1. Festive Event Management
Subject Code: CEM4103
Lecture 3
Festive Event Planning
Developed & Presented by :
Roy Ying
Note: Pictures used in this
power point file is for academic
Purpose only

2. Agenda
1. Elements of strategic festive event
planning process
2. Establishment of festive project
management structure
3. Determining festive event site and date
4. Festive event risk management, legal
considerations and insurance

3. Festive Strategic Planning
• Understand the festival’s mission
• Clearly state the event’s objectives and
goals
• Create an organization structure and
recruit talented people and partners
• Create tactical plans to achieve objectives
• Execute plans and then measure results

4. Mission, Vision, Objectives
Need specific festive goals. For example,
• Event has potential to be a long-term
income generator.
• Event provides value to the stakeholders.
• Event enhances the image and visibility of
the Community, not only for hosting the
event, but also for the use of proceeds for
the betterment of the community.

5. Class Discussion 1
• Name the common objectives of the
following festive events?
– Hong Kong Brand & Product Expo
– Hong Kong Winter Shopping Carnival
– Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival

6. Class Discussion 2
• Name one thing in common the organizer
has done in achieving their objective?
– Ruby 7
– UBS Hong Kong Open
– New Year Horse Racing

7. Case Study

8. Question
• What are the objectives of the Hong Kong
Film Festival?
• Through what direction the organizing is
heading to achieve these objectives?
• Who are the relevant stakeholders?

9. Agenda
1. Elements of strategic festive event
planning process
2. Establishment of festive project
management structure
3. Determining festive event site and date
4. Festive event risk management, legal
considerations and insurance

10. Festive Management Structure
• Organizing Committee

11. Festive Event OC membership
• Usual composition
– Organizer (i.e., religious group, sporting
association, government agency, community,
exhibition organizer)
– Co-organizers
– Major sponsors
– Official representatives

12. Question
• Who should be the organizer of the
following festival events?
– Hong Kong Tennis Classic Team Challenge
– Asia Game Show
– UBS Hong Kong Golf Open

13. Phases of Festive Event
Project Management
The Event
• Source:
Project Management
Body of Knowledge
(PMBOK)

14. Phase 1 – Festive Initiation
• Festive Project Charter – this defines the
overall vision and project organisation
• Feasibility Study - a go or no-go decision
should be reached
• Appoint the project team – defines roles
and responsibilities and assign individuals
or appoint PCO

15. Definition – Festive Project Charter
• Sometimes refer to as the “terms of
reference”
• Purpose of this charter
– Reasons for undertaking the project
– Objectives and constraints of the project
– Directions concerning the solution
– Identities of the main stakeholders

16. Definition - PCO
Professional Conference Organizer
• commonly known as PCOs, are commercial companies that assist
host organizations in every aspect of organizing an event. PCOs will
be able to assist the committee members and act as the consultant,
project manager, hospitality coordinator, local secretariat, housing
and tour bureau, etc.
• Their services include:
– OC secretariat – registration processing
– venue management – international media and
– programme planning publicity
– speaker support – publications and printing
– budget control – materials production
– sponsorship management
– hotel and transportation
– event marketing
– on-site management

17. Who’s the PCO?

19. Phase 2 - Festive Planning
• Create a project plan – most importantly this
includes the work breakdown structure and
schedule;
• Create a resource plan – what roles, capabilities
and experiences are required and when;
• Create a risk management plan – this will detail
how project risks will me mitigated/managed
jointly.
• Create an acceptance plan – this defines the
final acceptance criteria which you, the client (or
boss), will use as your final sign-off upon
delivery.

20. Phase 3 – Festive Execution
• Implementation of all the plans – including hiring
of staff, sending out RFP, confirming contractors,
and carrying out promotional schedule
• Monitoring and controlling – testing the plans
and confirming how relevant they are the
organizing progresses
• Making decisions based on the comparison
between the plans and reality
• Work in progress reporting to the key
stakeholders
• Active risk management

21. Phase 4 – the Festival
• Control and monitor project team
• Communications with all stakeholders
• Active achievement of the objectives listed
under Festive Project Charter
– If it’s a film festival, you want…..
– If it’s a competition, you want…..
– If it’s a parade, you want…..
– If it’s a food festival, you want….

22. Phase 5 - Closure
• The last phase of the process
– Onsite shutdown including VIP exit, crowd
control, equipment and materials packing
– Evaluate success / failure based on objectives
– Archiving documents and financial reporting
– Disbanding of project team
– Planning for next event

23. Agenda
1. Elements of strategic festive event
planning process
2. Establishment of festive project
management structure
3. Determining festive event site and date
4. Festive event risk management, legal
considerations and insurance

24. Marketing Consideration
• From a marketing point of view, instead of
focusing on availability and budget, it’s
more important to look at
– Why you are doing the event
– Who you are targeting
– Where your target audience is located
– When is a good time to host your event
– What kind of requirements you need

25. Part of Festive Event Marketing
Venue
Date
PRICE PLACE
The
Marketing
Mix
PROMOTION PRODUCT

26. Place
• Use your venue in achieving your
objectives listed in Festive Project Charter
• Considerations should include:
– Audience
– Event requirement
– Availability
– Service
– Budget

