About Author:Business Manager,
Having 10 years of exp. in education field, Guiding students for career
opportunities, working with National Academy of Event Management &
Development.
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It includes
organizing everything from kiddie parties to wedding extravaganzas, but
event management is no child’s play. LIGHTS, camera, action...waves of
applause are heard as the curtains of any function rise. But not many see
the effort put in to organize a fantastic show. The pains belong solely to
the event manager - a profession that’s gaining much importance right now.
India being the third biggest event country owing to numerous festival
celebrations explains the growing need for event managers across the nation.
Event management in itself is a very broad idea and covers a wide range
of functions. The field is broad enough to include various components as its
bifurcations. These functions range from getting clients, marketing events,
organizing events/ functions, seminars, etc, to handling the technical
aspects of the function like lights, special effects, etc. Events organized
by managers can be broadly classified into five different categories of
events, which are as follows
HALLMARK EVENTS:
These are the bigger events held on a larger scale, hence requiring
greater efforts to be put in. Some of the examples that aptly describe this
category of events are the World Cup matches.
EDUCATIONAL EVENTS:
These are events that can be described to be of educational interest or
for the exchange of knowledge. Various types of trade fairs, corporate
events, seminars, etc fall under this category of events.
MARKETING EVENTS:
These events aim at creating awareness about a product or creating a
market for a new product. Events held for the marketing of products, product
launches, etc fall into the category of these events.
CELEBRATION EVENTS:
These events are the single biggest events in the market. They may be
award functions or festival events etc. Femina Miss India functions,
Filmfare awards functions or the Navratri functions etc. describe this
category of events.
MISCELLANEOUS EVENTS:
Some events cannot be categorised into any of the types named above and
hence these are slotted in the last category of miscellaneous events. Some
of the examples are hospitality events, marriages, parties, tourism events,
etc.
FUNCTIONS:
An event manager is like a circus leader who has to perform many
different functions. The various functions handled by event managers are
organizing seminars, exhibitions, concerts, cricket matches, road shows,
functions, events, etc.
An event manager has to, in the initial stages; fetch clients for the
organisation. The next stage delves into the conceptualization of the whole
show around the theme as required by the client.
The major functions remaining relate to executing the event by creating
publicity hype and also marketing the show, guaranteeing awareness among the
public about the show to ensure its success. The hype can be created through
the print media, TV, etc. The venue has to be booked and properly organized
for the show. Other outsourcing aspects like lighting, food, stage, stalls,
electric equipment, ticketing etc are to be taken care of. Performers have
to be booked in case of marriages or parties according to requirements.
COURSES:
Event management courses offered by various institutes are generally
either diploma courses or postgraduate diploma courses. Diploma postgraduate
diploma courses for event management can be pursued by undergraduates &
graduates on a part-time basis for a period of one year. Institutes that
offer event management courses in India is National Academy of Event
Management & Development Website:
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
The general eligibility criteria for a career in event management is HSC
or a graduate to pursue a diploma course in event management and PG Diploma
Course in Event Management respectively. The student should have good
communication skills, inherent marketing skills, be ambitious, bold and
outspoken and further hone his skills on a regular basis. An event manager
has to put in loads of hard work. In other words, it spells being content
with four hours of sleep after working 10 days at a stretch.
SCOPE:
The positions depend upon the company that the individual joins. One can
initially start as a junior event executive then progress as the senior
event executive, event coordinator, assistant event manager and event
manager which is the general structure in a normal company. The salary
structures offered in the industry could range from Rs 6,000 to Rs 12,000
and would increase depending upon the performance of the individual in the
company.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
In an environment where marketing companies concentrate/ spend more on
seminars etc than on events in the print and radio, the career offers great
scope for creativity. In this field, one gets the fabulous opportunity to do
many things at one time - in other words, juggling many tasks at one go as
it breaks free from the shackles of being a monotonous nine to five job.
Anyone can, if desirous, also pursue the career on a freelance basis which
is an added advantage. It is a performance oriented field where
non-performers get eliminated very fast. So do you intend to master the
field categorized as the one-man-show tribe?
