Event Operations Management For One-Off Film Festival Essay.

You are an Events Operations manager working for Classic Entertainment Productions. You have been hired by a client to find a suitable location and advise on the operational requirements for a one off film festival aimed at raising money for a charity of your choice. The event will last three days. Your client has asked you to find a suitable indoor location OR a suitable outdoor location.

A. Discuss the Critical Success Factors (CSF’s) for your chosen event and how they influenced your choice of location. Some of the areas you might want to consider are:

• Type of Event
• Target audience
• Accessibility

B. Produce an Event Operations Plan for running the event on the day, focussing on the following operational issues:

• Licensing and Legal Issues
• Risk Management
• Health & Safety (Security and crowd control)
• Supply Chain Management
• CSR and Sustainability
• Waste Management 

C. Reflect on the processes that you followed to draw up the Event Operations Plan. Critically reflect on your own journey by thinking about the following points:

• The changes you have made to your planning processes as an event Operations Manager as a result of your learning
• How have you used operations management theory to help you design and deliver your client’s event
• The challenges you have encountered and the progress have you made in overcoming them
• Any interaction you may have had with a professional in the industry 

Event operations management is a discipline of the project management and focuses on the creation and the development of large events such as festivals, conferences, formal parties or concerts. There are several aspects of the event planning such as identification of the target audience, development of the event concept, studying the brand and strategically determining the technical aspects of the brand management before launching an event. In the event operations management, the most crucial roles are the planning and the coordinating of the event (Wale, Robinson and Dickinson, 2010). In this process, the event manager has to look into several aspects such as budgeting, scheduling, selection of the event location, licensing and the acquisition of the permits, making establishment for the parking and transportation and arranging for the speakers, décor, event security, catering and making arrangements with the third party vendors. The event operations management is a strategic marketing tool used for the communication and marketing and commonly used by both small and the medium companies (Bowdin et al. 2012). With the promotional events, the companies can communicate with the potential customers and can increase their brand awareness. The business organizations most commonly use press conferences, promotional events and the product launches for marketing purposes. In this regard, this report discusses the event operations management operations of Classic Entertainment Productions which is organizing a film festival. The event operations management company is required to find a suitable location for the one off film festival which aims to raise money for the charitable event of child education. The report will shed light on the critical success factors for the event and discusses the choice of the location apt for the event. It will also discuss different operational issues such as the requirements of the licensing, risk management, health and safety and the waste management. Subsequently, the report will also reflect on the process of the development of the event operations management plan and its impact on the professional development.

The Event operations manager for Classical Entertainment Productions is hired to find the suitable location for one off film festival so that the event becomes successful. The event is organized to raise money for the charitable cause of the children’s education. Therefore, the main emphasis for the event is to increase the monetary outcomes from the event. Regarding the selection of the appropriate location, three locations have been shortlisted, namely, Royal Parks, The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Venues and Events Live. The royal parks are one of the most popular destinations for hosting events. They have a combination of parks in wherein both small and large events could be organized. It has unique setting and high tourist attraction which can increase the popularity of the events. It has high experience in hosting events of both large and small scale (The Royal Parks, 2017). The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is an accessible option to organize an event in the borough. The location is cost-effective and capable of organizing an event at the scale required for current event. The estimated crowd for the event is five thousand which can be accommodated in the current location.

Type of Event

The Squaremeal Venues and Events provide indoor facilities for the launch of an event. It has five floors and located at the Old Billingsgate at the central location of London. This location also has experience in organizing events at 250 venues and event supplies in different ranges. It provides appropriate pricing and excellent services. In the present context, the location offered by Squaremeal Venues and Events has been selected as it provides indoor facility.

Type of Event: It is due to the fact that the indoor facilities will be suitable for launching a film festival. As it is a one off film festival, the films will be broadcasted around the clock; therefore, internal areas will be suitable for the occasion.

Target Audience: The target audience for the event is the affluent class of London. The company has to assure that the affluent people are provided with exceptional services which does not create discomfort to them.

Accessibility: The place is located at the center of the city which will increase the popularity of the event. In the charity event, the target audience will be the rich and affluent; therefore, they will prefer high service quality which can be provided at the indoor facility. The place will be accessible from diversified locations (Squaremeal Venues and Events, 2017).

