A

PROJECT REPORT ON

EVENT MANAGEMENT

A detailed study done in

“INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS”

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of degree of Bachelors of Business
Administration (BBA) under Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University, Pune.

Submitted by

Sahiba sehgal BATCH: 2015-2016

Under the guidance of

MRs. Survinder walia

Bharati Vidyapeeth’s
School of Distance Education, (BVIMR) A-4, Paschim Vihar, New Delhi-110063
DECLARATION

This is to certify that I have completed a Project tit "EVENT MANAGEMENT” under the guidance of
SURVINDER WALIA in the partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of Bachelors of
Business Administration of Bharati Vidyapeeth University, New Delhi. This is an original piece of work
& I have not submitted it earlier elsewhere.

Sahiba Sehgal
PREFACE

It is designed in such a way that student can grasp maximum knowledge and can get practical exposure to
the corporate world in minimum possible time. Business schools of today realize the importance of
practical knowledge over the theoretical base. The research report is necessary as it provides an
opportunity to the researcher in understanding the industry with special emphasis on the development of
skills in analyzing and interpreting practical problems through the application of management theories
and techniques. It is a new platform of learning through practical experience.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to my college BHARATI
VIDYAPEETH for all their guidance, inspiration, constructive suggestions which helped me in the
project.
The successful start of this project was made by their guidance and co-operation. I also owe my heartfelt
gratitude and deep regards towards my guide MRS.
SURVINDER WALIA for leading and directing me at every step of the project. I would like to thank her
for her invaluable help and for her crucial role throughout the course.
Last but not the least I would like to thanks all the people who directly indirectly who have helped and
encouraged me in completing the project effectively and timely.

Signature of the student

(Sahiba sehgal)
Table of Content

Introduction about the Company 7

1. INTRODUCTION 10

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 13

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH TRADITIONAL MEDIA 17

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EVENT MEDIA AND 5P’s 17

EVOLUTION OF EVENT MARKETING 19

KEY ISSUES FOR EVENT MARKETING 21

WHY EVENT 23

SPONSORSHIP Vs EVENT MARKETING 28

SIZE OF EVENT 30

TYPES OF EVENT 31

2. CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE 36

WATERSHED EVENT 37

THE KEY TAKE-AWAY 38

ROLE OF EVENT MARKETING IN MARKETING MIX 39

ROI DELIVERD BY EVENT MARKETING 41

3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 44

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY 44

NEED OF THE PROJECT 44

SCOPE OF THE PROJECT 45

METHODOLOGY 46
4. EVENT MANAGEMENT A PROMOTIONAL TOOL 47

EVENT DESIGNING 47

COMMUNICATION EFFECTS OF EVENT MARKETING 50

EVALUATION OF EVENTS 53

REACH INTERACTION MATRIX 61

RETURN ON ONVESTMENT 62

KEY PROSPECT ANALYSIS 66

HOW TO BUILD A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS

PROMOTION AND MARKETING PLAN 67

STATEGIC ALTERNATIVES 69

RISK Vs RETURN MATRIX 75

APPICABILITY 76

ADVANTAGES OF EVENT 77

5. ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH FINDINGS 79

PRIMARY DATA ANALYSIS 79

INTERVIEWS AND DETAILED DISCUSSIONS 88

6. RECOMMENDATIONS 91

7. CONCLUSION 92

8. BIBLIOGRAPHY 93

9. ANNEXURE 94
10. KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL EVENT MARKETING 96
CHAPTER 1:Introduction

Every time when you saw a program like 'Filmfare' awards or those pop concerts and beauty pageants you
would have wondered how people managed to set up such brilliant shows. Every tiny detail from your
entering the venue to your going out is a result of rigorous planning. Well…that's event management for
you.

One of the fastest and the most glamorous upcoming professions today, it means rubbing shoulders with
who's who of the crème-de-la crème layer of the city. Event management, the most profound form of
advertising and marketing, is a glamorous and thrilling profession. It provides an opportunity for
unleashing one's creative potential to a very high degree. It demands a lot of hark work and effort but at
the same time offers enormous scope.

Event management is a process of organizing a professional and focused event, for a particular target
audience. It involves visualizing concepts, planning, budgeting, organizing and executing events such as
fashion shows, musical concerts, corporate seminars, exhibitions, wedding celebrations, theme parties,
product launching etc.

Event Management is a multi-million dollar industry, growing rapidly, with mega shows and events
hosted regularly. Surprisingly, there is no formalized research conducted to access the growth of this
industry. The industry includes fields such as the MICE (Meetings, Incentives and Events), exhibitions,
conferences and seminars as well as live music and sporting events.

On the profession side, event management is a glamorous and exciting profession that demands a lot of
hard work and dynamism.

The logistics side of the industry is paid less than the sales/sponsorship side, though some may say that
these are two different industries.
 The events industry now includes events of all sizes from the Olympics down to business breakfast
meetings. Many industries, charitable organizations, and interest groups hold events in order to market
themselves, build business relationships, raise money, or celebrate achievement.

MEANING OF THE WORD ‘ EVENT’

The use of unconventional media / method involving people witnessing a happening within acapsule of
time, for the purpose of communication of a message”

An event is a live multimedia package carried out with preconceived concept,customized or modified to
achieve the clients’ objectives of reaching out and suitably influencingthe sharply defined, specially
gathered target audience by providing at complete experience and anavenue for two way interaction.

