EVPR6021 Events Production

Introduction

This is an African event based on the diversity of African Arts and cultures. This is to be promoted in terms of the different variety of food s found in different countries within the continent of Africa. Be it South, North, West or East of Africa it was represented. The idea of the event was to bring people together and showcase the diversity found in Africa from the foods, the wear and the mode of entertainment from the different countries from all the corners of Africa and in the process of having fun they were to donate what they were willing to part with in order to help the less fortunate.

BODY.

• Planning And Management

Management of an event involves the coordination of various events such as, budgeting ,catering, selection of entertainers, selection of the site for the event and all other activities that are necessary for the event to run smoothly.

This event was planned on the basis of showing the day to day culture in almost all parts of Africa I.e. include the variety of delicacies, musical entertainment, religion and their way of dressing majorly attractive due to the mixed vibrant colors of their clothes. Plenty of details were to be considered during the planning. Due to the difference in culture, the overemphasis of some cultures especially religious once could cause conflicts and also the assumption of some cultures of the participants could lead to misunderstanding or even conflict( Darcy & Edwards, 2014). Therefore it was quite important to take into consideration all the cultures and design plan that could accommodate all the cultures without conflicts( group work). The management was selected individuals who were well aware of the different cultures of Africa and their different delicacies which were to be presented. The staff had a well understanding of the cultures.  These was to be achieved by the use of the social exchange theory where the presentation through visual, verbal and experiential ways, which educated and attracted the visit to the various African countries hence the countries  earning a recognition from the guest of the event and the most likely outcome was  that the countries would promote tourism in the coming times in certain parts of Africa .

Different individuals in the event management structure were given role form security personnel who were responsible for the welcoming the guests, ensuring that they were on the guest list. They were also put in charge of ensuring the safety of all the personnel within the event location in case of an incident(Blackman & Dickson). They had a broad knowledge of the protocol and the evacuation measures that they had to take if there was  an incident that occurred: In case of a terrorist attack, the security persons had the role of raising the alarm, informing the people to run and take cover at the safest points in the event, they had the license to engage brutal force in case of such an incident and then inform the relevant authorities about the incident. In the case of a fire incident, the security personnel had the responsibility to evacuate the individuals safely, use the available resource to put out the fire if possible and inform the fire responders and the medical responders that were near to the location of the incident for instant assistance. And finally in case of minor accidents in the event  the security personnel who also acted as the first and aid persons in the event had the knowledge of the location of the medical emergency kit ,hence the health kits were easily available for them to treat any accidents on the site of the event then inform the medical service responders about the incident(Hall & Herdeson, 2011). The staff were responsible for communication of different designs of clothes and elaborating on the variety of foods that were on display and available. They of all the persons available in preparing the event had to have the knowledge about the various cultural and religious differences between the African communities to avoid insulting a person while having the best intention in mind. An example is a difference in greetings by the different African communities and a slight mispronunciation may indicate that one is verbal abusing the other. The administration was responsible in informing the guest of the next activities to take place and the various rule that they should take consideration and were liable for. They had the responsibility of ensuring that the site of the even was suitable and sustainable in ensuring the safety of the individuals who attended the event. They were also in charge of ensuring that license required were available such as the sale of alcoholic drinks in the event from the performing rights association(Robert & Mulders, 2010). They had the role of also planning the budget and all the financial obligation that were to be met such as, payment of the staff, and the buying of the goods and services required to make the event successful.

3)  Health And Safety.

Health and safety legislations are the regulations that are put in order to ensure an event organizer a smooth running event as according to the regulations. The safety of the event and the health of the workers was the first priority, therefore in order to ensure that the event guest enjoyed and was to be entertained in a healthy and safe event. The site for the event was ensured to be safe following the following steps:

• Data collection about the site

The knowledge of the guest expected to attend the event is quite important information. This information enabled the event management to organize and be able to derive the appropriate workforce and budget required to ensure the event was a success(Blackwell & Calvo). The information collected gave the event planners the knowledge of the profiles of the guest and the ensured that the multicultural organization did not clash with anybody’s culture and religion(Salomone & Chiotti, 2012). The information of whether the guest was to be standing or seating, the emergency protocols to be followed and finally the time or duration in which the event will take place were vividly brought to the attention of the event managers through the data collection. 

• Assessing the site suitability for the event to take place

The information about the site gathered above was important as it helped the event management to assess the suitability of the event. The emergency exits on the site of the event were the first priority if they were not available the event site was not suitable. The information of the site location about the emergency exits was that they were located to2ards the main past the doors and were wide enough to accumulate a large number of people at once(Reids & Park). The site location was good as it was located near the main highway, therefore, the access to emergency services was also a priority and the event location met the condition. If the access to emergency services was no there then the event site was not suitable to hold the event in this case it was. The hazards that were present were the small spacing which could be very dangerous to the guest if an incident occurred, this was solved by moving some of the tables and making pathways that were spacious enough. The information  also allow  the event management team (us)  to identify the things that could hinder the efficiency if the party such as furniture available in the area of the event, the electrical line which could be hazardous to the guest and the staff and the lighting in the event(Bhata & Zomlot, 2014). The information a=enabled us to take appropriate measures to ensure that the event site was safe, this included lighting the event area sufficiently, putting up warning signs on various places warning the guest of electrocution and staircases.

