ABSTRACT
More than 10 million meetings and events are held worldwide annually, costing over $565 billion (Frost & Sullivan, 2013). The execution of these events consists of the completion of numerous tasks and the application of a wide variety of skill sets including a solid understanding of general business principles, hospitality operations, and the management of related data. Both quantitative (numeric) and qualitative (descriptive) data are particularly important in event management from planning to design to overall management. Events are defined as “temporary and purposive gatherings of people,” (Bladen et al., 2012, p.3). Many definitions exist on the term event management and the differences between event management and event planning. The two terms are often used interchangeably and overlap in meaning. Event management “is the organization and coordination of activities to achieve the objects of events,” (Bladen, Kennell, Abson, & Wilde, 2012, p.3). Officially, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2016) defines event planning as, “meeting, convention, and event planners co-ordinate all aspects of events and professional meetings. They arrange meeting locations, transportation, and other details.” More precisely, the Institute of Event Management (2015) describes event planning as “the process of managing a project such as a meeting, convention, tradeshow, ceremony, team building activity, party, or convention.” Some authors distinguish event planning as more small-scale and event management as large-scale events such as major sport, festivals, concerts, and conferences (Ramsborg, Miller, Breiter, Reed, & Rushing, 2008). Whether small (e.g. Board Meetings/Weddings), large (Conferences/Conventions), minor (Major League Baseball), major (Super Bowl), or mega (Summer Olympic Games, World Cup Football); event management is carried out using the five project management processes – initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, closing/debriefing – and involves the consideration of a wide variety of data driven factors (Project Management Institute, 2016). These factors include time management, risk management, financial costs, quality management, scope, security, attendee/ customer services, supervision, human resource audit, venue management, communications, project integration, procurement, and stakeholder management (Masterman, 2014; Project Management Institute, 2016).
