KimberlyGlode

February27,2014
Mgmt.226
ManagementPaper

ManagementinEventPlanning
Eventplanningistheprocessofplanningafestival,ceremony,competition,party,
concert,orconvention.Theindustryrequiresleadership,organization,timemanagement,team
work,andcommunication.Withouttheseskills,alongwithothers,theeventplanningprocess
willnotbesuccessful.Toplananevent,allteammembersmustbeheadstrongforreaching
goals,deadlines,andcustomerneeds.Astrongmanagerisindemandforthisindustry.Without
areliablemanagerthatpossesstheskillsneeded,itwouldbeachallengetostayorganized,on
schedule,andaccomplishgoalsasateam.Amanagerholdsseveralrolesasaleader.Managers
getthingsdonebycoordinatingandmotivatingothers.Thisisneededwhileplanninganevent.
Eventplanningismadeupofmanagement.Peoplemanageallthedetailsneededtoplanand
pulloffasuccessfulevent.
Managementistheattainmentoforganizationalgoalsinaneffectiveandefficientmanner
throughplanning,organizing,leading,andcontrollingorganizationalresources.(Daft)Planning
selectsgoals,andhowtoachievethem.Organizationcomeswithplanninganditreflectshowto
accomplishtheplan.Itinvolvesassigningtasks,groupingtasksintodepartments,delegating
authority,andallocatingresourcesacrosstheorganization,ortheeventbeingplanned.Leading
influencesemployeestobemotivatedinachievingorganizationalgoals.Itcreatesacommon
culture,values,communicatinggoalstothepeoplewithintheteam.(Daft)Havingaleadergives
employeessomeonetolookupto,andstayorganizedandontherighttrack.Controlling
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monitorsemployeeactivity,determineswhethertheeventismovingtowarditsgoals,and
whetheremployeesaremakingcorrectionsastheyappear.Thesefourmanagementfunctionsare
neededintheeventplanningindustrybecauseeventplanningismadeupofthosesamefour
functions.
Eventplanningrequiresmanagersthatareheadstrongabouttheircareers.Amanageris
madeupofcharacteristicsincludingmotivated,determined,optimistic,andreliable.Asa
manager,motivatingtheemployees,andteammembersplanningtheeventisanimportanttask.
Motivationkeepstheteamworkingtotheirfullpotential,reachingdeadlines,andaccomplishing
goals.Adeterminedmanagerkeepstheteaminline,andtheeventontrack.Theyare
determinedtoplantheeventasbestasthebusinesscan.Optimismkeepsthemoodof
employees,andrelationshipspositive.Beingoptimisticinasituationallowsmoreefficient
thinking,andfindingsolutionswithoutthestressofargumentsamongteammembers.Along
withmanagingroles,theymustalsobeabletomanageagrowingbusiness.
TheEventPlanningindustryisgrowingrapidly.Corporatemeetingplannersisinhigh
demandrecentlyregardlessofthedecliningeconomy.AccordingtotheBureauofLaborand
Statistics,employmentofmeetingandconventionplanersisexpectedto20percentbytheyear
2016.(Inside)Mangersinthisindustrymustbeabletomanagethegrowingbusiness.Todo
this,themanagermustalsocontainthecharacteristicsselfconfident,creative,andhasan
internal
focusonfinancialandpersonalgriefasthebusinessgrows.Mangersmustalsobeabletomake
decisionsproperly.Whenmanagingagrowingbusiness,managersareintroducedwitha

