1. Introduction
This is a report about offering a Planning model for Yorkshire Coach Trip. The selection of the planning structure has been done with considerations to the University students of University of Huddersfield as target customers. The basic approach is to analyse the Pre Event Planning Model and the Post Event Planning Model related to this trip and thereby create a new kind of planning model to meet all the demands of the respective trip. Special emphasis has been led over the choices of the customers and their demands for a more appropriate kind of trip in the future. The approach followed is very practical and is based on the current scenario of planning proceedings related to Yorkshire as destination and University students as the target customers.
2. Overview of Pre Event Planning Model
Declarations made in Pre Event Planning Model are about the offerings related to Yorkshire Coach Trip for University students, University of Huddersfield. The aim of following Pre Event Planning Model is to attain business-oriented feedbacks and to meet demands of the customer. The analyses are all based on predetermined structures of managerial, marketing and financial mode of gaining profit margin. The Pre Event Planning Model has been formulated– SEE APPENDIX
Declarations made in Pre Event Planning Model are about the offerings related to Yorkshire Coach Trip for University students, University of Huddersfield. The aim of following Pre Event Planning Model is to attain business-oriented feedbacks and to meet demands of the customer. The analyses are all based on predetermined structures of managerial, marketing and financial mode of gaining profit margin. The Pre Event Planning Model has been formulated– SEE APPENDIX
2.1 Core Values
The Pre-event planning model for Yorkshire Coach Trip follows core values based on EMBOK model. This model refers to skills that are marked under business and personal domains and need to get orchestrated for presentation of an event successfully (Robson, 2008). The basic approaches were all based on aspects of creativity, compact integration, moral and ethical notions, continuous mode of improvement added by strategic thinking procedure. All the approaches are considered equally without any hierarchical classification (Allen et al., 2008).
2.2 SMART Analysis
The structure of the model gets noted as per Allen et al., (2008). In leading the project definition, Yorkshire Coach Trip has been considered as a tourism and leisure event that is designed for university students from Yorkshire area. The first trip is with 70 attendees and is scheduled for Christmas shopping and sightseeing of Castel Howard. This will also include visit to Yorkshire Designer Outlet. The trip that follows is with 30 attendees and is about visiting Yorkshire Sculpture Park along with the experience of historical heritage by visiting Yorkshire Museum. The structure of the trips was based on SMART Analysis, where Specific (S) aspect concentrated over 70 and 30 attendees in the first and second trip respectively. The Measurable (M) domain has been used to attain financial status from tickets and relevant evaluation results. In terms of assessing the feature of Achievable (A) mode, it has been marked that 100 attendees can easily be achieved for 2 trips and thereby the goal of 70% satisfied customers can be met. For Realistic (R) domain, fare charges were kept low and promotions were all dome through the Student Union. In terms of dealing with Time Specific (T) factor, the first trip got scheduled on 3rd of Dec. 2011; followed by the second trip was kept tentative by February 2012. No fixed dates have been declared her. This is something that actually is not following the matter of being time specific for this particular plan.
2.3 SWOT Analysis
The model further followed SWOT analysis to evaluate its proceedings. Under this approach, it has been marked that Yorkshire Coach Trip attained Strength (S) based on the selection of favourable time where they could avoid competitors. The prices were kept competitively low and extra discounts were made available. Moreover, the target of participants has been limited to a minimal count of 100 students and the trips were just arranged for a day. For the selection of sites a well analysed list has been created and seemed to be perfect with almost no-budget for the promotional strategy; where minimum personal efforts are added by Student Union. The marked Weakness (W) is about selling 70 tickets in a very short period along with no back up towards the control of students, in case the attendees exceed determined estimation. Balancing of volunteers and meeting diversified demands turned up difficult for the organizing group. As a matter of fact, there was none to offer any expert or experienced advice to the team. The selected ticket booking areas was limited with higher risk for more number of coaches. It was also hard for the group to break-even under low price of ticket. For Opportunities (O), the trip attained potential attendees, especially due to the planned visit to Castle Howard. There were more selling points in reference to two-stop trip and the scope to shop before Christmas added an extra advantage to it. The identifications under Threats (T) get marked for all the possible competitors, who are trading trips for Christmas. Instance of bad weather and issues for safety and health concerns were considered as major threats for this arrangement.
2.4 Scope of the Event
The scope related to Yorkshire Coach Trip as declared by the pre-event planning model, followed EMBOK and has been structured as a plan through steps of Initiation and Planning. This gets further enhanced by Implementation, actual Event and lastly the Closure. Life cycle for this project got initiated by the factor of Initiation in a very aggressive way. In order to meet the project objectives, the management group followed an agreement between the manager and the respective client. The Planning was more about following a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), whereby arrangement, absolute procurement and marketing get accomplished. There is then the third stage for Implementation that followed the tools like Gantt charts and adequate provisions are made in reference to employing volunteers or assessing the functionalities of the team. For the phase of the Event, projects objectives are considered for monitoring and measurement purposes. Accordingly the reports are made for further evaluations. The phase for Closure leads to the closing of the project, where the report gets well documented and the evaluation process gets executed.
