Sukhpreet Kaur, Lovely Professional University Unit 3: Event Feasibility and Legal Compliance

Unit 3: Event Feasibility and Legal Compliance Notes

CONTENTS

Objectives
Introduction
3.1 Resources
3.1.1 Financial Considerations
3.1.2 The Human Dimension
3.1.3 Politics as Usual
3.2 The Approval Process
3.3 Key Questions
3.4 Feasibility: What to assess?
3.4.1 Risks Feasibility
3.4.2 Time Feasibility
3.4.3 Funding Feasibility
3.4.4 Support Feasibility
3.4.5 Staffing Feasibility
3.4.6 Venue and Equipment Feasibility
3.4.7 Environmental Feasibility
3.5 SWOT Analysis: Finding the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats
3.5.1 Strengths and Weaknesses
3.5.2 Opportunities and Threats
3.6 Organizing an Event: Selecting the Event
3.7 Legal Compliance
3.7.1 Identifying Compliance Requirements
3.7.2 Developing Procedures for Event Compliance
3.8 Summary
3.9 Keywords
3.10 Review Questions
3.11 Further Readings

Objectives
After studying this unit, you should be able to:
 Define the term feasibility
 Discuss the three basic resources
 Identify various financial considerations
 Explain the approval process and key questions
 Describe the various forms of feasibility in event management

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Notes Introduction

Feasibility simply means that you have looked at the event design objectively to determine if
what you propose is practical given the resources available. This is the final checkpoint before
actual planning begins and, therefore, must be given adequate time for review. Municipalities
often engage professional engineers or other consultants to conduct lengthy feasibility studies
before approving new construction or other capital expenditures. Although you may not need
a battery of consultants, it is important for you to review all previous steps thoroughly when
determining the feasibility of an event plan.

3.1 Resources

The three basic resources that will be required are financial, human, and political. Each of these
resources may have varying degrees of importance, depending on the nature of the event.

Example: A for-profit or large hallmark event will require significant financial

investment to succeed. A not-for-profit event will rely on an army of volunteers, and, therefore,
the human element is more important. A civic event will require greater political resources to
accomplish. Therefore, when assessing and analyzing feasibility, first determine in what
proportions resources will be required for the event.

3.1.1 Financial Considerations

It is desired to know if sufficient financial resources are available to sustain development and
implementation of the event. Furthermore, you must consider what will happen if the event
loses money. How will creditors be paid? You will also want to know what resources you can
count on for an immediate infusion of cash, should the event require this to continue development.
Finally, you must carefully analyze the cash-flow projections for the event to determine how
much time is to be allowed between payables and receivables.

3.1.2 The Human Dimension

In assessing the feasibility of an event, you must not only know where your human resources
will come from but how they will be rewarded (financially or through intangibles, such as
awards and recognition). Most important, you must know how they will work together as an
efficient event team.

Task Make a chart of essentials one should know to assess the feasibility of an event.

3.1.3 Politics as Usual

The increasingly important role of government leaders in event oversight must be viewed with
a practiced eye. Politicians see events as both good (opportunities for publicity, constituent
communications, and economic impact) and bad (drain on municipal services and potential for
disaster). When designing civic events, it is particularly important that you understand and
enlist the support of politicians and their bureaucratic ministers to ensure smooth cooperation
for your event.

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Notes
!
Caution For all events, it is essential that you carefully research the permit process to
determine if the event you have designed is feasible according to the code within the
jurisdiction where the event will be held.

3.2 The Approval Process

The research and design phases add to the event history once an event is approved. The approval
process may be as simple as an acceptance by the client or as complex as requiring dozens of
signatures from various city agencies that will interact with the event. Regardless of the simplicity
or complexity of this step, you should view it as an important milestone that, once crossed,
assures you that the plan has been reviewed and deemed reasonable and feasible, and has a high
likelihood of success. All roads lead to official approval, whether in the form of a contract or as
individual permits from each agency.

Notes Without official approval, an event remains a dream. The process for turning dreams
into workable plans requires careful research, thoughtful design, and critical analysis.
This could be called the planning to plan phase, because it involves so many complex steps
related to the next phase. However, once the approval is granted, you are on your way to
the next important phase: the actual planning period.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:

1. ............................. simply means that you have looked at the event design objectively to
determine if what you propose is practical given the resources available.

