Differences between Projects and Events

Although there are many similarities in the nature of both projects and events, there are some key fundamental differences:

1. The date for an event cannot be moved

Often in projects, particularly large scale and complex ones, completion dates of certain deliverables get pushed back, impacting the completion of the overall project. This can happen for a variety of reasons; perhaps the complexity has been underestimated, resources are unavailable or budget constraints slow the project down. This cannot happen with an event as tickets will have been sold and the venue, entertainment and staff will have been booked for a specific day or days. Even if preparations remain unfinished, the event must go on!

2. Event experiences are co-created with participants 3. Most projects require handover

Many projects will require a handover at the end and there will often be follow-up work going forwards. For example, if the project was to implement a new HR IT system in a company, when the implementation is complete the project team cannot simply walk away; they will need to train the employees to take over key processes and areas so that the technology continues to work smoothly. They should also continue to follow up to solve any problems and to ensure the project has been a success. An event on the other hand does not require handover and after the evaluation is complete, the team will move on to other work.

CHALLENGE YOURSELF Can you think of at least three more differences between projects and events? Try to draw on your own experiences in your answer. Be ready to share your thoughts with the class.

The success of an event will depend on the participants; an event cannot happen without attendees and often their actions and attitudes will impact the overall success of the event. The actions of participants will impact the event from the conception; the feasibility of the event will rely on participant appetite, the scale of the event will depend on the amount of tickets sold and the feedback from the event will determine future direction.

Common challenges in both projects and events Balancing cost, schedule and scope can be a complex task and there are a number of key challenges that both projects and events can face. They include:

1. Design issues

Undefined or goals for an event or project can result in confusion and misalignment down the line, causing the team and the overall engagement to suffer. It is the manager’s role to clearly define the goals alongside the client before work begins and communicate these to the entire team.

Scope creep down the line is also a common headache. This means the scope of the project or event is extended from what was originally agreed, for example a client might ask for extra entertainment or stages at an event that were not part of the original plan. This can cause cost and time problems; the manager should evaluate any scope requests but be firm on their impact.

2. Working with teams

Due to their temporary nature, both projects and events require new teams to form and work together quickly, which isn’t always plain sailing! There might not be the right mix of skills required for the engagement, there could be clashing personalities and invested interests which can hinder performance. A lack of accountability is also common within temporary teams if responsibilities have not been clearly defined and temporary employees are often more difficult to motivate and engage.

An engagement manager needs to be aware of what skills are required and properly match resources to roles, recommending training and hiring new staff where necessary. Excellent communication across teams is a must, with regular communication practices such as daily/weekly updates and meetings accompanied by proper infrastructure such as document sharing and video conferencing to enhance collaboration.

3. Impossible Deadlines

Misjudged initial deadlines (and the assumptions that created them) can be a major cause of ‘schedule slippage’. To deal with a slipping schedule, engagement managers need to be able to find alternative approaches to the project in order to complete a project on time, or to get approval for moving the deadline.

4. Resource deprivation:

Projects and events usually compete for resources (people, money, time) against other projects or initiatives, and under-resourced engagements are unlikely to run effectively. Managers need to define needs and obtain approval up front, which helps to assign and prioritise resources throughout the duration of a project.

Benefits and limitations of applying project management techniques to event management As the complexities of events grow and the expectations of clients continue to increase, the adoption of formal project management tools and techniques can add structure and discipline to the event management process, particularly in areas such as:

• The procurement process

• Scope or work breakdown

• Stakeholder analysis and management

• Planning and control resource allocation

• Benefits tracking (quantitative and qualitative).

However, there are limitations to using project management tools.

The biggest criticism from event teams and managers is that sometimes the tools make the process very rigid and can stifle creativity. Over processing the planning stage and adding in too many layers of bureaucracy that actually end up slowing people down as they are tied up in paper work and reporting.

We will spend the remainder of this unit exploring useful project management tools and recommending the best ways that they can be applied to the initiation, planning and closedown phases on an event lifecycle.

EVENT INITIATION TOPIC 2