28: Special Events – Sports, Rallies & Weddings

 

B A (JMC) (3-YDC), SEMESTER SYSTEM

SEMESTER –IV

SEC III: PUBLIC RELATIONS AND EVENT MANAGEMENT

Unit -2: EVENT MANAGEMENT

LESSON - 28: Special Events – Sports, Rallies & Weddings

 

Objectives:

1.      Learn about Special Events

2.      Get acquainted with planning for Sports events

3.      Understand the process and execution of Rallies

4.      Know the requirements for Wedding events

5.      Understand the Risks in organising special events

 

Introduction:

A special event is a one-time or infrequently occurring event outside normal programmes or activities of the sponsoring body. A special event is a gathering of people that takes place on public or private property for a limited time and is usually outside of the host's normal activities. Special events can be social in nature, and are often entertainment based, attention drawing and of hospitality activities. They can be designed to celebrate, honour, sell, teach about, or observe human endeavours. Special events can last from a few hours to a few days. Special events can also have business objectives, such as marketing, advertising, promotion, and sales. There are many different types of special events; some examples include parades, road shows, festivals, concerts, bloc parties, sports events, rallies, weddings etc. To the customer or guest, a special event is an opportunity for leisure, awareness, social or cultural experience outside the normal range of choices or beyond everyday experience.

In this lesson let us discuss about special events like Sports events, Rally events and Wedding events and how they are organised together with the risks involved therein.

1.      SPORTS EVENTS

Sporting event means an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess, usually competitive in nature and governed by set of rules provided by a nationally recognized sanctioning body. Athletics, a variety of competitions in running, walking, jumping, and throwing events. There also several continental and intercontinental championship meets held, including the European, Commonwealth, African, Pan-American, and Asian. Sports and Games draw larger public and organising these events has several purposes and throws a lot of opportunities for human activity like employment generation and marketing of things. Sports and entertainment marketing is a specialized form of general marketing that focuses solely on promoting and selling products or services or even ideas.

Origin: Egyptian and Asian civilizations are known to have encouraged athletics many centuries before Christ. The ancient Olympic Games of Greece, originated in 8^th Century BC, was continued till 4^th Century AD and were cancelled by the Roman Emperor on the ground that sports and games are pagan in nature. After almost 1500 years, the first modern Olympic Games were held in Greek Athens in April, 1896. In India, the history of sports dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization from 3300 to 1300 BC, with evidence of people playing games such as archery, wrestling, and chariot racing. Sports were seen as a way to develop physical fitness, mental toughness, and discipline. Sports such as horse riding, swimming, and hunting were popular among the aristocracy.

Sports event management: The study of planning, supervising, and coordinating various sporting events such as local, national and international tournaments for cricket, football, hockey, tennis, kabaddi and a variety of other games is known as sports management. Planning in sports is required because there is a definite time frame for achieving the objectives and the results. To manage a sports event, things like Financial Management, Operations, Design and Development, Facility Maintenance, Facility Security, Marketing and Promotion, Customer Service and Community Access are important. Also 4 key phases namely Pre-planning phase, strategy formulating phase, strategy implementation phase and evaluation and control phase.

Here is the cheat sheet for planning a sports event. It starts with determining purpose of hosting an event. Almost every piece of the event has to do with the purpose for hosting it, whether it is a little league or a celebrity charity event, they have unique considerations that do not overlap. For instance, the latter will include sourcing celebrity participants, landing sponsors, and working closely with a charity to pull it all off.  Once determining the purpose, better to isolate the pieces that are unique to the objective and put them at the top of the priority list. Chances are, these are the very things that are going to dictate the success of the sports event. One cannot have a successful celebrity charity golf tournament without celebrities or a big check for charity.

List out all of the moving parts like Referees, Porta-Pottys, Event T-shirts, Concessions, Sporting equipment, Sports complex fees, ATMs, Signage, Volunteers, Temporary employees, Security, Photographer, Videographer, Announcers, Event insurance, Sound system etc. are unique to sports event management. 

Prioritization is the key to staying under budget. The fixed budget is going to have to stretch to make things work. The first step of putting those monies to work responsibly is figuring out where they truly need to go and taking inventory of what takes precedence. Use the list created of all the elements that will go into the event, create a spreadsheet, and assign a number of priority to each. Next, with priorities in hand, assign a portion of the budget that may be required to allocate to each. This should be based on its priority number and place in the bigger picture of the event.  