Event in terms of Cultural and social life

In cultural and social life, an event refers to a social gathering or activity, such as:
 A festival, for example a musical festival
 A ceremony, for example a marriage
 A party, for example a birthday party
 Event in terms of science

In science, an event is something that takes place at a particular place and time. Specifically,event may
refer to:

 Phenomenon, something observable at a given time

 A point in space time , a concept of the theory of relativity

 Event (particle physics), a set of elementary particle interactions

 Event (probability theory), a possible outcome of an experiment

 Extinction event, when a large number of biological species die out in a relatively short period of time.
 EVENT MANAGEMENT

Event management is the application of the management science of project management of the creation
and development of festivals and events.

Event Management involves studying the intricacies of the brand, identifying the target audience,
devising the event concept, planning the logistics, coordinating the technical aspects before getting down
to actually executing the modalities of the proposed event.

The recent growth of festivals and events as an industry around the world means that the management can
no longer be ad hoc. Events and festivals, such as the Asian Games or the Dubai Shopping Festival, have
a large impact on their communities and, in some cases, the whole country.

The industry now includes events of all sizes from the Olympics down to a breakfast meeting for ten
business people. Every industry, charity, society and group will hold events of some type/size in order to
market themselves raise money or celebrate.
 Types Of Event Management

There are mainly 3 types of event management,

1. Corporate Event Management
2. Product Launch Event Management
3. Special Event Management

1. Corporate Event Management

A product launch, the company anniversary, sales target achieved or any special event could mark the
onset of a corporate event. It demands pure professionalism as you are interacting with people from the
high-end category.
 Not surprising, that event management companies are spurring up to provide these professional services.
They attend meetings, hold dialogues with the bosses to realize the objective of the event. They then take
it off with creative ideas to arrive at a theme for the event. A corporate event demands a little corporate
look. The food and the style need to blend with the corporates and make the bosses comfortable. Hence it
ought to be prepared and presented with ultimate efficiency. But that is if the top-notches are involved. A
corporate event could also be a product-launch. That would involve a media conference. So the event
management company would get a list of prospective venues. Decide on the dinner and the cocktail party
that will follow. Arrange for the conference, the speakers, and microphones. Make sure everyone get a
seat. Car parking is made available, etc. For a product launch in the market, the event management team
gets their grey cells working as to the creative ways to make the samples of the product reach the end
consumers. They have to be innovative so that consumers are attracted to try it out.

Corporate management is a sub-category of event management. Mega companies usually have an in-
house event management team to organize their events on a regular basis.

2. Product Launch Event Management

 A company wants to launch a product in the market. So how should it get to its customers? How does the
company make sure that the products gain awareness? The feel and touch reasoning still remains strong in
the mind of the consumer. So although you have advertised in other channels, how do you explain
product usage to the audience?

Call in the event management team. They innovate new styles so that the product can make its way to the
consumer. They ensure that the samples reach the desired households. For instance: when coca cola
launched Vanilla Coke, two men dressed in the 70s attire would enter retail grocery shops and dance to
the designed tune. This was the strategy used to launch vanilla coke and make its entry memorable.

Some event management companies even professionalize in a particular target audience. For example if
you have a particular target audience in mind, the event management team will devise ideas and strike
places that will give you maximum reach. Road shows, promotions, contests, set designing, stage shows
and audiovisual films are all interesting methods to invite public participation.

Some event management companies go a step ahead to analyze the customer reaction and provide
relevant feedback. Among the available platforms road shows are known to be economical. It gives more
visibility and allows the customer to directly relate to the product. And the touch and feel concept is
satisfied.

Road shows with innovative themes organized at a national level give your product high reach and
coverage. These road shows arrest the customer's attention and persuade the customers to try out the
product. If impressed then the product receives a warm welcome.

3. Special Event Management

'Special Events' is the term given to events with a difference. Charity shows, marathons, cycling races,
street festivals etc. are a few of the many special events organized. As the event has an unusual theme, the
event management company has to double up its speed to think on lines with the theme. More resources
and creativity are put to the task.

For instance consider the organization of Athens 2004. It was a special event. The opening ceremony, the
event and the closing ceremony, had to be meticulously organized. A race kicked off the event. Runners
passed the baton. This earmarked the tradition that running was the only sport at the first Olympic Games
held in Athens. Then 400 percussionists and 50 bouzouki players welcomed the audience. From 400 it
dropped to just one percussionist who played the rhythm of a heartbeat. This was the symbol of the theme
of Athens 2004 'unique games on a human scale'. This should give you an idea how a special event is
organized.

Event management companies arrange the entire event on a theme. It could be a wedding or a charity
show, a children's event etc. these events demand creativity. Something that will make them stand out of
the clutter firstly, as it is a different event and secondly that the feedback should be encouraging for an
encore. The recent marathon that Mumbai witnessed was one of the specialized events. Foreign nationals,
 corporate personnel, etc. everybody was seen to take part in it. More than winning it was the spirit of
participation that was encouraged. And it received an overwhelming response.

OBJECTIVES AND VISION OF PROJECTS

Primary Objective
The main purpose of this project is to study prospects of Event Management Companies in Delhi.
Approach Note:-

 Identify the scope in terms of the service provided by them.

