Event Organisers & Their Skills
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Business
Unit 4 - Managing an Event
Chloe Roberts
,INTRODUCTION / EVENT ORGANISERS
Introduction
This report will start by explaining what an event organiser is, the roles that they must fulfil, and the skills
that are required to be an effective event organiser. Afterwards, I will investigate my skills in the form of an
audit. Then, I will analyse my skills with those required by an event organiser, highlighting areas for
development. Finally, I will justify how my own skills match with those of an event organiser.
Event Organisers
“An event organiser is someone who plans and coordinates events, such as weddings, conferences,
concerts and festivals. They are responsible for ensuring that everything runs smoothly on the day of the
event, from managing vendors and suppliers to overseeing logistics and coordinating with staff and
volunteers.” Event organisers must have excellent “organisational” and “communication skills,” as well as the
“ability to work under pressure.” They must also be “creative” and “resourceful,” as this will enable them to
come up with innovative solutions to problems that may arise during the planning process or on the day of
the event. “Overall, event organisers play a crucial role in making sure that events are successful and
memorable for everyone who is involved.”
Below are some events that a business might want to organise:
BRAND MILESTONE
MEETINGS FUNDRAISING GALAS
CELEBRATIONS
PRODUCT LAUNCHES TRAINING WORKSHOPS AWARD CEREMONIES
PRIVATE COMPANY
NETWORKING EVENTS TEAM BUILDING EVENTS PARTIES
, THEIR ROLES
Their Roles
An event organiser has many roles to fulfil whilst trying to organise and execute an event. In this section of
the report, I will explain what each role is and why it’s important for an event organiser to conduct them.
“The first part of organising an event is to find a venue where the event is going to take place.” An event
organiser needs to find a venue first as it “will set the scene for the type of event that is going to happen and
will influence whether or not people want to attend. Additionally, it will help to identify the costs that will be
involved.” “The size of the venue will” also have a huge impact on the event taking place, for example, “a
large venue will be able to accommodate larger numbers of people and may have a greater range of
facilities, such as restaurants and leisure facilities. However, smaller venues may have the advantage of
being able to offer a more relaxed and friendly atmosphere if fewer people are in attendance. Some venues,
for example hotels, have a number of different meeting room options that can accommodate from two to a
thousand people. Other venues are specifically designed to have thousands of people such as conference
or convention centres.”
Whilst looking for a venue, the event organiser will also have to consider the location of it as this will help
determine the overall success of the event. The location could be influenced by the target market, the type
of participants, the theme of the event, and the values of the visitors. For instance, “if an event was trying to
sell upmarket products, it would need to be held in an upmarket area where the visitors are likely to have
higher incomes and, therefore, be able to afford to buy the products. For local participants, the event
organiser needs to think about the best location in a local area.” Conversely, ”if the event is planned with
regional participation in mind, the organiser needs to pick a location based on geography so that all the
people attending the event will travel approximately the same distance to get there.” Finally, “knowing a bit
about the type of people that will be attending and the theme of the event” will help to choose a location
that is suitable because “if the event is focusing on green issues, it should be at a location with easy access
to public transport rather than a venue that can only be reached by car.”
Catering is another important aspect of organising an event and the type of catering needed may influence
where the event is held. “A three course lunch is most likely to need a hotel with facilities, while sandwich
delivery may have less strict location requirements. Some venues offer catering and others require outside
catering to be brought to the venue. Some event organisers may decide to provide their own catering, for
example by making cakes or other foods to be given away or sold. It is important that any catering provided
at events follows guidelines issued by the Food Standards Agency to avoid people falling ill. The local
authority environmental health team also gives advice about making sure that food is safe and investigates
complaints if anyone should fall ill after an event. It is essential that event organisers are clear about their
responsibilities” when it comes to catering because if not it could lead to serious repercussions.
One of the biggest roles of an event organiser is to plan and reserve facilities. It’s their duty to “ensure that
everything goes to plan so that the event is a success. Planning does not just include the event itself, but
also needs to take into account other events that are happening at around the same time. Too many similar
events happening in the same week may result in poor attendance at their event.” Furthermore, they will
also have to think about the weather and plan ahead so that any necessary equipment or facilities are
reserved. Facilities may include “cash machines, first aid, special assistance, power, rubbish collection,” etc.
