The Concept of The Earth Fair - Essay Example

? Individual Portfolio Submitted By: Waleed Al Abri of Bedfordshire BA (Hons) Travel & Tourism May 15, Introduction As part of University of Bedfordshire’s commitment to environmental education and awareness, it will celebrate the 2013 Earth Day with a remarkable activity. Inside the university’s Park Square, it plans to organize an “Earth Fair” which will showcase the various activities such as presentation of green products and services, demonstrations of conservation measures, presentation of green art and crafts, live music, and organic food exhibit. The idea is to raise consciousness among students of University of Bedfordshire through a collective effort that will bring together community groups, local businesses, educators and artists to an event where green innovations are highlighted. To ensure the event’s success, students of Travel and Tourism Management will be assigned to organize the Earth Fair, making sure that event plans are actualized and well-coordinated. The entire event plan will be divided into four categories – event research, event design, event planning, and event coordination. Each category will be handled by a committee which will consist of one committee chair and five members. As a head of the planning committee, I will be assigned to present this paper detailing the plans for the University of Bedfordshire - Earth Fair 2013. The challenge is to attract local groups to participate at the Fair and invite approximately students at the university’s Park Square. With a budget of ?10,000, it is important to ensure effective event promotion, proper coordination with local groups, and efficient management of the events team that will guarantee of the event’s success. As such, this paper presents a carefully designed plan to successfully gather students, community organizations, and local establishments to increase awareness about how to care for the environment. Event Research As an annual global event, Earth Day celebration has evolved from bringing environmental issues on the political arena to increasing public awareness through various green activities (Nelson, 1993). One of the well-known activities during Earth Day include holding an Earth Fair which features innovative works and products that promote environmental sustainability. Its aim is to bring together different sectors, from businesses to government agencies, to showcase their works and innovations in order to help people understand more about environmental conservation. All over the world, Earth Day organizers showcase different ways and themes of holding and preparing for an environmental fair. For instance, in Plymouth, Michigan, organizers for the Earth Day have conceptualized the “Green Street Fair” which promotes green products and services on the streets of Downtown Plymouth. Also, for this year, the Piedmont Earth Day Fair organizers are challenging themselves to host a zero-waste environmental event that welcomes more than 10,000 people in the area (Piedmont Environmental Alliance, 2012). Here in the country, Greenpeace UK (2011) has initiated an environmental fair which features children’s’ activities, plant swaps, rainbow face painting, yoga, and performances to create a positive display of green lifestyle. Moreover, the London Green Fair, which is the largest environmental fair in London, has been holding the event at the Regent’s Park where they give away trees to visitors for free to offset the carbon used during the event. It is from the concepts and organization of these events that the planning for the University of Bedfordshire – Earth Day Fair will be based on. The themes and manner of presentation will be guided on the previous management and organization of green fair events. Needs Assessment As an events management tool, needs assessment is conducted to assess the preparation, intention, and responsibilities of organizers in an event project. Basically, it involves answering the 5 W’s (Who, What, Where, When, and Why) to develop how the event will be conducted. According to Silvers (2006), the needs assessment enables event stakeholders to determine the elements needed that will contribute to the event’s success. 1) Why must University of Bedfordshire hold an Earth Fair? The purpose of the earth fair is to create a platform where local businesses, and community groups can gather together to promote green innovations to university students around Bedfordshire area. If this event is successfully conducted, the Earth Fair will result to the recognition of the university as an institution that is committed in creating an environmentally sustainable community. Celebrating the global Earth Day festival through an environmental fair will increase the awareness and understanding of students about the benefits of green living. 2) Who will benefit from this event? The Earth Fair will benefit students of University of Bedfordshire who will learn and experience the presentation of different business and community groups about the importance of protecting the environment. For students, the event will increase their learning about environmental issues such as climate change and environmental degradation. Moreover, this event will be an opportunity for them to witness the local businesses and organizations in presenting ways to live in an eco-friendly environment. 