An absolute model of WBS or the Work Breakdown Structure has been maintained, where on specific basis the managers of Yorkshire Coach Trip implied "domain" as category under the formulation of EMBOK Model of Wagen. Basic categories were that of HR, Finance, Information, Systems, Stakeholders and Time Management. Aspects like theme, content, environment, program and production are designed with marketing plan, promotion, materials, PR and sales. Further, there is the operation events led by attendees, infrastructure, communications, logistics and respective site; along with health and safety related issues.
Process of task analyses includes the functionalities led under Administration, where Financial Management and HR Management are considered as primary. Financial goals were all well structured for proper achievements. The first trip got planned for cost £756 and estimated to rise with £1056 from tickets. Second was with cost of £461 and planned to attain £511 from selling of ticket. The proceedings followed break-even structure for the decision making purposes. Sector for HR Management considered the domains of managing Job Description, Person Specification, Managing Volunteers, General Workforce Training and Conflict Resolution.
Approaches related to the maintenance of Information laid emphasis over Information acquisition, Evaluation and dealings in reference to meet Minutes. Proceedings with Stakeholders get considered under the mode of Prioritizing Stakeholders, where the issues of keeping them satisfied, is managed closely, monitored with minimum effort and management has been kept informed about the core bases. System of Yorkshire Coach Trip is the category that is handled more professionally and with systematic modulations. Management of Time gets marked under the persuasion of Activity Sequencing, Production Schedules, Time Line and Gantt chart.
Design structure of Yorkshire Coach Trip followed the implementation of Content, Theme, Entertainment, Environment, Production, Program and Catering. In case of Marketing, apt kind of Marketing Plan is implemented by keeping marketing objectives in the frontline. Approaches were further initiated in terms of marketing segmentation for checking over the preferences of the customers as per and as against the arrangements of the event. The persuasion of benefit segmentation has been attained from this segmentation of the market. Further the team led emphasis in understanding target audience with regular importance over marketing mix. The core idea here is to consider diversified categories in reference to wider population. Well-arranged marketing material has been formulated to get the structure of apt evaluation and communicative proceedings. Promotional grounds are though considered by the management team, yet the proceedings were all about getting assistances from Student Union. Added to this there is no merchandise arranged for this assignment. Promotion Schedule gets maintained as per the proceedings being arranged with regular kind of intervals; starting from tenure of 2 months before the event to the post event scenario. University students are the targeted here, and thus Public Relation is maintained by a team with Students Union. Platforms like library, Student Union areas and University Cafeteria are used for selling of tickets for the trip.
Yorkshire Coach Trip structured the formulation for managing Operation through the participants of attendees in reference to relevant control over admission and the gathering of the same. Participations of the students got managed in the areas like car parking and people were approached on individual basis.
In the process, communications has been handled by the provisions of non-verbal communication and visual communication. The entire program followed both internal as well as external communications. Roles of the managers came up as vital in this process. Managers also concentrated over the Infrastructure facilities like parking areas and the toilets in the places wherever they visited. Implication of Logistics was so arranged that every participant got mobile alerts and calls before the schedules, to avoid any delay or cancellation.
Yorkshire Coach Trip managers considered Site as the base for dealing with the actual competitive markets and this is the reason that they specifically managed to have innovative selections like Castel Howard. The process of selection of the sites was followed through the persuasions of many ideas followed by first screen of financing act. This is further developed by second screen of marketing, third screen of operations and remaining concepts as well as selections. The team also followed the process in terms of abandoning ideas for more filtered initiation. The teams of managers remained particular about analyzing the level of competition and thereby selecting sites in order to meet breakeven or profitable returns. It has been noted here that while pursuing the trip, the team never obtained any high technology support as they never felt the need.
In terms of dealing with Risk, the management team tried to make a list of most of the possible hazards that can be a part of the whole event. In this process the team considered issues under Emergency, Health and Safety, Insurance Legal issues and Security.
2.7 Responsibilities
Responsibilities were somewhat handled well by the team and they remained very particular in offering the participants with affordable comfort. The managers laid emphasis over diversified choices and tried to offer the participants with precautionary provisions in terms of dealing with risks, if needed. However, these persuasions were not much supported technically and were kept under manageable context for any awkward situation.
