Component 1 - Launch Night Reflective Report

204204 204 204 Component 1 Launch Night Reflective Report

By

Holly Barber

Content

Page 3 - Meet the team Page 4 - Group Statement Page 5 - Our Roles Page 6 - My Role Page 7 - KPI’s Page 12-28 Reflection

-

Performance

Page 29 - Invoice Page 30- KPI Reflection

Meet the team

Event Operations Lead

Event & Finance Manager

Holly Barber

Lucy Kershaw

Group Statement As the project management team for the University Launch Night, we are committed to delivering a meticulously organized and visually stunning event that embodies the essence of fashion marketing.

Our mission is to ensure every detail, from the coordination of gourmet catering services to the strategic placement of aesthetically pleasing signage, aligns seamlessly with the university's branding and vision.

We strive to create an engaging and memorable experience for all attendees, marked by high levels of satisfaction, effective networking opportunities, and a strong reinforcement of our university's prestigious brand.

Through diligent planning, collaborative teamwork, and unwavering attention to detail, we aim to set a new standard for event excellence.

Deciding our roles In the initial couple of weeks, we were a team of three, before quickly becoming a team of two due to lack of engagement.

Myself and Lucy were excited to work together as we knew we had similar career and personal interests.

Between us, we made a plan for every element that would go into the night and had many conversations on how we were going to break them down and who is best to take ownership of each responsibility.

We felt this was the best approach to achieve a successful evening and make sure that we do not miss anything on the night.

As the Event Operations Lead, I was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the event's planning and execution. This includes meticulous planning, seamless operations, effective coordination, and efficient logistics to ensure a successful and memorable university launch night event.

My role was critical for ensuring that every detail aligned with the university's branding and vision, group communication was consistent and that we created a cohesive and engaging experience for all attendees.

Initial Key Point Indicators (KPI’S)

Aesthetic Layout & Branding

Vendor & Partner Co-Ordination Efficiency

Event Execution Quality

Event Timeline Adherance

Once I had identified my role, I had built up four main KPI’s that I continued to refer back to throughout the project. Each KPI was open to change as the weeks went on.

Aesthetic Layout & Branding Evaluates the overall aesthetic layout and branding consistency of the event, ensuring that all visual elements align with the Studio 204 branding and create a cohesive environment.

Conduct a pre-event inspection to ensure that the venue layout, decorations, and branding materials are properly placed and consistent with the branding.

Achieve 100% adherence to the aesthetic layout and branding plan at least one day before the event.

This ensures a visually appealing and professional environment that enhances the attendee experience and reinforces the university’s brand.

Vendor & Partner Co-Ordination Efficiency Evaluate the timeliness and efficiency of coordinating with vendors, partners, and other stakeholders involved in the event.

Track deadlines and milestones for vendor contracts, delivery schedules, and other teams’ agreements and contributions.

Complete 95% of vendor and partner agreements and preparations by the set deadlines.

This ensures that all logistical aspects are in place well before the event, minimizing last-minute issues and ensuring smooth execution.

Event Execution Quality Assesses the smoothness and professionalism of the event's execution, including logistics, scheduling, and technical aspects.

Collect feedback from attendees and event staff on event organization through surveys and debriefing meetings.

Consider getting feedback to evaluate. This ensures that the event is conducted flawlessly, reflecting positively on the team’s organisation capabilities

Event Timeline Adherance Compares the planned dates and times of events or milestones against when they actually occur.

Deviation Tracking: Measures the frequency, extent, and reasons for any deviations from the schedule.

On-Time Completion: Evaluate the percentage of events or milestones completed on or before their scheduled dates.

Impact Analysis: Assesses the impact of any delays or early completions on the overall project or event sequence.

Trend Analysis: Identifies patterns or recurring issues that affect adherence to the timeline.

204204 204204 Performance Reflection

Raw Process The purpose of this page is to show examples of how I have used photoshop to create my responsibilities, such as the cocktail menu and save the date.

Research & Development Research and development consisted of research into the venue and vendors. It was important to identify the location suitability and investigate prices and services offered by any external companies that we were sourcing products from.

It was also important to analyse the demographic that this event was going to be aimed at, in turn, this helped me tailor preferences and expectations.

Budget Management was also extremely important, I was keen to research typical costs for venues and other event components to help stick to our budget.

Logistics and Operations were also a crucial elements to research, this allowed me to develop a detailed timeline and plan for the day of the event.

I wanted to look into what IT equipment was on offer to us for the evening so that we could smoothly present our videos and content created for the evening.

Post-event analysis was important to consider, I wanted to incorporate a way that attendees could leave feedback which in turn can allow future years to identify areas of success, but also areas of improvement.

Given the nature of the course, I wanted to make sure to incorporate trends and innovative ideas. For me, we did that with the budget that was given.

Branded products throughout the event, photobooths and balloon arches are trending at the moment in the events world, so it was important to incorporate this.

Research & Development I looked back to the same event that I attended last year and wanted to use this to learn from their success and also from their challenges. For me, the event could have been more interactive and flowed better from start to finish in terms of how the course translated to the attendees.

II wanted to always have a contingency plan to mitigate any risks. This was important for me as I wanted the event and preparation to run as smoothly as possible.

I also did some research into health and safety, especially in light of COVID-19 and other health concerns. In addition to this, I also looked into dietary preferences and restrictions to ensure that any food on the night was catered to all attendees.

Planning Process - Use of Notion I used Notion to help track my particular responsibilities, this was great as it allowed me to remain consistent with my progress and prioritise tasks effectively.

The use of this platform is on going right up until launch night as certain elements were not due to be delivered until the day before, like cookies for example so that they remained fresh.