Food trucks need to be on standby at different gates of the event campus to supply, drinks, snacks, food from time to time to the payers as well as the sports organising company, sponsors and players.

Local Partnerships for getting the word out to both fans and participants means meeting them where they already are. Can think of gyms, golf courses, sports bars, and beyond. Partner with these sorts of local establishments to put on everyone’s radar. Some of these businesses may even be willing to share promotions with participants or sponsor the event. 

Social Media: Hyper-specific targeting makes social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and X, the Twitter a great way to narrow the marketing to a more qualified audience that will be interested in the event. Use a custom audience to target users in a specific location by their interests using sport, charitable cause, etc. It is a quick ticket to pool potential participants. 

Community: Working closely with the community is important. Enlist all the Residential Welfare Associations, Cultural Associations and ask them to connect with the proper contacts for discussing potential disruptions such as traffic and noise. Not only will this ensure a good relationship with the community, it also ensures that the event will unfold smoothly.

Sponsorships: Whether planning a tournament, a charity game, or something else altogether, sponsorship is a quintessential piece of the sports event management puzzle. Here are a few keys to landing sponsors and getting the most out of the partnership. Sponsors can supply prizes, charitable contributions, equipment, uniforms, in-race refreshment, and beyond. The more open are to creative sponsorship ideas, the more likely to land sponsors. Reach out to sponsors from similar events to see if they would be interested in sponsoring the event as well. They will be easier to work with and more likely to participate since they know the ropes.

Legal expert: There is always a chance that a participant might get hurt during the event, and that could spell trouble if they try to hold the organizer liable. As such, consulting with a legal expert to lock down the right language in any waivers of liability is a must for sporting events open to public participation.  Make sure to have a first aid kit or a medic for larger events on hand.

Volunteers: Nothing eats up a budget quite as quickly as having to pay for every single helping hand. Luckily, depending on the type of sporting event being planned, finding volunteers can be easy especially for charity events, fundraisers, and youth events. Volunteers can even be one of the many ways that businesses help sponsor the event, as it saves both parties money while still supplying the event with much needed manpower. 

Coverage: Word of mouth is the best bet for growing an event year over year, and there is perhaps no better exposure than getting the media involved. With that being said, it is not likely to happen all on its own. It is up to the marketing team to track down contacts and connect with local media. For major outlets, this should be pretty easy but don’t stop there. Small-town publications and even college papers and radio stations can bring much-needed coverage and help boost event's PR efforts. 

Pre-Event coverage: Local event announcements are a little different, as they are normally handled outside of the newsroom. Get in touch with Event Editors or Reporters to find out their guidelines for submitting the event details for an announcement. 

Mapping: The easiest way to keep everyone on the same page on the big day is showing them exactly what is expected. By diagramming the venue, event space, and all the moving parts, paint a picture that ensures everything unfolds smoothly. Event diagramming software makes this easy, in a collaborative, drag-and-drop way.

2.      Rally Events

Rallying is an event. A Rally is a large public meeting that is held in order to show support for something. This is part of political public relations. Rally also means racing in cars or motorcycles or any other vehicle especially over long distances on public roads for a cause or dissemination of information. It can also be a charity event.

In Rallies, large group of people gather to show support for a cause, person, or opinion, such as a political party, sports team, or policy. For example, a rally might be held to mark an international human rights day. It can be some walk to condemn something. Also it is a road competition in which a driver and navigator compete against each other to follow a predetermined schedule between checkpoints on a public route. The course is usually unknown to the contestants until the rally begins. Rallies can consist of a single itinerary or multiple itineraries that meet at a predetermined rallying point. The route may include special stages on roads closed to regular traffic, which determine the rally's classification. Rallies can also be charity events, which can be pure charity rallies or profit-making rallies with a charity component. 

Rallies can take a lot of time and resources. So it is important to think through the outcomes that is required to achieve and make sure that they align with the overall campaign plan. Rallies are a great way to introduce the campaign to the public and convert undecided voters into supporters, if it is a political rally. It energizes and encourage the supporters, converting them to regular volunteers for the campaign. It gets press coverage of the campaign, increasing the name recognition and communicating the message to a broader audience. Timing is very important when it comes to hosting rallies. At the beginning of the campaign, throwing an announcement event is a great way to kick off the season. Otherwise, rallies are generally saved for the final two weeks of the election campaign, when the energy and enthusiasm is most likely to translate directly into votes for GOTV i.e. “Get Out To Vote” something like creating “Voter Awareness” to participate in the election process. To manage a Rally, things like Plan, Location, Sound system, Speaking programme, Visuals, Advertising and most importantly Finances are important.