2.8 Critical Path Analysis
The entire trip gets a very well scrutinised baseline, which is termed as Critical Path Analysis (or the CPA). In this approach they offered adequate efforts in measuring progress and further reporting progress to attain a valid evaluative report. It is through this analytical approach that the team availed structured approaches and proper graphic tools.
The Yorkshire Coach Trip got designed by a group of managers who are very fresh in the field of event management. Their approach is very systematic and to a great extent theoretical. There were two trips managed by the group to attain right kind of evaluative results. Selections of the places were all done by keeping in consideration the competitive demands of the market. Selection of Christmas time is also very apt for shopping and that became an additional boost for the managing team. The team very easily could meet the target, though it was kept relevantly low. In terms of finance, the team attained adequate success. Strategic implementation of campaigning, marketing selling of tickets were all so organised that the team hardly invested anything on these. The technical support has been kept nil as the managers felt no use of it. As beginners, the efforts of the team are worth appreciation, yet the feedbacks collected by the Post Event Planning Model are vital in future proceedings.
3. Post Event Planning Model
Post Event Planning Model has been so structured that the managers of the Yorkshire Coach Trip get a detailed idea about the kind of trip that the customers actually want and the proceedings through which these managers can expand the formulations for bigger mass. The initiations of this model is to give adequate information and guidelines to these managers for a more apt and authentic kind of trip for the upcoming business module. The Post Event Planning Model of Yorkshire Coach Trip has been formulated - SEE APPENDIX
3.1 Basic Review
The feedback and assessments as offered by the client after the trip follows the process of systematic review. In accordance to the basic structure o the review, the client agreed with almost all the proceedings that are initiated by the management team of Yorkshire Coach Trip. The client is kind of satisfied with the attempt of these managers. The post event planning model is more about offering the management team with an insight related to the perception of the client. The client thus offers all those aspects under which the management team will be able to have a better kind of event in the future. The target here is also to widen up the scopes and structure so that the same formulations can be used in reference to larger population. As this is the initial stage the feedbacks are all kept under moderate condition, yet will all those points that are much expected by any client. The very key purpose for the detailed declarations of post event planning is to attain necessary success in order to ensure that the particular event remains at the competitive edge. The approach concentrates in identifying the mode of ownership related to the implemented strategies and thereby shows the space for communication led by the team. The entire approach is more about establishing the current status of the company and to define its future presence in the business periphery.
3.2 Strategic Considerations
The formulations under the strategic considerations led by the pre event planning model are of great importance to the post event planning model. However, there are some major instructions added by the post event model, so that necessary developments and improvements can be marked with more specifications. The basic structure of the whole event has been accepted in general. As per the Review, the client is convinced about the implications related to Project Definition, Evaluation, Scope of Work, Work Breakdown Structure and the process of Critical Path Analysis. It is here that the Project Definition has been illustrated by the persuasion of comprehensive existence of Aims and Objectives related to the event, SMART Analysis marked for the objectives and SWOT Analysis meant for the event evaluation. The post event planning model demands for the persuasion of Responsibility while defining the project. The stage for Evaluation marked for offering the base analytical content to the regular and planned formulations of the event. As for the Scope of the event, the post event planning model is very specific about the implementation of Initiation, Planning, Implementation, Event and Closure; exactly the way the event management team considered it to be. There seems to be no variation in this respect. Further, there is the categorical approach under Work Breakdown Structure, which was also relevant to the pre event planning model. However, there is very huge difference in these approaches. In case of Pre event model, this category under goes the theoretical framework of Wagen's EMBOK Model, whereas the same is actually not much considered by the post event planning model. Instead the emphasis has been led over the persuasion of responsibility that must be met in dealing with the instance of WBS. The responsibility managed for WBS gets further illustrations by the demands of adding the domains of University, Client, Course leader and the Team. These are the subcategories that are further enhanced for the attainment of Administration, Design, Marketing, Operation and Risk, which were initially considered the pre event planning team under the process of Task Analysis. Adding up of University, Client, Course leader and the Team seems to be a very predominant demand of the client that also want to have the connection with the analysis of the task for meeting the project based objectives. The category related to Critical Path Analysis is something that has been much considered by the post event planning model. The point to be noted here that this model insist in the use of Gantt Chart, that was initially used in terms of illustrating implementations under the process of understanding the scope of the work by the Pre event planning model.
3.3 Additional Implementations
Though the client accepts the basic persuasions and event management structure led by the pre event planning mode, yet there are many additional categories that are considered important for the post event planning model for the success of the event. As the post event planning model comes into light, it has been marked that the process to review the plan gets the essence of evaluation and there is more emphasis over the structural evaluation instead of just initiating free flow. Approach has been marked to remain more likely to add monitoring and collecting relevant feedback, as the content for evaluation is managed through qualitative research methodology. The addition of this strategic plan is very relevant in offering the well balanced event management, with a clear perception about things that are important for modifications (Goodman, 2000).
