Event Analysis Assignment -  This assignment is worth 125 points (optional 5 point bonus available, maximum 125 points).

Benchmark Samples of an Event Analysis: Sample 1: Chili Cookoff  Sample 2: Sport Event

Each student is required to attend and report on an event held at a public assembly facility. You are to take on the posture of the Event Manager for this event. You are to be keenly aware of everything taking place at this event from the moment people arrive to the moment they have left your premises. Your goal is to ensure that people leaving this event have gotten more than their money's worth - and will want to return in the future. Thus, you are to observe and analyze the event using this overarching question as your filter: "What factors made this event a memorable 'experience' and what can be done to improve the overall 'experience'." Some sub-questions follow to guide your observations.

Overarching Question:

What made this event a memorable experience, and what can be done to improve the overall experience for those in attendance?

Sub-Questions:

1. What was the service like from entry to exit? (based on observations and personal requests for service)

2. What was done at this event to engage the audience?

3. Were there any factors that appealed to any or all of the five senses (touch, smell, taste, hearing, sight)?

4. Was anything done at the event the contributed to both the overall experience, and functioning of the event? (ex: pre-event activity that encouraged participants to be arrive early to relieve traffic congestion)

5. Were there certain parts of the event that had more of an appeal to certain segments of the audience, and not others?

6. What could be done to improve the overall experience of this event?

7. *Optional: What was the pre-event atmosphere like for this event? (organized, chaotic, nervous, calm, etc. - describe with examples)

*Optional pre-event question: You will receive an extra five points (maximum of 125 points however) if you attend the pre-event meeting with the staff and/or volunteers for this event, and respond to the optional pre-event question (the pre-event meeting and prep must be at least one hour in length). It must be stated in your response that you were there for an event staff meeting, and not just one who arrived early to the event.

Please respond to the "overarching question" in a 5-6 page - double spaced paper. Be sure to include an introductory paragraph, that includes the name, date, and time of the event. I will evaluate the paper based upon the quality and degree to which you communicate your observations. In particular, I will assess your responses to the 6 sub-questions above. Finally, please take care in writing your paper (spelling, grammar, etc.) and be sure to use subheads in your paper to guide me through your paper.

Due Date: As stated on Syllabus. Please submit hard copy and email another copy as an attachment with Event Analysis-Name of Event in the Subject Line.

Some Other Reminders:

As you finish up your event analysis, I want to remind you of a few important things you can do to maximize your grade. These reminders do not displace the guidelines on the web, but reinforce what has already been spoken, or written. 

  1. Be sure your paper is organized. Use subheads throughout your paper. The subheads should guide me through the paper. Most often the subheads will be the questions identified on the guidelines posted on the web – but feel free to use sub-subheads whenever it makes sense. It needs to be obvious you answered the questions – so use subheads.
  2. Grammar-check, spell-check and proof-read, and remove unnecessary wording like “that” from your document. Proof-read again. If you wait until the night before to write this paper, you will inevitably miss some things you would have noticed if you could have slept on it (figuratively) and read again. Significant points will be deducted for a poorly written paper.  A rule of thumb I use is 2 points deduction for every one spelling and/or grammar error. 
  3. Make sure your introduction paragraph takes me there – time, place, date, ticket price, etc.
  4. Don’t feel confined to 5 pages – this is a minimum of five pages. If you can not come up with at least five pages of prose, you are not thinking deeply or broadly enough.  (Ten points will be deducted for every partial page short of five pages).
  5. I like examples. Any time you can use an example to illustrate your point or observation, do so.
  6. You are required to email me a copy of your paper as an attachment, and deliver a hard copy by class time on the due date. Your email subject line should read Event Analysis – Name of Event.
  7. Please do NOT place your hardcopy in a folder of any sort. Simply staple your paper and a cover sheet with event title, venue, city and state of event, event date, your name, section, and due date clearly labeled.
  8. Number your pages, at bottom of page.
  9. Minimum of five complete pages, double spaced, with standard margins, font size, headers and footers.
  10. Be sure to ask event staff for service to assess their "customer service."
  11. This event must be a "ticketed event" that requires payment from attendees.  You don't have to pay, but paying tickets must be made available to the public.
  12. Legend for my abbreviations: If you see "good O" within your paper, that means "good observation."