3) What are the expectations for the environmental fair? By joining the Earth Day celebration for the first time, the university is expected to give its full support to the organizers of the event. The Earth Fair is a pioneer program that is expected to affirm the university’s commitment in supporting environmental causes. As such, with successful planning, the Earth Fair activity will enlighten university students about eco-friendly products and services that can be utilized for green living. Aside from this, the event is expected to be enjoyable since activities such as live music and food festival will be present in the program. 4) Where will the event take place? The event will take place at the Park Square garden of the University of Bedfordshire. This is to introduce visitors on the greenery that is found inside the campus. The evaluation for possible venues includes the natural atmosphere, price, accessibility, and ease of accommodation. As observed, the university’s Park Square fits the characteristics needed to hold an environmental fair. Aside from it is within the university campus, it is also convenient for organizers to coordinate with university officials about the set-up of the event. Also, the university is accessible university students who will experience the event at the green area of the campus. 5) When will the Earth Fair be conducted? The environmental will be held on April 22, 2013 during the worldwide celebration of the Earth Day. This date will fall on Monday which means many students could participate and view the fair. It also means that organizers will have an ample time preparing for the management and coordination with different sectors involved in the program. Feasibility Study Event feasibility is a crucial part in determining whether the event is realistic enough to meet the available resources of the organizers. As a community event, the Earth Fair has a total budget of ?10,000 to spend on implementing of the event plan. As such, it is important to list the important requirements needed to actualize the event (NSW Trade & Investment, 2012). Human Resources – From the event’s organizational structure (see appendix B), it can be seen that the task to plan and organize the program has been delegate to Travel and Tourism students in the university. From among them, they will form four committees on research, planning, design, and coordination to divide the tasks among themselves. It is also suggested that these students will be assigned to recruit other students as volunteers during the actual event. Venue & Facilities – One of the strengths on implementing the Earth Fair is that the university is the main partner of the organizers. This means that Park Square will be available for more than one thousand participants and visitors of the event. The facilities needed such as tents will be rented from local establishments as stated in the budget report (see Appendix A). Date, Time, and Weather – In accordance to the global celebration of Earth Day, the event will be held on April 22, 2013 from 10am to 5pm at the grounds of University of Bedfordshire’s Park Square. As the date will fall on Monday, it is somewhat assured that the students will be present during the event. As for the weather, April is springtime in the UK and as such, it is timely for the surroundings will be in full bloom for the event. Participation of Local Establishments – The involvement of the local organizations in the exhibit will be handled by the event coordination committee. The strategy is to link up with Bedfordshire Green Business Network, an organization recognized by Bedfordshire Borough that helps companies learn eco-friendly practices in business. Through coordination, the Green Business Network can provide a list of businesses that will be able to participate in the university’s Earth Fair activity. Organizational Skills and Support – The organizers’ capability is guaranteed on the fact that event management students will be the ones handling the activity. This pioneering event will be an assessment of the skills and training they got from the university. At the same time, it is the university’s commitment to support student endeavors that will enable the institution to showcase its goal on environmental protection. Health and Safety Issues – On the issue of health, the organizers will make sure that the event will only showcase vegetarian and organic dishes so that it will be true to its cause of presenting healthier lifestyle for students. With this, it is necessary that only local businesses that offer organic and vegetarian businesses shall be invited for the environmental fair. For instance, shops such as M&E Organics and Priory Organix which promotes organic food production around Luton and Bedfordshire area shall be contacted. Lastly, when it comes to safety issues, the organizers will ensure that the event will be conducted safely in accordance with the university guidelines in holding campus events. Particularly, the event coordination committee will notify these guidelines to presenters and exhibitors as well as perform thorough safety checks prior to the event. SWOT Analysis To determine the possible outcome of the event, a SWOT analysis was conducted as part of planning process. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats were analyzed in relation to the external and internal factors that can contribute to the success or failure of the event. University of Bedfordshire - Earth Fair 2013 Strengths: Free & convenient venue strong student base assured university support capable & experienced organizers Weaknesses: first time event for Earth Day limited access to local exhibitors limited budget assurance of “fun” event for students Opportunities: event can be a yearly university event bring together students & local organizations good university promotion increase environmental awareness Threats: unexpected weather for outdoor event conflict of schedule for local groups overcrowding failure in coordination From the SWOT Analysis above, it appears that the event’s main strength is its tie-up with the university which enables the organizers to gain easier access to the venue, facilities, and student groups. When it comes to its weakness, it can be inferred that as a pioneering event, organizers do not have an experience in handling an environmental fair. As such, they might encounter difficulties in contacting local businesses to come and participate in the event. Aside from these weaknesses, there is also a demand to make the event fun for students. When it comes to opportunities, the event can be viewed as a venue where the university can present itself as a leading institution that promotes environmental awareness. If successfully realized, the event could become an annual university activity that will promote the environmental goals of the university. Lastly, it is important to anticipate the perceived threats such as overcrowding, unfavorable weather, and lack of coordination to make sure that the event plan is successfully actualized and implemented. Event Design From the completion of needs assessment, SWOT analysis, and feasibility study, the next process for planning will be the event design. Needless to say, the Earth Fair must showcase the natural green environment. As such, the venue considered for the university Earth Fair is located at the greenest part of the campus. Staging the fair at the university’s Park Square will represent the natural area suited for the activity. Aside from this, the location is very accessible to students who pass by for their classes daily. The set-up for the Earth Fair will mostly be based on how other environmental fairs are being prepared by other organizers worldwide. Typically, it will involve renting tents or marquees for local organizations that will display green products and services to students. Volunteers for the event will help set-up the displays by organizations presenting on the event. However, it should be made sure that every decor in the fair and the promotional materials about it should be environment friendly. For instance, posters should be printed on recycled paper or bamboo paper with natural oil-inks. Also, email invitation will be sent to students so that there will be no paper and energy wasted for the promotion of the event (Appendix F). Some of the chosen displays on the fair include local establishments that offer green products and services, community groups that can demonstrate environmental conservation, and artists who can exhibit green arts and crafts to university students. Aside from this, live music will be on during the entire event as local bands and artists who play folk and acoustic music will be featured to set a more natural music theme of the Fair. Lastly, the preparation for food will be handled by local businesses that offer vegetarian and organic dishes which include some student favorites such as organic pizza and salads. Event Planning The success of the Earth Fair is dependent upon how organizers will come up with a comprehensive plan that identifies all the factors needed to attain the event’s success. Good planning involves careful preparation of the necessary steps such as SWOT analysis, needs assessment and feasibility study which are all needed to complete an event plan. As discussed, the Earth Fair will be handled by four committees which will facilitate each step of the event process on research, design, planning, and coordination. The planning committee will take charge in managing the budget, setting the event objectives, determining the feasibility of the event, and preparing the operational plan of activities in the Earth Fair. As the chair of the planning committee, it is my task to ensure that the responsibilities have been properly delegated to appropriate committees in charge of accomplishing different tasks for the program. The research committee is assigned to explore the ways to make the fair more environmental friendly by searching for eco-friendly shops where it can purchase materials needed for the event. They are also in charge in finding out and presenting ways on how other successful Earth Fair events are done globally. On the other hand, the design committee is in charge on the aesthetic side of the event. Specifically, the committee will make sure