As against the pre event planning structure, the post event planning model is considering all kinds of responsibilities, responses and initiatives of the manager under one roof. The emphasis led by the feedback declarations made by the client refers to the aspects related towards the management of staff responsibilities and having adequate control over the mode of organized functionalities. As the maintenance of responsibility has been initiated in the domains of Project Definition and the WBS, there is the need for considering periodical formulations added by event-driven base as the preliminary kind of definition related to decision can be attained. These are the proceedings that must get driven by the process of resource allocation by the managers. As a whole, for the maintenance of responsibility under balanced management structure, it is important to have necessary over-sightedness against the use of control mechanisms. The role of responsibility also highlights the participation of media in offering the event with necessary limelight. It is through this approach that the event will attract more and more people in the following session and that the same will offer the grounds for realising the specialised points of the event to the public. For any Organizing Committee, the core responsibility is to offer the customer with necessary assistance and to make relevant arrangements about the financial and management related dealings. Though the pre event model considered this responsibility, yet the post event model feels that the approach still lacked the sense of responsibility and there is the need for more concerns to this field.
The post event planning model is adding the participation of University, Client, Course leader and the Team in managing the Yorkshire Coach Trip. The emotive here is to add those elements that can give the event an experiences and official touch. By adding these sectors to the event, the managers will have enough official assistance to create and manage with the wider version of the event in the future. By the participation of the University and Course leader, the managers are going to have more proper recognition and relevant authenticated base for the persuasion of the event. As these sectors will join in through WBS, the event will avail participations of more and more students. Managing Client in the process will offer necessary advises to the managers and that will enhance their proceedings with more customer-oriented approaches. It has been noted that the participation of working Teams in the event management process will add more helping hands and a proper format of WBS to the entire formulation. Moreover, this post event planning added the need for Gantt chart to the domain of Critical Path Analysis. The pre event planning model added the implication of this chart as a graphic reporting tool in the implementation of the scope of the process. However, the client wants to emphasis on this chart with rather the essence of exclusiveness and adds it under the implication of Critical Path Analysis. For pre event planning model the Gantt chart is used for marking major tasks that must get accomplished. These are definitely apt kinds of suggestions if the management team decides to attain expanded formulation towards the entire process of arranging and managing this event on a broader platform.
4. Analysis and Discussion
There were basically two distinctive planning models. One is marked as the pre event planning and the other is the post event planning. A comparative analysis of these models specifically note that the objectives led by the pre-event model can be well managed and dealt if there is a combination with the post event model. According to both the models, the process of managing an event is all about applying project management plans to meet project targets. Yorkshire Coach Trip in particular attained success in meeting the targets, yet cannot be appreciated much in meeting customers’ expectations. While managing Yorkshire Coach Trip, there is the need for studying all kinds of intricacies and identify target audience. It is the chief role of the managers to devise about the concept of the event, as touring and shopping.
4.1 Issue of ‘Responsibility’
Apt kind of planning is the core of any event management and as suggested by the mentioned models, this is a sector that needs absolute clarity and systematic persuasion. Plans related to marketing, services, logistics, technology and collection of feedbacks are the base for a proper evaluative approach of an event. It is here that the event demands for some experienced advisory assistances. As per the pre event model this is something that is actually not considered at all. However, for the post event planning model, specific suggestion has been forwarded for the participation of University, Client, Course Leader and Team. As for the team, the management group already got one by itself. However, the post event model suggests for some more professional supervisions in the team. From a critical analytical point of view, it has been found that the pre event model is not much well established or acquainted with professional demands related to the process of event management. As against this the post event model is more concerned about the persuasion of ‘Responsibility’ in a very specific way. As the client adds the essence of ‘Responsibility’ twice, it can be well assessed that somewhere or the other he is not much satisfied with the pre event model. The word responsibility in itself is a kind of strict feedback against the efforts that are initiated by the management group. From the connections of using responsibility as the core ingredient in initiating Project Definition and Work Breakdown Structure, it must be well comprehended that these are the sectors that disparately need modifications and serious attention. It is true that the event has been initiated in a very small scale and with very limited budget and target population. However, there seems to be some lack in pursuing the event management process for which the client added the need to appropriate implication of responsibility in these frontiers. From the feedback structures initiated by the post event model, it has been marked that the pre event model lacks particular attentions in the fields of client service. Pre event model also could not meet brief clarification, cash flow management, budget drafting, supply chain identification, scheduling, procurement, technical design, site design, health & safety, ecological and environmental management and risk management. Thus, implication of ‘Responsibility’ has been insisted with more emphasis.
