Portfolio 

Licensing:

The Islington council website was used by Legal to determine how the event would be licensed. Initially we thought that we would require a Temporary Event Notice. This can be acquired through submitting an application to the authority ten days prior to the event. However this would have cost us £21 plus the cost of a licensed bar tender. Through more research and communicating directly with Islington council, we found a loop whole, the event was classed as a ‘Private Function’ which allowed us to receive ‘Suggested donations’ in exchange for alcohol.

Target Audience:

As  a company we each submitted email addresses of people we felt would be suitable guests. We targeted older people, this is because we were trying to make as much money as possible, older people are more likely to spend more money simply because they have it. However we also invited a lot of Brit alumni. We also felt it was important to invite members of the Andrew Lloyd Webber foundation. Unfortunately  this was never carried out due to our fear not wanting to show them work we didn’t feel was our strongest. 

Above is our initial guest list, Invites were sent to all these people via email. This was effective however our system needs to be refined as some emails were not received or sent properly due to a variety of reasons.

Booking and Budgeting:

Above is the The invoice Received from Andy Acres the Owner of W.Plumb Butchers. This shows the breakdown of the total cost and deposit. The deposit was delivered in person to the venue on October 21st. This meant the venue was ours for definite. The rest of the money was payed via check on November 26th (the day of the event) This document was vital in terms securing the venue as it had to presented to the Finance office in order to get the money and pay for the hire. 

Above is a picture of the receipt I received on paying the deposit. This document was vital in reclaiming the money back from finance and as proof of payment incase our hire of the venue fell through. It also indicates the date of when our final payment is required. 

Budgeting:

In terms of Budget we were initially proposed £300 maximum spend for a venue, the drinks budget would then go hand in hand with the amount of people the venue could have held. However our  venue spend was one hundred pounds more than anticipated but could hold 50 people at one time. The drinks breakdown and budget below is based on audiences of 150 people as we did 3 shows over 4 and a half hours. Alcohol is the main reason we made so much money, this is because we bought in bulk cheap alcohol and then sold it on per one person serving. 

Above is the Prices Norah compiled after pricing up the total alcohol budget. This allowed us to estimate our profit. 

Below is the alcohol budget based on prices from Majestic Wines. This is was uploaded onto the Facebook group and members of the company suggested alternative suppliers and quantities. However  after much debate it was finalized that this would be the final order it was really great that Norah created this document as it stressed the £451.30 profit that should be made from the bar. It also meant we were prepared to make the order closer to the event. 

This is an email confirmation from Majestic wines, the total spend for wine was less than first anticipated, this was because we cancelled the 4th show therefore the volume of wine needed was 25% less. The cost of ice buckets and ice was not originally included in the budget, however it did effect the total expenditure due us ordering less wine. This email confirmation was really important as it confirms the next day delivery. This meant the company were responsible for delivering the wine to our venue in time for our evening performances.   

The document above is the final breakdown of the figures from our event, first of all this shows all of the income and outgoings that occurred through out the process, this includes  everything from the cash float to the ticket sales and last minute ice. It will help us as a company in future as it highlights where we made money and where we can more frugal in our next project. 

Marketing: 

This is the design for our posters and Fliers, it was designed by jacks dad, the wording was changed a few times, this was in order to make our event more atmospheric. It was vital that we got this part of the event right because it gives of an impression to potential audience memberS. I feel like it looks very professional and sets us apart from brit, therefore it gave us more of a chance to sell tickets for £10 each. T he fliers were distributed in the local community in Archway, around the school campus in Selhurst, The Southbank Centre and throughout central London. This allowed us to reach audiences outside of our school community and mailing list. However on the Day of the event Richard the owner of the old Butcher shop informed us that if he had known we would have been given access to his own list of 300+ email addresses he has aquired through renting out the venue. Despite this the show did tremendously well. 

Ticket Sales:

Above is the analyses for tickets sold via the box office, this allows us to compare the number of people who purchased tickets on the door and those who used the schools box office. This will help us refine out booking systems for future events. 

Below is date by date breakdown of our events plan. I have also analysed and created an events plan for elf with break downs for each date. 

Events Plan Analyses 

Plumb and Sons turned out to be a great success, the process was by no means a smooth ride. However as a company we will learn from this experience. We worked from out event plan and established responsibilities vert early one.  That was good. However as the process played out some people could have been better placed in other positions. For example Phoebe did not feel she was suited  to her role. This could be due to the fact bridge had not been formed for very long, therefore we weren’t entirely aware of both our individual and each others strengths. 

