More Details Please!

OK so I have found what I was looking for....I found an Event Planning company that uses questionnaires to get a detailed brief from their prospective clients. They ask a number of questions that provide enough information to go forward in planning an event.

http://www.pivotalevents.com/pdfs/pivotal_events_questionnaire.pdf"

I Love the questionnaire, it appeals to the Economists in me...but there is an emotional side to the brief that i don't think the questionnaire will be able to capture. Sure, it will capture the specifics, but there is also the not so specific aspect.

I remember when I was planning my wedding, there was a certain vibe/feel that I wanted my wedding to have. I didn't know how to communicate it through words, but I would download pictures from the Internet to illustrate the feel I wanted.

This emotional element (what I am calling 'the feel') is a little harder to capture through such objective data collection methods.

So I am thinking now that after administering a questionnaire to clients (to get the raw data), then the next important aspect is to meet with them and gauge their vision for the event, this includes; asking for pictures of the similar events that they like/love, asking them about the feelings they want to evoke in their guests and basically capturing their personal vibe (such as whether they are sophisticated or eclectic).

Its important to know their design aesthetic, and on that note I need to do some research on design styles and maybe put a label on mine.

Then, the event planner should be able to assimilate and analyse all this data both objectively and subjectively and transform it all into a stellar event.

Cool, I Like that!

The Brief

Wednesday May 26, 2010 was the first day of classes for my Ten week Events Management Course. Is ten weeks enough (30 hours contact time), maybe not, but I am sure there is a lot that I can learn both in class and on my own.

Firstly, last evening was a milestone in my life. It was the first time EVER I have been in a classroom setting with my Mother and Younger Sister. It was so surreal! Here we are determined to learn as much as possible about this new interest, but most importantly learning something new about each other in the process.

So our first lesson was basically centered around
1 The Importance of Networking
2 The Fundamentals of Events Management
3 Understanding the Brief

Well I have always known about the Importance of Networking, not by actively networking, but by observing people who do. At University I was always amazed by the ability of some people to always have a friend somewhere to help them do something.
These people were always in the know and were exposed (through their contacts) to many opportunities.

While observing this I would think about Networking as the 'Users' Game.' I came to this conclusion because I thought contacts were being made just to say 'I know so and so' or to say 'So and so can do that for me.' I am sure for some people Networking is a game, but in Events Management it seems to be a necessary tool to enhance my effectiveness in getting the right people on board.

So right now I am going through my phones' contact list, bridging the gaps and re opening the lines of communication.

Understanding the Brief

The bulk of our class time was focused on going over the fundamentals,however, we did an exercise that brought to life an important aspect of Events Management; The Brief. I understand the brief to be the first contact between the client and the Events Manager in which the client gives the Manager a 'run down' of their vision or objectives for the event. The client may or may not go into great detail but it is important for the Events Manager to identify some key details such as;

Why
Where
When
How (much money)

These four question basically encapsulates the more specific questions such as

Objectives for the event
History behind the event
Date and Time (including running order)
Capacity
Catering and Seating
Geography
Demographics
among other things

I am thinking it is the responsibility of the Events Manager to garner as much information from the client, since I really cant imagine many people really have an idea for an event and provide all the details (especially in Jamaica) but then I may be wrong.

So the brief is important and the starting line for the entire event planning experience.

I suggested in class last night that maybe a good tool to get all the information needed to go forward with the event would be a questionnaire. Do Event Planners use questionnaires for this purpose?

I guess i'll Google that.

The Perfect Mix; Creative and Organized

I have been searching for some time now for a career that would allow me to utilize some key facets of my personality. My core education is in the fields of Economics and International Relations
(which I love!) but I was still searching for a more hands on career where I would not be confined to one space for many hours in a day.

I studied Economics because the discipline appeals to the pragmatist in me, the side of me that knows how to compartmentalize and deal with certain issues in part to create a change for the whole. I love Economics and Lectured for about a year at the Montego Bay Community College (where I was a student). Lecturing was good, but it wasn’t great, and I was limited in the methods I could use to bring the subject matter to students. The job a little too much structure for me, so I left that job to someone who would better make use of the opportunity.

I studied International Relations as my minor just for the love of it. World Affairs and how issues in other countries ripple around the globe is fascinating. Especially now, we are so interconnected through the web. You may be reading this from Sweden!
So my Education thus far has brought me thus far. Now my aim is to use the practical skills of Economics and the analytical skills from International Relations and apply them to my new venture EVENT PLANNING. I will do this by adding my eye and flair for design and the spice and warmth that comes inherently to all Jamaicans.

So I am ready to get started

I am enrolled in a ten week EVENT MANAGEMENT course

At University of the West Indies Open Campus.