4.2 Meeting Objectives
The pre event management needs to create a balanced approach related to the management of marketing tool, related services, modes of implied logistics, technology dominance and issues related to customer care and hospitality. Assistances need to be attained from various public relations firms, advertising agencies, corporations, non-profit organization, news media, integrated communications and marketing and event accounting and budgeting (Talley and Axelroth, 2001). As declared in the pre event model the management group is trying to follow the initiations led by the Student Union in the field of promotion and selling tickets. This is definitely is a very well though mode of persuasion. While investigating pre event planning model, it is necessary to note the count of success attained by the event management group and ignorance of the same should not be considered. The predetermined objectives of the management group of Yorkshire Coach Trip were -
· to attract at least 70 attendees to accomplish the first trip and a minimal of 30 attendees for second trip
· to breakeven within a minimal budget of £150
· to offer 100% attained from the flyers.
· to reach hits of ‘Like’ to a margin of 500 on Facebook page.
· to reach almost 85% of assessed “satisfied” declaration over event feedback for first trip and margin of 95 % “satisfied” from second trip.
However, as against this success, the client’s feedback does not come with much satisfaction. The crux lies in the attainment of the last objective. It must be noted that the estimated percentages are led by a very minimal sample size of the population. Though the management team could meet most of the predetermined objectives related to the event management trip, yet the satisfaction of the client remains as the base for future development of this management group. It must be noted that the basic objective of the team was to collect students within the University of Huddersfield, and to explore the area of Yorkshire and thereby learn from selected historical heritage and to enjoy the entire Yorkshire Coach Trip. When it comes to enjoyment, there is the concern of customer satisfaction, which was not actually met by the team in particular.
There is the issue of using Gantt chart that has been already used by the pre event planning model, yet the post event planning model wanted the same extension in terms of dealing with critical path analysis. It is important to note here that, as the duration was just for a month the chart could not be more than a very precise and concise structure. Yet in reference to the recommendation led by the post event planning model, this must be further initiated for the Critical Path Analysis for more specific declarations. This is something that the pre event ignored and adding the same will add to the process of maintaining customer related satisfaction level.
Eventually, it must be noted that issues related to marketing, logistics and technological support cannot be ignored under any circumstance (Wasserman, 2009). To offer the client with right kind of satisfactory level, the managers must add efficient participation of professionals or professional advises in these domains (Sanders, 1995). It is an obvious thing that no matter whether the event is of bigger budget or is smaller in unit, customer satisfaction is the base for the notified success of the event. Relevant concerns related to the responsibility in the field of marketing, logistics and technological support, along with the process of executing the modalities related to proposed event (Hermon, Nitecki, Danuta and Altman, 1999). Analysis led by the post-event model is subject to ensure return over investment that eventually turns as significant drivers for the event.
5. New Balanced Model
Concept of Event Management can be defined as
“Events are temporary occurrences either planned or unplanned. They have a finite length, and for planned events this is usually fixed and publicized .... events are transient, and every event is a unique blending of its duration, setting, management, and people”. (Getz, 2005, p 4)
Any event demands for benefits that can be attained only through appropriate kind of planning. The event managers must be clearly aware of the fact that it is through planning that the event will remain free of uncertainties and thereby will get minimized resistance towards change. Considering this as the base for the event of Yorkshire Coach Trip, it has been noted that by apt planning on both pre event and post event sequence, the management group is liable enough to attain a very balanced kind of event. Primitive demand of the newly balanced plan is to offer the event management group with appropriate insight to detect as well as resolve all sorts of problems that can come up in the way of initiating the project. There is also the need for alternative strategies that can support the event in case of some failure of the original plan. The management group must appoint few assistants to follow up the plan in more professional way (Wagner, 2006). These people will comprise as staff and will bear necessary responsibility in their relevant fields like marketing, promotions and selling. However, the most import point here is also to understand the kinds of consumers that the group is dealing with and the way to offer them with right kinds of assistance (Wagen and Carlos, 2004).
5.1 Comprehending Consumer Behaviour
For the persuasion of a balanced as well equipped event it is important to concentrate over such planning that can offer necessary assistance and support to the event management group along with ultimate satisfaction to the customer. Though understanding customer behaviour still remains a mystery yet it is necessary to have a concept regarding the same. In this reference it is apt to follow that different customer gets inclined towards specific services or products under varied kinds of situation. Understanding consumer interest is all about comprehending abstract mode of their willingness for the product or the service (Evenson, 2005). This is very much relied over the subject of their personal taste, needs and pocket size. Expectations of the consumer or the client are hard to assess and to measure the same there is the need for more generalised surveys to attain a well balanced marketing formulation. By keeping this kind of instance in mind, it is very proper to declare that the feedback attained for the post event planning model is very limited as the management team only tried to follow a restricted client. Added to this the event project is comparatively small and is under very minimal budget specification, which is no concern for the client. Thus to consider the declarations of the post event planning as the ultimate kind of feedback will be wrong and considerations must be led over wider speculations to understand the demands of the consumers in general (Schachter, 2006).