As project manager it was my responsibility to find a venue alongside the creative team. We used websites such as ‘hire space’ to look for a space which was accessible, cheap and had the ability for us to create a ‘spectacle’ in it. I feel like I should have been more hands on with the selection process as we only started to get the ball rolling when we decided to call venues directly and not waste time with emailing. I now know that this is the most effective way of getting in touch with people. However it was Kitty who found the old Butchers and it is fantastic. I formed a really good relationship with the owners and conducted two site visits, all of which happened in good time of the event. I am pleased as managed them productively as we were able to discuss the logistics of the event in terms of furniture being moved, audience capacity and  licensing, enabling us to be fully prepared for the event. The selection of the venue was a massive risk, it set us back initially four hundred pounds, however it was also the venue that shaped every part of the event, especially the atheistic of the marketing material. 

On sight visits we discussed a risk assessment with the owners of the venue and were able to acquire there copy of it, this was then adapted to the specifics of our event. Furthermore we looked at the licensing for bar staff and concluded that our bar would be run on a ‘suggested donation’ policy meaning we would not have to spend money on an a temporary alcohol license or a licensed Bar tender. Legal were efficient and thorough in there execution of this. Adding to this I think I worked well to insure the venue was payed for as I requested an initial invoice which included the deposit and final payment. This was done well in advance of the event on October 6th. This meant we had plenty of time to notify Finance of the amount that was due on November 26th. 

The design for the posters and flyers was really professional and in keeping with the event, however there was a period of confusion over the information that was displayed, this slowed down the process of sending invites out. furthermore as a group I feel like our biggest weakness was communication, especially in terms of marketing. Marketing originally looked at using ‘Evites’ by ‘Eventbrite’ and using paypal in order to transfer the money for ticket sales, but both these companies take a large percentage of each ticket that is sold. Therefore our profit would have been heavily effected. If we had communicated more efficiently we would have been able to find an alternative much faster, allowing us to begin promoting the show much earlier and  perhaps we wouldn't of been forced to push the show back by two weeks. I feel like this was partly my fault as the role of the project manager is to over see everything and make sure deadlines are being met. This is something that I can solve in future through organizing times, dates and rehearsals more thoroughly.   

The emails that were eventually sent, were not blind copied therefore recipients were bombarded with various accounts that appeared, making the invite feel less personal. This process indicates that we must refine our system for future events. Adding to this the poster which is shown in the invite was not clear enough, It did not indicate that this was a fundraiser. This meant our recipients were perhaps confused by the pricing on the event, However this was fixed through Gus’ brilliant twitter blasting, he contacted past and present brit students directly via social media, this created an online buzz which I believe resulted in large ticket sales. This is something we must continue to do as a company. 

Moreover the ordering of drinks was left slightly too late, this was over confusion of how to pay for the order. Norah compiled a list of all the things we would require to stock the bar, this was put onto our Facebook group and people gave suggestions. This all happened on November 8th, however the order was eventually placed on November 25th. One day before the event, this resulted in the order arriving right before our first performance. Despite the rushed order and delivery, the company we used were really great as they purchased back all un opened stock, furthermore they supplied ice buckets, ice and Tumblers free of charge. I think that this is a company we will use for future events as it is both efficient and cost effective. 

In conclusion the events success was a result of good team work, for our future events we must work to meet deadlines and communicate better between roles. Often people were taking responsibility for other peoples tasks. However this was our first event as a group and we are now all aware of one another’s strengths. 

A Hierarchical Structure of the roles played in an events management team

Production Manager

The Production manager is responsible for the smooth running of the process.They must insure that every aspect of the event is in order, overseeing every department. They must be certain that everyone working on the project is trained correctly and full filing responsibilities. Furthermore the Production manager is heavily involved in communicating with the Legal team, insuring that the project meets with local authority guild lines. For example alcohol licensing  as these restrictions can impact heavily on the desired revenue.  The production manager also overseas each meeting which takes place, arguably they play one of the most important roles as they piece each part of the event together.  As I am the production manager for the Centenary event It was my responsibility to insure that we had our venue confirmed. This included making site visits and meeting the owners of the venue. Furthermore it is my job to work with legal on solidifying both a licensed bar attender and  a temporary alcohol license. Finally I am in charge of leading each meeting, this means I have to be up to date with the agenda and listen to what each department has to offer.   

Events Manager

The events manager's role is to over look the whole process in terms of creating and planning. Liaising predominantly with the creative team  to develop the strongest possible idea. Further working with the production manager to oversea the progress on each department.  Its is important that the Event manager is up to speed with everything that is happening in the creative process as they are often used to communicate across departments via the production manager.  