• Designing the plans for the site organization.

The designing of the event included the decoration of the event, i.e. putting up ribbons on the wall and sheets on the tables which had the African unique colors. The foods and fruits in the event were also arranged in a manner that totally suggested that the event was A multicultural event (Kim & Odio, 2010). The planning of where to put and locate the facilities and provisions i.e. the platform and the tables that the guest was to seat on. The provisions were the foods, drinks(both alcoholic and non- alcoholic had to be placed or located in different positions in order not to offend the guest present in the event).  The Information on the design kept changing until the best plan of where the temporary structures and the provisions were to be put up came to light

The crowds should be managed by allocating some other roles to the contractor such as security roles and ensuring each of the individuals or contractors allocated the responsibility have clearly understood the role to ensure the visitor's safety(Clayton & krostanje, 2014). There should also be a close liaison or effective communication between the parties and individuals give certain responsibility because an incident may occur that require the different individuals to help each other in certain ways such as the evacuation procedures. There should be a submission of the event to a safety group around the site of the event. The following individuals should be liaised with during the event:

1. Personnel providing services at the event such as the security detail.
2. Nearby transport managers.
3. The site owner of the site the event will take place.

There should be clear terms on who is responsible for what and what he /she should do during an emergency situation(Andre & Emery, 2012). The event organizes should share their plans with the police, the fire service team and any other emergency response team around. The following are the emergency procedure that should be implemented in case of an incident:

               1) The alarm should be raised to warn the rest of the individual s in the event.

               2) Use of the available emergency resources on the site to respond to the emergency.

               3) Informing the emergency services.

               4) Evacuate the physically and mentally challenged individuals.

                5) Manage the crowd and the traffic if there is any.

               6) Control the incident and use the available resources within the outreach of the event site.

               7) Provide medical assistance and Aid to the injured individuals.

In the onsite of an incident, there should be a liaise between the event management and the medical responders to ensure that there is enough medical assistance including ambulances on the event site(.

The relevant staff should be well informed about the following which will assist in the evacuation if an incident may occur.

• They should know where the exit is located.
• They should know who to get direct orders from in case of an incident.
• They should be aware of how to raise alarms if they notice that an incident has occurred. They should be well informed of where the emergency equipment is located on the event site.

The above information will assist in the fast reaction and evacuation of the guest in case of an incident.

The evacuation routes and exist should be clear of any obstructions at any time, and the doors available should lead to the main exit point which should also be ready for use at any time. They should be open at all time and facing the direction of escape. The lighting should be sufficient and the escape routes labeled well to avoid confusion and commotion during the evacuation. The signs should well label and easily understood by even the individuals that are unfamiliar with the escape routes signs (Lotem & Cohen, 2013).

The point of assembling should be a safe distance from the incident considering all types of incidents that may occur. The children, persons with mobility problems, persons of disability and those with learning difficulties should be given more assistance during incidents(Higgs & Bauchat, 2010). In the scenario where the children are separated from their guardian's proper action of the evacuation of the children should be taken in order to avoid the scenario where the guardians try to reach them by going back to the incident area.

It should also be noted for an emergency to be responded effectively it may depend on a rapid halt of performance in the event. This may be initiated by identifying people who are the main responders in the event to communicate with the participants and the audience about the emergency incident and protocol to be followed(Ziakas, V. & Boukas, N., 2014). The words to be communicated during the emergency incident should be highly considered in that the words should not cause panic but the careful and fast evacuation of individuals from the site of the incident.

Only when the emergency incident has been neutralized then and only then the event should resume and measures to be taken for the incident not to occur again(Atkins & Moyers, 2013). In the majority of the cases the emergency validation where they establish the exercise and are able to note the effective ways to respond to several incidents that may occur.

4) Venue Site And Design

Venue site is the area where the event will take place and the changes required in terms of temporary structures and decoration of the event falls upon the designing of the venue site.The event design has seven facets which are interdependent and interrelated domains for one of the facet cannot function without the other(Ritchie & Reid, 2011). These facets are:

1. Catering

This is a multicultural African event with a variety of African foods. The staff had a wide knowledge of how to prepare the African desserts, drinks and master the recipe for the different foods. The staff dealing in catering had also to arrange the tables ant the table layouts in an African way which was attractive and appealing. The mode of dressing from the staff was African blending in with the African theme that was being represented in the event. Catering as it is said in the face of the event as it represents the nature of the event at the first look. The service style of the aroma was in the African way the menu also symbolized the African theme of the event, the iced cakes were also the symbol to represent the African taste. The African delicacies such as meat, the vegetables which were slightly spiced are shown on the photos in the appendices.