 Size of the industry in Delhi.
 Study the problems faced by the event management companies.
 Study the level of professionalism in the industry.
 Study the type of events which are taking place.

Secondary Objective

The secondary objective of the research is to find the image of the event management companies & how
the companies are working for entertainment source among the customers.
In brief Objectives include-

 To study the present industry trends and analyze the potential of event management industry.
 Analyzing the Market strength of different event management company.
 Identifying potential market for launching new product and increasing clientage of the company.
 Explicit feedback of customer after the deliverables of company.
 Determine that how these companies promote other brands.
 Identify the key players in this field.
 Analyze the current market condition.
 Study the size of the events in terms of budget and the gathering.
 Study the level of professionalism in the industry.
 Growth rate of industry.
 Biggest event.
 Frequency of events under different categories.

Research Objective

The main objective of my study is to find the main strategies, policies used & various sales promotional
activities of Event industry.

The methodology followed for the research:

Primary research detailed discussions with event management firms and the corporate clients. Subsequent
additions were made to the interview schedule to suit the specific events under study. The secondary
information was gathered from various marketing journals and books on event marketing, sales
promotions and publicity. Daily newspaper reading in order to keep track of various kinds of events also
proved helpful. The information gathered was studied and analyzed. It revealed certain issues in event
marketing which need further attention and some suggestions have been given to make the Event
Marketing industry more effective in order to utilize its full potential and be mutually beneficial for the
Event Marketing agency, the Corporate and the customer

Primary Sources
 The methodology followed for the research:

Primary research detailed discussions with event management firms and the corporate clients. Subsequent
additions were made to the interview schedule to suit the specific events under study.

Secondary Sources

The Secondary data are those, which have already been collected and being processed through the
statistical process. The secondary information was gathered from various marketing journals and books
onevent marketing, sales promotions and publicity. Daily newspaper reading in order tokeep track of
various kinds of events also proved helpful.

Limitations of Event Management:

 It can be quite costly depending on the advertising medium you use; obviously TV and radio advertising
tend to be more expensive than advertising on notice boards or on eBay.

 Some methods of advertising are more effective than others.

 Promotion also tends to be competitive. So no matter how much you spend on advertising, if you've got
many competitors (substitute products or services), and their methods are more effective, then your
promotion campaign may not work.

 It asks for more responsibility and more stress; higher expectation of you in the job like more hr...

Literature Review

This article examines the developments in research into business events over 10 years from 2000 to 2009.
It examines the main themes of the research that has been undertaken and highlights research gaps.
Before 2000, researchers had identified considerable gaps in the business events literature. The reason
most often cited for lack of research was the difficulty in obtaining statistics. Considerable research has
been completed since then, yet researchers are still faced with the difficulties of obtain-ing meaningful
statistics on the business events industry. Existing reviews of the business events literature demonstrate
that some of the main themes which have emerged as important research top-ics include the economic
impact of events and the site selection process of conference and convention organizers. This review
identified further areas that have been the focus of considerable research efforts in the period from 2000
to 2009. These include the evaluation of satisfaction by meeting plan-ners, the role of destination image
in convention attendance, and the decision-making process of convention attendees.

Research gaps and issues are still being identified in many areas of business events. The article concludes
with a discussion on this, including a lack of rigor in much business events research, a tendency towards
descriptive statistics and analysis, a lack of research into the social and environmental impacts of business
events, and a failure to include reference to incentives in the business events literature.Key words:
Business events; Meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions (MICE); Convention site selection;
Convention destination image; Review

REVIEW OF BUSINESS EVENTS

In summary, existing reviews of literature in the business events area points to the dominance of
descriptive research but with a trend towards increasing use of multivariate statistics, and a pre-
dominance of research into meeting planners’ and associations’ site selection processes. Gaps in the area
of economic, social and cultural impacts, and convention attendees were identified. This research will
examine the more recent literature with a view to examining whether the research gaps identified have
been addressed, and whether the trends identified (particularly the trend towards more sophisticated
research methods and data anal-ysis techniques) have indeed continued.

Method
Lee and Back (2005) suggest two distinct orien-tations of observation that can be used when com- piling
a literature review: statistical reviews and thematic reviews. They classify statistical reviews as those
which focus on identifying general trends of methodological use and research areas over the years, and
which often are presented in numerical format. Thematic reviews, on the other hand, review a certain
industry sector or specific func-tional area (e.g., marketing or human resources) (Lee & Back 2005). It is
possible, and indeed may be advisable, to combine both approaches, compil-ing a review which covers
both general trends and specific content areas.

This article uses a content analysis of the mani-fest content of a range of articles published between 2000
and 2009, all on the subject of business events (MICE). Manifest content involves denotative meaning—
the meaning that most people give to particular words and phrases (Riffe, Lacy, & Fico, 1998).
Therefore, the analysis will not consider any hidden meanings, or latent content. The starting date of 2000
was chosen so that there was some overlap, and arguably some continuity between the existing reviews of
the literature (Lee & Back, 2005; Yoo & Weber, 2005) and this review. Relatively straightforward
categories were selected initially in order to search the online publication databases. These were “business
events,” “MICE,” and “meetings,” “incentives,” “conventions,” “con-ferences,” and “exhibitions” as
separate words. Articles that were simply conference or convention reports were excluded. This initial
search elicited 152 articles. A few were removed from further analysis; for example, where the topic was
not con-sidered to be relevant to this study (such as articles that were primarily focused on accreditation,
or human resources or education, but where the busi-ness events context was mentioned briefly). The
final total of articles to be reviewed was 144.

