Managing a Business Event

Aim and purpose 

The aim of this unit is to develop learners’ skills in and knowledge of organising and coordinating a business event. Learners will do this through planning, providing support, and follow-up activities involved in running a business event. Unit introduction Managing a business event is an activity that many people working in a support role will be involved in. It is a challenging activity which can include organising and co-ordinating resources and arrangements for a variety of events, from arranging meetings, product launches, exhibitions and promotions to organising a full-scale conference. 

This practical unit focuses on large and complex business events rather than informal small ones, and will enable learners to develop knowledge and skills to manage different types of business events. The tasks of an event organiser include forward planning to organisie a suitable venue, arranging attendance and accommodation for delegates, organising equipment and refreshments, producing delegate packs and papers, liaising with others, keeping records and managing a budget. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are therefore essential to undertake this range of activities effectively and efficiently. 

Managing a business event also involves agreements with suppliers of equipment and facilities. An understanding of the law of contract and the major consumer protection laws is essential to ensure that both legal and organisational requirements are met. Health and safety issues need to be considered, whether the event is held on the organisation’s premises or elsewhere. However well planned an event is, problems can occur and need to be resolved, such as late or non-delivery of resources or responding to delegates’ needs throughout the event. At the end of the event, a debriefing session provides an opportunity to reflect on the event’s success and lessons learned for improving the management of future business events. 

It is expected that, as this unit has a practical focus, learners will need to hold an event to enable all the learning outcomes to be completed satisfactorily. 

Learning outcomes 

On completion of this unit a learner should: 

1 Understand the role of an event organiser 

2 Be able to plan a business event 

3 Be able to run a business event 

4 Be able to follow up after a business event.