Year
2023Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitPrerequisites
Nil
Incompatible
MGMT209 Event Management: Planning a Successful Event
Teaching organisation
150 hours over a twelve-week semester or equivalent study period
Unit rationale, description and aim
The purpose of this unit is to introduce students to the principles underpinning the successful planning process for an event. Planning involves a high level of external analysis of market trends, demographics and competitors. In this unit students will learn the techniques required to develop a market analysis to underpin the event management planning process.
Critical to successful events is the management of key stakeholders. In this unit, students will learn the key models of stakeholder engagement along with some practical skills for managing stakeholder expectations in ethical ways. Students will also address the issues of risk in holding an event and devise risk mitigation and response strategies.
Communication is critical to the success of any event. Drawing on an analysis of the market and stakeholders, students will create a promotional plan for an existing event. This plan will link promotional activities to strategic objectives, include and may include a wide range of marketing communication tools.
The aim of this unit is to deepen student understanding and knowledge of relevant theories and frameworks which underpin successful events and to develop some practical skills in sustainable event management.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
LO1 - Identify and demonstrate the scope and objectives of a managed public event (GA5, GA8)
LO2 - Demonstrate an understanding of stakeholder management in planning events while considering the ethical frameworks (GA3, GA5)
LO3 - Identify and critically analyse risk levels, including financial risk, and response strategies in planning events (GA4, GA5)
LO4 - Develop an event management plan by team work inclusive of promotional objectives, financial objectives, risk management, human resource management and sustainability (GA5, GA7)
LO5 - Evaluate the impact of a managed global public event identifying key issues and presenting solutions (GA5, GA6)
Graduate attributes
GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making
GA4 - think critically and reflectively
GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession
GA6 - solve problems in a variety of settings taking local and international perspectives into account
GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively
GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information
Content
Topics will include:
- determining event objectives and vision design
- monitoring the budget
- integrated marketing communication and brand management
- stakeholder management, collaboration with others, including lobby and pressure groups, authorities
- managing and scheduling people, staff, and volunteers
- crisis management, risk assessment plan and risk minimisation
- impact assessment and evaluation of successful event.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
The learning and teaching strategy is based on student engagement in the learning process by participation in workshops or equivalent and practical activities designed to reinforce learning. Workshops and equivalent support students to actively participate in the construction and synthesis of knowledge both individually and in small groups. This unit takes an active learning approach to guide students in the analysis and synthesis of knowledge associated with planning events. Students are able to explore the complex range of issues that must be addressed as part of the planning process including the management of stakeholders, identification of risks and analysis of the market. The unit is taught through workshops or equivalent and practical activities which are designed to support students in applying the skills of event planning. By participating in these workshops or equivalent and practical activities, students will systematically develop their understanding of the external factors which impact on event planning. A key focus of the workshops or equivalent and practical activities is on developing analytical skills to identify potential adverse impacts on events. This unit takes an experiential approach to support students in developing the planning and communication skills required to effectively manage stakeholders. The workshops or equivalent and practical activities draw on the experiences of colleagues and are designed to interest students who prefer to learn within a social and interactive environment.
Mode of delivery: This unit is offered in different modes. These are: "Attendance" mode, "Blended" mode and "Online" mode. This unit is offered in three modes to cater to the learning needs and preferences of a range of participants and maximise effective participation for isolated and/or marginalised groups.
Attendance Mode
In an attendance mode, students will require face-to-face attendance in specific physical location/s. Students will have face-to-face interactions with lecturer(s) to further their achievement of the learning outcomes. This unit is structured with required upfront preparation before workshops, most students report that they spend an average of one hour preparing before the workshop and one or more hours after the workshop practicing and revising what was covered. The online learning platforms used in this unit provide multiple forms of preparatory and practice opportunities for you to prepare and revise.
Blended Mode
In a blended mode, students will require intermittent face-to-face attendance determined by the School. Students will have face-to-face interactions with lecturer(s) to further their achievement of the learning outcomes. This unit is structured with required upfront preparation before workshops. The online learning platforms used in this unit provide multiple forms of preparatory and practice opportunities for you to prepare and revise.
Online Mode
In an online mode, students engage in asynchronous learning and participate in the construction and synthesis of knowledge, while developing their knowledge. Students are required to participate in a series of online interactive activities to enhance their learning including knowledge checks, discussion boards and self-paced exercises. This approach allows flexibility for students and facilitates learning and participation for students with a preference for virtual learning.