2. The three basic resources that will be required are ............................., human, and political.
3. In assessing the feasibility of an event, you must not only know where your human
resources will .............................

4. ............................. see events as both good (opportunities for publicity, constituent

communications, and economic impact) and bad (drain on municipal services and potential
for disaster).

5. When designing ............................. events, it is particularly important that you understand

and enlist the support of politicians and their bureaucratic ministers to ensure smooth
cooperation for your event.

3.3 Key Questions

In helping you to determine the feasibility of your event, some key questions to ask include:

1. What physical resources are available (facilities and equipment) or accessible to support
the event?

2. What are the rough costs? (time, personnel, money)

3. How can any potential barriers be overcome?

4. Is there sufficient time for planning?

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Notes Once it has been ascertained that you do have the necessary resources and it is feasible to
undertake the event, planning can begin. Check the timing of your event does not clash with any
other key events.

It’s crucial to put in the necessary time and effort into planning and preparation for your event
to ensure that it’s a successful one.

Task Make an event planner where any event is not clashing with another key event.

3.4 Feasibility: What to assess?

An event feasibility study is a controlled process for identifying challenges and opportunities,
determining objectives, defining successful outcomes and assessing a range of costs and benefits
of an event concept. It is a preliminary study undertaken before the real work of an event/
festival starts, to ascertain the potential of the events success.

Developing a successful inaugural event can be a risky investment and taking the event concept
from an initial idea through to the operational stage is often a complex and time-consuming
effort. Red Horizon Events consulting expertise in feasibilities studies provides decision makers,
within your organisation, with the opportunity to make better, more informed decisions on
new event concepts.

Benefits of Completing a Feasibility Study for Inaugural Events

1. An effective analytical tool that assists decision makers in determining if the event concept
will meet objectives and is viable

2. Provides supporting evidence for recommendations and demonstrates the strengths and
weakness of the event concept

3. Helps to analyze the business idea in more depth, providing greater clarity on the event
concept, defined objectives and key stakeholders

4. Allows for better, more informed decisions on the event concept at a logistical, financial,
resources and marketing environment level

5. Reduces the risk of a wasted investment in - time, resources and money

6. Helps reduce the event project planning time for the event - should it go ahead

Establishing the feasibility of your event is an essential first step to success. Event Feasibility
service works with you to identify what matters and ensure your event is built on solid foundations.

3.4.1 Risks Feasibility

The staging of events has risks for the organisers that should be analysed and understood. The
organisers need to have a relative degree of confidence that:
 The event will not result in a financial loss
 The event is organised sufficiently well that all parties are satisfied
 The organisation’s mission will be enhanced as a result of staging the event
 The risk of injury is minimised as far as possible
 There are contingency plans to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants

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 The venue and equipment will not suffer unexpected damage or loss Notes
 The reputation of all parties (including the sponsor if one exists) as event organisers
remains in tact.

3.4.2 Time Feasibility

There are a number of crucial factors that determine whether there is sufficient time to make all
the necessary plans and arrangements to stage a special event. In particular, the two most
important factors are:

 the ability to book a venue; and

 the necessity to give participants an appropriate length of notice

The first factor, venues, whether they are ovals, sports centres, theatres, pools or other types of
facility, must be booked months in advance. This has a direct bearing on the feasibility of
staging an event. It is not possible to organise an event unless the hosting organisation has a
venue booked. The time needed to plan and organise the event must be sufficient to ensure that
a venue can be booked.

Did u know? The most popular venues may be booked more than one year in advance

The second factor is having sufficient time to promote the event and ensure that competitors are
able to attend. Imagine staging an event and finding that a very few competitors were able to
attend. If insufficient notice is given to competitors (and officials) they may be unable to book
air flights or arrange for leave. Furthermore they may NOT attend because they have other
engagements that they cannot change or simply because they have had no time to prepare for
the event. There needs to be sufficient planning time to enable the event date to be inserted on
to a great many event calendars. This is especially so when there is a likelihood of competitors
travelling large distances to attend (even from overseas).

The sheer number of tasks to be performed when organising an event also suggest that would-
be organisers should look very closely at the time allowed to complete such tasks.

