events managment english

Event Management
Tips and Guidance for Success
Leonardo UK National Agency
ECOTEC Research and Consulting Limited
Priestley House
12-26 Albert Street
Birmingham
B4 7UD UK
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[email protected]om
http://www.leonardo.org.uk
© Leonardo UK National Agency, ECOTEC Research and Consulting Limited. This Guidance Note reflects the author’s views
only, and the Commission is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

Event Management
Tips and Guidance for Success
Leonardo UK National Agency
April 2006
ECOTEC Research &
Consulting Limited
Priestley House
12-26 Albert Street
Birmingham
B4 7UD UK
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[email protected]om
http://www.leonardo.org.uk
Department for Education and
Skills/Department for Work and
Pensions
Joint International Unit
European and International
Programmes
Room 4A
Caxton House
6-12 Tothill Street
London SW1H 9NA
Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7340 4488
Fax: + 44 (0) 20 7340 4472
www.dfes.gov.uk
British Council
Education and Training Group
10 Spring Gardens
London SW1A 2BN
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
www.britishcouncil.org

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................... 6
1 BEFORE THE EVENT........................................................................................ 7
1.1 Where to begin? ............................................................................................ 7
1.2 Setting the Agenda ........................................................................................9
1.2.1 Duration ................................................................................................9
1.2.2 Format................................................................................................. 10
1.2.3 Day and date.......................................................................................11
1.2.4 Title ..................................................................................................... 11
1.2.5 Content ............................................................................................... 11
1.2.6 Consider the audience.......................................................................11
1.3 Venue.......................................................................................................... 12
1.3.1 Selection............................................................................................. 13
1.3.2 Making arrangements ........................................................................ 14
1.3.3 Media Intervention ............................................................................. 19
1.4 Delegates........................................................................................................ 20
1.4.1 Publicising the event ......................................................................... 20
1.4.2 Booking and registration................................................................... 22
1.5 Exhibitors..................................................................................................... 25
1.5.1 Expressing interest............................................................................ 25
1.6 Speakers ..................................................................................................... 26
1.6.1 Finding speakers ...............................................................................26
1.6.2 Managing speakers............................................................................ 26
1.7 Documents and promotional material........................................................... 27
1.7.1 Delegate pack..................................................................................... 27
1.7.2 Badges ................................................................................................28
1.7.3 Other promotional materials ............................................................. 29
1.7.4 Event outputs ..................................................................................... 29
1.8 Internal management................................................................................... 29
1.8.1 Responding to queries ......................................................................29
1.8.2 Managing staff.................................................................................... 30
1.8.3 Things to prepare a few days prior to the event .............................. 30
1.8.4 Record keeping .................................................................................. 30

2 DURING THE EVENT....................................................................................... 31
2.1 Before delegates arrive................................................................................ 31
2.1.1 Brief your team................................................................................... 31
2.1.2 Allocate team to roles and locations ................................................ 31
2.1.3 Checking rooms ................................................................................. 31
2.1.4 Contact person of the venue ............................................................. 32
2.1.5 Speakers............................................................................................. 32
2.2 Once the event is underway......................................................................... 32
2.2.1 You should be the main point of contact ......................................... 32
2.2.2 Timing ................................................................................................. 33
2.2.3 Catering .............................................................................................. 33
3 AFTER THE EVENT ......................................................................................... 34
3.1.1 Thank you notes to speakers............................................................ 34
3.1.2 Media Round-off.........................................................................................
3.1.3 Email delegates .................................................................................. 35
3.1.4 Email DNAs – Delegates that 'did not attend' .................................. 35
3.2 Feedback..................................................................................................... 36
3.3 Query sheets ............................................................................................... 36
3.4 Presentations............................................................................................... 36
3.5 Feedback to the venue ................................................................................ 36
3.6 Report on the event to client (if appropriate) ................................................ 37
3.7 Internal Management................................................................................... 37
3.7.1 Financial Expenditure ........................................................................ 37
3.7.2 Update website................................................................................... 37
3.7.3 Staff debrief meeting ......................................................................... 37
ANNEXES

Event Management: Tips and Guidance for Success Page 6
INTRODUCTION
This Guidance Note on Event Management is intended to be used by Leonardo da
Vinci funded projects, both contractors and their transnational partners.
Dissemination and valorisation are high on the agenda of the European Commission,
and throughout the duration of Leonardo da Vinci funded projects, this activity is
actively encouraged. Organising successful events is a key part of a good
valorisation strategy. Events are a platform for relevant stakeholders to meet and
network, to be informed about projects’ results and also to explore ways of
embedding these results in existing Vocational Education and Training (VET)
systems or practices.
This Guidance Note aims to assist contractors in planning an event, providing an
outline of the activities to be undertaken and an insight into the skills required. The
Guidance Note aims to help event managers, with varying levels of expertise in the
field of event management, to organise effective and successful events in terms of
the audience covered:
large or small scaleevents - between 20 to 350 delegates;
at all levels - at local, regional, national, Europeanor international; and
a broad range of audience – general public, public orprivate organisations or
specific target groups.
The practical advice and recommendations identified in this Note are based upon
best practices, expertise, effective and new approaches tried and tested by the
Leonardo UK National Agency, Leonardo Procedure B projects and the Equal
Support Unit (ECOTEC Research and Consulting Ltd) over the last years.
The overall purpose of the Guidance Note is to provide practical advice and detailed
guidance on how to best organise a successful event, to improve quality inevent
management and to develop successful events in the future.
Though codes of practice and practicalities vary across countries, the basic
organisational event management process follows a logical pattern in terms of
activities which need to be carried out before an event takes places, on the day of
the event and after the event.
To help practitioners, we therefore have divided this Guidance Note into three main
stages and outlined, for each of these, the key activities which need to be
implemented. Readers must note, however that, though activities are described in a
chronological order, they must be implemented in parallel and on an ongoing basis.
Specific recommendations, project examples and practical tips are provided
throughout the document (in text boxes). The highlighted annexes provide key
documents to be used by project promoters and partners as templates.