multitudeofdecisionstobemade.(Daft)Whilemakingadecision,themanagerhastoconsider
alternatives,makechoices,andfollowcarefulconsiderationonhowtobestallocatelimited
resources.Alotgoesintobeingastrongandgoodmanager,especiallyintheeventplanning
industry.
Tobeastrong,andgoodmanager,theymustfulfilltherolesthatcomewithbeinga
manager.Amanagerhasthreemainrolesthatneedtobeplayedtobesuccessful.Aroleisaset
ofexpectationsforamanagersbehavior.(Daft)Thethreerolesincludeinformationalroles,
interpersonalroles,anddecisionalroles.Informationalismadeupofmonitoring,disseminating,
andbeingaspokesperson.Itisuptothemanagertoseekinformationaboutthenextupcoming
event.Oncetheyhaveresearchedtheinformation,theyneedtoreportittotheotherssothe
wordisspread.Theteammembersneedtoknowwhatisgoingon,otherwisetheyareunableto
preparefortheevent.Themanageristhespokespersonoftheorganization.Theywriteupa
report,oraspeechthatmakestheannouncementofthetask,andthefinalproduct.Interpersonal
ismorehowthemanageracts,ratherthanwhattheyhavetodo.Themanageractsonsymbolic
dutiessuchasgreetingguests,andsigninglegaldocuments.Theyalsohavetoactasaleaderby
beingstrong,direct,andmotivated.Thismeanshavingreliablecommunicationaswell.Thelast
mainroleofagoodmanagerisplayingsomeonewhoisdecisional.Beingdecisionalmeans
beingableohandlemakingmanydecisionsthroughouttheday,andtheyearasawhole.Four
partsofplayingthedecisionalroleareentrepreneur,disturbancehandler,resourceallocator,and
negotiator.Beinganentrepreneurmeansinitiatingimprovement,responsibilitytoothers,and
comingupwithnewideas,andsolutions.Themostimportantpartofbeingdecisionalisbeing
abletohandledisturbance.Youcannotrunabusiness,oraneventwithdisturbance.Ifteam
membersarenotgettingalong,orarenotgettingalongwiththemanagerthenchangesmustbe
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madebeforeanyonecancontinueonplanning.Resolvingdisputesisdependedonthemanager
tohelpmanage.Themanageralsoassignsrolesforotherteammembers.Theassignrolessuch
asthememberswhoresearchthelocation,andcompanyplanningtheeventfor,membersto
formulateareasonablescheduleofdeadlines,andmemberstoarrangeandformulatethebudget
oftheoveralleventsandallthelittlethingsthatcomewithapricetopullofftheevent.Thelast
partofbeingdecisionalisbeingabletonegotiate.Thefirstpriceorideayouheardoesnot
necessarilymeanitistheonethatissetintoplace.Bothparties,thebusiness,andthecustomer
planningtheeventfor,aregoingtohaveseparateideas.Bynegotiating,bothpartiesgetalittle
ofwhattheywant,especiallywhenitcomestobudgeting.Itisimportanttorememberthatthe
realjobofmanagementisntpracticedasasetofindependentparts;alltherolesinteractinthe
realworldofmanagement.(Daft)Characteristicsthatmakeupastrongmanager,alsoarethe
sameofwhatmakesastrongeventplanner.
Whatdoesittaketobeaneventplanner?Whatdoesittaketobeamanager?Asalready
mentioned,amangerismadeupofsomeonewhoisorganized,canmakedecisions,
communicatewellandfrequently,workwithothers,andmanagetimewell.Tobeanevent
planner,thesameskillsneedtobethere.Aneventplannerisaproblemsolver,organized,can
handlemultitaskingwell,canmanagetimewell,creative,possessstrongcommunication,and
customerserviceoriented.Bybeingcustomerserviceoriented,andhavingcommunication
skills,andeventplannerandmanagerreachesouttocustomersatisfaction.Itisallaboutwhat
thecustomerwantsandneedsandisuptothemanagerorplannertosatisfythosewantsand
needs.Communicatingmeanseverything.Withoutsomeonewhocancommunicatewell,and

effectivelytoothermembersandclientsthensuccesswouldnotbeanoption.Beingorganized
is
anothermaincharacteristicofaneventplannerandmanager.Whathappenswhenyouare
alreadylatetoschoolandyourroomisamessandyoucannotfindwhereyouputyourjacket
becauseyoujustthrewitsomewherelastnight?Yougetmoreoverwhelmed,makemoreofa
messlookingforit,loseyourcool,andareevenmorelatetoschool.Thesescenariosand
feelingscannothappenwhilemanagingorplanningordisasteriswaitingtohappen.Bybeing
organizedyouwillbeabletofindyourcoatwhenyouarerunningoutofthedoor.By
organizing
allyouremployee,business,andeventinformation,thingswillbeeasiertofindandlocate.This
isimportantifacrisisdoescomeupandyouneedtomakequickchanges.Knowingwhereall
theinformationiswillhelpyoumaketherightdecisionintheshorttimespangiventocomeup
withasolution.Characteristicsthatmakeupamangeraresimilarasthosetomakingupan
eventplanner.

ClosingThoughts
Ienjoyedthisassignment.MymajorisHospitalityManagement,andmyfocusisevent
planningmanagement.Therolesofamanageraresimilartothosethatmakeupanevent
planner.Priortothisassignment,Ididnotcomparethetwojobdescriptions.Afterthis
assignment,Ilearnedthatbeingthemanagerofaneventplanningbusinessisapaththatmight
beforme.Throughresearchandanalysis,Ihaverealizedwhatittakestobeaneventplanner,
andamanger.IwasabletogetmoreinformationonthecareerIwant,andwhatittakestoget
there.Ialsorealizedhowimportantmanagersare.Thehelpmakethebusinessrun.Withouta
goodmanager,thingswillfallapart.Youcannothaveamanagerwhoispooratcommunicating,
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organizing,andmanagingtime.Eventplanningisthesameway.Someonewhohasthosesome
characteristicswouldnotmakeagoodeventplanner.
Overall,myfeedbackontheassignmentispositive.Thetimelengthwehadtocomplete
thisassignmentwasmorethanplenty,especiallywithallthesnowdaysinterfering!Thelength
ofthepaperwasreasonableaswell.Itwasenoughspacetotypeoutallimportantinformation,
butnottoolongwhereIfeltlikeIwasatthepointofjustrepeatingmyself.Myfavoritething
abouttheassignmentwasbeingabletopickanytopicIwantedandrelateittomanagement.I
writebetteronatopicIaminterestedinratherthanoneIamnot.Ienjoyedthismanagement
paper.Ireceivedalotofvaluableinformationbycompletingthepaper.