EVENT MANAGEMENT AS AN INDUSTRY

‘Event management’ is catching the attention of companies and graduates alike. It does not have a
textbook definition and to try and define it would mean to borrow heavily from main stream management
and media concepts. It usually consists of conceptualization, planning, budgeting, and execution of
below-the-line activities such as exhibitions, stage shows, fashion or rock shows, music concerts,
celebrity appearances, fashion or charity shows, conferences, weddings, product or brand launches, and
sports shows to name few.
Events begin where the glamour ends. EM is the most intimate form of marketing. It is a controlled
activity aimed at the target audience. Events have always been there. In the past meeting, organizing and
project planning were the form of event management as a profession. Today it is much more professional
and more organized a sector than, a decade ago. Event management was started, the moment
multinationals started pouring in, when our markets liberalized in the 80s. It is difficult to pinpoint
exactly when event management broke away from mainstream course and started carving a niche for
itself in the industry. Maybe it was around 1996 that it rapidly gained importance as a professionally
managed niche of marketing.

Companies realize that through events they can reach out to customers more closely, more intimately and
it is cheaper than mainstream or conventional forms of communication, say television or print. It can be
called as 'experiential marketing', or niche marketing, where the environment is controlled to suit the
needs of the product.

The show being showcased and the output being far tangible that that of the conventional media. An
event is a niche communication medium that allows companies to reach their target audience directly with
tangible outcomes, which are not possible through conventional forms of advertisement. Through events,
we can select and reach out directly to our target audience, we can control our budgets and at the end of
the event tangibly analyze if the event was a success or not. This is quite difficult, in mainstream
communications, where the results are intangible and we are not sure who is seeing it and whom the
communication reaches out to.

KEY ISSUE FOR EVENT MARKETING

The Human Dimension

 A key issue for Event Marketing is having the right human resources communicating the brand
values. The importance of having the right people working that truly understand the brand was
emphasized by almost all the interviewees.

 The human dimension of Event Marketing is what creates the uniqueness to the brand in an event,
especially for high-involvement purchases.
In the capital goods industry, where high involvement decisions are taken and more reliable information
is needed, interaction serves as a great function. When buying a car, the consumer is making one of
his/her biggest investments, the consumer is more sensitive and might require more than one-way
communication to convert to another brand.

What makes the 3D advertisement more unique is adding a human dimension, by placing someone who is
familiar with and can communicate the company brand and product.

The Human Context

To add a human dimension might sound an easy solution in order to communicate the brand identity.
However, the human being is rather complex in her way of learning, interpreting and understanding, since
the person is characterized by her context.

Everything the human being experiences will affect the way the person interprets situations. Unless she
experiences a situation, which requires new behavior and this behavior is positive, person will not change
her way of acting. However, if person is put in a situation in which person has to experience a new way of
acting and if the experience is interpreted as positive, it is most likely that person will repeat the behavior
in a similar situation.

Mental Models are deeply ingrained assumptions and generalizations that influence how we understand
the world and how we take action. The models keep us in the same pattern of both thinking and acting.

By questioning the Mental Models people see matters from a different perspective and openness. But in
order to be able to question the Mental Models we first must realize that there has to be something to gain
by questioning them.

Most managers today only see the brand as the company’s logo and corporate identity program, but in the
future the company “brand” will have to communicate what an organization is and what it stands for.
Therefore the manager must change the interpretation of the brand.
It is as important to win a distinctive place in the perception of a company’s actual and perspective
customers, as it is the same with the employees.

Since it is the human dimension that adds the value to a customer in an event, all members and functions
in the organization must not only be market orientated in general but also market orientated in
combination with the brand values? It is a common fact that people are different and cannot adjust to all
situations.

Several interviewees supported this when mentioning that there has to be a match between the individual
values and the company values.

One crucial factor might be the individual’s ability to learn, since the individual must not only understand
the added values in the brand identity but also learn to interpret the different situations that might occur
during an event, and combine the behavior to the specific situation.

It is the individual’s perception of the current situation together with how he/she translates the added
values to fit to that specific situation that will help or not help the company.

Integrated Organization

When working with Event Marketing it is important to have a well-integrated organization, therefore we
agree, “That internal marketing builds service quality”.

By learning how different components in a system interact will increase the understanding of how the
entire system works. Understanding just one component by itself that is isolated from the others will not
be enough.

A company itself is a complex system that is connected by a series of contacts and the components in this
system are highly integrated.

Since we are a part of this network, we most often only see specific components and are puzzled by that
we cannot find good solutions to our greatest problems. System thinking is a term that contains
knowledge and different tools, which can help us, understand and influence the entire patterns in an
organization.
WHY EVENTS

Brand Building

Creating awareness about the launch of new products/brand

 Enormous nos. of brand/product is launched every month. Similarly innumerable new music
albums, films, etc get released periodically. This tends to create clutter of product launches.

