that you are working on the event. In fact most of your work is in the months before the event. You are working so that during the event you have very little to do. You need to be aware of any possible problems or changes. Keep that well in mind - plan to ensure you have a little to do as possible during the event except oversee. We will look at the event itself in the chapter on ‘What’s on”

Time Facts Once the WBS has been completed and some of the work given to members of the event team, the next question to answer is 'When does all this work have to be finished?'. It is pointless having all the work listed if it doesn't get done in time for the event. To stop this from happening is the aim of time management. Just about every event has to occur at a certain date or time on a date. That means that all the work of organizing the event has to culminate in the event itself. So go back to your WBS and look at the most important things that have to be done. For example : Book the Venue. there is a deadline on this task and this is an important or critical tasks. Another task that may not take a lot of time - but will can stop the event is Obtaining Approval. The dates for the Obtaining Approval are very important in the corporate field. Hence, getting the approval is a milestone. You should also understand how will you know the venue is booked or approval has been given. You can find more about this on my free youtube videos found on www.epms.net - go to the competency page. The major problem is that so many of the tasks that have to be done are dependent on other tasks being done. For example the lights cannot be used until the generator is working. The lights will allow the marquees to be erected and the generators will allow the pneumatic hammers to be used - or the tea urn to be turned on! - and so it goes on. It is a myriad of tasks. If this complexity is not sorted out earlier on in the event organizing you will be forever running around trying to get things done - or putting out grass fires. Also there is no point in having all this information in your head. It must be told to the event team in a way that they can understand and get their jobs completed. Project management has a number of tools to assist this. The main tool is creating a schedule. It can be as simple as a to do list or as complex as a production schedule. The process is: 1.

List all the tasks that have to be done

Work out approximately how long each task will take

Work out what tasks are dependent on others

Arrange it all so that there is a sequence of tasks.

A handy hint here is to use sticky notes and arrange them on a spare wall. The wall should now have lots of sticky notes and there is probably a pattern there. In particular you should now know that some of the tasks are so important that if they don't get done on time you are in trouble. These are critical tasks and when they get done they are regarded as milestones. In project management a lot of attention is paid to these critical tasks as they tell you if everything is running smoothly or if there are going to be problems.

Another tool that is handy for event managers is the Gantt Chart. An example of a Gantt Chart for the set up of the Music Festival is shown in Figure 1.4. Note that this is only a sample and a summary. However even in its simplest form the chart can give everyone involved an idea of what will be done and when. This is very helpful if you use volunteers. Figure 1.4. Sample of a Gantt Chart

Run sheets or schedules On the day of the event the volunteers, seconded staff and event team will need to know exactly what is happening. This is the role of a run sheet. The headings that are used in a standard run sheet is found in the Appendix It will list what has to happen, when, where and who will be responsible. All the run sheets may be placed into an event production book or an event manual. Steps for your event List the your critical tasks with their dates. You can do this in a spreadsheet. These are the milestone and a careful eye must be kept on these as the event nears. Look at WBS : 1 2 3

How long would each of these tasks take. Which tasks are dependent on the others When would you estimate each task to be completed? Will they have some spare time called buffer - just in case they are not completed on time?

TIP

“Time is of the essence” Everything you do and everything the suppliers, staff, friends and agencies do – leads up to a deadline - the event. Hence it not just what is done - it is when it is done. For your first event this will be a shock. You can not suffer people who are late or forget to do a task. You must get used to insisting on a deadlines for everything. A lot of people are not used to this - you must give them a sense of ‘timeliness’. To repeat – many people will delay tasks as they do not understand the event deadline.

Cost Facts Finally we come to the third of the concerns of event project management the cost. Although the cost is often measured in dollars, it includes the resources needed to get the event up and happening. That can mean materials, human resources, equipment, as well as dollars. How do you decide on the costs? It is by returning to the Work Breakdown Structure. By looking at the level with the most details the event manager can get an idea of - or estimate- the cost of the whole event. The process is Estimate what each task will need to be completed - for example getting

the generator running will need a.

A generator

A cleared and safe area

Fuel and storage of it

Skilled and semi skilled people to work and maintain it

Cost each of those resources

Add up all the costs of each of the tasks to give a cost of the event.

