Hi, today we’re going to look at three key
event coordination tools that I find have really made a difference in my career, in
my delivery of events as an event manager. We’ve had a chance to look at some of the
event management activities, and we’ve already done a good job of developing our event concept.
So once we have our concept in mind, shortly thereafter, we identify our event date. And
when we’ll actually be in our execution mode of our event. So we have our concept,
and we have our event execution date in mind, but we need to spend time planning and organizing.
So as we plan and organize, we start to look at these tools that come up, and what we can
use. So, first one I’d like to look at is, the
critical path. The second one I’ll introduce to you, is the run of play. And, the third
is the event script. When we look at the critical path, essentially we’re looking at a document
that’s going to help us detail all of our activities that we need to do. It’ s comprehensive
to-do list. From event conception, through past execution
and to the wrap-up and closure of our event. So essentially, with this comprehensive to-do
list, we’re able to outline the tasks, and responsibilities of all of those involved
and this major timeline in which we need to deliver on these items. The next piece we
would start to look at is our run of play. And, a run of play is actually more detailed
in and around the execution onsite of events. You’re looking at the given logistics and
movements that play-by-play activities that need to occur in and around event execution
day. So this is our run of play. And within our
run of play, we then look at our event script. So you might have, a daylong tournament where
this is an evening awards, reception, or a hall of fame gala, and within those events,
you have an event script. We rely on an event script. When you have someone speaking, when
you have to flow between various speakers, and essentially you’re looking at the word-by-word
descriptions of what’s happening. You’re looking at various cues, if you have someone
coming in to introduce someone, there might be cues on there that a video has to be cued,
it wraps up, and then that person comes on stage, and after they say x, y, z, they then
step back, and it shows all of that detail involved. Essentially, if we spend enough time in our
planning and organizing, we’re going to be better off when it come to this execution
point. Now these three pieces all have their role. Our critical path, is then looking at
something that’s more a week-by-week approach. Our run of play, is something that’s looking
at an hour-by-hour approach. And our event script gives us that detail that more of a
minute-by-minute approach. And you may not have an event that is scripted, it will really
depend on your event, but most definitely, you will have a critical path, and a run of
play. So there it is, three key tools with their
unique timeline, but very, very functional support in our coordination within the event
management activities.