ABSTRACT
Event managers are required to demonstrate a host of skills and attributes, simultaneously performing the roles of entrepreneur, artisan, technician, project manager and quality inspector. Nowhere is the multifaceted nature of event management better exemplified than in the area of event staging. It requires the combination of a plethora of elements, which must be creatively and competently brought together to host a successful event. This chapter seeks to provide an understanding of the various concepts of event staging, highlighting the differences in the scope and scale of the task and its implications for an event’s stakeholders and key considerations. It briefly describes education and training options for careers in the area. It also highlights how event staging is practised by outlining the main considerations involved in stage selection, utilizing special effects and devising audio and/or visual systems. The chapter closes by examining how key trends such as the use of virtual and holographic technologies, increasing environmental consciousness and the popularity of cultural tourism is impacting event staging requirements.
