Instruction
It is expected that you undertake background research on the event that is the subject of your case study analysis what kind of event is it, how often is it held, how long has it been running, is it always in the same location or does it move, are their Canadian equivalents to this event, how is it financed, who organizes it and who are the principal stakeholders, among other questions. Identify the challenges faced by the event organizers and propose strategies to overcome them. In your analysis, you need to discuss how the case illustrates the key issues and aspects of event management theories discussed in the corresponding lecture and textbook chapter. You may draw on the questions listed after each case study in the textbook. Support your analysis and interpretation with facts and logical arguments. Use primary and secondary data. You are not limited to the facts provided in the case. Identify other sources covering the case. Make sure to include the list of references detailing sources you consulted.
Points to keep in mind:
– Make sure you use the event official page for more information on the case study. You have to use the Case Study to write about it.
– Comprehensive background information (e.g. origin, history, scale, purpose, organizers) about the case is provided and includes a discussion of changes over time (in attendance, funding, location etc.)
– Detailed information about the next time the event is going to take place is provided, including information about how the location was chosen if relevant.
– At least two challenges faced by the event organizers are discussed and solutions to overcome these challenges are proposed.
-Relate at least 3-4 points from that chapter to the case study in a separate section and add a title for that section.
– All sources are cited where appropriate and required. Sources used are included in the list of references.
– Nearly perfect APA referencing, with at most one or two minor errors
– Clear, coherent writing; almost no errors in spelling, grammar, or punctuation
DO NOT ANSWER THE QUESTIONS AT THE END OF THE STUDY.
Risk management 17
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
?de?ne risk and its relationship to the management of festivals and events,
?understand the context of risk management in the event management process,
?use the tools of risk identi?cation and identify the risks speci?c to events,
?understand the latest methodologies of risk management,
?understand the core concepts of occupational health and safety.
The Event Management Body of Knowledge (EMBOK, 2006) identi?ed risk management as one of the ?ve knowledge domains necessary for the management of an event. With the growth of the festival and event sector around the world, governments and other key stakeholders realise that they are partially liable for the conduct of events. This is driving the adoption of a formalised risk management procedure for all events. As the number and size of events and festivals increases, so does the public awareness of any mishaps or disasters. Any mistakes made during the planning and execution of major public events such as the Olympics and the Grand Prix reach the press immediately. At the same time it is inevitable that with more events, there is the potential for more mistakes. This is also driving the occupational health and safety acts in each country. The planning of events and festivals can no longer be ignored by the authorities. They realise that an incident at an event is too often a result of incompetence in management; therefore, they want proof of management competency long before the festival or event starts.
A working de?nition of event risk is any future incident that will negatively in?uence the event. It could also be described simply as possible problems. Note that this risk is not solely at the event itself. In many texts on events, risk is taken to mean direct safety risk or ?nancial risk, but this de?nition ignores problems in other areas of event management that may harmfully in?uence the success of the event. Fraud, for example, is a risk that has surfaced at many events. Misrepresentation of the event by marketing or over promotion is another risk. Each of these risks may result in safety and ?nancial troubles at the event.
Risk, in the event context, may be formally de?ned as the likelihood and consequence of the event or festival not ful?lling its objectives. Risk management
Events Management. DOI: 10.1016/B978-1-85617-818-1.10017-9
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can be de?ned as the process of identifying these problems, assessing them and dealing with them. Fortunately, risk management may also uncover opportunities. In the past, this may have been done in an informal manner; however, the current management environment demands that the process be formalised. The event team must be able to show that risk management is being employed throughout the project. This chapter outlines the process of risk management. The process is made up of understanding the context of risk, risk identi?cation, evaluation and control. This process can be applied to all the areas of event management.
RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS
Events are particularly susceptible to risks. A unique venue, large crowds, new staff and volunteers, movement of equipment and general excitement are all a recipe for potential hazards. The event manager who ignores advice on risk prevention is courting disaster and foreshortening his or her career in the event industry. The sensible assessment of potential hazards and preventive action is the basis of risk management, and is a legal requirement under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE, 1999, p. 7) risk may be de?ned as the likelihood that harm from a hazard is realised and the extent of it.
Risk is not necessarily harmful. One reason, among many, that an event company wins the job of organising an event is that competing companies perceive the event to be too risky. The successful company can manage all the risks with its current resources. Risk is the basis of the entrepreneurs business. Without risk, there can be no competitive advantage. Without the appearance of risk, there can be no tightrope
walking or extreme games. Part of what makes an event special is the uncertainty e
it has not been done before.
The British Standards Institution (BSI, 2002a, p. 7) de?nes risk management as the:
systematic application of management policies, procedures and practices to the tasks of establishing the context, identifying, analysing, evaluating, treating, monitoring and communicating risk
Every part of event management has potential risks. Various publications exist to assist the event manager in managing risk, including general publications offered by HSE (2006) and guidance developed for exhibitions (AEO, BECA and EVA, 2002; EIA, 2009), music events (HSE, 1999), outdoor events other than pop concerts and raves (NOEA, 1993, 1997), sporting grounds (Department of National Heritage and the Scottish Of?ce, 1997) and crowd safety (HSE, 2000). PAS 51: 2004 (BSI, 2004) has been developed to provide practical guidance for organising all outdoor events and cross-references to existing publications/regulations that event organisers should be aware of. Furthermore, a number of additional publications have been developed speci?cally for events (Berlonghi, 1990; Hannam, 2004; Kemp and Hill,