that the Earth Fair will be appealing for university students by designing promotional materials that will catch their attention, interest, and participation. Lastly, the coordination committee will ensure that all committees perform their tasks by closely working and communicating with each other for the implementation of the event plan. Event Coordination The event coordination starts with communication between committees responsible in actualizing the event plan. Coordination is essential in ensuring that there is interaction and understanding among committee members and between groups in charge for the event. For the Earth Fair, the chair of coordination committee is also tasked to communicate with the local organizations who will participate in the events. As discussed, the coordination committee will communicate with the Bedfordshire Green Business Network to come up with the possible list of eco-friendly organizations which will be participants for the fair. From this list, the committee will contact the chosen local businesses about the possibility of participating in the university fair. Aside from this, it is the task of coordination committee to seek for partnership with environmental groups to showcase demonstration activities such as energy saving, water conservation, and environmental protection. Also, the committee is responsible in searching for musical artists around Bedfordshire area who will play acoustic and folk music during the environmental event. Moreover, they will also ensure that they are able to link university students to local food establishments that sell vegetarian and organic meals in order to present them with an alternative lifestyle. The event coordination committee must give emphasis on the operationalization process of the event plan. As such, communication with both internal and external environments will be crucial in maintaining an orderly actualization of the university’s Earth Day Fair. It is only when all committees perform its responsibilities and functions that successful implementation of event is ensured. Summary & Conclusion As the planning committee head, I believe that the environmental fair will be beneficial to promote the university’s effort in solidifying its commitment to promote environmental protection. As a pioneering event, the Earth Fair has the potential to encourage students and local establishments in participating for an environmental event. During the planning process, it was helpful that pre-planning steps such as needs assessment, and feasibility study were made to present possible developments that will come up during the implementation of the event. The needs assessment enabled the organizers to be specific with the plan as it allowed us to answer the 5Ws which are crucial questions in planning an event. Through SWOT Analysis, the organizers were able to anticipate possible scenario during the course of planning for the fair. On the other hand, the feasibility study was useful in finding out whether the goals of the plan can be attained. Moreover, what made the plan clearer was the creation of different committee that will handle various tasks in operationalizing the event. It was also helpful that an organizational chart was presented to clarify the responsibilities of all members of the different committees. Aside from this, the budget plan and event timetable served their purpose by providing definite financial proposal and appointed dates toward the implementation of the event. Overall, it can be inferred that there is potential that the Earth Fair will be successfully implemented as a representation of the university’s effort to find eco-friendly solutions to environmental problems. Bibliography AIB (September 2008) Event Management Handbook.Irish Rugby Football Union and Eamon O’Boyle & Associates, Safety Consultants. Silvers, Julie R (February 2006) Needs Assessment. CSEP. Web. www.juliasilvers.com/embok/Design/Needs_Assessment.htmI Greenpeace (2011) May Day Earth Fair. Web. www.greenpeace.org.uk/groups/west- dorset/event/may-day-earth-fair PEANC.ORG (2012) The Zero Waste Challenge - what does that mean? Piedmont Environmental Alliance. Web. http://www.peanc.org/earth-day-fair/zero-waste Nelson, Anton G. (Senator) How the First Earth Day Came About. Envirolink. Web. http://earthday.envirolink.org/history.html New South Wales Government (2012) Self help Module 14: Event management. Web. http://www.business.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/7069/module14.pdf Rent-a-tent 2011 Marquee Hire Price List. Web. http://www.tentforrent.co.uk/Pricelist_London_2011.pdf#zoom=100 Appendix A Event Budget – University of Bedfordshire Earth Fair 2013 Resources Estimated Price 1. Venue and Facilities Rental of Tents &Marquees ?3500 Rental of Tables and Chairs ?2000 Park Square Garden Venue ?0 2. Promotion and Marketing Posters ?200 Invitations ?100 Participation certificates ?100 Flyers ?100 Buntings ?50 Online Promotion ?150 3. Accommodation & Meal (Lunch): Volunteers ?1000 Local Participants ?1000 4. Other Expenses Transportation ?300 Committee Allowance ?1000 Photos/Videos ?250 Telecommunication and Online expenses ?250 TOTAL EXPENSES ?10,000 APPENDIX B Organizational Chart - University of