Organization and Management of Large-Scale Events

With the gradual prosperity of the cultural market and the continuous enrichment and innovation of marketing and public relations methods, marketing measures in the form of large-scale events are increasingly used by enterprises. Media organizations at the forefront of the market are no exception. Hosting themed events has become a powerful means for newspapers, magazines, and even news websites to expand brand influence, increase advertising revenue, cultivate loyal readers, and enhance competitiveness. Behind these large-scale events, many organizers and hosts suffer from insufficient experience and management, resulting in excessive physical and mental stress, as well as budget overruns and economic losses due to unexpected incidents. As the chief dispatcher of the competition, I had the privilege of participating in the planning and organization of the entire event and was specifically responsible for logistics support and on-site coordination. I have gained some superficial insights into organizing large-scale media events. Below, I briefly discuss some specific methods and techniques for organizing and managing large-scale media events, based on my work experience and lessons learned during the Fashion Culture Festival.

I. Preliminary Planning

According to project management theory, a large-scale event is a coordinated social activity that is purposeful, planned, and step-by-step, involving many participants. It has distinct objectives, meticulous planning, broad social dissemination, rigorous operability, and economic and social benefits.

To ensure the flawless implementation of a large-scale event, meticulous preliminary planning is an indispensable guarantee. Before holding the Fashion Culture Festival, the new newspaper office conducted repeated deliberations on the entire event plan, from the raising of event funds to the number of thumbtacks needed for stage decoration. Ultimately, a comprehensive plan was established. At the time, many colleagues thought the repeated deliberations were redundant, considering it armchair strategy, and suggested starting work while refining the plan, rather than wasting time in lengthy meetings. In hindsight, the Fashion Culture Festival, which lasted 10 days, featured over a hundred performances, and attracted tens of thousands of spectators, was successfully held without any unexpected incidents, precisely because of the thorough preliminary planning and preparation. Specifically, at the outset of event planning, the following points need careful consideration:

1. Propose the event concept, clarify the nature, purpose, and tasks of the event.

2. Based on the event concept, draft a preliminary plan, outlining the content, scale, location, and number of participants.

3. Select the venue based on the preliminary plan, and decide on the venue layout according to the actual conditions of the site.

4. Based on the preliminary plan, determine the participants and the selection method.

5. Consider the number and sources of auxiliary personnel needed.

6. After determining the above items, prepare a detailed budget based on the venue layout requirements, event content, scale, duration, and number of participants.

7. Conduct thorough deliberation and revision of the preliminary plan, finalize the event plan and schedule, and write an event proposal. The proposal should include: the nature, purpose, and tasks of the event; the scale and number of participants; the date, content, time, and program schedule; the venue and on-site layout; the plan for selecting and arranging auxiliary personnel; the selection of hosts and etiquette staff; the budget and allocation of funds; and transportation and accommodation arrangements.

II. Event Preparation

Large-scale events involve a wide range of aspects, requiring numerous materials and matters to be prepared. The preparation work is challenging and is a key factor in the success of the entire event. The core content of the 'First Guizhou Fashion Culture Festival' consisted of 16 fashion competitions and a fashion gala evening. Each of the 16 competitions had different requirements for venues, props, lighting, and sound. Some events, such as rock climbing, tennis, and bike trials, required professional venues and props. As a result, the preparation work involved a wide range of contacts and arrangements. Considering our lack of experience, we extended the preparation period and spent nearly a month contacting venues, preparing props, hiring etiquette staff, and creating stage backdrops. Afterward, we summarized the key tasks and procedures for event preparation to serve as a reference for future events:

(1) Handling Approval Procedures

This is a problem that many media event organizers tend to overlook. When we first planned the fashion competition, we did not consider that the event required approval from relevant authorities. We were once held accountable by relevant departments and nearly fell into a deadlock. Fortunately, the editor-in-chief intervened in time and managed the crisis, allowing the event to proceed smoothly.

According to the Administrative Licensing Law of the People's Republic of China, citizens, legal persons, or other organizations that need to obtain administrative licenses for specific activities must apply to administrative organs and may only proceed after obtaining approval from relevant departments. For common large-scale events held by media, the main departments requiring approval are the Department (Bureau) of Culture, the Sports Bureau, Public Security, Fire Protection, and Sanitation. Other administrative organs may also be involved, but less frequently. Specifically, when handling approval procedures, it is particularly important to prepare a floor plan of the venue and a 'Work Plan for Event Safety and Security'. Based on experience, we must consider and consult multiple parties before holding an event, especially if the event includes special content, to avoid unnecessary trouble.