Once this process has been done it gives everyone - including the finance department or sponsor financing the event - a good idea of what needs to be committed to the event. It becomes the budget and any movement from this plan can be identified and controlled. Also this process will give you an idea of what resources are needed for the event. These can be listed separately and used to see if there is any way that saving can be made. For example a task that requires an electrician should not be done at the same time as different task that needs the same electrician. This type of resources analysis should be done throughout the event. Once again this is an example of event project management where the manager juggles the cost, time and scope to the advantage of the event. Steps for your event Using your WBS 1

Determine and list the resources needed for all the tasks

Estimate the costs of the tasks

Estimate a cost for the whole event

4 Survey these costs and see if there are ways of making savings - for example hiring an expert or supplier and giving a number of tasks to them. 5

Are there area that can use less resources but not affect the whole event?

6 How will you know if things happen that will cause a blow out in the budget? How can you stop them? Conclusion Event management is a part of a much bigger type of management called project management. The tools that create successful projects can be easily adapted to events. The basis of this type of management is planning and controlling the cost, time and scope. This has to be done over the whole life of the project - from the birth of the event idea to the event itself and its shut down. At no time can you take your attention away from these three areas as each development in getting together the event will mean a change in one, two or all three of these basic elements. References and further reading There are many books on Project Management . Most use the civil engineering or computers software development as their examples. However this just means a little reading between the lines. The Little Black Book of Project Management, Thomsett, M. (1990) AMACOM New York is a wonderful little introduction, easy to read and it keeps within the limits of traditional project management AND there are of course my books on Event Management - found at www.epms.net and www.eventfd.com Appendices Action Sheet headings Time

Action

Responsibility

Where

Notes

Runs Sheet headings Time

Action

Staging

Audio Visual

Notes

Chapter 5 Selecting, Contracting and Managing the Talent: performers, artists, speakers, VIP guests Get your pen out again and create a checklist for dealing with the talent for your event. It will help you sleep at night to know that you have the talent engaged and they are happy! Introduction Many of the aspects of managing an event are invisible to the attendees. The performers or artists or speakers, on the other hand, are the very visible part of the event. No matter what the food, toilets, transport, facilities are like, a radiant performance or a brilliant speech can make the event. It can leave a memory that will never fade with time. Although the artist may only be performing for a few minutes, the event manager has to do all in their power to make sure that those few minutes are brilliant. Hiring the talent is not like hiring other suppliers. Their product is often intangible and for that reason can be the most powerful part of the event. Think back over the events you have attended - was it the toilets or layout that impressed you - or was it the performance. For this reason it is a high risk area and therefore needs careful planning. This section outlines the process of hiring the talent and the knowledge necessary to get the most from your artists. It is divided into 1.

Selecting the talent

Negotiating and contracting

Managing

The information can be applied to any kind of performance. In a way VIPs, guest speakers, football stars, and politicians are performers and the process equally applies to them.

Selection a.

Facts

The first question to ask is what is the talent for ? ( I will use the term ‘performer’ from here on in as that is basically what they all do!) Is their primary purpose: 1.

To attract a new audience to the event

To satisfy the existing audience or client

3. To attract an audience to a future event - such as using them at the launch of a festival or for the inaugural event so that more people will come next year. If their primary purpose is to attract a new audience to the event then they must be promotable. It is no good having the greatest juggler if no one knows their name or they are incapable of assisting the promotion. This is the most common mistake of new events. Performers will often welcome any opportunity for self promotion and this should be used to help promote the event. Unless the performers can be used for promotion then their main purpose is to entertain the already existing audience. There are secondary reasons for using performers such as : 1. Crowd control – for example clowns can diffuse a potential problem such as long queues, they can assist in moving the attendees to together areas of the event. 2. Distraction - the performers can be used to take the attention away from an area while it is being set up. They can entertain the children so the adults can relax. 3. Just to give a general buzz to the event. They can make dead areas in the event exciting 4. The performer may be the darling of your boss or major client and must be included in the event - do not laugh at this as it is very common for events to be sponsored so that the sponsor CEO can meet the talent. Who will you get to give that thrill to an event? A juggler, a judge or a belly dancer? It will depend on the type and style of event, your target market, your sponsors, budget and the 'fit' with the staging and other performers. It will also depend on their availability, talent, price, their sponsors and whether they are easy to deal with. Assuming you have done your marketing and know what type of talent will suit the event, the next step is to find them. This can be done through various theatrical, speaker or music agencies. A web search, looking a similar events, attending all kinds of events, advertising and auditioning, the phone book, asking suppliers and asking other performers are all good methods of sourcing your performers. It is wise to get an idea of the performers from a recent performance so that you have experience of their latest skills. You can ask for them to send you a video or photos of their latest performance. Youtube is invaluable for a quick view of the talent. Note that these can be expensive items and the job must be worth it from the performer's point of view. Often artists have groups or a collective of friends © William O’Toole - but if you are organizing an event you are welcome to use it – just acknowledge the source - thank you – More information on the Your First Event? CDROM

