Competent leadership styles lead to the success of events

3. Competent leadership styles lead to the success of events

Turner et al., 2009 found that event success was increasingly related to leadership competences rather than techniques and tools. Effective leaders are different from other leaders through the exercise of skill or competence areas (Kouznes and Posner, 1998). Another study by (Kets de Vries and Florent-Treacy, 2002) stated that effective leadership required a combination of behavioural, personality and cognitive. A study stated that there is a dynamic relationship between the leaders and the organisational context. Because the organisational factors will bring impact on leadership with its strategy, policies, culture and practices (Senge et al., 2000). However, the relationship between leader and organisation is a dynamic one. Different organisational context require the changes in leadership behaviours.  

(Kurt Lewin, 1939) identified three main leadership styles: authoritarian, democratic and laissez-faire work environments.

Firstly, an autocratic leader who makes decisions divides work tasks and processes for the team, who give critique of the team’s performance and not engage closely with the team and its activities.

Secondly, democratic leader will consult team members to make consensus in important decisions, offers guidance as team members require and will provide constructive criticism and praise the team.

Finally, laissez-faire work environments have little tangible leadership input, who allows the team members to make and execute all major decisions.

The study of (Dulewicz andHiggs, 2005) isolated three main event leadership styles: goal-orientated leadership, involving leadership and engaging leadership.

Firstly, goal-orientated leadership style who involves the “management by objectives” approaches to lead the team (Goldblatt, 2005). This style leader will focus on delivering results within a relatively stable organisation.

Secondly, involving leadership style who suitable to deal with the variable features environment that is not necessarily radical change in the organisation.

Finally, engaging leadership style based on a high level of empowerment and involvement in a highly transformational organisation. This style leader will focus on producing radical change with high levels of commitment and engagement.

Competent leaders will lead the fellows in different situations and environments. The competent leadership styles could help an organisation to achieve its goal. A very good example was the appointment of new Chairman - AllanZeman in 2003 for Ocean Park Hong Kong. He accepted the employment during the difficulty time of Ocean Park because a strong rival Hong Kong Disneyland was opening at that time. Allan Zeman involved himself in many promotion programmes of Ocean Park. He leads the team in a tough situation; his leadership style should be belonging to engaging. He turned Ocean Park from deficit to gain profit and enable Ocean Park to raise visitor numbers and make Ocean Park won several awards, such as The World's Seventh Most Popular Amusement Park and one of the "50 Most Visited Tourist Attractions in the world" by Forbes.

Another charming leader - Richard Branson, his leadership style should be involving leadership.  He founded Virgin Group in 1970. He has effectively used his personality to lead the Virgin brand to the attention of the world. His creative, innovative, daring thinking bring his business around the world. He led his team to deal with the various diversification businesses.

Regarding the goal-orientated leadership style, the co-founder, chairman and CEO Apple Inc, Steve Jobs like to be this style. He was described as a "master of innovation," and "the master evangelist of the digital age" and also a "design perfectionist." He focused on delivering results. His success in leading Apple from near bankruptcy to profitability by 1998.

All these three leaders are very successful in leading his followers to achieve its objectives. We can’t say which one is better, since a competent leader should be like a chameleon, who can manage his team at any situation by changing his leadership style. Competent event managers can deliver a clear vision, mission and objective of the event to his followers, lead the team and keep on track through effective ongoing performance assessment. The event manager should be competent to manage the event’s scope, cost, procurement, schedule and resources.  Communication, negotiation and motivation skills should be enforced. Moreover, event manager need to foster a constructive atmosphere of teamwork, to listen the suggestion of followers, to award or punish, to evaluate the overall accomplishment of the event’s goal with job satisfaction.

Since I need to lead a team of ten with different level staff, I want to be a good leader, but it is a great challenge. An optimism leader should consist of the three characteristic styles in management and exercise at different time.  For example, when an event was hosting, at the beginning, I think I should be goal-orientated, to deliver a clear objective to my staff, to provide resources and timeline of the event; then I will change to involving, because the event is processing, I should give free hand to my staff to let them to do it. However, I know that the event date is closer, there is not much time left. I will push them and change to engage approach. In reality it is not easy to change as you want and no one knows when to change. But it is true that a competent leader could lead to the success of an event.

The role of event sponsorship and the challenge to sell sponsorship

1. The role of event sponsorship and the challenge to sell sponsorship

We always say no money no talk, budget is one of the key factor when organising events. One of the important jobs of event manager is to seek suitable sponsors to ensure the financial support for the event. Sponsors may provide monetary, materials or person on an event. How to sell event sponsorship or convince a company to provide sponsorship is a great challenge.

