People love to host events. People spend a lot of money on them.
Millions, tens of millions, billions and trillions. They build tunnels in the mountains, erect ice stadiums in the subtropics, order thousands of servings of salads and hot dishes, erect giant stage structures for a few hours.
It’s not customary to talk about this: not all events are real. There are a lot of fakes in the world of event management.
Just like fake Gucci and Louis Vuitton bags, fake events look almost like the real thing. The lights are on, the music is playing, the waiters are bringing food, the guests are smiling. And it is not immediately possible to understand that they have slipped you a fake. Just leaving it, you suddenly realize that Gucci is written with one “s”, and although the event has passed, there is no joy.
There are two factors that determine whether an event has achieved its mission.
Perceiving the value of the event in the eyes of the guest is greater than the amount that was spent on the event (per guest).
The event creates a sense of community among its participants around the common values that they all share. They share these values on the basis that they were invited and chose to come to this event. This is a very important feeling associated with a person’s self-identification in society, in “their” group.
The presence of many people strengthens this feeling many times over, making it the main content and result of the event. A result that cannot be achieved with other communication tools. Since other instruments do not imply the physical presence of many people in one place, this is what enhances our emotions.
A successful event emphasizes the fact that everyone who comes to it is united in some belief, in the belief that some value is important to all of them. And the presence of hundreds or thousands of the same people strengthens this conviction, makes it more durable. This is precisely the task of event organizers.
Here are some hypothetical examples.
Olympics. The common belief is a belief in a sport that both emphasizes and erases national boundaries.
Presentation of a sports car. The general belief is the pleasure of driving a car with sporting roots, belonging to a group that can afford it.
Corporate event. A common belief is belonging to a group that is united by a set of values close to you. For example, drive, creativity, innovation, friendliness.
Needless to say, events that have this unifying effect are not a common thing. Mostly they sell us fakes. Such events often serve the opposite purpose - they separate participants, highlight their differences, and erase opportunities for communication and the pleasure of being part of a group.
Another property of “original” events is the element of self-organization of participants. They take part in organizing the event to varying degrees - substantively or organizationally. They help with topics, help with logistics, give advice and express approval.
City events
The task of creating a community, an interest group around a brand or around a football team, is understandable and a lot of experience in practical solutions has been accumulated in this area. There is a specific application point around which consumers and fans unite. There are also more complex tasks when the point of application is not so specific. For example, in the case of events for the city.
If we are talking about using an event for city purposes (or other territorial units), then we are talking about the formation of a group of residents united by some set of common values. This is an extremely difficult and non-trivial task, because... the people in this sample represent different social classes. But on the other hand, only an event allows people not only to realize, but to feel like a resident of this city. For many, perhaps for the first time. To feel that all of you gathered here have something in common, not just a residence permit, but a set of values, a set of aesthetic preferences.
This experience of belonging to a group is very valuable for people and if it happens, it is remembered for a long time. And it undoubtedly influences the behavior of every person.
In the sense that he feels responsible for the fate of this group, responsibility for the fate of what united them. Be it a city or a sports team.
Events are a unique tool for forming such groups. Almost irreplaceable. If this magic happens, you have made the right investment. If not, you just set up the stage, brought in the sound and booked the artists.
Beware of fake events! Buy original.