(2) Contacting Venues, Determining Partners, and Signing Contracts

When media organizations hold large-scale cultural and sports events, they cannot do everything themselves. To ensure the event is of high quality and standard, we must cooperate with professional project operators. During the preparation phase, we must compare multiple options, select suitable venues, and choose professional advertising, stage construction, lighting and sound, and celebration etiquette companies. We require them to prepare all aspects of the event as needed. It should be noted that to ensure the smooth progress of the event and protect the legitimate rights and interests of all parties, we must sign contracts when contacting relevant parties, specifying the responsibilities, rights, and interests of each party.

(3) Preparing Event Materials

Large-scale events require many materials, from transportation vehicles to guest fireworks, all of which need to be prepared during the preparation phase. The 'First Guizhou Fashion Culture Festival' established a dedicated preparation group responsible for preparing related matters. The group repeatedly discussed and carefully analyzed every aspect of the event, registering all necessary materials, and finally assigning specific personnel to rent or purchase them. It is important to note that some special materials, such as prizes and trophies engraved with the competition name, need to be custom-made. They must be prepared in advance and carefully inspected to avoid situations where items are not available at the last minute, or there are shortages, damage, or name errors, which would have a very negative impact on the entire event. The 'Fashion Culture Festival Award Gala' almost made such a mistake. Due to the negligence of the staff responsible for preparing the trophies, not all trophies were inspected, and one damaged trophy was almost taken to the award stage. Fortunately, I noticed it in time and had a spare, so we avoided embarrassment.

(4) Drafting the Event Implementation Plan

As the saying goes, 'Preparedness ensures success, unpreparedness ensures failure.' The implementation plan is an important tool for effectively coordinating various tasks and promoting the smooth progress of the event. It is the primary step in project management activities. Seizing this step allows for overall control. The implementation plan mainly includes the following:

1. Implementation Plan: This is the plan formulated to ultimately achieve the event project. It should explain the methods for organizing and implementing the event, the work to be done, and how to utilize various resources to achieve the best results.

2. Personnel Organization Plan: This mainly indicates who is responsible for each task in the sub-projects and the relationships between them. A block diagram can be used to consolidate all tasks, responsible persons, and specific details into a personnel organization chart for easy reference.

3. Event Schedule: Based on the official start time of the event, set a work schedule for each task.

4. Financial Budget Plan: List in detail the budget for each expense during the implementation of the event.

5. Material Management Plan: Since many related documents, files, or special items are generated during each event, these files and archives play a crucial role throughout the event and can be considered a prerequisite for the event. Therefore, the management of files and archives should be arranged in the early stages of preparation, preferably with a dedicated person in charge.

6. Communication and Liaison Plan: Since many large-scale events have sub-venues, timely communication and liaison between various projects are very important for the smooth execution of the entire event. This fashion culture festival had 16 sub-projects, each with a specific responsible person. To facilitate communication, the preparation group prepared a set of walkie-talkies and established a dedicated line between project leaders and the chief dispatcher.

7. Contingency Plan: Large-scale events generally have long preparation times and involve many people. It is difficult to guarantee that everyone will not have problems and everything will go smoothly. Therefore, a relatively comprehensive contingency plan is essential.

III. Event Implementation

The implementation phase is the most important part of the entire event, as the success or failure of the event is determined here. To improve management efficiency during the implementation phase, we recommend implementing procedural management and establishing a scientific management awareness to effectively control the entire large-scale event.

(1) Issues to Note in On-Site Execution Management

1. Omissions due to insufficient preparation: In the cosplay competition of the fashion culture festival, due to insufficient preparation, the pens used by judges for scoring ran out and were not replenished in time, causing a pause of several minutes and leaving a regret for the entire competition.

2. Unclear division of labor leading to management confusion: The festival was held at Guiyang Zhongtian Garden, which had two vehicle entrances. Due to unclear division of labor, one entrance lacked dedicated security personnel to guide VIP vehicles, becoming a profound lesson in event organization.

3. Lack of preparation and skills for handling unexpected incidents: In the spinning top competition, some contestants took the competition-specific tops without permission, leading to a shortage of props during the finals. The project leader lacked experience in handling such situations, causing temporary chaos.

(2) On-Site Execution Management

Due to the large number of participants and the complexity of affairs at the event site, controlling all on-site work and ensuring the smooth progress of the event is a great challenge for event managers. To improve management efficiency during the implementation phase, we implemented operational procedure management in this fashion culture festival, dividing management tasks based on the roles of event participants, with clear division of labor and individual responsibility. That is, according to the different identities of participants, the on-site management tasks were divided into several aspects, with dedicated personnel responsible for the related affairs of each participant group. Finally, the project chief dispatcher unified management of the leaders of each aspect, coordinating and controlling the entire on-site work.

