The Essentials of Business Events, Protocol, Etiquette & Travel Management

This seminar is a must for any business aiming to include events as part of their Public Relations and Marketing activities. The face to face communication opportunities created by events provide business people with the most powerful of opportunities to influence their colleagues, clients and investors. Smooth well run events reflect well on any business building its reputation and standing. This seminar provides a comprehensive grounding in all the basics of event management allowing attendees to effectively organize their own events or more closely manage contractors organizing events for them.

Key highlights of the seminar are:

• What events can do for your PR and marketing strategy?
• Scheduling techniques to plan and deliver an event
• Practical hints and tips on venue choice, stage management and different types of dining
• Managing the media at your events to multiply outcomes
• Advice on looking after guests and protocol for VIP’s

• At the end of the seminar delegates will have an understanding of the theoretical basis for the application of events as part of their PR or Marketing strategy
• Delegates will be able to schedule and plan an event
• Delegates will be familiar with a range of events they are likely to engage in and the requirements for their successful delivery
• Delegates will be able to identify the most appropriate venues and activities for their events
• Delegates will be able to manage the media at their events with confidence
• Delegates will be able to troubleshoot event plans to identify potential problem areas before they emerge

Organizational Impact

• Greater value for money from events
• More focused events as part of their PR or Marketing strategy which will build and maintain their reputation
• More memorable events aimed at the right people
• An in-house resource capable of either organizing events directly
• Staff better informed to provide project oversight of event management suppliers
• Staff capable of ensuring tight budgetary and scheduling control over events

Personal Impact

• Increased confidence to tackle event management or oversight of event management suppliers
• A strong theoretical basis upon which to make decisions about the best type and format of event to employ
• An understanding of the main elements in event organization
• More focused activity aided by simple checklists and manuals
• Better time management facilitating the opportunity for greater creativity

This seminar is relevant to anyone likely to have responsibility for the delivery of events for their organization but new to the concepts and practicalities of this facet of corporate communications

This course is suitable to a wide range of professionals but will greatly benefit:

• Middle and senior managers tasked with the direct delivery of events or oversight of Specialist subcontractors
• Senior operational managers with responsibility for managing teams whose role includes event management
• Senior managers up to Board level with responsibility for the strategic use of events as part of the organization’s PR & marketing strategy and their effective deployment
• Event Managers and Event Coordinators
• Travel Officers, Admin Officers and Secretaries
• Protocol Officers

Training Methodology

The training will be delivered through a combination of presentations, group discussion and group exercises. Delegates will be encouraged to ask questions as the seminar progresses relevant to their own backgrounds and company requirements. The seminar will culminate in a group exercise in which delegates will have an opportunity to apply what has been discussed over the previous five days

Day One:

The role of events in Public Relations (PR) or Marketing strategy

• An overview of PR and how events fit in
• Events and the PR transfer process
• Strengths and weaknesses of events as a form of communication
• A review of the different types of event available
• Understand what event management is and what it involves
• The Six Point PR Plan and its application to event management

Stage Management, Dining and Entertainment. Health and safety

• “Stage management” of the event
• Entertainment and music at your event
• Entertainment and music at your event
• Sets and staging
• Corporate identity on display
• Food can be part of the message
• Managing entertainers at events
• Addressing risk areas at events
• Ensuring the event is on message and on brand
• Welcome desk – set up and management
• Different types of dining for different events and practical implications
• Dining protocol – formal dinner, informal eating
• Choosing catering suppliers – in house with venue or external
• Staying safe – Risk assessment and events

Day Two:

Managing the Media at your Events

ASSESSMENT

Following attendance on the programme you are required to complete an assignment:

• Develop a plan for an event (real or theoretical) demonstrating what you have covered on the programme.
• In particular the plan should include a full rationale for the event, a long-term planning schedule, a detailed programme or running order and outline what factors you have taken into consideration as regards key aspects of your event such as venue choice, catering and media involvement etc.