5.1.1 Perception of Consumer
It is important to have absolute kind of perception about the way the information gets collected and further categorized. These approaches get well exposed by the stimulus added by interpretation led by individual. As for instance, in case of Yorkshire Coach Trip, the university students must hear about the innovative addition of Howard Castel to the trip and that will influence them to try something new.
5.1.2 Personality of Consumer
Managing with the personality of the consumer is a very tough aspect for any management group. This is the reason that the group managing Yorkshire Coach Trip needs to comprehend the behaviour pattern of university students and their outlook as well as internal traits. A proper classification and assessment of these traits must be initiated by the management group on the basis of (Hoyer and MacInnis, 2008) –
· extroversion or introversion,
· complacency or ambition,
· timidity or aggressiveness and
· pragmatism or compulsiveness.
After this classification the team need to arrange the trips as per the general temperament of the consumers.
5.1.3 Values of Consumer
Consumers’ values depend as per the standards related to conduct which is subject to rise from learned mode of culture. In this reference the students of the university must get considered as per their current lifestyle and the values that they carry about the things that they are dealing with. The management group is very efficient in identifying these matters and appropriately they could offer the visits related to heritage and culture to the University students.
5.1.4 Beliefs of Consumer
It is necessary to note that consumers in general follow beliefs related to a particular service or product in the market and continuously concentrates on developing and comparing the same. As proper amalgamation of emotions, knowledge and actual actions are core elements to this belief. It is thus apt to offer the participants of Yorkshire Coach Trip with some positive image about the event and to assure that they can attain necessary satisfaction related to the same.
5.1.5 Attitude of Consumer
The attitude of the consumer is an amalgamation of perceptions, beliefs and values under the influence of culture and environment. At the very first step the consumer perceives the respective service or product and then believe it if the values are in accordance to their preferences. This is a mode of approach that has been much attained by the management team of Yorkshire Coach Trip as they tried to meet every student through the Student Union that is basically concerned about representing the mass of university students.
5.2 Proper Event Management Planning Model
A new and balanced event plan must have some determined approaches to meet all the demands added by the profit margins related to the project. Before initiating an event it is a compulsion to have council staff so that they can offer necessary assistance at the time of need. In case of Yorkshire Coach Trip, this council staff can be the selected members from University, course leader, client and team; as suggested by the post event planning model. Though this council staff can be considered as optional, yet it is important to take their support if required.
5.3. Event Details
5.3.1. Event Place, Time and Total Visitors
It is important to overview the places, time span with total numbers of visitors as per the event standard. Detailed illustrations must be structured with setting up and dismantling mode of event, as per the minimised multi-access with assistance for work schedule of the areas.
5.3.2. Event Manager Details
Event manager must accept to have sole responsibility regarding the process of resourcing, organising, management of human resource, creative directing, financial management, negotiating, public representation, liaison and above all troubleshooting (Allen, 2009). It is very important that the manager in charge of Yorkshire Coach Trip remains available all the time, during the event, as he must plan, conduct and evaluate the entire event and must be of help to all the visitors whenever needed (Mallen and Adams, 2008).
5.4. Insurance Details
While managing Yorkshire Coach Trip, there is the need to ensure safety of the event organisers, related volunteers, event and contract staff and most importantly the visitors and public in general. Thus event managers must understand public liability insurance added by legal advices related to the event of Yorkshire Coach Trip. There can be insurance cover for the equipment and property involved in the management of Yorkshire Coach Trip.
5.5. The Venue
The managers must have comprehensive and detailed maps about the selected sites. While attained relevant understanding about the places, it is important to consider instances of potential hazards, egress and access emergency services, along with the demands like pedestrians, shelter and traffic.
5.5.1. Potential Hazards and Contingency Plan
For an outdoor event like Yorkshire Coach Trip, the managers need to attain “Risk Assessment” for hazards like slip, falls and trips, terrain like small holes causing twist of ankles, proximity related to water bodies; fauna like snakes and insects; bushfire potential, condition of high winds, extreme temperature, fit-outs in age old buildings chemical related hazards, etc. There should also be a contingency plan for sudden rain for outdoor trip like the selected one.
Proper first aid assistance and readily available physicians must be kept at reach in case of any of such hazards.
5.5.2 Checklist for Site Plan - SEE APPENDIX
5.6. Pedestrian and Traffic Management
5.6.1. Plan for Traffic Management
It is a compulsion to plan a patron access to ensure no disruption in the neighbouring homes, regions and businesses and to attain clear access through emergency services added by event staff. It is here that the post event planning insisted over ‘Responsibility’ that the event managers must have in reference to space for parking along with solutions if there is the situation of over-flow of parking. The managers as declared in the pre event planning model left no scope for disable people, and that is something must be checked through this new balanced plan.
