BHMH2318 Corporate Event Operations

Lecture 1
Introduction of Events and the Events Industry

Gilbert Tam
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 Study Material in Textbook
Available in CPCE Library
Textbook No.
Page
Lecture Topic (see Table Chapter
Numbers
below)

1 Introduction of Events 2 (Silvers) 1 3 to 8

No. Book Title

Allen, J., 2007. The executive’s guide to corporate events & business entertaining. Mississauga, Canada: John Wiley
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& Sons.

2 Silvers, J. R., 2012. Professional event coordinator. 2nd Edition. Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons.

Allen, J., O’Toole, W., Harris, R. and McDonnell, I., 2011. Festival & special event management. 5th Edition.
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Milton, Australia: John Wiley & Sons.

4 Ramsborg, G.C., 2015. Professional meeting management. 6th Edition. Chicago, USA: First Agate B2 Printing.

5 Krugman, C. and Wright, R.R., 2007. Global Meetings and Exhibitions. Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons.

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TEXTBOOK NUMBER 2:

CHAPTER 1
Anatomy of Event

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 Learning Objectives
• Define the breadth of event types and opportunities
for professional event coordination.
• Appreciate the scope of responsibilities associated
with professional event coordination.
• Identify the dimensions of an event experience.
• Recognise the interdependence of event elements in
order to forecast potential gaps and discrepancies in
an event plan.
• Develop a strategy for creating and coordinating a
comprehensive event experience.
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 Definition of Event
1. There is no one definition that is universally
accepted which covers the wide spectrum of events.

2. The Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX) Industry

Glossary of terms (CIC 2003) defines an event as ‘an
organised occasion such as a meeting, convention,
exhibition, special event, gala dinner etc. An event
is often composed of several different yet related
functions.’

3. A major characteristic of events is that they are

temporary and unique, with a fixed-length of time
(Getz 2005 in Bowdin et al. 2006).
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 Examples of Events
üA celebration and festival
üA football match
üA birthday party
üA graduation ceremony
üA picnic
üA dinner
ØAny other examples?

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 Characteristics of an Event
1. An event is an activity
2. An event takes place in a venue
3. An event attracts people to attend
4. An event has opening and closing times
5. An event has objectives
6. An event needs a budget to organise
7. An event can generate revenue
üAn event … more?

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 Event Genres (Types)
• Business and Corporate • Government and Civic
Events Events
• Cause-Related and • Marketing Events
Fundraising Events
• Meetings and
• Exhibitions,
Conventions
Expositions, Fairs
• Entertainment and • Social and Life-Cycle
Leisure Events Events
• Festivals • Sports Events

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 What is a MICE Event?
• M stands for Meeting
• I stands for Incentives
• C stands for Convention/Conference
• E stands for Exhibition

They are categorised as Business Events

that attract business travellers to visit a
destination.
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 Types of Events
Classify event by size:
• Mega-events, e.g. ?
• Hallmark events, e.g. ?
• Major events, e.g. ?
• Local or community events (examples?)

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 Professional Event Coordination
ØIs it easy and simple to organise an event?
ØWhat areas does it involve?
• There are many theories and frameworks
(models) that are used by professional event
coordinators to organise their events.
• One of the common models is the Event
Management Body of Knowledge, the
International EMBOK Model

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 International EMBOK Model
EMBOK covers five functional areas:
1. Administration of event
2. Design of event
3. Marketing of event
4. Operations of event
5. Risk management of event

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 PROCESSES PHASES CORE VALUES

Assessment Initiation Creativity

Selection Planning Strategic

Thinking

Monitoring Implementation Continuous

Improvement
Documentation The Event
Ethics
Communication Closure Integration

DOMAINS

Administration Design Marketing Operations Risk

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( (International EMBOK Executive, n.d.)

( (International EMBOK Executive, n.d.)
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( (International EMBOK Executive, n.d.)

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 EMBOK Categories
Administration Design Marketing Operations Risk

Financial Content Marketing Plan Attendee Compliance

Management Management Management Management Management

Human Resource Entertainment Materials Communications Decision

Management Management Management Management Management

Information Environment Merchandise Infrastructure Emergency

Management Management Management Management Management

Procurement Food & Beverage Promotions Logistics Health & Safety

Management Management Management Management Management

Stakeholder Production Public Relations Participant Insurance

Management Management Management Management Management

Systems Program Sales Site Legal

Management Management Management Management Management

Time Theme Sponsorship Technical Security

Management Management Management Management Management

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 Complexity of Event
• Now we know it can be a very complicated
matter to organise an event, especially a large
event such as an exhibition!
• The level of complexity depends on the size
and type of an event

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 The Role and Scope of
Professional Event Coordination
• Role (purpose) - Every event is held for a
reason, and each reason is based on some
desired benefit.
• Scope (coverage) - Event coordination includes
the planning and production of an event that
brings people together at a particular time, in
a particular place, for a particular purpose.

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 Event Coordination is a Complex Profession
It is complex because of the following six reasons:
1. An event coordinator might have to know how to organize different
types of events.
2. Various events have different objectives and audiences, may be
different in scope and purpose, and have different characteristics
and requirements.
3. Each and every aspect of an event has an impact on the whole
event.
4. Each and every decision made about an event could affect how the
resources will be allocated.
5. Each and every event has both advantages to take and obstacles to
overcome.
6. Different events have different complexity in different aspects:
administration, design, marketing, operations and risk, as shown
by the EMBOK framework for all types of events.
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 The Events Industry
Ø When there are events to organise, for example, an
exhibition, people from different companies and
organisations will work together to make it happen.

Ø When there are a lot of events involving a large of

number of people and companies working together
to organise them, an industry consisting of events
organisers and service providers will develop.

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 The Structure of the Event Industry
Main stakeholders in the events industry:
1. Event organisers, e.g. Hong Kong Trade
Development Council (HKTDC)
2. Event management companies
3. Event industry suppliers, e.g. contractors
4. Venues operators (examples?)
5. Events industry association
v Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention Industry Association
(HKECIA)
6. External Regulatory bodies, e.g. government
departments providing permits for activities in an
event

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Event Management: Education and Training
• The main objective of event management
education is to identify the knowledge and skills
required by event managers to organise different
events, and to provide training to them so that
they can be professionals in organising them.

• Main event training providers:

– Universities/tertiary education institutions
– Industry associations

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Career opportunities in the Events Industry
Potential Employers:
ü Events/exhibitions organisers
ü Events management companies and Public Relations
firms
ü Facilities and venues operators (convention centres and
hotels)
ü Trading companies that use exhibitions to promote
their business
ü Contractors and service suppliers that provide supplies
and services to event organising companies
ü Private companies and government bodies that are
involved in staging events and exhibitions.
ü Many more …

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 References
International EMBOK Executive. (n.d.). Embok Model. Retrieved September 12, 2019,
from https://embok.org/index.php

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