3.4.3 Funding Feasibility

The feasibility study needs to be able to predict the financial outcome of staging an event to a
reasonable degree of accuracy. This entails developing a budget where all expected revenues
and all known costs are listed. It is most important that would-be organisers exercise a high
degree of realism when estimating possible revenues. Furthermore, it is vital to ensure that all
costs are included. Two typical situations can spell disaster:
1. The event goes ahead despite the loss of a major source of income i.e. sponsorship is not as
much as planned, a funding submission to government fails or only half as many participants
enter.
2. An unexpected cost arises but it is too late to cancel or change the event i.e. venue costs
escalate, errors are made in calculating the cost of officials, or extra equipment has to be
bought at the last moment.
History shows numerous organisations large and small that have run into financial difficulty
and even bankruptcy as a result of staging an event. A general rule for running events is that
they must not run at a loss except in special and planned circumstances. Therefore it would be
prudent to ensure the initial budgeting processes are accurate and to aim for substantial profit.

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Notes 3.4.4 Support Feasibility

The feasibility study must gauge whether there is support for the event from within the
organisation. This is vital as an event is generally work and many helpers must be found.
Organisational meetings and numerous one-to-one consultations will usually provide evidence
whether support exists or not.

Events often need support from outside the hosting organisation if they are to be successful.
Some of the reasons to contact and consult other organisations include:

1. To estimate the amount of interest in participating

2. To seek assistance with equipment lending

3. To share facilities and venues

4. To seek sponsorship or funding

If the support that an event needs for participants, officials, helpers, sponsors and other interested
parties is not forthcoming then there must be considerable doubt about the feasibility of this
organisation to stage this event at this time.

3.4.5 Staffing Feasibility

The human resources required to plan, organize and stage an event includes everyone from the
Event Director down to volunteers who serve at the food stall. It is necessary to assess whether
the organisation has or is likely to have sufficient personnel for all event management tasks. If
no-one is willing to offer themselves as a event director or there is no-one with appropriate
experience who is affordable, then it must be assumed that the organisation is unlikely to be
successful at staging the event. Furthermore, at the feasibility assessment stage, it is important
to count, analyse and understand the myriad of tasks required and to determine whether there
is sufficient number of available personnel. Provided there is sufficient time, inexperienced
personnel can be trained.

3.4.6 Venue and Equipment Feasibility

Those who are responsible for assessing the feasibility of an event must consider whether there
is access to a suitable venue. The venue should be equal to or better than the standard expected
by all participants and other stakeholders.

!
Caution There are dangers for the organisation and sport/recreation activity if the venue
is substandard. Therefore a lack of a suitable venue has a major effect on event feasibility.

Some categories of equipment such as personal sports apparatus are the responsibility of the
competitor. Other types of equipment such as scoreboards, lighting and timing equipment are
the responsibility of the organiser. If the organisation does not own sufficient equipment to
stage an event it can be bought, borrowed or hired provided there is time and funds available.
There may be a feasibility problem if sufficient equipment does not exist locally and it is too
difficult or expensive to transport equipment from other places.

3.4.7 Environmental Feasibility

The staging of events generally has some environmental impact. This may range from traffic
congestion and parking problems to damage sustained by the environment.

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Notes
Examples: The following are some examples of the environmental impact of an event:
 Damage by cars in an off-road area

 Noise pollution

 Traffic congestion

 Sanitary problems

 Danger to fauna and flora

 Water pollution e.g. power boat racing

Notes An event is VIABLE if it is capable of working successfully.

An event is FEASIBLE if it can be organised relatively easily.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:

6. Establishing the feasibility of your event is an essential ........................ step to success.

7. The ........................ of events has risks for the organisers that should be analysed and
understood.
8. The ........................ number of tasks to be performed when organising an event also suggest
that would-be organisers should look very closely at the time allowed to complete such
tasks.

9. The human resources required to plan, organize and stage an event includes everyone
from the ........................ down to volunteers who serve at the food stall.

10. The staging of events generally has some ........................ impact.

3.5 SWOT Analysis: Finding the Strengths, Weaknesses,

Opportunities, and Threats

Before you begin planning an event, you usually must implement SWOT analysis to underpin
your decision making. SWOT analysis assists you in identifying the internal and external variables
that may prevent the event from achieving maximum success.

3.5.1 Strengths and Weaknesses

The strengths and weaknesses of an event are primarily considerations that can be spotted
before the event actually takes place. Typical strengths and weaknesses of many events are
shown in Figure 3.1.

