The Supply of Goods and Services Act

Separate agreements can be made with outside suppliers and may include those used for booking a hotel venue or hiring equipment. The Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 ensures that the event organiser is supplied with goods and services as part of a contract; it also protects suppliers and customers. The Act sets out requirements for ticketing that protect both the event organiser and attendees, and also protects consumers from faulty equipment. There is more information about contracts, agreements and consumer protection in Unit 21.

There are stringent health and safety requirements for events. Risk assessments will highlight any issues found whilst organising an event and help the organiser take steps to reduce the likelihood of anything untoward happening. More specific requirements for health and safety can be found later in this unit. Finally, any event that is organised needs to meet age requirements. For example, at a music event or festival, it must be ensured that young people are aged 18 or over if they are going to buy any alcohol or tobacco products that are on sale.

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Remember that any event must take place within the law and steps must be taken to avoid any problems.

Limits of the role An event organiser must consider the levels of authority that come with the role. Knowing what you can and cannot do is very important. For example, at some events the event organiser may not have the authority to sign a contract for services or they may not have the authority to make the final decision as these decisions may ultimately be the duty of their line manager.

An event organiser may also work with other individuals or groups who need to make decisions about the event, which means that any decisions have to be shared by the group rather than be taken by a single person.

Time management The role of an event organiser involves multi-tasking which means that good time management is an important quality for the job. Good time management means that you focus on what is important and keep everything on track. The most common time management mistakes made are: There are few events that do not have any problems at all. To help the event run smoothly the organiser will need to have already thought about what possible problems might occur and have made contingency plans. For example, if the event is to include computer presentations or DVDs the organiser may want to check the services provided at the venue and also take along their own lap top and projector as a back-up. Some problems cannot be anticipated; therefore quick thinking is necessary and good event organisers have this quality and are able to sort out solutions.

Negotiating Negotiating skills are essential for any event organiser. Negotiating, unlike other types of communication, is not about making demands or threatening people, it is about trying to get to what is known as a 'win win' situation where both parties are happy with the outcome. It may be necessary to negotiate prices on contracts to try to get the best possible deal, which is particularly important if the event is being done on a budget. Negotiating may also be used to ask for something that is not usually possible, for example, a particular type of catering or entertainment that may be more difficult to provide than usual.

Planning The main role of an event organiser is to ensure that everything goes to plan so that the event is a success. Planning does not just include the event itself, it also needs to take into account other events that are happening around the same time. Too many similar events happening in the same week may result in poor attendance at your event. The time of year will also influence the planning of an event. When planning an event, the organiser needs to think about the following.