 The large no. of launches also leads to need to overcome the another-product.

 The need to therefore catch the attention of the target audience at the time of launch becomes very
important.

Presentation of brand description to highlight the added features of

product/services

 Sometimes technological changes pave the way for manufactures or service providers to augment
their products. To convey this via traditional modes of communication to the existing and
potential customer base may sometimes be futile.

 Special service camps of exhibitions are the perfect events that provide the opportunity for a two
way interaction and error free communication.

 For Example, IMTEX, the Industrial Machine Tools Exhibition, is an event used by most machine
tool manufactures to explain and highlight the new and improved features of their product.

Helping in communicating the repositioning of brands/products

Events can be designed to assist in changing beliefs about firms/products/services.

Associating the brand personality of clients with the personality of target market

Citibank is an elite bank where people do banking with pride. Hence, other premium brands would like to
associate themselves with the same audience so as to benefit from the rub-off effect.

An exhibition-cum-sale event organized exclusively for Citibank credit card holders, small merchandisers
get to do business with the Citibank customers, as well as build and maintain a premium image for them.
Here Citibank acts as the event organizer and small
merchandiser’s acts as participants so that they can associate the personality of their products with the
personality of Citibank customers.

Creating and maintaining brand identity

 By satisfying individuals need

 By fulfilling client’s objective

 By providing quality in their work

 By working effectively and efficiently

Image Building

 By building trust.

 By providing quality at reasonable prices

 Not doing cheats with the customers

 By dealing at a regular basis

Constructing the Brand Value Chain

1. Focusing the Target Market

Helping in avoidance of clutter

Even though some events do get congested with too many advertisements, events still provide and
effective means of being spotted.

For example, Title sponsorship of a major event provides the sponsor immense benefit since the sponsors
name is mentioned along with the event like Hero Cup, Femina Miss India, Lux Zee Cine Awards.

Enabling interactive mode of communication

Events generally provide an opportunity for buyers and sellers to interact. They also provide a foundation
for exchange and sharing of knowledge between professionals. Example: Bang! Linux2000, Auto Expo.

2. Implementation of Marketing Plan Enabling authentic test marketing

Events bring the target audience together, thereby creating opportunity for test marketing of products for
authentic feedback.

The seller can identify exactly the traits and other characteristics that are desired. For example, marketing
events that the Frito-Lay Company used before it launched its WOW! Brand of potato chips.

Increasing customer traffic in stores

Events can be conceptualized to increase customer traffic. They can be modified to make available,
concepts ranging from retail store specific events to mega events like one day international cricket
tournament. For example, Nescafe 3-in-1 treasure hunt, co- sponsored by McDonald’s is a combined
effect in increasing the customer traffic as well as increasing the awareness among the upper class of the
existence of new McD’s outlets.

Enabling sales promotion

Weekly events conducted by Crossword Bookstore helps in generating more revenue during the
weekends.
Motivating the sales team

The need for interaction is not restricted to external customers only. End consumers are not always the
focus of live media exercises. This is especially popular amongst FMCG companies.

For Example, during the cricket world cup held in England HSBC introduced a unique pattern of
motivating the sales force by awarding them runs instead of the traditional points system. This resulted in
conversion of almost all of its employees into sales person.

Enabling market database assimilation, maintenance and updating

By keeping track of the reach and its effectiveness and interacting with the audience that actually turns up
for the event, event sponsors can assimilate and authentic database. The database can be used to track
various marketing trends. Events can then help in maintaining and updating the database.

SPONSORSHIP vs. EVENT MARKETING

There are many other marketing tools that can build brand-awareness and create image. Authors seem to
mix up the concept of sponsorship and Event Marketing, although there is a difference between the two.

When using Event Marketing, the organization works with the event as part of the marketing strategy.
When sponsoring an event, the organization buys exposure during the event at different levels of the
event itself.

International Events Group (IEG) defines sponsorship this way: “The relationship between a sponsor and
a property in which the sponsor pays a cash or in-kind fee in return for access to the commercial potential
associated with the property.”
By using the commercial right, the sponsor could associate the brand and have an effective selection of
the target group to market themselves to.

The association makes the brand synonymous with the sponsored happening, and thereby the sponsoring
has been called association by event.
Today sponsorship is one of the world’s fastest growing forms of marketing and together with Event
Marketing they begin to play a more dominant role in many companies´ marketing budgets.

Given below, model shows one way to look at where traditional sponsoring fits in compared to Event
Marketing.

Traditional Marketing vs. Event Marketing

When the organization is sponsoring an event, (upper left corner) there is always a business agreement
between at least two parties, which Event Marketing does not necessarily have. Usually this is the case
when there is a sport competition such as the Olympics or a World Championship. This kind of
sponsoring limits the possibilities for the organization to market their products since they have no control
over the happenings at the event, etc.

There is a concept called the double lever effect, which explains the relationship between different events.
When organizations move to EM (1), EM (2) and EM (3) the organizations increase their control and also
the risk is increased. When the control is
increased, there is also a larger possibility for organizations to use the event integrated with the other
marketing strategies.

The given fig shows how it comes to be a double lever effect:

Control & risk depending on activity

As we can see, there is a risk in Event Marketing. There is no possibility to test the event for the target
group, and everything has to work during the event. The risk associated with the event could be one of the
reasons why some organizations choose to use pre-existing events instead of own events. Preexisting
events are events that are created by someone else for another purpose.

