Type of Events
sailing
Sailing events are differentiable in competitive and non-competitive events. Each has its own set of requirements during the planning stages.
Competitive events may either be public or private. Public events are open to anyone with the entry fee; while private events are restricted to members of a specific organization only.
Scheduling a competitive event requires good timing to assure that the event doesn’t conflict with other similar events in the area. You also need to set realistic financial goals in order to cover advertised payouts and prizes to winners. Generally, prize funding comes from a mix of sponsorships and entry fees.
Promotion of the event will have multiple objectives. Recruiting sponsors, signing participants, and boosting attendance are all objectives which may require different tactics. You may also want to enlist volunteers or employ staff to cover logistics of the competition. You need to determine an effective media mix to reach all these objectives.
Non-competitive events range from afternoon cruises lasting a few hours to weekend events combining both water-based and land-based activities. Of course, the more complex the event, the more planning is required to make sure everything works together.
How will the success of the event be evaluated? Again, this must be considered relative to the event’s objective. If entertaining potential clients to obtain new business, how much new business is obtained? If providing a fun recreational day to employees, it may be more difficult to quantify results—do employees appear more motivated? Has creativity or production improved?
A professional event planner can navigate the tricky waters and get your organization where it wants to go.