5.6.2. Road-Closure
Issues under logistic domain have not been handled well by the pre event planning. The managers were not prepared with back up plans. It is true that the team attained success in this event, yet they must be considered lucky for not facing any issues like road closure in during the trips. This is the reason that under this new plan the management group must have specific sense of responsibility while dealing with considerations under logistics.
5.7. Plan for Incident Management
Whether an event is small or big, back up plans to protect people and property is a compulsion. This is something that is not found with much effective approaches in the pre event or the post event planning model. Though the post event management never mentioned specifically about incident management backups yet may be the same has been referred as the model states ‘Responsibility’.
5.7.1. Centre for Event or the Incident Control
There should be a particular centre where event or incident related to it can be controlled. For the Yorkshire Coach Trip, this centre can be managed by one of the managers in respect of offering necessary assistance if anything goes wrong. This particular manager must be in regular control with the whole bunch of visitors and other managers, so that emergency related accommodations, ambulances and emergency services can be made readily available.
It is a compulsion to have First Aid kit and arrangements for any sort of on-site emergency. Particular manager must be offered with these responsibilities. The managerial group must contact ambulance services prior to the event for immediate attention if needed. The contact number of the nearest police station, fire services, Ambulance Service, nearest Hospital must be kept in hand.
5.7.2. Format for Incident Reports
The managerial team must have the format for the incident report handy, so that they can take note of conditions, causes and consequences related to the incident to resolve it as soon as possible.
All the incidents need to get recorded as per the format noted below:
Event Name: ....................................................................................................................
Manager of the Event: ....................................................................................................
- SEE APPENDIX
5.8. Concern Public Health
All kinds of event need to be specifically aware of the issues related to Public Health. In the process of Yorkshire Coach Trip, this sector has been considered with much importance, yet there still remained some limitations.
5.8.1. Food Arrangements
The event management team must offer the visitors with good and hygienic food. As the Yorkshire Coach Trip was a day long process, necessary arrangements for food as per the palate of the students must be made readily available. The arrangements can be made in some nearby hotel, or the management can offer some lunch boxes to save time.
5.8.2. Alcohol
Strict prohibition of liquor or alcohol is a must in trips like Yorkshire Coach Trip. The management team must make the participants feel comfortable about the fact that since consumption of alcohol can create hazards in the trip and can spoil the fun they need to refrain from it during the trip.
5.8.3. Toilets, Water and Shelter
There should be clear arrangements for toilets, water and shelter if need for the visitors. The management team must make the trip comfortable and that too by keeping in consideration with all kinds of necessary arrangements related to basic human needs during the trip. Clean and hygienic toilet, water and shelter arrangements are base for showing the visitors about how much you care.
5.8.4. Handling Waste Management and Noise
There should be a proper understanding among the trip managers and the participants regarding issues about managing waste and making noise. Adding music to the trip is definitely a great idea. However, it should not be loud enough to irritate under people around. Even the mode of conversation among the students must be administered so well that they can enjoy the trip without throwing rubbish or making noise. The team can of course make some waste bins appear readily in the coach and can offer the students with some interesting games like quiz and general knowledge related to the places that they will be visiting.
5.9. Public Safety
The pre event and the post event planning models were less illustrative regarding the concerns under public safety. Though both the models conveyed the message for maintaining public safety, yet were not much equipped with the same.
5.9.1. Condition of Security
The event management group must select apt mode of security to the participants and people in general for the success of the respective event, Yorkshire Coach Trip. The organising committee must assess all kinds of risks that can possible happen in the process of the event. After the list gets prepared, they need to create a strong combination of all those things that can fight back risk related issues for public safety.
5.9.2. Possible Issues
The very possible issues that can create risk to public safety can be power and lighting, temporary structures, instances of fireworks and pyrotechnics or gas cylinders. Added to these possibilities preventive conditions in case of risk related to terrorism also must get considered. The event management group must have full support of the local administration so that in case of anything that goes wrong the situation can be handled without harming anyone.
5. 10. Promotion of the Event
Though the event management group was not much insisting on promotions and just considered the assistances of Student Union for the promotion of Yorkshire Coach Trip; it is important that they take some assistance from the local newspapers and channels to meet more people. In case of Yorkshire Coach Trip, the target visitors were less, but as the functionalities will increase the managers must add some other promotional aspects like those of ‘branding’ to meet competitive edge in teh market.
