Managing the Portfolio of Events

The events portfolio is the collection of events that are the responsibility of an organisation such as a company, local authority of government department. It may also be called the events program or the events calendar.

For example: an international company will have conferences, seminars, workshops, incentive events, VIP visits, awards nights, AGM, sales meetings, family days and much more. A small city government may be responsible for festivals, sports events, community gatherings and conferences. A tourism authority may fund festivals, sports events, business events and agricultural exhibitions. A large hospital will have conference, training sessions, fund raising dinners, seminars, workshops, community days, public relations events, employee events and new building openings.

The portfolio approach to events development and management means understanding the long term costs and benefits of events. It implies that some events will take a number of occasions to have a positive return on the initial investment. It is a part of the asset management approach to events development.

In some organisations the management of most of their events will be outsourced. In others, it will be all in-house.

To enable an organisation to manage this complex portfolio a plan for their creation, development, support and devolution must be created. This is part of an events strategy.

Once the senior management or board of an organisation understands the vital part events play in their business, it make sense to develop a strategic plan to manage the portfolio.

For more information go to Events Feasibility and Development textbook