EventScotland Events Management - A Practical Guide

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> Event Benefits – what the event offers, its ‘Unique Selling Point’ (USP)
> Potential to Develop and Grow – factors that will assist or hinder this
> Other Factors – competition, technology, legal, environment
In the initial stages of your planning process it can be useful to list the Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats relevant to your event in a template similar to
the one below. We’ve given a couple of example entries for our fictional ‘X-Town
Visual Arts Festival’.
SWOT Template Guide
FIGURE 1.1
Strengths
Weaknesses
> Experienced event management team > Lack of marketing and media expertise
> Supportive and active network of local artists > Limited sponsorship success
> Good local authority support and active > Remote location
visual arts officer
> Lack of quality accommodation for
> Event vision is convergent with local visual arts overnight visitors
and events strategies
> Poor late night transport
> Growing audience base > Etc…
> Etc…
Opportunities
Threats
> Local tourism forum keen to work in closer partnership > Increasing costs/standstill funding
> EventScotland’s Regional Events Programme > Event Manager moving on next year
> Local artist recently awarded major arts prize > Competition from ‘Y-Town Arts Festival’
bringing increased media interest to the town > Etc…
> New supermarket opening in town –
sponsorship possibilities attached
> Etc…
5) Other Initial Considerations:
Choosing the Date and Venue
Lead Time
Having sufficient time to plan, fundraise, market and implement the event ‘action plan’
is a critical issue. Never underestimate how long the process can actually take. Failure