2. Content

There was the presentation of the African theme as the staff dressed African and at least knew the greetings of a few of the African languages(Thomas & Schlenker, 2011. They also knew the delicacies African name to bring out the theme of the event. The fashion showcased was entirely African which was represented by the vibrant colors that were worn.

3. Entertainment

The guest was treated with the African soothing lyrics as the models on the fashion platform portrayed the different attires worn in Africa. There was a stage where the guest was to dance to the tunes also the staff learned the different dancing styles at which they trained the guest. The cocktail beverage of alcoholic drinks was African made as they had been brewed by fermentation which is done in most African countries. The Dancing by the performance brought the African theme to life as it portrayed the African nature of the event. The use of musical instruments such as drums and flute brought out the African beat.

4. Environment

The event organizers had a big challenge in converting the room given to them to an event site. The spacing was small therefore they had to bring small tables in order to create space where the guest could walk past as they observed the food exhibit(White & Van der Wagen, 2018). The was sufficient lighting in the event room hence emphasizing of the different colors that were available in the room. Also, the runway where modeling was done was brightly light to enable vivid observation of the African wear which the models were portraying.

5. Production

The main productions were the foodstuffs, music, dressing code and lighting of the event. The Afrobeat music was produced by the flute and the dramas which were played by the hired individuals(Darcy & Edwards ,2015). The food was produced y baking in the oven, others were deep-fried and the alcoholic drinks, fermented and other foods such as sweet potatoes and the meat were roasted.

6. Programme

This was a five-hour event, where entertainment and refreshment took the biggest share of the time of the event. The entertainment sector which included fashion of the African multicultural display took three hours, dancing and presentation took almost half an hour (Atkins & Moyers ,2015). Refreshment and display of various food types of the African culture took an hour. Finally, interaction and the taking of photos took half an hour.

7. Theme

The theme of the event was promoting the diversity of the African cultures. This was achieved by the variety of different foods displayed by the event organizer. The African wear present on the event also reflected the same (Dickson & Benson ,2013). The second was donations and promoting tourism to the various Nations represented on the event. This donation was presented by donating in the donation can which was put in front of the serving table.

5) Communication.

Communication  event is a detailed schedule of hoe when and what to communicate to the guests in the event. Communication in an event is very important. In this event various channels of communication were used, much of this were posters, telephones, announcements through the loudspeakers during the event and also communication via emails. This enabled efficient flow of communication through all the hierarchy ensuring smooth running and management of the event. (group work)

6) Temporary Structures.

These temporary structures included the structures that were put up for the ease of acess to resources and decorations. There were various decoration structures that were put in place to bring out the African theme. They included balloons, ribbons, fruit piled into p-pillar structures and decorating sheets that were put on the walls and tables to make the event room look more lively .( Eisen & Sternberg ,2012). The temporary structures were planned in systematic way enabling ease of operations in the event. The structures enabled the staff and the guest to have a  visual perception of what the African culture represents  , from ribbons to the vibrant colors portrayed  and also the fruits which were arranged  or put in structure to represent the Diversity of the African fruits.

7)  Working With Various Stake Holders.

The various stakeholders were the people in charge of various units that were nearby and incase of anything they could respond appropriately. The event was manager liaised with various stakeholders from the security personnel, to the staffs and finally the owner of the event building. The emergency services were also liaised with in case of an emergency incident occurring (Plante & Mauro, 2011).

8) Production Technology.

The production technology are defined as the various equipment’s used to generate goods and services that were to be provided in the event. There was plenty of technology used in the event, from the sound systems to the kitchen electronics used to cook and bake the food (Bearzotti & Salomone). The lighting was sufficient during all the activities of the event due to the lighting bulbs provided by the event organizer due to the cold season there was use of electric heaters in order to help those who are cold affected by the cold weather either due to asthma, allergies or maybe just weak immune systems.

9)  Ethical And Sustainability Considerations.

The ethical considerations ae the moral obligation that the event organizer has towards the community, the staff members and also to the attendees. The event management ensured that we had a good strong relationship with the employees. The management also ensures that the event site was properly cleaned after the event and the waste was properly disposed of (Chen & Brammer,2013). Also, the group and the staff came together to take down the decorations that were done .the event also was peaceful and did not disturb others who were around .everyone in the group came together to know whether we had reached our objective in promoting the African multicultural( Pearcy & Philips ,2014). The support of both the staff and the group facilitated us to be able to give the excess food and drinks to the homeless and the street children as it were inhumane to throw it away. Also, we had to sign out and inform the manager of the building.

Conclusion

The event was a total success as the ideas and the themes were achieved(Bhatt & Manadhata  ,2014). The diversity of the African culture was expressed through all their available attributes in the event. More so the regulations and the ethical obligations were met by the organization making it successful in all aspects.

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