The Creative Team:

Director

The director is the creative decision maker. Choosing what happens when and why. The director works closely with the rest of the creative team in order to channel a clear vision and theme for the event. The director also works a lot with the Production manager in terms of logistics and Design. 

Producer

The producers role is to find initial funding for  the event and piece together each department. They work with each department closely, insuring that everything is running as is should be. 

Designers

The designers create the overall aesthetic of the event. They take the directors vision and the producers budget. Creative posters, flyers, programs, logos ect. The designers also work with the set designers and marketing, channeling a clear and consistent vision for the piece. 

Writer 

Working with the rest of the design team the Writer refines the ideas and comprises  clear story/stories/Journey for the event. The writer can also be known to oversea the  wording of marketing material such as Flyers and Posters. 

The creative team -

The creative team decide and manage the theme which runs through the whole event.  Making decisions about everything that is deemed as ‘Creative’

The Design Team -

Working on everything that needs to be specifically designed for the event. Aiming to create a strong and familiar public image alongside Marketing.  

Marketing and Promotions- 

They have a huge responsibility in terms of the whole process as they are in charge of making people aware of the event. They must use a variety of different resources in order to reach many different demographics. It is there job to make people turn up.  

Legal-

The legal team are responsible for managing everything the event requires in terms of complying with policies and restrictions put into place by local authorities. They must complete required contracts. Furthermore they must work with logistics to make sure audience capacity and health and safety in contractually followed. 

Logistics-

The logistics team are in charge of the technical equipments being transported safely, along with the welfare of the cast and crew. They must also comprise a timescale for the event and insure that everything works like clockwork. 

Technical Team- 

The technical team must oversea everything in terms of lighting, sound and set. They are responsible for setting up equipment and using it within the show. 

Accounts -

The accounts team manage the money. They are responsible for for setting a budget and insuring that it is followed by each department as the production process is carried out. without the accounts team, it would be near impossible for the event to keep to budget. It is a vital that the team is efficient and accurate. 

Measurers-

This is an evaluative role within the company. The Measurers are responsible for reviewing the event and looking at how it ran. Where could improvements be made next time? Where there possibilities for more revenue to be made. Measurers also look at the efficiency of how to show/event is moved out of the venue, they must look at methods of packing up and moving the show out. Cleaning and storage is another element. They work closely with logistics in terms of working on making the company more efficient with every event. 

What defines a Performing arts event?

Events companies can run a variety of different events including theatre performances, music festivals, gigs, club nights, private parties, open mic nights. The list goes on. In order to operate efficiently the company must adapt to cater specifically to each event. Each department is responsible for bringing something new to the table each time, in particularly the design and creative teams.This will maintain a strong public image in order to sustain a steady and loyal audience. The events could result in a variety of different ways, this all depends on the variables. 

Plumb and Sons: Fresh meat and poultry and the club night

Our event, Plumb and Sons: fresh meat and poultry is an immersive theatre experience based in a victorian style butchers. We are using the centenary of the start of WW1. We aim to take our audience members back to 1914 and remember the goodbyes that were said. We are doing three performances in one day, there is a 50 person audience capacity for each show and we are charging £10 for each ticket. The venue is incredibly atmospheric and relates directly to the post victorian world we are aiming to create. The venue has an old shop front and the interior is cosy but period in its decor. Creating a piece of immersive theatre would have been tricky to pull of in a plain church hall or studio as we would have to find additional funding for lighting and props. This additional expenditure would have had a knock on effect in terms of the revenue we wish to generate from the fundraising event, further communicating the importance of venue. The W Plumb venue is also accessible from one tube and one over ground station. This means that audience members will be able to easily locate and vacate the venue frequently. The venue is already equipped with a sound system, this is really beneficial because if this was not   the case a large part of the technical teams time would be taken up by transporting and fitting the appropriate equipment. What is even more beneficial about W Plumb is that we are able to (as i mentioned before) run three shows in one day, This means we can have a total audience of 150 people over the three 60 minute time slots. Through changing this variable we have tripled our ticket sales. 

The club night will be held in a club in angel, next to the tube station. which like Plumb and Sons allows people to come and go easily. However due to the  time of the event going from 9pm until 4am we could find less people are keen to stay late due to most public transport finishing at around 12. Despite this we are aiming our night at people aged 18+ meaning most people will be keen on the idea of a late finish. Furthermore we have decided to place the event on the last friday of the school term before the christmas holidays. If we had placed the event at an earlier date a lot of our contacts would possibly still be away at university therefore we our using this variable to our advantage by placing it on a prominent date at time we know the maximum amount of people will be attending.  