The strengths and weaknesses may be uncovered through a focus group or through individual
interviews with the major stakeholders. If the weaknesses outnumber the strengths and there is
no reasonable way to eliminate the weak- nesses and increase the strengths within the event
planning period, you may wish to postpone or cancel the event.

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Notes Figure 3.1: Event Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths Weaknesses
Strong funding Weak funding
Good potential for sponsors No potential for sponsors
Well-trained staff Poorly trained staff
Many volunteers Few volunteers
Good media relations Poor media relations
Excellent site Weak site

3.5.2 Opportunities and Threats

Opportunities are activities that may be of benefit to an event without significant investment by
your organization. One example is that of selecting a year in which to hold an event that
coincides with your community’s or industry’s hundredth anniversary. Your event may benefit
from additional funding, publicity, and other important resources simply by aligning yourself
with this hallmark event. Other possible beneficial outcomes, sometimes indirect, such as the
potential of contributing to the political image of the event’s host, are considered opportunities.

Threats are activities that prevent you from maximizing the potential of an event. The most
obvious threat is weather; however, political threats may be just as devastating. Local political
leaders must buy in to your civic event to ensure cooperation with all agencies. Opportunities
and threats are two key factors that generally present themselves either during an event or after
it has occurred. However, during the research process, these factors should be considered
seriously, as they may spell potential disaster for the event.
Political infighting may quickly destroy your planning. A modern threat is that of terrorism.
The threat of violence erupting at an event may keep people from attending. A celebrity canceling
or not attending can also create a significant threat to the success of an event. Typical opportunities
and threats for an event are listed in Figure 3.2.

Figure 3.2: Event Opportunities and Threats

Opportunities Threats
Civic anniversary Hurricanes and tornadoes
Chamber of Commerce promotion Political infighting
Celebrity appearance Violence from terrorism
Align with environmental cause Alcoholic consumption
Tie-in with media Site in bad neighborhood
Winning elections Celebrity canceling or not attending
Developing more loyal employees

Although strengths and weaknesses are often related, opportunities and threats need not be.
Once again, in making a decision to proceed with event planning, your goal is to identify more
opportunities than threats. All threats should be considered carefully, and experts should be
consulted to determine ways in which threats may be contained, reduced, or eliminated. SWOT
analysis (see Figure 3.3) is a major strategic planning tool during the research phase. By using
SWOT analysis, an Event Leader can not only scan the internal and external event environment
but also can proceed to the next step, which involves analyses of the weaknesses and threats, and
provide solutions to improve the event planning process.

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Figure 3.3: SWOT Analysis

Notes

S = strengths
1. Strong funding Internal
2. Well-trained staff Internal
3. Event well respected by media External
W = weaknesses Existing conditions
1. Weak funding Internal
2. Few human resources Internal
3. Poor public-relations history External
O = opportunities
1. Simultaneous celebration of a congruent event External
2. Timing of event congruent with future budget allocation Internal
T = threats Future/predictive
conditions
1. Weather External
2. New board of directors leading this event Internal

The research phase of the event administration process is perhaps most critical. During this
period you will determine through empirical research whether you have both the internal and
external resources essential to make a decision to produce an effective event. Your ability to
select the appropriate research methodology, design the instrument, and collect, analyze,
interpret, and present the data will ultimately determine whether an vent has sufficient strength
for future success. The first pillar of the Event Leadership rocess—research—rests squarely in
the center of the other four supporting columns. lthough each is equal in importance, the future
success of an event depends on how well ou conduct the research phase.

3.6 Organizing an Event: Selecting the Event

There are many events that you could reasonably choose to organise. Before you start planning
your event, think about some of the different reasons for staging events.

 Brainstorm some ideas

 Making choices

You need to understand why you are holding the event the firm has chosen.

The primary purpose for holding the event should not be simply to fulfil your exam specification
requirements. The event should have some other primary purpose.

What could these be?

 To raise funds for a charity or cause

 To boost sales at a store or improve the public relations of a local business

 To maximise your profits, if you are running a mini enterprise company

 To boost recruitment to your school’s Key Stage 5 programmes

 To help you with your studies

 To provide entertainment and a sense of community to your peer group.