that do the festival and corporate circuit. They can also advise you on other aspects of your event. Although you may only organize a few events per year, the performers may attend over 100 and they have a very good idea of what would work. Steps for your event Fill in the table below for your event Event aspects Ideas e.g. Dinner /Dance Wine and Food Fest Car Rally

Performers

Source

Notes

Use the Internet to find ideas for talent. Use the assessment matrix below to assess the performers Talent

Cost

Promotions ideas Prime use at event Extra work they can do at the event

If you are hiring entertainers then one short brilliant performance - like the Monkey Man or the Dancer with fire – is worth more than an evening of has beens.

Negotiating and Contracting. Facts The basis of all good negotiation is knowledge - knowing what is important to the other party - what they can vary, what is absolutely fixed and what is left unsaid. Hence the best advantage in negotiating a fee with the talent is to know exactly how their fees are decided. A performer may have to pay all kinds of commissions such as a 10% agent's fee and a 20% or more manager's fee. Also the fee will have to pay for special clothes, transport, training and rehearsals. On the subject of rehearsals, you should be sure if a rehearsal is necessary and make it clear to the performers when negotiating. Event managers with a theatrical background inevitably call for rehearsals. This is can be expensive. What will be the result of the rehearsal and is it worth it? Other costs that may be hidden to you are: 1. wire act,

Increase in insurance because of the nature of the performers -e.g. a hire

2. Extra security - if the talent is famous or infamous you may attract a bigger crowd then you first thought 3. know

4. Clash of sponsors - the performers may have a sponsor that is incompatible with the event sponsor You should know the way the performers are paid - or the fee structure. It can be a combination of: 1.

Fixed fee - just a lump sum

Variable fee - this could be based on the number of people attending

Guarantee plus a variable fee.

You may be able to reduce the fee by offering accommodation, transport or free tickets. When the fee is paid - for example a deposit and the remainder at the event - must be negotiated and put in the agreement. There may be a request for a cancellation fee. It is important to understand that when performers get a job they may have to turn down other work. Booking (hiring) a performer means that they can not accept other work even if it is far more lucrative. For this reason you may have to pay the full fee if you cancel a performance. If you have a small event it is wise to understand how performing at your event will benefit the artist and use this knowledge when negotiating. When hiring performer there may be three different people that you have to deal with: © William O’Toole - but if you are organizing an event you are welcome to use it – just acknowledge the source - thank you – More information on the Your First Event? CDROM

The Performer

2. Their Agent who is concerned with the live performance and generally negotiates the deal with you. They tend to regard the work of the artist as just a series of paid performances. 3. Their Manager who is concerned with the career of the artist and how your event will benefit the ongoing work of the artist. You should establish who has these responsibilities. If you are negotiating with the performer when it is their agent who decides the fee and conditions then you may be wasting your time. The performer contract is a vital document for your event. It is the deal in a written form, hopefully, as unambiguous as possible. Even a simple one page letter with what you are getting and how much you are paying for it is better than leaving the arrangement unrecorded. In the appendix is an example of a simple letter of agreement that is sent out to event managers by a performer agency. If you would like to use the performers to promote the event then it is wise to discuss this early in the negotiation. Do they have photos, video, web page, CDs or gimmicks that can be used to assist in the event promotion. Do they have other performance where they can promote your event? Steps for your event Examine your event and list the ideal performers for it. What would they like to achieve by performing at your event? List the aspects that you can negotiate with them. What are you 'non negotiable' points? Do a web search for agencies such as speaker, sport stars, music, theatrical and circus.