• SIZE OF EVENTS

In terms of size events may be categorized as follows:

1. Mega Events

The largest events are called mega events, which are generally targeted at international markets..

Example: The Olympic Games, World Cup Soccer, Super Bowl, Maha Kumbh Mela.

2. Regional Events

Regional events are designed to increase the appeal of a specific tourism destination or region.

Example: Delhi Half Marathon.

3. Major Events
These events attract significant local interest and large no. of participants as well as generating significant
tourism revenue.

Example: Chinese New Year Celebrations.

4. Minor Events

Most events fall into this category and it is here that most event managers gain their experience. Annual
events fall under this category.

In addition to annual events, there are many one time events including historical, dance performances
cultural, and musical. Business Meetings, parties, conventions, celebrations, award ceremonies,
exhibitions, sporting events and many other community and social event fit into this category.

Example: Annual Trade Fair organized in Delhi, Chandipur Beach Festival

TYPES OF EVENTS

1. Sporting Events

Sporting events are held in all towns, cities, states and throughout the nation. They attract international
sports men & women at the highest levels.

2. Entertainment Arts and Culture

Entertainment events are well known for their ability to attract large audience. This includes musical
concerts, celebrity performances, movie releases etc.

3. Commercial Marketing and Promotional Event

Promotional events tend to have high budgets and high profiles. Most frequently they include product
launches, often for computer hardware and software, perfume, alcohol or motor cars etc. The aim of
promotional events is generally to differentiate the product from its competitors and to ensure that it is
memorable.

The audience for a promotional activity might be sales staff such as travel agents, who would promote the
tour of the clients or potential purchasers. The media is usually invited to these events so that both the
impact and the risk are high, Success is vital.

4. Meetings & Exhibitions

The meetings industry is highly competitive. Many conventions attract thousands of people, whereas
some meetings include only a handful of high profile participants.

5. Festivals

Various forms of festivals are increasingly popular providing a particular region the opportunity to
showcase its product. Wine and food festivals are the most common events falling under this category.
Religious festivals fall into this category as well.

6. Family

Weddings, anniversaries, divorces and funerals all provide opportunities for families together. Funerals
are increasingly are becoming big events with non traditional coffins, speeches and even entertainment. It
is important for the event manager to keep track of these changing social trends.

7. Fund Raising

Fairs, which are common in most communities, are frequently run by enthusiastic local committees. The
effort in the organization required for these events are often underestimated. As their general aim is
raising funds, it is important that rides and other such contracted activities contribute to, rather than
reduce, revenue.

8. Miscellaneous

Some events defy categorization. Potatoes, walnuts, wild flowers, roses, dogs, horses, teddy bears all
provide the focus for an event organized in United States.

KEY ELEMENTS OF EVENTS

 Event
Organizer Infrastructure

Target
Venue Audience
EVENT

Media Client

Key Elements of Event Marketing

Event Infrastructure

 Core Concept: Search for new top class modeling talent through a contest and pageant
interspersed with entertainment.

 Core People: Participants i.e., models taking part in the competition during entertainment slots
such as well known classical musicians, Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma accompanied by Ustad. Shafat Ali Khan
and popular music by Sweta Shetty and Stereo Nation.

 Core Talent: Physical looks and proportions.

 Core Structure: Annual event of beauty pageant.

Importance of Infrastructure

Indian business events, particularly large trade fairs, are underdeveloped as a result of poor infrastructure
outside Delhi. New exhibition and convention centers developed in Chennai and Hyderabad will help
spur the industry’s growth. If a new facility of international standard can finally be built in Mumbai, this
will generate a huge opportunity for business media companies.

Smaller, traveling events, road shows which move around the country’s many secondary markets will
also be significant income generators for some business media firms.

Event Venue
The two types of venue are as follows:

 In-house Venue:

1. Any event that is executed within the premises of the company or institution or in the
private homes or proprieties belonging to the client is called an in-house venue.

2. The use of such venue is reserved for the employees of the company or the residents of
the campus.

3. Most in-house venues do not need to be paid or even if a payment is involved, it may be
open for favorable negotiation.

4. The main advantage of in-house venue is the huge saving in the costs incurred in hiring
the venue.

 External Venue:

1. Any venue over which neither the client nor the professional organizer have any
ownership rights is called an external venue.

2. These are venues open for the general public. Example: Hotels, Stadium etc, etc…
• PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH TRADITIONAL MEDIA

The problems associated with traditional media that has been used for satisfying marketing needs
discussed in the previous section are listed below:

1. Huge amount of advertisements have led to a cluttering on T.V, print and other media. This has
given rise to a need for avenues, which provide exclusivity to the sponsor while not sacrificing the
benefits of reach and impact.

2. Proliferation of low intensity television viewers who view a little of each channel leads to the
need for capturing the full attention of the target audience.

3. Media cost inflation – Due to rising inflation which has been eroding the advertising budget,
advertisers are demanding the beat return from every ad- rupee spent. Media planning has become more
complex and therefore the need for increase the effectiveness in terms of tangible impact which can be
instantly evaluated has risen.

