Planning of Sport Events

After studying this lecture you should be able to: Describe the planning process Understand the different types of planning used by sport event organisers Explain the nature of, and different procedures involved in the planning of sport events

The Planning Process

Planning is the process of deciding what objectives to pursue during a future time period and what to do to achieve those objectives. It is the primary management function and is inherent in everything the manager does.
Source: Rue & Bayras, 1992, p. 150

Key elements: direction; time horizon, prescribed activities Provides answer to the questions: What, how, when and who Primary purpose: to offset future uncertainties by reducing the risk surrounding the organisations operations.

Classifications of Plans

Functional areas: marketing, production, financial plans Frequency of use: standing and single-use plans Period of time: short and long-term plans

Strategic Planning (long-term) - focuses on an organisations long-term relationship to its environment

Staged process (Shone & Parry, 2010) Life-cycle (Westerbeek et al, 2006)

Objectives

The event planning process

That part of the management process by which organisers look forward the event to discover what various courses of action are available to arrange it. NO

Concept

Feasibility

Bid procedure

Proceed?
Implementat ion planning
Implement event Handover Evaluation

Source: Masterman, 2009, p.59

Feedback

Objectives

Why? What is the clients brief? What is the purpose of the event short, medium, long term? Who benefits? How do they benefit socially, politically, economically?

Concept

What? Design an outline of the event Perform a SWOT analysis consider this against your competitors Logistics- scale, audience, facilities, timing Identify the decision makers in who will allow the event to happen internally and externally (bid process?) Identify strategic partners government, sport organisations, event owners Identify other stakeholders Identify the organisers that will be involved in running the event Does the design align with the original objectives? Do any adjustments need to be made?

Feasibility

How and when? Test the design Who is responsible for the delivery of the short, medium, long term objectives? What resources are required? Nature and timing of partnerships required at each stage? Budget for the identified requirements Perform a cost - benefit forecast for the objectives

Proceed decision

Present the Feasibility study to all internal decision makers Not to proceed
-

Shelve the project? or Reshape the project from the Concept stage

Proceed to implementation via a bid? Bid procedure If successful proceed to implementation If unsuccessful - internal evaluation and feedback

Short, Medium, Long Term Implementation Planning

Determine operational strategies

-

Financial Human Resources Partnerships, suppliers and services Facilities and equipment Sales and marketing

Develop a detailed short term plan for event execution

Develop a legacy plan for medium and long term benefits

Implementation, execution and handover

Implement the strategies Execute the event Handover of facilities Handover of responsibility for post event, ongoing delivery of legacy and its evaluation

Evaluation and Feedback

Immediately post event : short term evaluation of costs, benefits and impacts by measurement against objectives set pre event If not pre set establish timescales for medium and long term evaluation Feedback at each evaluation stage