Plan: Once it is decided to have a rally, it is time to get down to plan the details of making sure that it is pulled off as a successful event. Rallies are a great tool for building enthusiasm around the campaign, but without proper planning it can risk looking disorganized or unenthusiastic.

Location: Being creative with the location can provide a great hook for the press and attendees. Consider options such as hosting it at a local business owned by a supporter, or in front of a location symbolic to platform such as outside of an Office or School for a candidate running to oppose Govt or support Teachers. Be sure to research the permitting process for any public location in advance. One of the biggest things that needs to be considered for any location is its accessibility to the supporters.

Sound system: For rally attendees, nothing kills the mood like not being able to hear what the speaker is saying. When looking to buy or borrow a sound system, make sure to consider not just the size of the crowd, but also any external noise sources that will be encountered, especially for outdoor events.

Visuals: Rallies are all about the public face of the campaign, so make sure that it is ready for photos. Have campaign signs to pass out to attendees and hang up around the podium. Having a row of supporters with signs stand behind the speaker will not only provide an engaging backdrop, but will ensure that press photos of the speaker also capture the image of voter enthusiasm.

Speeches: When writing a speech, remember that a rally is not the time to get into data and policy details. Make sure that the remarks are succinct and convey campaign’s top-line messages, choose a few sound bites that will be repeated several times to make sure they sync in. It is also a need to decide who else will speak at the rally, such as notable individuals from the community who can share why they endorse the candidacy, and an emcee i.e. Master of Ceremony to introduce speakers and keep the program running smoothly.

Advertising: Leading up to the day of the rally, invite as many people as possible. Print flyers that volunteers can hang on local bulletin boards, pass out at campaign booths, and distribute to their networks. Creating a Facebook event and asking the contacts to RSVP and share with their friends is a great way to increase the exposure to new audiences. Local Radio stations can make announcement on air. Remember to include newspapers, television stations, and even smaller sources such as college newspapers and local news blogs.

Once put in the work to plan and execute a rally, it is critical to harness the energy and supports that have been generated and funnel it towards action that will push toward a win on Election Day, if it is an Election rally. Before the event, recruit volunteers who will sign-in attendees and capture their contact information, so that they can be emailed and phone banked after the rally for volunteer. When translate the enthusiasm of a rally into action for the campaign, it is a win for the campaign.

3.      Wedding Events

Wedding is a social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed. Marriage is a social lifetime institution that is made up of many layers of rules, both formal and informal that influence the behaviour of people within a marriage. In India, in terms of religion, a Hindu marriage is considered as a bond for seven life times. In some western countries wedding is the legal union of individuals and more like a contract. Whatever is the nature, be it a marriage or wedding, this ceremony includes the associated celebrations and formalities. These are performed either at the home of either the bride or the bride groom or a function hall or a religious place and organized by the parties themselves or entrusted to an Event Manager. The wedding event planning process starts with an initial consultation between the couple and the wedding planner.

Here is what the wedding checklist should include (1) Decide on a budget (2) Shortlist guests (3) Look into accommodation and transportation for guests (4) Book venues such as marriage and wedding reception venue, cocktail / mehndi venue, etc. (5) Brainstorm about theme, colours, and decor.

Nothing can be as special as a wedding day in one’s life. Want everything to be picture-perfect for that big day celebration. It is very important to make a perfect wedding plan for a successful event. A comprehensive checklist is needed for a well-organized wedding program. Needless to say that planning a wedding can make one feel overwhelmed. At the same time, it is stressful as well. Starting from the guest list to venue, makeup to food, everything may not want to compromise with anything for this grand party. Crucial aspects of organizing a wedding event are Budget, Venue, Design & Décor, Catering and Photography. Let us discuss them.

Venue: When once the date is fixed, the first and foremost thing to decide for a wedding program is the venue.  Since there is an idea of the budget, guest and potential dates are all ready to book a wedding venue. Searching for the dream location for the wedding is another exciting thing. Finalize the invitee list and start purchasing the wedding attire. A list from the venue owners of what they provide or do not provide on the wedding day is also very important. The details and services received at the venue, actually matter. It is better to sign a contract with all vendors including the venue owner.