4. Proliferation of various media channels, therefore the requirement for intelligent media buying.
• RELATION BETWEEN EVENT MARKETING AND THE 5PS

The five Ps of marketing: place, product, people, price and promotion play an essential role in Event
Marketing. To successfully use Event Marketing the marketer must understand how Event Marketing fits
together with the other parts of the marketing strategy.

Event Marketing fits under promotion in the marketing mix. Other marketing tools that goes under this
section are advertising, sales promotion, personal sales, direct sales, public relations, and sponsoring.

Event Marketing is not a substitute for any of the other components- it is a complement. It takes an
imaginative mix of all the communication tools available to extend the impact of the event.

Marketing Mix vs. Event Marketing

If an organization uses Event Marketing, they still need to use the other parts of the promotion mix
before, during, and after the event.

An example of this could be how a car producer can have advertisements to inform about a new car
launch, and then use events to get people to test drive the new car, and then follow up with direct
marketing with a discount coupon.

One of the main advantages with Event Marketing compared to the other channels is that the objective
can both be direct sales, and image building, depending on how it is used.
EVOLUTION OF EVENT MARKETING

From its origins in event planning, the event marketing industry has seen great growth in the last five
years and has consistently been one of the most effective tools that marketing professionals have at their
disposal in terms of making a tangible connection to current and potential customers.

The increasing competitive pressures brought on by globalization are forcing business professionals to
find new ways to engage customers. While it is important to garner leads, marketing and specifically
event marketing professionals cannot lose sight of the fact that the sales cycle only begins at lead
generation and that current and prospective customers must also be nurtured even beyond purchase.
Companies can benefited from the deeper event marketing touch points that promote nurturing such as
proprietary conferences that provide a controlled environment for delivering messages and closing
business.

PUBLICITY AND PROMOTION

• If one knows how to organize an event he should also know how to market it.

• If there is something very peculiar or special about the event then that main point has to be
highlighted.

• A product launch for example requires a sales promotion campaign either before or after the
launch. In that case the product is advertised through banners and media and even door to door services.

• Effort is taken to ensure that people sit up and take notice of the event. Sometimes it could be an
event like an award ceremony, which is to be shown on television and different companies make a beeline
for sponsoring their respective products in the due course of the program. This is the way publicity and
promotions work.
 Chapter 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research is “ the manipulation of things, concepts of symbols for the purpose of generalizing to extend,
correct or verify knowledge, whether that knowledge aids in construction of theory or in the practice of an
art.”

Research Design
Descriptive research is used for this study. A survey was conducted through a questionnaire by which an
analysis was drawn.

The methodology followed for the research

 Primary research detailed discussions with event management firms and the corporate clients.
 Subsequent additions were made to the interview schedule to suit the specific events under study.
 The secondary information was gathered from various marketing journals and books on event
marketing, sales promotions and publicity. Daily newspaper reading in order to keep track of
various kinds of events also proved helpful.
 The information gathered was studied and analyzed.
 It revels certain issues in event marketing which need further attention and some suggestions have
been given to make the Event Marketing industry more effective in order to utilize its full
potential and be mutually beneficial for the Event Marketing agency, the Corporate and the
customer.

Data collection:

 Preparing a media list of suitable targeted media.

 Preparing a contact list and club list, interested people and opinion leaders - often called media
talent - who can be called on to make suitable comments or actions which promote the event.

 List ideas for continuous exposure such as interesting media ready stories, competitions, public
appearances, stunts, speeches, feeding the chooks.
When these lists are prepared, the ideas prioritized and the story angles determined, the journalist, editor
or producer is contacted to ascertain the exposure potential of the item. These publicity items are then
placed into an overall promotion schedule. The critical path is ascertained to ensure growing interest in
the event.

Although PR involves the event's relation to the public, it is the relations that the event manager develops
with the media that can create interest in the event. It implies developing an image with the media -
finding out what they want and how best to supply it.

If the manager does not have time to do this then the event organization should consider hiring a PR
company.

Direct Marketing

This is delivering the promotional message directly to the interested individual. The basis of direct
marketing is the establishment of a strategy to best reach those individuals.
The mail out is the most common traditional method. The database can be created from previous events
through competitions, inquiries, guest books, and point of sale information or just by asking the
participants if they would like to receive information on other similar events.

Chapter 3: Findings & Analysis

RESARCH FINDINGS

 The present study has been undertaken to get the first hand exposure on the mindset of people
towards Event Marketing concept & their involvement in events as and when they come across, if any.

 A questionnaire was designed keeping in mind the requirements for study & analysis of my
thesis for comparing the hypothesis with the outcome of this survey.

 A general survey conducted with a sample size of 50 respondents revealed the following facts
regarding the mindset of people towards the Event Marketing concept.

 This survey also gave scope to take necessary steps for organizing an event at right place, right
time and in front of the right target audience.

 Event Marketing companies were also targeted and their response was also taken which added
value to my thesis.
Let’s have a look at what people feel about Event Marketing.

When people were asked what they feel about a particular company which promotes its product/service
through Event Marketing 82% of the respondents replied that it gives a positive impression about the
company and establishes the quality of their product/service.

When people were asked about the reasons for which they have participated 53% replied that the event
appeared amusing which was followed by reasons like a powerful brand or eye catching signs & banners.
 Chapter 4: Conclusions

Event marketing allows a company to break through the advertising clutter and target an audience by
enhancing or creating an image through an association to a particular event.