1. Determining Management Subjects

This involves scientifically dividing all personnel involved in the event into group roles. This is the foundation for implementing on-site work. In the role division process, we must pay attention to both the independence of roles and the systematic and interconnected nature of the work contained within each role.

① Organizing Units: This mainly includes the organizers, co-organizers, and supporters involved in the overall planning and operation of the event. Whether in procedures or in actual handling of matters, all organizing parties need close cooperation and communication, and their management and coordination are also very important.

② Venue Units: This mainly refers to the owners or managers of the venue. This festival was held in three locations: Zhongtian Garden, Provincial Military Sports School, and Provincial Party Committee Auditorium. We designated a fixed contact person for each venue unit to coordinate matters such as prop provision, security cooperation, and vehicle parking arrangements. They fully played the role of gatekeepers and collaborators in the actual operation of the event.

③ Performers, Hosts, and Contestants: This mainly includes actors, hosts, contestants, and speakers participating in the event. They need dedicated staff to liaise and serve them, including arranging dressing rooms, determining the order of appearance, and waiting for performance.

④ Stage, Lighting, and Sound: This mainly includes staff responsible for stage construction, lighting installation, and sound debugging. These are basic equipment for the event and are highly interconnected, so their management is specifically assigned as one aspect.

⑤ Guests and Audience: This mainly includes leaders, guests, judges, and audience members present. For some large-scale events, if there are many guests and frequent related activities, guests and audience can be managed separately.

⑥ Media Journalists: This mainly includes media invited to the event and those who come to cover it on their own.

2. Determining Work Functions

Assign a responsible person for each role group to handle various service tasks. Specific functions include:

① Supervising and controlling the arrival and preparation of participants in each role. For example, whether the stage, lighting, and sound have been installed and debugged; whether pens, paper, water, and name cards for leaders and guests are ready; whether performers have arrived; and whether media journalists have been arranged.

② Responsible for information communication between personnel in each role. All parties involved in the event need to cooperate with each other, and role managers should promptly convey information and cooperation requirements between them.

③ Responsible for resolving various requirements and problems raised by each role group.

④ Promptly reporting work progress to the project leader.

⑤ Handling other related matters that arise on-site.

(3) Project Leader Responsibility System

In large-scale events, staff and participants are highly tense. If everyone tries to 'direct' others, the scene will be chaotic. Only when everyone follows the unified arrangement of one person and cooperates with each other can the work proceed in an orderly manner. This fashion culture festival had a long duration, many sub-projects, dispersed venues, and a large audience, making management very difficult. After careful planning, we introduced the 'Project Leader Responsibility System', which effectively ensured the smooth progress of the entire event.

In practice, we designated a project leader for each of the 16 sub-projects, responsible for the management of each sub-project, including competition scheduling, contestant organization, venue rental, judge appointment, accommodation arrangements, and medical care. During the event, on-site management must be solely handled by the project leader. If a project leader encounters issues that cannot be resolved or require cooperation from other project groups, they can inform the project director, who, along with the on-site chief dispatcher, will coordinate and assist the project leaders in handling the issues.

IV. Conclusion of the Event

This is the most easily overlooked part by event organizers. Often, there is a flurry of activity before the event, tension during the event, but after the event ends, everyone feels a sense of relief and becomes lax. At this point, from the leaders to the staff, there is a false sense that everything is finished. Some staff members may even leave with the audience, completely forgetting that there is still wrap-up work to do, leading to lost items.

To ensure a smooth conclusion and prevent loss of items, and to put a perfect end to our hard work, the wrap-up work must be arranged before the event begins, with tasks assigned to specific individuals and clear responsibilities. In the 'First Guizhou Fashion Culture Festival', we specifically arranged a follow-up work group and assigned each staff member a work scope and clear requirements. Due to thorough consideration and proper arrangement, after each competition project was completed, the follow-up group quickly dispersed the crowd, cleaned the site, and left a good impression on the venue providers and the public.

For specific follow-up work, we can follow these procedures:

1. Crowd evacuation (transportation, accommodation).

2. On-site cleanup (dismantling, cleaning, etc.).

3. Dismissal of logistics service personnel.

4. Settlement of expenses.

5. Writing an event summary, including the objectives achieved and completion status, a brief process of the event, main achievements and experiences, existing problems and improvement suggestions, and a financial settlement report.