Lecture 2: Event Management as a communication and marketing tool

The following lecture has been devised by Dr. Aatish Parashar, who is working on a book titled, "Event Management: Methods and Principles" (PBS Publishers, Daryaganj)

Dr. Aatish Parashar, the purveyor of SPANDAN at VIPS

Today the practice of event management is spurting up and emerging as an important tool of conversing with the audience. It provides a sensual experience to the receiver as he can sense the message that is being disseminated. We know that there are various types of events according to their nature, their objective, their marketing strategy, the magnanimity of event etc. Due to rapid commercialization, newer trends have emerged in the market and individuals are hiring agencies for specialized events like theme parties, corporate events, weddings, etc. 

Why do we need to organize an event?

Events are just like water, as they take the shape of the container they are poured into.
They act as an excellent communication tool and compliment the actual message.
They help build the right environment for better reception of message. There is a saying that-

 

"If one's faith gets established, then that product fixes its' place in the market."

Events help in building that trust as the target audience is able to see, feel, use the product if being launched at an event, e.g. Trade fair at Pragati Maidan in Delhi, allows people to use dummy phones and other products unlike advertising. This is the reason that companies like Maruti who have their brand established pan India still choose to conduct free trials at mini-events in collaboration with various RWAs.

Events provide exclusive solution to the marketing people. It selectively targets and communicates with the audience. By 2020, the market would grow upto more than  25,000 crores. It has the ability to involve different communications having a myriad nature. One of the major advantages of events is that the response is quick and hence there is flexibility in the message.

Why do we need events? 

Events help us in achieving various tasks. Marketing mix has changed and events are providing exclusive solutions. On one hand it is segmenting the market and on the other segmenting the audience. 

So we can say that events have a pertinent role to play in aiding marketing efforts and helping provide an effective platform for communication with the target audience.

Lecture 1: Elements and 5 C's of Event Management!

The following lecture has been devised by Dr. Atish Parashar, who is working on a book titled, "Event Management: Methods and Principles" (PBS Publishers, Daryaganj)

Dr. Atish Parashar, the purveyor of SPANDAN at VIPS


Events are those phenomenon arising from non-routine occasions which have leisure, cultural, personal or organizational objectives set apart from the normal activity of daily life, whose purpose is to enlighten, celebrate, entertain or challenge the experience of a group of people. Though the size and type of events may differ invariably, the elements remain the same. Any event  whether a wedding, game, function, concert etc. will always have the following three elements-

1. Organizer
2. Venue
3. Target Audience

Each of them have a pivotal role behind any event's success. Firstly, the organizer is the main creator, who undertakes the risky thankless job of managing the whole event for the whole duration, even before and after the guests arrive. A minor mistake can hold aspersions on his rigorous hard-work and effort. Secondly, the selection of venue is of great importance, as it will contribute to the head-count for the event. If the venue is suitable for the target audience to commute to, then the event is on the right track! And finally the target audience is the one for whom we plan an event and try to fulfill our objective through them.

Apart from this one should also keep in mind the 5 C's of managing an event(it's not exhaustive but inclusive of major aspects)-

1. Concept(in its initial form)- Will Smith once said, "There is no need of plan B, as it would distract you from plan A." If the original concept and idea is excruciatingly correct, then the favorable outcome is almost certain. Putting things on paper and drafting and polishing the concept at the initial stage will reap fruits at a later stage.

2. Costing- This is the stage, where the target audience will be kept in mind and the invitees will be chosen. The rough estimate of all the expenditures will be explored. Cost-cutting may pose problems in times of unforeseen circumstances, but losing on the quality would be like worsening the matters.

3. Canvassing- The concept is in place, the costing has been done, but the message (event) is to be brought closer to the target audience. They need to be made aware of the message and therefore, the canvassing for the event takes place.

4. Conceptualization- Now the need is to interpret in a conceptualized manner. The concept is further elaborated and the whole program is re-polished for alleviation of loop-holes.

5. Customization- Everything is customized to suit the target audience and disseminate the message effectively.

So, this was a step towards learning about event management. The annual fest of Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies, 'SPANDAN' is coming..and this was a peek-a-boo of the making of the mega-event of 2013! 

Lecture Report on Emerging Trends: Mobile Technology, Social Media, Web 2.0

      

Today's lecture encompasses the beginning of mobile telephony, its pros and cons, a brief about Web 2.0 and features of this enticing medium.

The concept of mobile telephony was generated in Germany and subsequently spread to the other nations of the world, coming up with the first device in 1991 and paving way for sms services in 1995. The common advantages of this medium are-


    1.  Fastest way to connect to people

    2.  Cost-effective

    3.  Essential part of life

    4.  Increasing role in Disaster Reduction

The following are the illustrious disadvantages-

    1.  Leads to harmful symptoms being caused by radiations

    2.  Causes Addiction

    3.  Encourages Cyber-bullying

    4.  Makes people disturb work schedule and unpunctual

    5.  Can cause accidents

Web 2.0- In a summarised form, it refers to the technology beyond the static page of websites. It has revolutionised the whole viewing experience of websites and web pages. It has led to much more interactivity and has led to customisation according to the whims and fancies of the user. It has got a number of features like the ability to search through keywords, links, encouraging authoring on net, categorising content through tags and the quiddity of extensions. It goes beyond mentioning, the importance of Web 2.0 in the field of education. The first video mentioned below talks about the Web 2.0 in detail and the other video talks about  the its importance of application in classrooms.