Brand awareness reinforces the product or service, and drives sales.

Property or event, also profits, a financial partner, a supplemented advertising budget, and added
leverage.

Event marketing also offers companies the flexibility to reach specific geographic and demographic
audiences. It is a benefit that allows depth of exposure, as opposed to the breadth of exposure.

As CMOs continue to face increasing financial pressures, they must continuously provide higher levels of
value, both in pure financial terms and overall measurement of ROI.

When considering the entire sales cycle, marketing professionals must think beyond traditional methods
and bring transparency and measurement to their activities in order to demonstrate the fundamental value
of their field. To answer this challenge, the event marketing industry must redefine itself to recognize the
power of the “brand” to forge deep connections, as well as also adapt events to contribute to branding in
more sophisticated ways.

The perception of events as a form of media is quickly moving away from standalone activities to
integrated forms of communication. These forms of communication synchronize with overall marketing
goals through new applications of techniques rooted in traditional event marketing that project the brand
more powerfully.

Defining what an organization stands for, mapping out a clear brand strategy, and then formulating event
activities that align with overall marketing goals is the next great step in the evolution of the industry.
Chapter: 5 Recommendations/Suggestions

To improve the condition of the event marketing industry and make it more professional and
profitable, the following recommendations have been listed:

1. Understand the corporate objectives, target audience, brand image and positioning clearly.

2. Do not go overboard with your concept or preference for a certain event.

3. Conduct a situational analysis for appropriate event selection which synergies with the company
objective and brand personality.

4. Create extensive databases of the target consumers in order to conduct pre- and post-event
analysis and evaluation to check the success of the event and consumer perception, also to assess
the top of mind awareness and brand recall.

5. Conduct extensive market research to establish which parts of the program are working and which
ones are not. Those in the first category should be maintained and strengthened. Those in the
second should be relinquished.

6. In all sponsorship activities, it is important to protect the integrity of the activity being supported.
If it is cheapened or its identity threatened, the sponsorship could rebound on the sponsor’s head.
Chapter 6: Limitations Of The Study

Methodological Limitations:

 Sample size

 Lack of available and/or reliable data

 Lack of prior research studies on the topic

 Measure used to collect the data

 Self-reported data

Limitations of the Researcher:

 Access

 Longitudinal effects

 Cultural and other type of bias

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BASIC COVERAGE

Event Management Lynn Van Der Wagen & Brenda R. Carlos

Principles of Marketing Kotler & Amstrong

Marketing Management Philip Kotler

Keywords Used For Research on Google

  Types of events

 Event management for business

 Event management for product launch

 Limitations of event management

 Special event management

WEBSITES

 www.indiatradepromotion.org

 www.exhibitionsindia.com

 www.supercommindia2004.com

 www.branders.com

 www.eventmarketer.com

 www.marketersadvantage.net/articles.htm?k=Network%20Marketing

 www.mobilemarketingjoblist.com

 www.fundsmanagementworld.com/india

 www.sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/marketing/g/promotion.htm

 www.wilsonweb.com

 www.marketingnpv.com

 www.india.gov.in/business/growing_business.php

 www.frost.com/prod/servlet/events-asia-pac.pag

 www.indialine.com/events/automotive.html

 www.hindustantimes.com/3g/

 www.informatm.com
 www.MrSeeker.com
 www.google.com
 www.slideshare.com

 www.shopairte.com
ANNEXURE

Questionnaire

Name :
Age :
Gender :
Occupation :

1. What are your feelings about a company that creates or sponsors events?
a) They are willing to let people try them out
b) Support activities that I enjoy
c) They understand my interests and needs
d) They like to have fun with me
e) They want to know more about me

2. Assuming you had a positive experience, would you be more or less inclined to purchase a product or
service after having participated in an event?
a) Product/service you have heard but not checked out yet
i. More likely
ii. Less likely
iii. Neither more nor less

b) Product/service you have never heard of

i. More likely
ii. Less likely
iii. Neither more nor less

c) Product/service you already use

i. More likely
ii. Less likely
iii. Neither more nor less
3. What was it that got you to notice or participate in the event?
a) It looked like fun
b) I recognize the company/brand running the event
c) Signs and Banners
d) Somebody invited me to participate
e) The crowd that was already taking part in the event
f) Others

4. Which of the following is your favorite part of marketing events?

a) I get to touch and feel a product/services
b) I get to learn more about a product/services
 c) I get to ask questions about a product/services
d) I get a free sample of a product/services
e) I get to have fun by participating in activities

5. Which would most likely cause you to participate in a product demonstration or event?
a) The product/services matched my interest
b) The product or company was sponsoring an activity I enjoy
c) My friend/relative had a positive experience
d) The event offered an activity I could participate
e) Other

6. How long did you stay at the mobile event?

a) 1-15 minutes
b) 15-30 minutes
c) over 30 minutes

7. Which of the following is true? After leaving the mobile event I understood the company/product…
a) better
b) same
c) less

8. How soon after attending a company-sponsored event at/near a store did you purchase the product or
service being offered?
a) Immediately
b) Within a month
c) Within a week
d) Did not purchase
e) Within 3 months
f) Within 6 month
g) More than 6 months