Run the event

I’d love to say to you as the event manager, "Go to the gig, greet the guests as they arrive, have fun, and let the team do all the work. Just sit in the audience and make notes." But your role is monitor and evaluate the whole operation. If you have successfully delegated all tasks and trained everybody how to do their jobs, you can simply walk around and check that it's all going okay.

When I visit an event to assess the event manager, I mainly look for several things. First, I want to see all hands on deck, doing their assigned tasks well. Second, I like to see the event manager floating between workgroups, checking that all is going as planned, but with nothing particular to do. Third, I like to see that everything is ready with perhaps a little time to spare before guests arrive. These tell me that all tasks were planned and delegated effectively and that all staff were well trained and briefed.

In practice, however, many event managers are will very busy solving unanticipated problems that only h e/shecan solve, or doing tasks that fell between the cracks in planning. In other words:

  1. Monitor the overall event to ensure that service meets the client's needs and follows the plan. Liaise with your client throughout the event to ensure it is progressing to their satisfaction.
  2. Check that you keep to budget. Some bookkeeping software systems make this easier by comparing actual expenses with budget during each stage of the event cycle.
  3. Keep an eye on the use of resources, and whether they are performing as expected. If usage deviates from the plan, find out why, and either fix it or report it. If it affects your budget and you might have to negotiate budget revisions.
  4. Liaise with all suppliers and contractors on an ongoing basis to make sure they provide services as agreed.
    1. Regularly speak to your staff and to check whether they provide goods and services as agreed. (E.g. quality of work, how well it meets requirements, whether they are on schedule, etc.)
    2. Regularly check with contractors that it is okay. (Glitches might be caused by your organization.)
    3. Identify the need for any changes, and negotiate them. Get confirmation of changes in writing.
    4. Evaluate their work against event requirements and time schedules, and take appropriate action to address delays.
  5. Implement the schedule to keep it on track. Keep an eye on variances, whether perceived, potential or actual. Evaluate their impact, forecast any changes to the schedule, and respond to schedule changes.
  6. As you go, monitor systems and procedures.
    1. While running the event, you should make notes of improvements based on glitches you notice, and get suggestions for improvement from colleagues. You might be able to make changes and implement them on the run. (And sometimes you have no choice but to do so.)
    2. For some kinds of changes (especially systems and budgets) you might need to keep your supervisor informed, especially for things that needed supervisor approval in the first place.

 

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Move-out

On-site closure requires some skill in that you often have very little time. Start by checking your obligations in any contracts. (E.g. venue, suppliers.)

Pack up, clean up, and move out

  1. Plan how you will pack it all up. Make a diagram and timeline if necessary.
  2. What time limits apply?
  3. What staff will you need? For how long? Will you need fresh staff? Consider how you will roster staff.
  4. Will you need high levels of lighting?
  5. What transport will you need? when does it need to arrive?
  6. Check the venue to ensure items and belongings are not left behind
  7. Pack and remove materials and equipment
  8. Organize the clearance and cleaning of the venue, including security, storage and disposal.
  9. Check whether any repairs or maintenance are needed and delegate it.
  10. How much rubbish will you produce? What should be recycled?
  11. Replenish stocks of consumables.
  12. What could go wrong during the move-out? How will you prevent it?

Suppliers

  1. What needs to be returned to suppliers? (e.g. rented items)
  2. What documentation needs to be done for equipment and stock returns? (e.g. condition reports)
  3. Check and sign accounts for suppliers.

Data

  1. What data needs to be returned to the client?
    1. Consider privacy laws; you may be unable to release some kinds of information
    2. There may extra records that you should provide if the event is recurring and will next be held by another event manager in another location.
  2. What data needs to be stored? (e.g. financial records)
  3. What data can safely be destroyed or erased, if any? What data must legally be destroyed or erased, if any?

 

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Public relations

  1. Press release (Newspapers prefer stories on what has already happened, as opposed to something that will happen)
  2. Who needs to be thanked verbally?
  3. What thank-you letters need to be sent?
  4. What thank-you gifts do you need to give?
  5. What thank-you parties or celebrations do you need to hold for key personnel? For volunteers?

 

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Follow up with sponsors

Follow up with sponsors and organizations that gave grants immediately after the event. You can send thank you cards or letters. You can also send updated reports and results, and gauge their response.

If you can, initiate future activities with sponsors and grant organizations, or at least make sure the door is still open. Make any possible preparations for working together in the future.

 

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Financial acquittal

At the end of an event, you need to close the books on it. The financial completion is usually the submission of an acquittal document to your bookkeeper, which shows how the funds were spent and what's left, and closes the separate bookkeeping for the project. You might also have an internal audit.

Ensure that reports are clear, concise and checked for accuracy. Then promptly send reports. You will probably have a deadline and might also have to provide statistical information.

 

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Evaluate the event

You should evaluate the event to find out what you can learn from it. Having something go wrong doesn't necessarily mean you've failed; even excellent events don't always go perfectly. Evaluation is part of quality management and continual improvement, which are now standard industry practice.

  1. How will you get feedback from all stakeholders? (e.g.
    1. Focus group or feedback form from attenders.
    2. Team debrief
    3. Get feedback from staff and clients (usually informal interviews but could be a focus group or feedback form) for future planning.
    4. De-brief with suppliers to discuss any difficulties or suggestions for future improvements.
  2. Did the event achieve its purpose and objectives effectively and efficiently?
  3. What unanticipated things happened, both good things and problems? Did your risk management work? Did you discover new risks?
  4. Did you define the objectives accurately?
  5. Were the original needs met effectively and efficiently?
  6. Did the budget work? Suggest improvements.
  7. Did your scheduling and time management system work? What did you learn about planning and time management?
  8. Evaluate your documents, and make any improvements.
  9. What changes do you need to make to your master checklist?
  10. Do you need to document achievement of evaluation criteria for each objective? (This is sometimes required by clients to address KPIs.)

 

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Reporting the event

Professional event managers normally have to do at least some reporting. You will probably give some reports orally to your supervisor and clients. However, if you give any of the reports listed below, they must be in writing even if you have already given them orally.

Reports may include:

 

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Portfolio

It's good practice to assemble your key documents into a portfolio so that you (or someone else) can can easily run that kind of event again. It's especially helpful in a recurring event, such as one held annually.

Consequently, the standard for deciding what you need to include is helpful information for next time:

  1. Proposal and budget
  2. Risk register
  3. Run sheet and floor plan
  4. Systems and procedural reports and recommendations
  5. Samples of graphic art (posters flyers, etc.)
  6. Supplier list and purchasing advice
  7. Task sheets for team members
  8. Note of team meetings and training
  9. Post event evaluation and recommendations.

 

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