Chapter 13 Summary – Special Events

In the thirteenth chapter of the textbook, entiled “Special Events”, the gets to explore the diverse facets of the indispensable special events industry. The author begins the chapter by detailing what makes a special event unique. The author shares how special events stand apart from mundane daily happenings, in that they are rituals intended to honor the unique moments in life. Special events are inherently contrived and are usually preformed to satisfy a goal. The text tells the reader that special events is a vibrant industry with many career prospects in things such as event planning and management. The text goes on to say that the special events planners satiate a a need that was initially found by hotels and convention centers. As a result, these planners and managers must oversee the organization of an event from beginning to end. The chapter then turns its focus to the specific categorization of special events. Special events can be categorized as association events, fund-raising events, social functions, charity balls or any other number of classifications. Afterwards, the reader learns about the integral steps to to the special events planning process; these include research, design,planning, coordination and evaluation.  The planners of these events can work in a variety of settings which range from convention centers, hotels, or private clubs. In many cases the planners are self-employed. In addition, the author informs the reader that a effective event planner must have well developed leadership skills, social skills, budgeting skills, project management skills, negotiation skills, and excellent communicative ability. A quality event planner should also display enthusiasm and a penchant for multitasking. These high quality standards are generally enforced by an internal network of professional associations such as the International Special Events Society (ISES). ISES along with  other organizations provide continuing education, networking opportunities and certification.The text goes on to mention how the management of time and finances in conjunction with human resources and technology are key to a successful pursuit in the event planning industry. The chapter comes to a close by expressing the significant overlap that the special events industry has with fields such as catering, marketing, and entertainment.