Design and Décor: Getting a theme on the wedding day has now become a trend. There is a need to follow the most stylish and unique décor ideas to make the wedding areas attractive and beautiful. One can choose a floral wedding stage ornamented with colorful flowers and adding a fairy light would give a royal touch to it. It can be a simple look with a rustic setting in hues of green and white.

Catering: No wonder that food is the most crucial part of a wedding event planning. It definitely needs the help of catering services for a big arrangement. When it comes to an Indian wedding it is all about food. Along with the exotic international cuisines, serving honorable guests the lip-smacking traditional Indian food is crucial.

Photography: A big fat wedding is incomplete without photography and videography. To make this special day memorable, it is needed to hire the best candid photographers who never misses an opportunity and capture all the special moments of the day. Make sure that the wedding photographer has all the necessary settings and equipment for the most eye-catching photographs. Can also contact traditional videographers for an engaging pre-wedding video shoot. Same applies to pre-wedding shoot.

Wedding Planner Vs. Event Planner: An event planner is a professional with general skills to manage all the events. It needs special skills and know how. Gone are the days when just an event management course was sufficient to plan a wedding. Today, there are specialised courses for being a wedding planner and wedding venue coordinator. Furthermore, specialisation for a wedding planner will give deeper insights into fabrication, production, invitation, gifting and all the other technical aspects. The primary difference between wedding planners and event planners is the sectors they serve. Wedding planning is a pretty different profession than event planning and is finite to weddings only. It involves Engagement parties, Bridal showers, Stag and doe parties, and all the other rituals involved in a wedding or as asked by the bride and groom. A wedding planner is taught how to communicate with different vendors.

Sectors involved: Even though wedding planners are limited to a single sector but have the skill set of an all-rounder, on the other, the event planning liberates a person. So, if specialised in wedding planning, that indicates the strong interest and passion and one can never be wrong in following their passion.

Risks in organising Special Events:

Organizing special events can involve many risks, including safety, technical, and legal issues. Safety risks include weather hazards, fire hazards, crowd management, traffic issues, medical emergencies, and security threats. Technical risks include equipment failure, software bugs, and internet connectivity issues. Legal risks include ensuring the safety of the public, event organizers, contract staff, and volunteer staff. It is important to identify potential risks in advance so that steps can be taken to prevent them or minimize their impact. This can be done by assessing the risks, deciding who may be harmed, and taking action to prevent it. 

Public Relations can play its precise role not only while planning special events but also during execution of special events including writing the speeches for rally speakers. PR can also mitigate and minimise the risks by its anticipatory exercises and Crisis Communication plans.

Summary:

A special event is a one-time or infrequently occurring event outside normal programs or activities of the sponsoring or organizing body. To the customer or guest, a special event is an opportunity for a leisure, social, or cultural experience outside the normal range of choices or beyond everyday experience. From the distant to the recent past, across all socio-economic strata, the primary reasons for holding special events can be broken down into five categories: religious, political, social, educational, and commercial. Organizers of any modern-day event would do well to first understand which of these reasons is the primary one for their event. The study of planning, supervising, and coordinating various sporting events such as international and domestic tournaments for cricket, football, hockey, kabaddi and a variety of other games is known as sports management. Rallies can take a lot of time and resources, so itis important to think through the outcomes that is required to achieve and make sure that they align with the overall campaign plan. Rallies are a great way to introduce the campaign to the public, and convert undecided voters into supporters. It energizes and encourage the supporters, converting them to regular volunteers for the campaign. Needless to say that planning a wedding can make one feel overwhelmed. At the same time, it is stressful as well. Starting from the guest list to venue, makeup to food may not want to compromise with anything for this grand party.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

1.      What are special events?

2.      How to plan a sports event?

3.      What are the important things to remember while organizing a rally?

4.      What is the difference between a wedding planner and an event planner?

5.      Why word of mouth is important while organizing an event?

Model Answers to FAQs:

1.      Special events are a one-time or in-frequently occurring events outside normal programmes or activities of the sponsoring body. To the customer or guest, a special event is an opportunity for leisure, social or cultural experience outside the normal range of choices or beyond everyday experience. A Special Event is an outdoor event held on public or private property. There are many different types of special events; some examples include parades, festivals, concerts, bloc parties, sports, rallies and weddings etc.

 

2.      Planning in sports is required because there is a definite time frame for achieving the objectives and the results are also known very clearly and in definite terms. Define the objectives of the event, select the perfect date and location, plan the funding and budget for the sporting event, check local regulations and safety standards, sales and registration management, manage payments on the spot and plan communication before, during and after the event.