Managing Facts When dealing with artists it is well to remember that they are dedicated to their art form. Whether it be mime, public speaking, sport stars, music or dance, they want to give the best performance. It is often advantageous to regard the artists as partners in creating a successful event rather than employees or subcontractors. Your job is to try to create the right environment so that the artist can thrill the audience. That is not to say you are at their mercy. However an understanding of their background and artform can be conducive to a good performance. For example if you are organizing a multicultural festival it is a good idea to have knowledge of the various cultures being represented. Having the one dressing room may be fine for a local theatre group but does not work for some folkloric dance groups. It is a good idea to have a dedicated space to the performers so that they can prepare and rest between performances. This is often called the green room. The green room is also for the hospitality to the artists - i.e. food and drink. In the green room the various performers run sheets can be on the walls as well as a copy of the whole production schedule. It can also provide a place for storage of performer's equipment, the boxes it came in and it is a central place where the talent can be found for interviews or last minute changes. This is more important than you can imagine. Artist have a habit of wandering off or meeting friends in the audience if they are not given a pleasant place to wait their time on stage. If the artists are an integral part of the event then it is a good idea to have a talent liaison person. Their job is to look after the artist when they arrive at the event, while on site and help them leave the event. It is often left to the assistant stage manger who tends to be busy with other aspects of the staging. A big mistake. Don’t give this job to the most inexperience or the artist’s biggest fan. Remember you want the talent to be relaxed and prepared for the performance. An artist will have technical requirement and these must be well known to the event management. They are often called a "spec sheet'' or specifications sheet. It is wise to get this as early as possible as there may be hidden costs. Some acts may have a spec sheet that is over thirty pages long going into great detail such as the model number of the microphone needed. Similar to the spec sheet is the hospitality requirement sheet often called a 'rider'. Once again this should be known as it may have all kinds of implications such as accommodation requirements and accompanying personnel. Steps for your event Look at the performance schedule for your event and identify where all the performers will be at any given time. Is it wise to have some one liaise with the artists? ( if you haven’t got your program worked out - then you can use the chapter called “What’s on” for hints.

Put together the run sheets for the talent and examine if they can be understood by the artist. (often forgotten that the purpose is to make sure the talent understands it!) Look at the social/work/cultural backgrounds of the talent and examine if this has been taken into account in the event planning. Conclusion The heart of many events is the performing artists, the speaker or other talent. It allows the audience the special event experience. In this situation it is wise to understand as much of the talent, their culture and style of work as possible so that the event - and you - can benefit from a brilliant performance. Correct and fair negotiation combined with respect will achieve that. References and further reading The best recent book on artists - particularly for music is Sonder ‘Event Entertainment and Production’ J Wiley NY AND there are of course my books on Event Management - found at www.epms.net and www.eventfd.com

Appendices An example of a simple Booking Agreement used by a Booking Agency and sent to the event manager. It helps to clarify the agreement. Booking Agency Address and Company number Tel : xxxxx

Fax : xxxxx Mobile : xxxx

Email : xxxx Web : xxxx

Letter of Agreement Please fill in this page and endorse it below EMPLOYER :

Reference number :

ADDRESS "

Performance date :: TELEPHONE: Fax: Email:

CONTACT PERSONNEL : WEBSITE: PERFORMER : VENUE ADDRESS : INDOOR/OUTDOOR? SIZE OF AUDIENCE : STAGE SIZE : TIME OF PERFORMANCE : PARKING : PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL: COMMENTS :

MOBILE : : Email :

SOUND SYSTEM? STAGE ACCESS : DRESSING ROOM :

SCHEDULE FEE

DEPOSIT Please make out the cheque to ** Booking Agency

SIGNED (EMPLOYER) : DATE Remainder of fee to be paid to performer on performance date

More information: There are many more simply written chapters including: Risk management, What’s on, Staging, the Venue, Checklists and more on the CDROM Your First Event? Also explore the www.epms.net website for links. My latest book is found at www.eventsfd.com

Thanks Thanks - good luck with your event. IfIs you have any questions questions go to my this website to contac contact me