5.10.1. Ticketing and Signage
Ticketing for Yorkshire Coach Trip is strictly restricted to the Student Union area. However, keeping the tickets open in one area can lead to immense crowd and thus there should be at least 4 to 5 outlets for selling tickets. Booking of tickets online is the best provision, but for the same the team must add technological support to their provisions. There can also be the addition of leaflets with the tickets that will offer event details, services information, entry details, transport arrangements and declarations related to health promotion related to the event. It is also important to have a clear and very apt signage for the whole event so that there would be no trouble for the customers to reach to the desired manager or relevant information for the event.
5.10.2. Health Promotion
Health promotion instruments and materials must be reviewed before the starting of the trip. These can include the restriction of glass containers, searching of bags and purses, availability of public transport, no provision for drink and drive and availability of healthy and hygienic snacks for the visitors.
5.10.3. Approaches of Advertising
The management group of Yorkshire Coach Trip seems to be well efficient in this matter as they have attained success while getting response of the students. However some kind of involvement of media would have enhanced the proceedings more prominently. The group could have offered some colourful graffiti or some newsletters so that students would have got some idea about the trip through the mode of branding. This would have added more positive points to Yorkshire Coach Trip.
5.11. Collection of Contact Numbers for Assistance
The team must have a small directory comprised of all the phone numbers of people who are capable to offer necessary assistances whenever required. As for instance phone number of mechanics, in case there comes up some error in the coach or the phone number of some lawyer to handle some unwanted issue is ever happens.
6. Conclusion
To conclude it is worth to appreciate the pre event planning model for such arrangements that made Yorkshire Coach Trip a success. There is no point to underestimate the capabilities of the managers as they could meet all the predetermined objectives related t o the goal. In case of the post event planning mode, it is important to note that this is a feedback that is attained from a very limited source and thus needs more specific investigation. The event management group must collect some more feedbacks to understand other things that the client would have preferred for such a trip like Yorkshire Coach Trip. The feedback of led by post event planning model is comprehensive, yet there is an abstract notion related towards the addition of ‘Responsibility’ to the pre event planning model. Further the pot event model adds the need for Gantt chart in the Critical Path Analysis, which has been already offered by the pre event planning model in the implementing scope, and thus this does not hold any authentic relevance.
The pre event planning is very much apt for a smaller collection of students, yet must have wider extension for future. Application of SWOT and SMART analyses are very appropriately done and the same should be considered while following this new balanced planning model. Apart from these approaches, there are some limitations marked for this model and the most important are the lack of any expert advisory scope and non availability of any technological support to meet client related aspects. This model has clearly ignored the aspects related to public safety and security and kept the provisions in a more relevantly lose manner. As noted by the client in the post event planning model, there is a severe need for the sense of responsibility to the pre event and that worth to get noted and structured. The pre event model must add some instances of responsibility so that the manager can attain some positive vibes and trust from people will get interested for the trip in the future. Being a low budget event, the proceedings are managed without any involvement of professional or any media related domains. However keeping some experienced person as a patron would have cost nothing and the sense of responsibility would have got detected very easily. As a whole the pre event planning model is very ideal and the addition of responsibility to the same will make an absolutely full proof event plan. This is something that has been structured in the New Balanced Planning Model. And all the issues related to the Yorkshire Coach Trip have been structured as per the attainment of level of satisfaction of the customers.
7. Recommendation
There are some specific recommendations that must be integral to the event of Yorkshire Coach Trip. These are the recommendations that aim in offering the trip with more security related provisions with special attention towards the customer related expectations. The noted recommendations are –
7.1 Technical Support
· Give the participants with phone numbers and email ids so that they can reach the managers directly. There should not be any room for outsourcing or offering the work of assisting the client by some other group (Bladen, Kennell, Abson and Wilde, 2012).
· Facilities to book tickets and offer feedbacks online.
· 24x7 mode of follow-the-Sun assistance. It should be so managed that the customers will be in reach of the managers at any moment of time.
7.2 Human Resource Support
· Assigning assistance to customers in terms of food, water, toilets and shelter
· Offering assistance in such a way that the visitors can feel the comfort and can well rely on the people who are available for ready support
· Human resource support must be organised in a way to offer professional kind of assistance to meet demands of the customers (Zetlin, 2008).
· It is important to understand the trip related facilities that a customer might want and the arrangements of the same should be done properly.
7.3 Public Safety and Security
· There should all kinds of facilities related to the administrative related issues in the process of the trip.
· Assistance from fire services, police station, hospitals and lawyers must be well synchronised.
· Customers must be trained well or at least must be aware of the provisions to deal with probable hazards (Zetlin, 2007).
· The coach of Yorkshire Coach Trip must be well equipped with first-aid facilities and should have minimal precautionary structure to avoid hazards
· Ambulances and medical assistance must be considered specifically to maintain public safety.
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APPENDIX
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