 

3.      Rallies can take a lot of time and resources, so it is important to think through the outcomes that is required to achieve and make sure that they align with the overall campaign plan. Rallies are a great way to introduce the campaign to the public, and convert undecided voters into supporters. Putting together the basic requirements like, Location, Visuals, Sound systems, Parking facilities, providing Water, Barricade for media, Promotions through volunteers is very important in organising Rallies

 

4.      Wedding planning is a pretty different profession than event planning and is finite to weddings only. It involves engagement parties, bridal showers, stag and doe parties, and all the other rituals involved in a wedding or as asked by the bride and groom based on their culture. A wedding planner is taught how to communicate with different vendors. For Event Planner, communication is a secondary approach. The main focus of an event planner is on the settings and arrangements rather than communication. Since event planners are inclined more toward corporate and political events, vendor management holds less importance as compared with wedding planners.

 

5.      Word of mouth is the best bet for growing an event year over year, and there is perhaps no better exposure than getting the media involved. With that being said, it is not likely to happen all on its own. It is up to the marketing team to track down contacts and connect with local media. For major outlets, this should be pretty easy but don’t stop there. Small-town publications and even college papers and radio stations can bring much-needed coverage and help boost event PR.

 

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1.Track and Field are the oldest form of athletics namely

a)      Running

b)      Walking

c)      Jumping

d)      All of these

2. Most important Information that a sports planner needs to determine the event is ____

a)      Purpose

b)      Budget

c)      Venue

d)      Players

3. Which of the following is the reason for growth of sports sponsorship?

a)      Attracting audiences

b)      Bearing greater visibility

c)      High feedback opportunities

d)      Simple segmentation

4. ____________ relates to Voter Awareness to take part in polling process

a)      Election

b)      GOTV

c)      GOVT

d)      Campaign

5. Issues to consider while organising a wedding are:

a)      Wedding outfits

b)      Legal restrictions

c)      Catering

d)      All of these

Key to MCQs: 1 (d), 2 (a), 3 (c), 4 (b), 5 (d)

 

Glossary:

 

Special Event: A special event is a one-time or infrequently occurring event outside normal programmes or activities of the sponsoring or organizing body. 2. To the customer or guest, a special event is an opportunity for leisure, social or cultural experience outside the normal range of choices or beyond everyday experience.

Track and field athletics: The oldest forms of organized sport, having developed out of the most basic human activities like running, walking, jumping, and throwing. Athletics have become the most truly international of sports, with nearly every country in the world engaging in some form of competition.

Pentathlon: A contest featuring five events. The name is derived from Greek, combining the words Penta (five) and -Athlon (competition) The first pentathlon was documented in Ancient Greece and was part of the Ancient Olympic Games. Five events were contested over one day for the Ancient Olympic pentathlon, starting with the long jump, javelin throwing and discus throw followed by the Stadion, a short foot race and wrestling.

Pankration: It is an ancient Greek word that translates to "complete victory" or "all of power". It was also the name of an ancient Olympic sport that combined boxing, wrestling, kicking, holds, joint locks, and chokes on the ground. 

Rally: An event, including a public meeting, a road competition, and an automobile competition to draw the attention of all the concerned. 

Wedding: A wedding event is a social gathering that celebrates the marriage of a couple and the happiness of their families. It can include a ceremony, festivities, and other events. 

Cheat Sheet:  In more general usage, a crib sheet is any short one or two-page reference to terms, commands, or signs/symbols where the user is expected to understand the use of such terms but not necessarily to have memorized all of them.

Crafty: It is an adjective comes from the Old English word crafting which meant “strong” or “powerful,” but the meaning of crafty these days has to do with being skilled at getting what you want through manipulation or trickery.  Handmade items, and sometimes the people who make them, can also be called crafty.

GOTV: Fully ‘Get Out To Vote’. It is an adjective indicating having the effect of increasing the number of the campaign's supporters who will vote in the immediately approaching election. Canvassing for the purpose of voter registration usually ceases when GOTV begins.

Porta-potty: a portable enclosure containing a chemical toilet which are typically uses as a temporary toilet for construction sites and for large gatherings for events.

Key words:

Event, Sports, Games, Olympics, Common Wealth, Rallies, Voter awareness, Mapping, Coverage, Wedding, Planning, Signage, Risks

 

Y. BABJI

Editor, Public Relations Voice

Academic Counsellor, Public Relations (since 1989)

AP Open University/Dr BR Ambedkar Open University