The event operations plan assists in creating a successful occasion. The organization of an event requires hard work and planning. The event planners need to consider available resources and number of issues for creating a successful event. The present event is one off film festival which is organized to collect finances for the charity event. The event will be organized on the public holiday so that there will be maximum attendance in the event. Moreover, the event will be organized throughout the day as it is a public holiday and increases the attendance of the event. The budget of the charity event is determined according to the deliverables of the event (Tum, Norton and Wright, 2006).

The major source of the income and the crowd control will be the ticketing process. The ticketing process involves the pre-booking of the ticket and the tickets purchased at the events. In the ticketing process, the event manager has to plan whether the tickets are pre-sold or at sold at the event. The manager also has to determine the information provided from the ticket about the event and the design and description of the event. Another major source of the income in the event is the funding provided by the visitors and the film viewers.  Secondly, the funding for the event can also be obtained from the business organizations. While obtaining the finances from these organizations, it is important to identify that their philosophy matches that of the charitable event. In the event, an after-event party will also be organized wherein the potential visitors will invest in the event (Vladen, et al., 2012).

Target Audience

In the present section, other aspects of the event operations management plan such as licensing, risk management and health and safety of the crowd have been discussed.

In the after party of the event, a dinner party will be organized wherein the liquor will be served along with the dinner. Therefore, liquor licensing will be required for the film festival. Along with it, the event manager will also have to obtain the permit from the local authority. If the event plans to showcase controversial movies, the event manager also needs to obtain the permit of the local authorities. There are also certain legal issues regarding the liability risks. In the present case, the festival organizer will be responsible if a visitor is injured in the festival (Arts Law, 2017). While holding the film festival, the event organizer also has to identify different intellectual property rules which will be applied on the film festival. It is necessary to identify who owns the work projected in the film festival and it is important to buy rights for showing the films at the festival. In the event, it is planned to hold a competition for selecting the best films. It is necessary for the event manager to purchase a license before holding competition for the films (Wodonga, 2017).  

While planning a successful and safe event, it is important to identify all the potential risks and need to be identified and effectively managed. In the indoor events, it is important that the location has proper evacuation facility so that the people can move around stalls, performance stage and the exhibition areas. The stalls or other structures should not obstruct the exit routes of the event. The event manager also has to analyze that the extinguisher points, emergency vehicle points and the emergency vehicle points are available at the indoor location. In the risk management, the event manager can effectively use sign to rapidly convey the direction and the emergency information. It will assist the audience to vacate in case of emergency. The signage should be clearly visible and easily understood by the people. Since the number of visitors for the film festival is approximately near 5000 people, it is important for the event organizer to arrange different entry/exits for the vehicle and the pedestrians. The crowd can be controlled by arranging he entrance queues so that they do not obstruct vehicles and the nearby road junctions (Elliston, 2017).  

Accessibility

The location can hold a maximum of 5000 people; therefore, it is important that the entrance is properly secured so that not a single person without ticket can enter the place. Accurate head-counting should be established in the entrance of the gates so that the people the place does not overcrowd. With regard to the emergency situations, it is important that exists should be clearly marked and free from obstructions. As the film festival will also operate in night, it is important that the event remains well-lit. During the dinner program at the night, safety barriers should be fenced around barbecues. In the dinner program, the event manager has to examine the quality of the food which will be offered at the event. The event operations management organization will also has to determine whether there will be a set menu or the guests have to choose beforehand. The event manager has to determine the special catering requirements needed for the occasion. The event manager also has to determine the drink requirements in the dinner party. According to the number of guests and the target market, the event manager has to organize the drink tabs, bottles per table and the waiting staff for drinking and topping (Walker, 2016).

The organization of the film festival will be a complex activity. The location for the festival will be booked beforehand. However, the event manager has to establish seating arrangements, projector, stage setup and equipment for the projection of the film at the location. While conducting the dinner party, the event manager has to give contracts to the caterers and music performers.

