AS Level Travel and Tourism (9395): Study Notes

Topic 5.2: Choosing the Event

Hello future event managers! This chapter, "Choosing the event," is the exciting starting point for your Paper 2 coursework project. You and your team are becoming real-world travel and tourism planners.

Choosing the *right* event is the difference between success and disaster. These notes will guide you through the essential steps, from initial ideas to making the final, justified decision, ensuring your event is both practical and engaging.

1. The Feasibility Study: Is It Possible?

Before you commit to running a cycling tour across the country or a massive international conference, you must determine if the event is actually *feasible* (possible and sensible).

The syllabus requires you to analyse a minimum of two detailed feasibility studies before making your final choice.

Key Areas to Consider in a Feasibility Study:

Think of a feasibility study as a check-up to ensure your event idea is healthy!

1. Concept Plan:
This is the simple outline of the event idea. It answers the fundamental questions:

  • What is the event? (e.g., A guided historical walk, a virtual travel seminar, a local food festival.)
  • Where will it take place? (Venue, location.)
  • When will it happen? (Date, time, duration.)
  • Who is the target audience? (School groups, local residents, tourists?)

2. Finances and Costings:
This is where you look at the money. You need an estimated cost for the entire project.

  • Expected Revenue: How much money will you bring in (ticket sales, sponsorship)?
  • Estimated Expenditure: What will you spend money on (venue hire, marketing, catering, transport)?

Analogy: If you want to buy a new phone, you first check your bank balance (Revenue) against the phone's price (Costing). If the price is too high, the plan is not feasible!

3. Potential Customers (Needs and Wants):
An event fails if no one wants to attend. You must clearly identify your potential customers and what they are looking for.

  • Do your customers need transportation?
  • Do they want specific catering options (dietary needs)?
  • Is the time/date convenient for them?

Accessibility Tip: If your target customers are *families*, remember their needs are different from a corporate group. Families need easy access, safety, and activities for all ages.

4. Potential Barriers:
What could stop your event from happening or being successful?

  • Weather: (If outdoor event).
  • Lack of Permits/Approval: (If using public space).
  • Budget Constraints: (If the costings are too high).
  • Competition: (Are other similar events running simultaneously?).

2. Investigative Methods: Gathering Data

To fill out your feasibility study accurately, you need hard evidence (data). You can't just guess what customers want! You need to use investigative methods:

1. Questionnaires and Surveys:
These are excellent for gathering quantitative data (numbers).

  • How they work: A set of questions given to a large group (e.g., 100 students).
  • Examples of data: "How much would you be willing to pay for this event?" (A numerical answer). "Which day of the week is best?"

2. Focus Groups:
These are great for gathering qualitative data (in-depth opinions and feelings).

  • How they work: A small, selected group of people (e.g., 6-10 potential customers) who discuss the event idea in detail with a moderator.
  • Benefit: You get deep insights into *why* people feel a certain way about the event concept, pricing, or activities.

Remember: Always include a full list of sources (evidence of research) in your feasibility study to show where your data came from.

3. Analytical Tools: SWOT and Risk

3.1 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis

The SWOT analysis is a powerful tool used to assess your event idea against both internal and external factors.

Internal Factors (You can control these):

  • Strengths: What does your team/event do well? (e.g., "Our team has excellent knowledge of the local area.")
  • Weaknesses: What areas are lacking? (e.g., "We have a very small budget," or "Our team lacks catering experience.")

External Factors (You cannot control these):

  • Opportunities: What external factors could help your event? (e.g., "A new government grant for local events is available," or "A major sports competition is happening nearby, bringing in more visitors.")
  • Threats: What external factors could harm your event? (e.g., "Economic recession means people spend less money on leisure," or "A competing organisation is launching a similar event.")

Memory Aid: S and W are Inside the organisation. O and T are Outside the organisation.

3.2 Simple Risk Assessment

A risk assessment is mandatory for any event planning. It focuses on health, safety, and security. It involves three steps:

Step 1: Identify the Hazard (The potential source of harm).
Example: Spilled liquid on the floor.

Step 2: Assess the Risk (How likely/severe the harm is).
Example: High likelihood of someone slipping and hurting themselves.

Step 3: Implement Control Measures (What you will do to minimise the risk).
Example: Place "Wet Floor" signs immediately, clean up the spill quickly, and provide first aid training to staff.

Common Mistake: Students often confuse *hazard* (the thing itself, like a sharp object) with *risk* (the chance of harm occurring). Keep them separate!

4. Essential Administrative and Legal Requirements

Events don't just happen; they need legal and administrative support.

4.1 Centre Approval/Legal Systems Required

Since your event is linked to your school/college (the 'centre'), you must consider:

  • Centre Approval: Getting official permission from the school principal or supervisor to run the event.
  • Student/Teacher Rota: Scheduling who is doing what, when, and where. This ensures adequate supervision and resource management.
  • Hiring of Equipment/Buses: If you hire anything (e.g., sound system, transport), you need contracts, insurance, and compliance with transport laws.

Did you know? Even for a small event, failing to organise a staff rota (like having no one assigned to customer feedback) is a form of risk, as it impacts the quality and success of the event!

4.2 Data Protection and Online Security

If you collect any information about your customers (e.g., names, emails, dietary requirements), you have a legal and ethical responsibility to protect it. This is called Data Protection.

  • Consent: Customers must agree to you collecting their data.
  • Storage: Data must be stored securely (e.g., password-protected files).
  • Online Security: If you use online booking or payment systems, they must be secure to prevent financial fraud or hacking.
  • Purpose: Only collect data that is strictly necessary for the event.

5. Making the Final Choice: Comparison and Justification

Once you have completed detailed feasibility studies for at least two event options, you must decide which one to proceed with.

The Final Decision Process:

Your final choice must be based on a clear comparison of the likely success of each event.

The justification should explain why Event A is better than Event B by referring directly to the analysis you conducted:

1. Financial Justification: "We chose Event A because the costings showed a much lower estimated expenditure (\(\$\)150) compared to Event B (\(\$\)400), making it less risky for profit generation."

2. SWOT/Barrier Justification: "Event A faced fewer serious threats, such as relying less on good weather, compared to Event B, which was an entirely outdoor activity."

3. Customer Justification: "The questionnaire results indicated that 85% of potential customers preferred the concept of Event A, making its likely success much higher than Event B."

Key Takeaway: Never choose an event just because it sounds fun! You must use the data from your feasibility studies, SWOT, and risk assessments to provide a logical, reasoned, and data-driven justification for your final event selection.