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Notes Clearly defining the reason for holding the event is critical to enable you to progress further and
define your aims, objectives and the research that you need to carry out.

3.7 Legal Compliance

Legal compliance is one of the important events monitoring purpose. Current law and regulation
control their assess. Management staff and auditors have to consider event data contained within
log as the primary source through which to gain information and determine level of compliance
and identify deficiencies if any, and search suitable action for the same.

With Legislative venue compliance becoming focal, especially within the event management
industry. When looking at stadiums or large venues and events, then one can see how complex
the infrastructure is, or how having no infrastructure also can compound issues, with any large
area that can, or could be utilized for public events, somehow, whether they are formal or
informal areas - they all still need to comply with certain aspects of legislation.

The owner that is in the business of renting out or leasing his whole or partial facility, should
always be up to date with current legislation. Certification is a worldwide requirement when it
comes to compliance with legislation covering aspects ranging from electricity, health, and
building regulations for instance to fire codes, need to be checked beforehand. As they all have
limitations, conditions, and expiray dates. All of which becomes relevant at the point where we
have a full stadium. Do we then comply legally?

Laws and regulations apply to many aspects related to the running of an event. Successful
compliance with laws and regulations requires an analysis of regulations with regard to a
specific event to develop event procedures and related support documents.

3.7.1 Identifying Compliance Requirements

For any event to proceed, organizers need to meet a range of general and specific event regulations
that include:

 Responsible service of alcohol

 Food safety

 Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)

 Environmental regulations including noise and waste

 Security and crowd control

 Fireworks

 Ticketing

 Entertainment

 Use of temporary structures.

As special events have become more common place in lifestyle, government at all levels has
created and is still enacting legislation to ensure compliance and thereby protect the stakeholders
in the whole fabric of the events industry.

The point worth noting is that each state has its own requirements, so it is essential to check that
all requirements have been identified for the desired event.

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3.7.2 Developing Procedures for Event Compliance Notes

There are numerous documents required by authorities or governing bodies. These documents, as
plans, applications and risk assessments, assist in addressing event legal compliance issues.

It does not make sense for an event organisation to create these documents from a blank page for
every event they organise. Over time, event organisers can build on their experience and use
documents and checklists to trigger sound management and legislative compliance. It is highly
efficient to document good practices and use templates and documents that have previously
been devised and used for past events. However, take care to check that all legislation is still
current and regulations have not been changed or amended.

The documents that explain how to do what is required become work procedures and the
checklists and forms used by the organiser support the procedures. In this way, they have a
standard way of doing business or performing a task which will always consider event
compliance. There are numerous tasks involved in organising events. Logically, there should
be numerous procedures that are documented to cover step-by-step instructions on how each
task is performed.

These procedures can be sorted, collected and placed into one procedure book or handbook.
Sometimes, they are published in book format for all staff and contractors to use as a basis for
explaining how they do what they do, who is responsible, when it gets done and by whom.
However, in these times of computerisation, individual procedures and forms can be easily
updated if they exist in single electronic format files and placed onto a company-shared drive or
intranet website for staff access.

Certification can and should cover the following criteria, and this should become a standard
checklist for event promotors, to check, when enquiring about the venue, its capacity and
cost.

Most venues the world over will have to comply to some if not all the following requirements
and any other criteria which may be prescribed from time to time:

(a) A Structural Engineer Certificate - which certifies the structural integrity of a stadium or
a venue, including any temporary structures; like tents, stages, marques, and rigging, big
screens etc… they all require them.

(b) A dated Fire Safety Certificate in respect of the stadium or venue, issued by the head of the
fire department, located within the immediate vicinity of a stadium or venue; that has
inspected all the fire extinguishers, and fire hydrants, as well as fire retardant materials,
and emergency exits for instance…

(c) A dated Electrical Safety Certificate, issued by a competent person registered person.

(d) A dated Occupational Health and Safety certificate, issued by an appropriate authority.

(e) A dated Health Certificate in respect of all aspects of food integrity; even waste
management, water sanitation, bottled water expiry dates, and even tests results, may be
required, and all aspects of sanitation, the applicable by laws. Other compliance aspects
that does not specifically relate to certification, but yet are legal requirements.

Log Monitoring survey may be in breach of one law or another.

Log Review: To maintain legal compliance, organizations also need to provide physical
documentation showing that they have appropriate control over access to resources.

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