Defining your role

Your role depends on your business and accountability structure, so you should define it as early as possible. The tough questions are: "Where does the buck stop?" "Who makes the agreement with subcontractors?" "Who is liable if you fail to provide services?"

  1. Are you an employee of the organization holding the event? You could work for a sports association, or a community organization. It might be their event and your job is simply to coordinate it. In this case, the venue is your supplier.
  2. Are you an employee of the venue? For example, you might be working for a hotel or restaurant and responsible to a manager. In this case, the organization holding the conference is your client.
  3. Are you a separate event management business? If so, you might be employing subcontractors for specific tasks and your business might be liable. There is the possibility of higher profits, but also higher risks. In this case, the organization holding the conference is your client and the venue is your supplier.

Define your accountability structure. It will reflect not only the way decisions are made and held accountable, but also tell where people go to for help if they get stuck, and guide communication.

It will vary according the nature and size of the organisation, so here are three examples:

Simple

Complex

Muli-site, complex

 
Event Manager
|
Task team

 

 
CEO or Head of operations
|
Event Manager
and management committee
|
Task teams, sub-contractors, etc.

 

 
CEO or Head of operations
|
Event Manager
and management committee
|
Site managers
|
Task teams, sub-contractors, etc.

 

 

Write out your job description as event manager

  1. Does your employer have a policy basis with which you must comply?
  2. To whom are you accountable?
  3. Exactly what for? For example:
    • Who will incur debts?
    • Who must approve the final plan? One person, your supervisor, the client, various stakeholders?
    • Does approval need to be in writing?
    • Who must approve the budget?
    • Who must sign cheques?
    • Who must bank income?
    • Who must keep records?
  4. Do you need to establish a planning and management group or a steering committee with defined terms of reference?

Clarify what you do not do. Unless you work in a small organization, you will probably not be:

  1. the graphic designer of brochures
  2. the website designer
  3. the restaurant manager
  4. the stage manager
  5. the sound and lighting technician
  6. the salesperson at the kiosk
  7. the security guard
  8. the accountant, or
  9. many other things.

You will most likely be responsible to liaise with them, and each of them has their own expertise.

 

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