Sponsorship is an indirect form of communication with the objective of brand awareness and image (Quester et al., 1998). Sponsorship has become one of the important parts of marketing communication strategy. It is a two-way communication (Harrison and O’Reilly, 2005). In common cases, it involves three actors: the sponsor, agency events and audience. The Sponsor provides monetary support, equipment or person. The event organiser helps to provide an image and awareness, promote its event space for the sponsor. The effect of sponsorship is limited without media. Sponsorship must be integrated with other communication tools such as advertising (Quester and Thompson, 2001) promote brand awareness. The performance of sponsorship will be linking with public relations and marketing.  Moreover, Walliser (2003) stated that the isolated sponsor operations will have a minor influence on visibility, sponsorship complementary with media which allows passing a message to targeted audience, but it cannot replace other traditional communication methods that have a better assessment to measure the effectiveness. The synergy with the media is necessary for a good communication plan (Trendel and Warlop, 2004).

Sponsorship role is to fit the customer’s demand to help to better position the brand and its image. Many companies seek a suitable sponsorship deal and value, events manager should provide the value that the companies need. Different events with different character could be developed a brand image, for example, football reflects an image of popular sport that can be accessed by everyone while tennis reflects an elitist and finer image. However, it is not a necessary that the event must relate to the company’s product. The Hong Kong Marathon was sponsored by Standard Chartered since 1997; it becomes an internationally renowned sporting event nowadays. Banking and sport are totally different in nature. However, through various promotional activities that increase the awareness of customers to the services provided by Standard Chartered and also the success of the Hong Kong Marathon could establish a good image to customers. This international event is also a platform to promote the brand of Standard Chartered to overseas market. (StandardChartered Hong Kong Marathon 2015)

The international circuit of Formula One motor-racing is sponsored by Motor Manufactory Company like Ferrari.

Another famous sponsorship was made by Adidas. Adidas is a German sports goods manufacturer. From 1970, Adidas became the FIFA official sponsor with the ball, and after each session of their World Cup match ball offer. Nike is its keen competitor, in order to fight with Nike; Adidas must implicate more marketing promotions particular when Adidas can obtain exclusive rights and garner the hype associated with its company honour.

How to approach a potential company to offer sponsorship is a great challenge for an event manager. Companies will not give money to you because you are hosting an event, unless they have special need such as last minutes expenses for tax waiving. Another purpose may be the companies have a new product want to increase the exposure and increase product awareness. According to Luke Summerfield, in order to recreate an irresistible Sponsorship Offering, event managers should think the need at the angle of customers.

Firstly, what’s in it for the customer? That is the event could offer what kind of value to the company.

Secondly, what is unique about these sponsorship opportunities over others? That is only this event could offer what a unique that the customer wants.

Thirdly, what kind of return can be found from this sponsorship? That means the effectiveness of the sponsorship.

Finally, does the customer like this event and does the audience fit the target audience? That means the event is fit to either sponsor or its audiences.

After getting all the above information, event managers have to tailor made the sponsorship proposal in order to meet the goals and value that the particular company need. The proposal should be creative and find ways to provide value to the company. A successful proposal could provide a “wow” feeling and deep impress to sponsors, as a result they could accept the ideas. When gaining a sponsorship, it will be like win a victory, however another challenge will be faced that is how to maintain the relationship with the sponsors especially an annually event request sponsorship every year. It is another important issue of sponsorship.

After this event project, I learnt that the goal of sponsorship could help customer to focus their transfer values. It would be a very useful tool for the development and enhancement of brand equity (Chien et al., 2005). It is not easy to gain sponsorship but company also needs this marketing communication tool to promote their products or services. It is a mutually beneficial in market strategy. There are no short cuts to gain sponsorship. Firstly, I will do research for the target sponsor, to know what the company wants, such as an acknowledgement from my company or just for tax waiving. If just for lower the taxation, it will be easier to gain sponsorship. However, a comprehensive research report should also be prepared before go to persuade the customer. If the company has a new product want to introduce to the market, I will sell them the amount of participants and the wide range of attendants. Different kinds of sponsor with different needs, the skilful persuade, heartfelt service, negotiation skill and sometime an out of box idea should be well prepared when go to gain sponsorship. The pivotal is to get trust and commitment of sponsors but it is a great challenge.

The impact of technology and staff attitudes toward and adoption of technology on the events industry

 

2. The impact of technology and staff attitudes toward and adoption of technology on the events industry

According to the four pillar approach of Goldblatt, 2002:20 – Time, Finance, Technology and Human Resources are the foundation for a success event. The rapid development and advance of technology encourage people to use technology on the event industry. However some impacts, such as security threats and lack of information technology (IT) professional staff and different system devices etc. all these are negative aspects to technology applications. It is the challenge of event manager to manage the adoption of the technology.

Technology will be the key factor to change the event industry especially for the meeting planners whose have to complete the meeting-related jobs in a very limit time with less effort and much paper work handling. Furthermore, the interoperability enhances the communications of organisations with the partners and consumers (Buhalis and Law, 2008). Multimedia is another tools that provides information and allows people to interact with other by using a tangible image or three-dimensional virtual experiences and meetings (Cho et al, 2002). The different capabilities and characteristics of internet are a counterpart’s main communication channels for marketers and event manager to use instead of traditional face-to-face interaction, telephone, facsimile and letter. Internet is economically and effectively for event planners to use including registration, collection and dissemination of conference abstracts and post-meeting survey data collection. The web features provide online, real-time availability of group room and rates to make online reservations (Ball, 2001).

Technology is a trend that transforming corporate events (Active Network Inc). The usage of technology provides real-time data on event spend, to track and reduce costs. Apps’ is a very convenient tool to connect audience with fellow attendees, exhibitors and speakers and also can maximize lead generation for event managers. Furthermore, technology can collect information in-depth on attendees’ attitudes and interests.

Although technology is widely use nowadays, limitations and negative attitudes also exist simultaneously. It was found that technology is not being used as effectively throughout the event process. There is criticism that Business to Business (B2B) event marking survey are using marketing automation such as email to drive customers to their event but not using marketing automation during events or follow up with attendees at post event. The adoptions of technology is also influenced by knowledge, attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control. When employees are familiar with a product or services may rely on retained earlier knowledge and feel no need for new technology (Bettman, 1979). Limited resources and difficult to employ professional IT staff may create challenge for the implementation of IT. Moreover, the rise in security threat such as hacking and data theft, the lack of knowledge of IT and the rapid development of different IT systems make event managers can’t have a comprehensive view of the event. Strassmann, 1990 stated that the profitability of spending on IT is a question. Gamble, 1990 also criticized that IT fail to add value and the costs exceed the benefits generated.

There are some impacts should be considered on the use of technology in events: Political-legal, Economic, Sociological, Cultural and Environmental.

Legislation impacting on the use of technology such as Data Protection Act, Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations. Health and Safety (www.hse.gov.uk) concern such as Electrical Safety and Display Screen Equipment regulations.

Regarding economy, there was a Travel Trends Survey conducted in 2010, it was found that more organisations severe cuts the travel budgets, which led to a rise in virtual event. The most significant benefits of virtual event are reaching a much more audience than physical event with less money.

Internet is a worldwide use social networking tools, it is enable people to do lots of things together in online world that can’t be done in the real world and online sociability can better than real world sociability and online space will be more imaginative and interesting than real world. However, it was also found that some social cues are absent in virtual event. (Ralph Schroeder, 2010)

Now is an online world, online communication is commonly used both in individual social and commerce business. It becomes a common culture.  Although there are different languages in the IT world, however, each user may encounter hacking and computer virus threats.

With the use of technology, people reduce on travelling that may led to decrease on ridding aircraft, as a result of diminishing the leaking of carbon dioxide, then the environmental could be less harmed. On the other hand, the inappropriate throwing of unused computer sets and screens may cause environmental problems.

In conclusion, although there are some technological problems and negative attitudes to the adoption of technology, the rapid development of technology can solve these problems. Staff’s reluctant attitudes toward technology mainly because of lacking knowledge.  Moreover, there is a criticism that “independent or private” and “corporate” event managers are more likely to use Internet technology than “association” event managers. I am working at a non-profit making association, as an executive staff. I support the usage of technology because of saving costs and time is very important in hosting event. It is also a trend to use technology to improve the effectiveness and efficiency in organising events. In order to tackle the negative aspects of using technology, firstly I will suggest increasing budget to purchase job-related software such as AI, Adobe and CorelDraw for poster design. Secondly, provide training courses for middle level staff to enhance their skills in using technology. Finally, to enlarge the IT department by employ more professional IT staff. All these may increase the expenditure; however it is worth for the long term development.