27. Audience
• It’s the Who under the 5Ws in festive
event marketing
• Your choice of venue should
– match your audience’s profile
– accommodate your expected size of audience
– be easily accessible by your target audience
– provide service required by your audience

28. Audience
• Group discussion – What’s a good choice?
– You are managing a private jewelry show
promoting X’mas sale
– Your target audience are
• Mainland big spenders
• Wives of rich and famous
• Senior female executives
• Investment bankers
• Expatriates

29. Audience
• Choice 1 - Kee Club

30. Audience
• Choice 2 - AWTC

31. Audience
• Choice 3 – East Hotel

32. Festive Venue Selection

33. Festive Venue Selection

34. Festive Venue Selection

35. Festive Venue Selection

36. MEHK Promotional Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzsvqR8Mtj8

37. Types of Festive Venues
• What’s available?
– HKCEC
– AWE
– Hotels
– Public space
– Shopping Malls
– Restaurants
– Boats
– Stadiums and Parks
– Private Clubs

38. Quiz – can you name these?
1 2 3
4 5
6
7
8

39. Quiz Answers
1. HKCEC roof top
2. China Club
3. AMC
4. L’hotel Nina
5. AWE
6. Central
7. Top Deck
8. Shangri-la Atrium (Library)

40. Build your own venue database
• A listing of venues with the following information:
– Sizes of all the ballrooms and meeting rooms
– Contacts of catering sales department
– Charts and floor plans (if available)
– Special remarks
• Membership
• Discounts / Surcharge
• Minimum Charges
• Guest Room Requirements
– For public space, you need to get government involved
who can help you get all the necessary licences

41. Selecting Festive Event Dates
Considerations include:
• Community culture
• Event marketing
• Feasibility
• Market intelligence
• Expectation management

42. There are exceptions…
• Do Dragon Boat Competitions always
happen around Tuen Ng Festival?
• In Japan, there is a new “White Day”
created one month after Valentines
• The Ryder Cup of 1999 was postponed
because of 911

43. Agenda
1. Elements of strategic festive event
planning process
2. Establishment of festive project
management structure
3. Determining festive event site and date
4. Festive event risk management, legal
considerations and insurance

44. What do we mean by crisis?

45. Risk, incident & crisis management

46. Strategic Responses to Risk
Avoidance Reduction Transference Retention
Includes Reduces Transfer to Accepting
not the another the loss
performing severity or party to when it
an activity likelihood accept the occurs.
that could of loss risk. May or Maybe too
carry risk. occurring. may not large or
mean cost too
insurance. much.

47. Tips for Festive Event Manager
• Understand what kind of risks your events
are exposed to
• Contingency plan costs money. Only draw
up “Plan B” if the risks are justified
• Use suppliers who are experienced in the
kind of event you are organizing
• Protect yourself with adequate contract
terms and liability insurance
• Proper documentation & communication
• Involve your boss as much as you can

48. Emergency Personnel Team
• You – as event manager and also the PR
manager onsite
• Spokesperson (1-2)
• Phone team
• Researcher and writer
• Decision maker
• Legal council, if applicable

49. First determine what’s wrong, e.g.
• Human error
• Clerical error
• Unauthorized procedures
• Inadequate supervision
• Inadequate quality control
• Misuse of confidential information
• Errors of judgement
• Inadequate standard operating procedures

50. Develop a core message
• You want this message to be heard in
every step of how people assimilate info

51. Tell everyone your message!
1. Emergency Personnel Team
2. Board of Directors
3. Employees
4. Members
5. Other Stakeholders

52. Example – Michael Jackson
• Died on 25 June, 2009

53. Crisis Management
• "The world lost a kind soul who just
happened to be the greatest entertainer
the world has ever known," Randy Phillips,
chief executive of AEG Live, said in a
statement. "Since he loved his fans in life,
it is incumbent upon us to treat them with
the same reverence and respect after his
death.“
29 June 2009

54. Emergency crisis media interview

55. Designated Spokespersons
• Must be a senior officer
• Interest and empathy
• Honesty and authenticity
• Responsive and proactive
• Open to criticism
• A good story teller

56. Lack of crisis communications
preparation

57. Interview skill - Bridging
• Don’t Know: I don’t know, but I can tell
you…
• Time: That may have been the case in the
past. Now we are…
• Importance: That once was important. What
is most important now is…
• Completing: I think you would have a more
complete picture if you considered…
• Yes and No: No, let me explain. Yes, and
furthermore…

58. 7 Must Have Elements in Your
Crisis Communication Kit
1. A list of the members of the crisis
management team
2. Contact information for key officers,
spokespeople, and crisis management team
members
3. Fact sheets on the company, each division,
each physical location, and each product
offered.
4. Profiles and biographies for each key
manager in your company

59. 7 Must Have Elements in Your
Crisis Communication Kit
5. Copies of your company, division and
product logos, your press release format
and the scanned in signature of your CEO
on disk
6. Pre-written scripts answering key questions
that you have generated through your crisis
scenario analysis
7. Contact information for each of your key
media contacts both locally, nationally, and if
appropriate, key financial press and analysts.

60. Key considerations

61. Remember…

62. What NOT to do

63. Crisis, once happened, is all
about communication