organisational functions - Alpine-space.org

marketing rights, partnerships with sponsors and television rights to such an
extent that organisers often have limited room for manoeuvre. Nevertheless, this
room for manoeuvre must be evaluated right from the start.
2. Positioning the event
Once the event’s concept has been chosen, and its “competitors” and resources
identified, the organising body can position the event within its competitive
sphere by providing simple answers to the following questions:
• What are the event’s competitive advantages? (site, values, ticket prices, etc)
• How can it be made to stand out from competing events (sporting, cultural,
festive)?
• How should the event be positioned, i.e. what sort of sports event is to be organised
and for whom?
When considering this final question, it should be remembered that the “Olympic
sport” label makes a fundamental difference to public awareness and interest in
the sport.
3. Define the stakeholders and their expectations
The third step consists of defining, and then ranking the stakeholders. The
specification drawn up by the rights holder defines a certain number of
contractual obligations in this field. By honouring these obligations, the
organisers will ensure that the expectations of the parties and partners involved
in the event are satisfied.
If desired, the organisers can then focus further efforts on selected stakeholders
who are, for example, important to the positioning of the event and/or to the
receipts the event can expect to attract, or who have expectations that are
particularly hard to meet. 3
4. Draw up a public relations plan
This preliminary work enables the event’s public relations plan to be drawn up.
This plan should detail:
• Targets
• Messages
• Methods
All three must be considered together, as each method will most effectively reach
a certain type of reader, listener or spectator. Similarly, the messages produced
can be adapted for each type of audience, while continuing to promote the event’s
values and positioning.
Several different media can be used (logo, mascot, posters, event programme,
advertising brochures, written press, radio, website, television) and they must be
adapted to the size of the event and to the publicity to be obtained from it. On
the other hand, it is now indispensable for an event to have its own website, the
production of which is often confided to a specialist company.
3. For more on this subject, see Chapter 7.
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