Figure 8: Tara Winstead. ca. 2020. Banquet table with elegant flowers and dishware
Week 3
When I started thinking of taking a master’s in the events management field, I only knew a few things concerning events, coming from my practical experience in an event we had conducted at work for one of the brands that I manage. Having so little knowledge concerning the field, I decided to buy a book, Event Management and Planning by Ruth Dowson and David Bassett, in order to gain an insight in the events management world and make sure that I indeed am interested in pursuing such studies on a master’s level.
I always thought that the place where an event is held is one of the most important factors concerning the experience it offers to visitors. But that was only my personal view because for me it is important to be in a place of good ambience, where I feel nice, and that’s always something that I notice when attending events. To my surprise, there was a whole chapter in the book discussing venue selection for events and highlighting its importance in the event planning process in terms of ensuring that the event will be successful (Dowson & Bassett 2018: 54).
The next time I came across the importance of location in events is during this week, while exploring the library’s resources for the Reading exercise The Meanings of Space: how location impacts on event experience. Through this research, I came to understand that when thinking about venue selection and aiming at a successful event, an events manager should consider both practical issues and intangible aspects.
In more detail, the venue should be selected ‘by taking into account not only the preference of the event owner, but also according to the visitors’ interest.’ (Ardani 2017: 52). It is very important to take into consideration how the visitors will access the location; are they coming by car, or using public transportation? In the last event that we conducted at work, as part of a CSR program of the brand Goody’s Burger House, which would take place in one of the brand’s stores, we had to choose between a store owned by the company and a franchise store. In the first case, the cost would be much lower as the company wouldn’t have to pay for the venue, but because the franchise store was located in a more central place where access was enabled by all means of transport, and we knew that our guests were coming from many different places and by different means, we chose the latter. Indeed, easy access is one of the factors that was found to influence visitors’ satisfaction according to Ardani’s findings (2017: 52-53).
Also, other aspects that seem to influence attendees’ satisfaction are the facilities provided, for example the provision of parking areas (Pope, Isely and Agbetunsin 2017: 105) and rest areas (Rosenbaum and Wong, cited in Michelini, Iasevoli and Theodoraki 2017: 323). It is true that such factors, among others, are believed to play a crucial role in whether attendees will visit the event again (Pope, Isely and Agbetunsin 2017: 113).
Nevertheless, event professionals shouldn’t focus only on how convenient and functional event places are, but should also consider ‘emotional, personal and symbolic dimensions’ (Smith, Brown and Assaker 2017: 296). Satisfaction levels of attendees are also influenced by the event quality (Michelini, Iasevoli and Theodoraki 2017: 322), as well as the attachment to event places (Smith, Brown and Assaker 2017: 296).
As Smith, Brown and Assaker state, choosing venues with which attendees can relate emotionally and in matter of identity, event professionals can take event satisfaction to a higher level (2017: 296). This could be an interesting insight when it comes to PR or product launch events, as event managers should consider how to match the product’s identity with the place and the people attending. For example, the Greek Events and Promotional Marketing Agency, Anthings, that work for L’oréal Greece, decided to launch Cacharel’s perfume Yes, I am in an all-pink venue called Third Place (Anthings 2019). It was an ideal choice in terms of matching both the brand’s characteristics (pink colors and girly appearance) and the audiences’ expectations. The attendees were mostly women influencers who love to explore special places and upload pictures on social media, so they were amazed by the venue.
References
ANTHINGS. Available at: https://www.anthings.gr/ [accessed 10 March 2022]
ARDANI, Edvi Gracia. 2017. ‘The Importance of the Venue Selection in an Event Organization Case Study: Special Event Organization Rencontre Alumni Entreprise 1 & 2’ E-Journal of Tourism 4(1) pp. 46-54
DOWSON, Ruth and David BASSETT. 2018. Event Planning and Management. 2nd edn. Great Britain: Kogan Page Limited
MISHELINI, Laura, Gennaro IASEVOLI & Eleni THEODORAKI. 2017. ‘Event venue satisfaction and its impact on sponsorship outcomes’ Event Management 21 pp. 319-331
POPE, Jennifer Angela, Paul ISELY & Busuyi AGBETUNSIN. 2016. ‘How do we keep them coming back? A look at individual factors impacting attendee satisfaction and intention to return to festivals’ International Journal of Event and Festival Management. 8(2) pp. 102-120
SMITH, Andrew, Graham BROWN & Guy ASSAKER. 2017. ‘Olympic experiences: the significance of place’ Event Management 21 pp. 281-299