Volume Number Two: Winter 2000, pge 2

STRATEGIZE AND SCORE Good things don't just happen....they are made to happen. How? By paying attention to details while keeping your eye on the larger goals. When you hold an event, you are inviting your customers, clients, suppliers and those who are critical to the success of your organization to get an inside glimpse of your competence and skills. For a process that should be smooth, manageable and handled thoughtfully, too many organizations and institutions approach an event as a party with no true sense of purpose. Gradually, though, more organizations and institutions, as well as universities, are beginning to recognize that event management is a skilled profession. Professional event management requires the same kind of careful thought and expertise that is brought to such critical business activities as financial management, marketing, quality control, and human resources. In fact, planning an event should be, if it not already, a key part of your strategic planning. Organizations that realize the importance of hiring a professional to manage their events should research whether the event planner uses a standardized process to insure the success you deserve. Ask your planner if they will be able to measure the success of your event. This will be the case when an event planner uses an event process called SCORE that was developed by a Senior Lecturer at the Harvard Business School, John A. Clendenin. The SCORE system was used to reinvigorate attendance at the Harvard-Yale Annual Football Game. While "The Game" has been played so long that it has become a tradition of nearly historic proportions, attendance had fallen off dramatically, down to about 18,000. Following the use of SCORE, attendance was increased in one year to 28,000! The "S" in SCORE stands for Strategy Definition. It is based on the presumption, so obvious that it tends to get overlooked. An event must have a purpose. The event must be a part of your corporate strategy, have an intended market and audience, have your complete institutional support, be the product of an approved vision, and the active involvement of your players. "C" is Concept Design. Your focus groups gather feedback and you complete your project specifications. The program concepts are frozen....a necessary step if your event is to ever get off the ground. Have you ever been in brainstorming sessions that continue for months and very little has been accomplished? "O" is Organizational Development, in which the event process comes to life. Unfortunately, this is where most organizations hire their event planners....right in the middle of SCORE. Boo! Now the event planner has become a "logistic junky" and is just reacting to details. You want the planner to take on a proactive and strategic approach. "R" is Requirements of delivery and production. The final pieces finally fall into place. Final assignments are made and event materials are distributed. People know what to do and our suppliers and volunteers are ready. "E" is Event Execution. Preparation is important, but so is the on-site management and coordination between all participants. The on-going monitoring of the event and the welcoming of your attendees and volunteers is critical. And then it's over? I don't think so. Were the goals met? Post-event reports and budget reviews are as critical to the process as the start-up and can be measured by using the SCORE process. SCORE is a template that systematizes all of the strategies that are integral to the event management process and integrates your event into your business routine. SCORE is utilized with every client of Michele & Company's with outstanding success! Bring in our team to present the process to your organization and you can see how you can soar with SCORE!

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Volume Number Two: Winter 2000 pge 2

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