Summary Case

SUMMARY

This report was written in order to understand the event industry and its role in the economy of today. The industry representing globally £7.2 billion influenced the sales of other businesses, increasing this amount to £22 billion when including other expenses such as travel agencies, hotels, restaurants and other shops. Therefore, the impact of the events industry in the Hospitality sector was also analysed. In fact, many hotels nowadays highly depend on the events industry; either because they are next to a touristic or high frequented place, such as the Crowne Plaza and the National Exhibition Centre, or because they focus on offering conference and banqueting services, such as the Hilton Birmingham Metropole which disposes of 33 business rooms.

Furthermore, the different types of events were identified and the sport events sector was chosen in order to develop the various stages involved in the organisation of an event. The possible factors impacting on these stages were identified in order to consider the operational strategy which should be made by operational teams. In addition, the factors impacting on the operational strategy were analysed, so as to find possible methods of evaluation.

Nevertheless, the report highlighted the importance of the evaluation of an event, by using the example of the "Triple Bottom Line" to review the economic, social and environmental impacts. The evaluation is required to implement a strategic development process. However, as mentioned in the report, the data collection is essential to get the feedback required. Finally, the report showed that the event industry was linked to the hospitality sector, a sector which has increased sales since the event industry has expanded.

CONTENTS

1.0 Introduction 1

2.0 The event industry 2

2.1 The types of events 2

2.2 Financial Revenue from events 2

2.3 The events industry and its impact on the Hospitality sector 3

3.0 The Sports Event Industry 4

3.1 The sports event industry 4

3.2 Stages to review when organising the event 4

4.0 The Operational Strategy of Sport events 5

4.1 Factors to consider by operational teams 5

4.2 Analysis of the factors impacting on the operational strategy 6

4.3 Methods used to evaluate the success of the event 7

5.0 Conclusion 8

6.0 Bibliography 9

7.0 Appendices 12

Appendix 1: Event Costs 12

Appendix 2: Appetite Elements 13

Appendix 3: Atmosphere Elements 14

Appendix 4: Marketing Elements 14

Appendix 5: Potential Medical Incidents during to Event 15

Appendix 6: Consensus-building process 16

Appendix 7: Toilet Requirements 17

Appendix 8: Staffing Needs Considerations 17

Appendix 9: Recruitment and Selecting of Staff 18

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The events industry is an important factor of Britain's economy. According to People1st (2010) and based on Eventia's (2010) labour market review, business visits and events were worth £7.2 billion in 2009. However, the review highlighted that this amount increased up to £22 billion, when considering the events' customers' additional expenses, such as accommodation, food, and transport. In addition, the entire event industry represents approximately 530,000 employments with more than 15,000 manager roles as mentioned by the Office for National Statistics (2009). This proves that this industry is not only important economically but also socially, as it provides a diversity of jobs, and sometimes develops the tourism industry, which also increases sales for other businesses.

Moreover, according to Bowdin et al (2010), but also to other authors such as Raj et al (2009) and Getz (2007) events vary in terms of size, type and impact, however, it usually involves event organisers, event industry suppliers and clients. The sport events, for example, are a complex area, as there are various factors which need to be monitored to be successfully achieved.

In order to evaluate the importance of the event industry as part of the Hospitality sector, the stages involved in the sport event development process will be identified.

2.0 THE EVENT INDUSTRY

2.1 THE TYPES OF EVENTS

As previously mentioned, there are various types of events and these can be differently defined. According to Bowdin et al (2010) events can be categorised by size and scale. Indeed, these authors define four categories of events in terms of size: local, major, hallmark and mega-event. In addition, the scale would represent the impact the events have on society. In this case, a local event would be either a private event such as a wedding or community events in general. Major events are the largest sector, as it comprises events that are done annually, such as Open Golf championships, or other which are regularly organised, such as concerts. Hallmark events, are seen as a tourism destination, for example the Carnival de Rio de Janeiro. And the mega-events, are much bigger in terms of economy and media, and are usually organised over various years, the Olympics Games or the FIFA World Cup are part of this sector. However, any event involves organisers, event industry suppliers and clients, and these are vital for the success of the event.

Furthermore, Raj et al (2009) and Getz (2007) similarly categorise events, based form and content. This is useful because every event has a specific method of development. For example, a sport event needs to deal with a personalized market demand, different from other events such as political or even cultural events. Therefore, this method of segmentation is based according to the aim of the event.

2.2 FINANCIAL REVENUE FROM EVENTS

Getz (2007) defines stakeholders