Venue Communications The communication with the StoryHouse consisted of discussing dates/time slot availability, drinks and food that the venue offers and also budgetrelated topics.

This responsibility particularly tested my negotiation skills, which resulted in us being able to bring in cakes sourced from an outside caterer and also including a technician in with the room hire price, which had not been an option in previous years.

Food & Drink for the evening Cupcake toppers

Personalised Studio 204 Cupcakes

Drinks toppers

Mimosas

Food & Drink for the evening The food and drink for the evening was an important element given the time of the event which was a 6 pm start.

We decided to offer Studio 204 branded cupcakes on arrival, along with a welcome drink which we decided was going to be a mimosa.

The Studio 204 branded cupcakes had the black and pink branding. The drinks toppers had white Studio 204 branding as we wanted to consider the edible ink black in turning the drink an unappealing colour, so thought it would be best to go with white.

We also have Studi 204 branded cookies to go in the goodie bags, which we felt was a nice keepsake for people to take back from the evening.

The savoury food choice for the evening was a selection of vegetarian canapes and vegan, vegetarian and meat wraps. We wanted to have something savoury alongside the cakes/cookies, without overfacing attendees with a large selection of food.

Burn-Away Cake Concept Using a burn-away cake to symbolise the transition from a 3-year FMC degree to a 2-year FCM fast track serves as a poignant and visual representation of letting go of the past and embracing the future. As the cake burns away, it signifies the end of an era, acknowledging the efforts and memories associated with the FMC degree. Simultaneously, the melting away of the old reveals a fresh, new beginning with the FCM fast track, embodying optimism and readiness for a more accelerated path. Reflecting on this transition, it becomes clear that while change can be bittersweet, it is also a necessary part of growth. The burn-away cake beautifully captures the essence of bidding farewell to the past while wholeheartedly welcoming the exciting challenges and opportunities of the future on the 2 year fast track.

VIP - Invitation List VIPs - Vice Chancellor, Deputy Vice, Head of Division, Faculty Members - upon appointment request Once the VIP’s had been decided, I found the best contact details in for each VIP and quickly wanted to get the “Save the date” sent to them so that they had more of a chance to come to the event.

VIP - Email Communications

One of my responsibilities was to email the VIPs for our event, above you can read the content that went into the email. The aim was to educate them on the purpose of the evening and outline how the event was going to run, whilst asking them if I can extend an invitation personally. Disappointingly, only one person responded, despite sending follow up emails. On the next page, you will see how the VIP received their invitation in person,which was a lovely opportunity for the project management group to have.

Physical VIP - Invitations This was the day that we got to personally hand out our invitation to Bernadine, which was a lovely opportunity.

I feel as though the concept of the physical invitation translated really well and Bernadine was keen to get stuck in.

Van Hire Van hire was an important task to get ticked off in the early stages as without this, we would not have been able to display our work the way we wanted to. We also felt more comfortable spending the budget once the van hire had been booked.

Drinks Menu Designing the cocktail and mocktail menu for the evening was an enjoyable and imaginative task, as I took well-known drinks and cleverly played on their names to fit the theme of the event. This approach allowed me to focus on creativity differently, finding humour and wit in renaming classic beverages to add a personalised touch.

The familiar flavours ensured that guests would enjoy their drinks, while the inventive names hopefully spark conversation and added an element of fun to the evening.

This blend of familiarity and novelty makes the menu a delightful highlight of the celebration, contributing to the overall atmosphere. On the back of the cocktail menus is a QR code where people can scan to leave their feedback on the night.

Bios & QR codes I wanted to incorporate short bios and QR codes to display with the printed images on the night.

I wanted attendees to get a brief idea of what the student’s work was about, with the ability to scan the QR code to see the students 2 year journey

Branding Consistency Branding consistency is crucial for establishing a strong, recognisable identity that resonates with the audience and creates a cohesive experience for attendees. By maintaining uniformity in visual elements, messaging, and tone, a brand can reinforce its values and mission effectively.

Reflecting on my efforts, I believe I successfully achieved this by integrating my minimalist style into every aspect of the branding. Whether through clean, simple designs, or clear, concise communication, I ensured that every touchpoint aligned with the brand's core aesthetic. This not only highlighted my attention to detail but also demonstrated my commitment to delivering a seamless and authentic brand experience.

Cupcake toppers

Check Ins with other teams Regular check-ins with the other teams were crucial to ensure that all elements came together smoothly on the night of the event.

These meetings provided opportunities to coordinate efforts, address any issues promptly, and make necessary adjustments to the plan. However, challenges arose when some team members did not respond, attend meetings, or meet deadlines, which sometimes jeopardised the event's overall cohesion. Despite these obstacles, I learned to navigate these situations by clearly defining my responsibilities and understanding what fell outside my scope. By focusing on what I could control and effectively communicating with those involved, I managed to streamline the process and ensure that everything came together successfully for a seamless event.

Invoice - my contributions

Reflection on KPI’s Reflecting on my KPI indicators for the launch night event, I am pleased to see that they have remained consistent and met my expectations. The focus on aesthetic layout and branding ensured that every visual element aligned with the event's theme, creating a cohesive and polished experience.

Vendor and partner coordination efficiency was maintained through regular communication and effective management, which allowed for smooth collaboration and timely delivery of services. The quality of event execution was high, with all activities running as planned and meeting the set standards.

Additionally, adherence to the event timeline was diligently observed, ensuring that every segment of the event was executed as scheduled. I am satisfied with how these KPIs were upheld throughout the process, and I feel that consistently referring back to them contributed significantly to the event's overall success.