Assessment strategy and rationale
In order to pass this unit, students are required to demonstrate mastery of all learning outcomes and achieve an aggregate mark of at least 50%. Marking will be in accordance with a rubric specifically developed to measure student levels of achievement of the learning outcomes for each item of assessment. Students will also be awarded a final grade which signifies their overall achievement in the unit.
The assessment strategy for this unit allows students to demonstrate an understanding of the key issues involved in event planning from both a theoretical and practical perspective. The first assessment allows students to demonstrate their understanding of the use of key stakeholder management theories. The second assessment develops the student’s planning skills as they link the overall strategic objectives of an event to a range of tactical promotional activities within the context of a promotional plan. The final assessment will assess overall understanding of the risks involved in undertaking an event and what can be done to minimise or mitigate these risks.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1: Portfolio of Engagement From weeks 4-9, students will actively participate in online discussion forums and online activities. Assessment 1 will cover materials in the first 6 weeks and students’ active participation in the forums and online activities. Students will be evaluated on a combination of engagement in the unit via discussion board questions, responses to postings and evidence of successful engagement in online asynchronous activities. Submission Type: Individual Assessment Method: online engagement and completion of regular learning tasks Artefact: Portfolio evidencing engagement
| 30% | LO1, LO2, LO3 | GA3, GA4, GA5, GA8 |
Assessment Task 2: Promotional plan This assessment task consists of a 2000-word written promotional plan. This task requires students to work in groups to create a strategic practical promotional plan for a managed public event which engages multiple forms of communication techniques and uses best practice as a guide. The plan has to be written in business style using executive summery and table of content. Submission Type: Group Assessment Method: Promotional Plan Artefact: Written report/plan | 30% | LO1, LO2, LO4 | GA3, GA5, GA7, GA8 |
Assessment Task 3: Risk assessment This assessment task consists of a 2000-word risk assessment report using a real-world case. This assessment task requires students to demonstrate their understanding of risk mitigation assessment and management through analysis of a case study, requiring students to explore key issues and present solutions to the problems faced by a global event. Submission Type: Individual Assessment Method: Case study / risk assessment plan Artefact: Written report | 40% | LO3, LO5 | GA4, GA5, GA6 |
Representative texts and references
Ryan, W.G., 2020 Managing International Events, Routledge, UK.
Getz, D., & Page, S. 2019 Event Studies: Theory, Research, and Policy for Planned Events, 4th edn, Routledge, UK.
Shone, A., & Parry, B. 2019 Successful Event Management, 5th edn, Cengage, UK.
Linton, T., 2019, Project Management Essentials, Cengage, Australia.
Bladen C., Kennell J., Abson E., Wilde N. 2018, Events Management: An Introduction, 2nd edn, Routledge, UK.
Dowson, R., & Bassett, D. 2018 Event Planning and Management, 2nd edn, Kogan Page, UK.
Jackson, N., & Angliss, K. 2018, A Practical Guide to Event Promotion, Routledge, UK.
Jones, M., 2018, Sustainable Event Management: A Practical Guide, 3rd edn. Routledge, UK.
Lunt, T., & Nicotra, E., 2018, Event Sponsorship and Fundraising: An Advanced Guide, Kogan Page, UK.
Nadda, V., Arnott, I., & Sealy, W. 2020, Legal, Safety and Environmental Challenges for Event Management: Emerging Research and Opportunities, IGI Global, USA.
Van Der Wagen, L., & White, L., 2018 Event Management for Tourism, Cultural, Business and Sporting Events, 5th edn, Pearson, Australia.
Madray, J.S., 2020. The Impact of COVID-19 on Event Management Industry. International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology, 5(3), pp.2455-2143.
Sultana, S., Parvez, M., Khan, R.S. and Jalil, M.S., 2020. PERCEPTION OF EVENT MANAGEMENT COMPANY TOWARDS GREEN EVENT: EVIDENCE FROM BANGLADESH. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 19(4).
Nawarathna, D.B., 2021. A Study on Sustainable Event Management Practices in Sri Lanka; Event Managers’ Perspective. Tourism and Sustainable Development Review, 2(1), pp.49-64.
Hazira, M.N., Alagas, E.N., Amin, M., Zamzuri, N.H. and Zairul, M.M., 2021. The best practice of marketing strategies for the Malaysian business event industry from experts' perspective. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights.