Introduction
This report is designed to provide a detailed description of an event plan. In particular, the even chosen for the analysis is a wedding that will be held in Ayia Napa, Cyprus. Apart from the location, the wedding has several different peculiarities (it is vegetarian, spiritual, environmentally conscious, and relatively small). The present report will cover such aspects of the event as its objective, vision, location, transportation, staging, menu, staffing, entertainment, and media. The report will concern the work breakdown for the event, task responsibility, budget, accommodations and invitations, and the overall implementation and management.
Event Objective
The objective of this event is to deliver a pleasant and effortless celebration in a light and nurturing atmosphere taking into consideration the special preferences of the target audience. The desired location is a hotel in Ayia Napa, Cyprus, at the end of spring. The major issues are the transportation of the guests, their placement in the hotel, the selection of the hotel, and its readiness to host a wedding matching the unique requirements of the planned event.
Event Vision
The wedding is expected to be held in a relaxing, peaceful, spiritual, and nurturing atmosphere, with the corresponding types of music (meditative, singing bowls, spiritual, and calming). The expected entertainments would include a collective meditation, group singing, and versatile rituals and blessings.
Design Objectives of the Event Experience
In order to create the required calming and relaxing atmosphere, the planners should avoid using balloons and artificial flowers. Instead, light and flowing fabrics and ribbons of versatile colors can be used to decorate the space along with colorful lights; the guests could sit on the floor pillows and enjoy their meals served on the low tables. The menu should include only organic ingredients, no animal products, and no alcohol. The wedding ceremony would be held at the beach (this is why only beach hotels should be reviewed as suitable locations), and the celebration can take place either inside or outside in a banquet area.
Work Breakdown
Work breakdown structure of an event is created to “decompose” the flow of tasks and categorize them into measureable goals; this approach allows creating a precise schedule and predicting the resources required at every stage of the event planning (“Plan and schedule development,” 2008).
Below is the graph presenting different segments of work that need to be taken care of as the event is planned. Each of the categories includes several tasks that are also listed in the graph.
Task Responsibility
Wedding Coordinator
The wedding coordinator is in charge of the vast majority of preparations consulting the bride and groom as to their tastes, preferences, and budget limitations.
Bride and Groom
The bride and groom are responsible for such important aspects of a wedding as dates, guest list and invitations, wedding rings, location, budget, design and theme, entertainment, and menu.
Maid of Honor and Best Man
The maid of honor and best man take care of the personal aspects of the wedding such as gathering for gown and suit fitting, the events related to the wedding; and they also participate in rehearsals and the official parts.
Critical Path
The critical path is a necessary part of any event because it outlines the exact sequence of actions required to put the plan into practice. Below is the graph demonstrating the general critical path for the wedding.
Site Selection
The site selection procedure involves a series of criteria helping to narrow down the available locations and choose the most suitable one. The main and most important criteria are the following:
- The number of guests
- Access and reach
- Available premises
- Cost
- Catering options
- Weather (indoors or outdoors area)
- Venue layout
- Resources provided (heating or air-conditioning, electricity, stage and furniture, lighting, music, restrooms, suitability for the guests with special needs) (“Event management planning guide,” n.d.).
Necessary considerations:
- Is the location easy to find?
- What will the weather be like?
- Does the location fit the objectives and vision of the event?
Location Requirements
The criteria from the list above are to be matched to the requirements and preferences of the wedding party. In particular, the locations will be sorted by their cost within the range of the wedding budget, their geographical locations will be measured by the proximity to the beach in Ayia Napa Cyprus, and their catering options would have to include the capacity to serve vegetarian and alcohol-free banquet.
Hotels
Types of hotels:
- Business and corporate
- Boutique
- Luxury
- All-suites
- Airport
- Budget
- Convention
- Suburban
Once a location is chosen, it is critical for the representatives of the wedding party and the planners to visit and review the site beforehand (“Selecting venues and facilities,” n.d.). The visit is a necessity because even though most hotels offer online brochures and pictures of their premises, the planners may find an unwanted surprise that would not be visible in the photographs.
Restaurants, Private Venues, Catering
Local restaurants and independent caterers with vegetarian menus should be reviewed alongside the catering services of the hotel.
Transportation Q&A
- Are the vehicles available for the guests to reach the hotel independently?
- Is there a need for pickups for separate guests? How many pickups are needed?
- When should the airplane tickets be booked?
- What is the schedule of flights to the chosen location?
- How long is the flight?
Guest Arrival Q&A
- Does the venue have a convenient arrival space?
- Are there doormen and porters?
- Do the guests need maps?
- Do the flights arrive at a convenient time for a check-in?
Fanfare
If any special activities are planned at any point of the stay, it is important to consider the space and resources for them, plan the time they will take, provide all the necessary equipment, calculate the budget of these activities (electricity costs, performers involved, materials), and think through the safety concerns (Allen, 2009).
Room Requirements
The exact number of rooms needs to be finalized in order to book the rooms. The types of people attending (elderlies, children, people with disabilities) the event should be taken into consideration when covering the transportation issues as well.
Staging, Audiovisual, Lighting
The staging, lighting, and audiovisual capacities of the locations hosting the event will be checked during the first visit. Also, the administration of the venue could answer these questions over an email or a phone call.
The Guest List
For a wedding, the invitations are not transferrable, and people on the guest list are usually not replaced (Allen, 2009). The important considerations in this regard involve the relationships between different groups of people, the kind of atmosphere that will occur once they are all placed together, the sitting arrangements, and the hierarchy of the guests’ importance.
Invitations
Invitations and RSVPs are critical to the stages of accommodations and catering planning. The invitations need to be sent out as early as possible. Also, it is better to call the recipients and confirm or clarify their RSVP status (Allen, 2009).
Media
Nowadays, weddings have blogs that document the preparation and implementation stages. Also, it is possible to cover the event using social networks such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. This could be done by the wedding party or arranged by the coordinator.
Food and Beverage Considerations
Sustainability and eco-consciousness are the priorities in this event when it comes to food. The Green Guide to Catering and Event Planning (n.d.) emphasizes that at an event like this finger food is to be preferred as appetizers and snacks; as for beverages and water, bottled drinks are to be replaced with dispensers, biodegradable cups could be used. The food should be delivered in one bulk to prevent extra transportation impacts.
Menu Planning
Diversity is an issue when it comes to a vegetarian menu. It may be problematic to plan a large banquet. Also, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free preferences need to be considered in menu planning. In fact, this could be one of the points to check in the wedding invitations.
Staffing
The event staffing depends on the number of people invited and different parts of the event (Event management, n.d.). Aspects to consider:
- Catering (preparation of food and serving)
- Bar
- Entertainment (music, dancing, performances)
- Fanfare
- Coverage (photographers, videographers, bloggers)
- Ceremony itself (a priest or another authority of the kind)
Entertainment
If any entertainment activities are planned, they need to be broken down into categories and organized in a schedule.
Entertainment Q&A
- What are the planned activities?
- How long will each activity last?
- Will there be people in charge (a host)?
- How many performers are needed?
- What is the sequence of the activities?
Photographers and Videographers
Photographers and videographers are important in the events. The planners are to discuss with them what parts of the event they would prefer to be recorded and in what manner. Also, time should be scheduled for the photographers and videographers to work and capture all the required moments.
Final Wrap and Implementation
The final wrap needs to be planned as well. The list of things that should be checked or done before the departure is to be created.
Summary and Conclusion
Thomas, Hermes, and Loos (2008) offer event-reference model for the event planning and managements. The framework in the form of a graph is presented below in Figure 1. This model involves different aspects and objectives of an event and also breaks it down into main phases such as pre-, post-, and main-event; in addition, the planning stages are grouped into general (or rough), subtle, and detailed planning. This approach allows creating precise WBS frameworks for each part and aspect of an event, formulating a clear schedule, and assigning measurable goals. The present event involves many aspects and requires schemes and plans of general and detailed nature in order to organize everything in time.
References
Allen, J. (2009). Event planning: The ultimate guide to successful meetings, corporate events, fundraising galas, conferences, conventions, incentives and other special events. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Event management. (n.d.). Staffing. Web.
Green guide to catering and event planning. (n.d.). Web.
Plan and schedule development. (2008). Web.
Selecting venues and facilities. (n.d.). Web.
Thomas, O., Hermes, B., & Loos, P. (2008). Reference model-based event management. International Journal of Event Management Research, 4(1), 38-57.