In terms of staffing for both the club event security, bar staff and the clear up is included in the £500 price tag of the event. This means us as an events company will be running the night. This is something which we have carefully considered as a team as we are trying to minimize our outgoings in order to make money. The entertainment factor will be supplies by both Sacha and Cameron as they are DJ’s. This means we have complete control over the atmosphere of the event and can cater to our audiences taste. It is also beneficial in terms of profit as if we were to hire entertainment such as a DJ we would be paying a £30 hourly rate which would take £210 out of the money we make from entry fees. Another variable which could effect our event would be how we market it. If we marketed our event as a ‘Motown and funk night’ we would attract a completely different group of people than if we decided to go with a ‘Grime and hip hop’ night. This would directly effect not only the kinds of people who would turn up but also the atmosphere of the event.  The venue has a capacity of 250-300 people meaning this is a larger scale event. By choosing this venue we are creating a far less personal event than Plumb and Sons. This is an obvious but important demonstration of how a variable can shape an event without it effecting the atmosphere i in a positive or negative way. 

Relating this back to out Plumbs and sons event, the kinds of people we wish to attract are older richer people. If our tickets were priced at £5 instead of  £10 younger people would be more inclined to come along.However we are looking at attracting people who will spend money on the bar. Therefore we have chosen more mature subject matter and a more sophisticated theme. The Plumb and sons event will be again, staffed by us as an events team. Due to licensing we have to have a licensed bar attender present in order to be able to serve alcohol. This means that we are having to hire a Bar attender for the evening. If we didn’t do this then we would be unable to serve alcohol making which would have an effect on ‘party like’ atmosphere and directly hit out ability  to generate more profit from bar sales. All of these variables effect the event and I think have all been carefully thought through by the team.  

November 12th - Confirm the lecture theatre is booked. This is vital as its the only venue would be able to use. Moreover its free. 

November 14th - Gus Will create the Facebook event and send invites out to all the people we are in contact with. This is really important so we get people to know about the  event early on. 

November 19th - We must have a completed poster up and around our local community as soon as possible. The poster design will be approved by the whole company. We are looking for something that looks professional, festive and informative. 

November 21st - The Approved poster must be printed and distributed around the school and in local schools and cafes. We have to make sure the poster is approved by reception in terms of distributing it around the Brit school. 

November 24th - Tickets will go on sale. Every member of the company must ensure that they are updating social media frequently to make sure enough people know about the event.  

November 26th - A meeting will be held to discuss the refreshments which will be sold in the event. we must come up with an organized list so that finance can go away and find the most cost effective way of supplying everything.

                           - An additional meeting will discuss the logistics of the event. Specifically how we will lay the cinema out? who will be doing what such as selling refreshments and checking tickets? we will also look at what equipment is required and who will operate it. 

The logistics, Technical and creative team will c create plans to go forward. This will include lists of everything that is required to be bought, donated or rented.

November 28th - The first of three ticket sale checks. This allows us to ensure we are selling the event to people. Keeping an eye out early means it wont be a last minute struggle to get ticket sales up. 

December 2nd - Flyer distribution will take place outside local primary schools at the end of the school day. We will also have people distributing flyers at Brit. Personally asking people to buy tickets will make them feel more obliged, especially people we know. 

                          - The creative team will place an order for the required refreshments. This will be delivered on December 11th at 1pm. 

December 3rd - Following a ticket sale check we will hold a meeting to discuss weather our promotion techniques are effective enough. This will allow us to find different ways to market the event if ticket sales are not exceeding our expectations. 

December 4th - Year 10 and 11 have an assembly on thursday mornings. As they are our target audience we will attend and promote our event. This will ensure that every single year 10 and 11 has heard about it. 

December 5th and 8th - Ticket checks will happen on both these days. It means we will be well aware of how much we need to push the show over the days leading up to the event. 

December 9th - As a company we will distribute flyers again, this time in different locations around the community. This will be our last attempt to do person to person promotion. 

December 10th - There will be an equipment and logistics check in the lecture theatre. This is so we can ensure we have the correct number of chairs, the equipment is working properly and we are complying with all health and safety. Doing this makes sure there are no disasters on the day and we can work efficiently to give our audience a good feeling about Bridge Theatre. 

December 11th - At 2pm the refreshments will arrive. The company will collectively set up the space following the logistical plans put in place aiming for a 4.30 start.