Bedfordshire Earth Fair 2013 APPENDIX C Event Brief for University of Bedfordshire Earth Fair 2013 Event Environmental Fair To bring together university students and local businesses in an environmental fair Location University of Bedfordshire ~ Park Square Garden Date(s) 22nd April 2013 Guests Approximately 1,500 students. Requirements Entertainment, Tents/Marquees as booths for local exhibitors, Chairs and tables inside the tents Time 10:00am – 5pm Participants University students, organic food exhibitors, local community groups for environmental demonstration, businesses that promote green products and services Transportation From University to Business Establishments and Rental Companies Budget ?10,000 Note Outdoor event, permission and support from the university is expected, promotional materials are needed to ensure attendancer Objective To raise consciousness among students of University of Bedfordshire through a collective effort that will bring together community groups, local businesses, educators and artists to an event where green innovations are highlighted. APPENDIX D Event Timetable for University of Bedfordshire Earth Fair 2013 Date Task/ Activity January 7, 2013 Formation & Finalization of Committee through the University January 14, 2013 Delegation of Tasks of Committee January 21, 2013 Presentation of the Research Committee about the Event Plan January 28, 2013 Presentation of the Design Committee about the Event Plan February 4, 2013 Presentation of Final Event Plans by the Planning Committee February 11, 2013 Coordination Committee contacting the Bedfordshire Green Business Network February 18, 2013 Coordination Committee contacting the environmental groups in Bedfordshire February 25, 2013 Planning Committee contacting rental establishments for Tents or Marquees for Reservation March 4, 2013 Coordination Committee contacting food establishments that display their products March 11, 2013 Promotion of the Environmental Fair at University Campus (online, posters, and posters) March 18, 2013 Coordination Committee contacting local folk and acoustic groups to play for the event March 25, 2013 Meeting of committee about the event progress April 1, 2013 Reconfirmation and Finalization of the exhibitors at the Fair April 8, 2013 Intensive Promotion of the Environmental Fair at University Campus (online, posters, and posters) April 21, 2013 Readying the Park Square for the set-up of the Fair April 22, 2013 Event Proper Appendix E Needs Assessment - University of Bedfordshire Earth Fair 2013 5 Ws Specific Questions Answers 1.) WHAT What event are you hosting? Earth Day Fair  What is your time table for the event? 1 day event – 9am – 5pm What are the activities being offered? Exhibitions of green products, music,&organic foods festival  What materials/resources are needed? Materials such as tents, local establishment support What is your budget? ?10,000 2.) WHO Who are you inviting? University of Bedfordshire students   Who do you need help from? Participating Organizations, Sponsors, Classmates in the course  Who do you need to inform? Students of University of Bedfordshire, local businesses  3.) WHERE Where are you hosting your event? University of Bedfordshire, Park square, Where are you purchasing your products? Green Companies  Where are you advertising? Campus advertising, community advertising, 4.) WHEN When is your event? April 22 during the Earth Day  5.) WHY Why are you holding this event? for the promotion of environmental awareness among students 6.) HOW How are you registering individuals/groups? Online, on campus How much are you charging? Voluntary Donations How are you communicating with participants? Online, on campus How are you communicating with team members? Online, on campus How will you evaluate your success? Number of participants and number of donations How will you follow up (thank) individuals? Give away souvenirs Appendix F Detailed Marketing Plan June 2012 Start the creation of online promotional sites for the event (e.g. facebook, twitter account, blogger) July 2012 Release the first batch of poster for the event during the Undergraduate Open Day to be held sometime in July August 2012 Write an article about the event through eLife, the monthly publication of international students in the university. September 2012 Hand out personal invitations to potential businesses to showcase their products during the Fair October 2012 Publishing an article about the environmental fair through The Blend, the university magazine. November 2012 Work on the participation certificates for the businesses that confirmed its participation during the event December 2012 Promote the event through streamers and announcement during the Christmas celebration at the university campus. January 2013 Release the second batch of posters for the event February 2013 Strengthen the online promotional campaign by creating internet memes to spur student’s interest for the event. March 2013 Start the distribution of flyers for the environmental fair April 2013 Design streamers & buntings around Park Square for the event proper University of Bedfordshire Earth Fair 2013 APPENDIX G Sample Promotional Designs - University of Bedfordshire Earth Fair 2013 Read More