The present is a charity event focused on the child labor. Therefore, it is important that the in the event, sustainable practices are followed. It is also important that the event is organized ethically and mitigate the negative impact on the environment. In the film festival organization, water, work, waste management and travel are the most crucial aspects in sustainability practices of the organization. It is important that the event manager implement procedures to reduce the energy wastage in the event. The organizers can use the energy conservation lighting and bulbs. The efficient planning of the event can also reduce the energy consumption. The lighting of the event should be organized in a manner so that maximum light can be obtained with minimum bulbs. Moreover, the organizers will need to address the drinking and tap water requirements for the event. The water usage should be optimized so that there is minimum water wastage during the event. The taps should be updated with the latest technology so that they automatically close after a certain period of time. The location should be located at the center of the city so that it is accessible to every person interested in the event (Creative Carbon Scotland, 2013).

Task B: Event Operations Plan

During the film festival, a large number of people will accumulate at a specific location and watch movies. Certainly, waste will be accumulated due to eating or use of plastics and materials. It is important to devise proper waste management technique to increase the cleanliness of the space as well as to adopt sustainability practices. There should be provision for different disposal of the bio-degradable and plastic waste material.

One of the most significant impacts that the film festivals or other events at a large scale can have is the waste generated at these events. It is the most visible impact of the event on the festival-goers and impact on the number of visitors. Moreover, it can also pose health risks to the festival-goers. The waste management is also primary expense for the event organizers; therefore, proper waste management techniques should be considered during the event planning. The film festival organizers should focus on the use of biodegradable and disposable cups and plates during the event. The event organizers can also recruit volunteers for the clean-up and the sorting efforts. They should also provide standard and biodegradable bins for the traders in the event (A Greener Event, 2017).

The event operations management is a discipline which is focused on the organization and the creation of different events at both small as well as large scale. Today, the scale and the scope of the event industry have increased substantially. It is closely associated with the tourism industry and other corporate sectors. The corporate heavily relies on the event industry for the organization of the meetings, conferences and the product launches. Initially, I had a brief notion of the various roles and the responsibilities required in the event operations management (Masterman, 2014). However, my viewpoint was limited to responsibilities perceived from the exterior. I realized that in the event operations management; there are several responsibilities which are needed to be fulfilled. Initially, I assumed that the safety and the security are the responsibility of the public department and the event manager does not have to take the visitor’s safety and well-being into consideration. However, in the theoretical learning, I realized that the safety and the well-being if the audience and the visitors is a crucial in the overall success of the event. I also realized that there are several types of risks which need to be mitigated to launch a successful event. Initially, in the planning process, I used to neglect several important details such as health and safety of the visitors and the development of same premises. I only focused on the development of an attractive theme for the event, which should be considered as the second priority (Schwarz, Hall & Shibli 2010).

Licensing and Legal Issues

During the learning, I also realized about the different aspects of the operations management which are required in the successful event operations management. The operations management refers to the transformation of the services to maximize the profits of the organization. With the operations management theory, I realized that the event planning needs to be done from scratch. The event manager has to plan for the design, theme and different elements of the event. In order to attract maximum audience for the event, the theme and the elements of the event should be determined according to the target audience and their preference. I learnt that the professionals in the industry take into consideration all the aspects of the event, whether they are small or big. I also realized that big challenges can arise from significantly smaller issues. The event manager has to focus on the overall organization which includes the provision or the delivery of the cutlery, food, music instruments, sound system projector, chairs and other equipment or devices necessary for the business (Shone & Parry, 2004).

Conclusion

Today, most of the business organizations and the individuals rely on the event operations management industry to organize events at a large scale. It is important that the event managers look into different aspects to successfully launch an event. The Classic Entertainment Productions has been assigned to organize a one off film festival to obtain finances for the child education. The event manager needs to select an appropriate location for the event to maximize the outcomes from the event. In this regard, the report has selected the indoor location in the center of the city. It is due to the fact that the film festival will run throughout the day and night and the indoor sitting facility will increase the comfort of the visitors. Moreover, as it is a charitable event, all the visitors will be from the affluent class. Therefore, it is important that they are provided with comfortable arrangements. The event manager has several responsibilities such as obtaining licenses, conducting risk audit and assisting the organization in achieving risk management, health and security of the visitors. The theoretical learning and the operations method of the event operations management are also important for the successful organization of an event at a large scale

References

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