Invitations, VIPs & Bringing It All Together

• Design an invitation
• Compile a guest list
• Invitation protocols
• Know how to make speaker arrangements
• Send invites and collate responses
• Getting your audience there
• Order of precedence
• Seating strategies
• Application of seating strategies
• Keeping your objectives in mind
• Is it a media event – what’s in it for them?
• Generating news through an event
• The press pack and gif
• Managing filming on site
• Photography at your event
• Involving your in-house media
• Inviting the media – invitations and press releases
• The press office – Staffing, setting up and running it
• Conducting interviews and briefing interviewees

DAY THREE:

Event planning, the theory and practice

• Size – capacity
• Type
• Access
• Budget control
• Managing suppliers
• Venue considerations
• Accommodation
• Scheduling – the long term plan
• Suitability for event – support for the message
• Event running order – timing of an event
• Layout for different events – Seating etc

Arrange Event Logistics, Health & Safety

• Know how to compile a menu taking into account the type and number of guests.
• Know how to draw up menus for a cocktail party, formal dinner and informal dinner
• Know how to make parking, accommodation and travel arrangements
• Compile a venue checklist to ensure all resources are available in time
• Draw up and use a venue checklist to ensure venue is prepared for the event
• Ceremonies: sequencing, structure and types
• Staying safe - Risk assessment and events
• Managing entertainers at events
• Flags, anthems and logos
• Addressing risk areas at events
• Draw up a seating plan

Evaluate the Event

• Review the event to determine if anything went wrong and understand why certain things went wrong and why
• Hold debriefing sessions with the events committee to establish what can be done better in the future
• Ensure communications lines with the committee are open at all times
• Evaluate the success of the event against the success criteria
• Draw up a formal report on the event and present it to the client in order to build credibility and gain more business

On-the-day Considerations

• Checking the availability of airport transfers to and from point of arrival
• Ensuring the continuous confirmation of all reservations
• Continuous confirmation that each leg has been completed successfully and without a Hitch

Day Four:

Travel Management

• Know how to compile your traveller’s profiles
• Draw up checklists and timelines for the trip and compile an itinerary
• Book flights and understand the various classes and options
• Know how to buy tickets on the Internet and what precautions to take
• Book transfers and car hire and establish the best options
• Find the best accommodation options
• Know what to do on the travel day, what travel documentation to have prepared, what to check & what information to provide to your traveller
• Know what to do post the trip – obtain feedback from your traveller so that you can improve on future arrangements
• Know how to work with travel agents
• Understand the 4 steps to finding the best travel agent

Post Travel Management

• Documenting performance service providers and developing a long-term relationship with them
• Following up on traveling executive’s travel experience

Identifying the challenging areas of travel management & overcoming them

• Identify common pitfalls in travel arrangements
• Putting methods to alleviate mistakes in place
• Cross city and border measures to tackle travelling difficulties
• Sure-fire procedures to put in place to mitigate these unforeseen circumstances

Practical international travel considerations that you should keep in mind

• Documentation you should prepare for your manager
• Business cards
• Cultural customs and traditions 

Day Five:

Protocol & Diplomacy

• Introduction to Protocol and Diplomacy
• Why the importance
• Basics of Diplomacy
• Difference Constitution of various African Countries

 Applies to Protocol Matters

• Introduction to the Use of National Symbols of Different
• Countries
• National Flag National
• Coat of Arms National
• Anthem

 Precedence or Seniority

• Importance
• International Government Systems
• Official Table of Precedence of different countries
• Practical application at the office

Official Forms of Address and Titles

• Introduction
• Verbal use of forms of address and titles
• Written use of forms of address and titles

 Social Etiquette

• Background to etiquette
• Professionalism
• Telephone, e-mail and voice mail etiquette
• Business lunch etiquette
• International etiquette
• Etiquette with the physically handicapped
• Table etiquette
• Business card etiquette