Program Planning and Event Management

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering the concepts, stages, models, and design strategies of recreation program planning and event management.

How is programming defined in the context of leisure and event management?

Designing, staging, and delivering leisure opportunities by intervening in social interactions, specifically by manipulating and creating environments.

What is program development?

The overall process of managing program delivery, including creating, executing, and running a program.

According to the Program Development Cycle by J. Robert Rossman and Barbara Elwood Schlatter, what are the four stages and their corresponding steps?

Stage A: Agency Culture (Step $1$: Mission, Step $2$: Strategic Directions); Stage B: Targeted Program Development (Step $3$: Participant Input, Step $4$: Program Goals, Step $5$: Program Design); Stage C: Operational Strategies (Step $6$: Program Plan, Step $7$: Implementation); Stage D: Follow-Up Analysis (Step $8$: Evaluation, Step $9$: Disposition Decision).

What three components form The Programming Trilogy, and what does each entail?

1. Design: Outcome goals, Y Statements (intended outcomes). 2. Staging: Interactions in framed encounters, X Statements (programmed activities using the six elements of a situated activity system). 3. Evaluation: Verifying and documenting that a leisure experience and intended outcomes were achieved (using data to verify and recommend).

What are the six elements of a situated activity system that a programmer can manipulate?

1. Interacting people (target audience, characteristics, relationships); 2. Physical setting (sensory elements: visual, aural, olfactory, tactile, taste); 3. Leisure objects (physical, social, symbolic); 4. Structure (rules guiding interactions, formats guiding relationships); 5. Relationships (how well participants know each other); 6. Animation (how the activity is set up, sustained, and progressed).

In a situated activity system, what is the role of animation and what is a typical sequence for it?

Animation dictates how to get an activity started and keep participants engaged. A typical sequence flows from welcome to warm-up, games, semifinals, and final plus awards.

What key conditions or criteria define an experience as leisure?

Conscious behaviour, perceived freedom (freedom from constraints and freedom to choose/participate), intrinsic motivation (participating because one wants to rather than being forced), positive affect (experiencing positive feelings), and engagement in autotelic activity.

What is an autotelic activity?

An activity done purely because engaging in the activity itself is enjoyable and intrinsically rewarding.

According to the Types of Leisure framework, what are the primary defining characteristics of games, recreation, play, sport, tourism, and events?

Games: rule-bounded, coequal players, control of skill and chance, problematic outcome. Recreation: restoration, social purpose, morality. Play: spontaneity, self-expression, nonseriousness. Sport: physical exertion, standardizing rules, competition of physical skills. Tourism: restoration, change of pace, individual purpose. Events: infrequently offered, different programming format for agency, beyond everyday experiences of participants.

What distance requirement is specified in the notes to classify travel as tourism?

Travel for recreation covering a distance of at least $80\,\text{km}$.

How do Mega events, Recurring events, and Travelling events differ?

Mega events are large-scale, international events requiring a formal BID process and full-time staff (e.g., the Olympics). Recurring events occur regularly, making them easier to predict/manage since staff know what to expect. Travelling events occur regularly but in different locations, creating more staffing challenges (e.g., a circus).

What characterizes ancillary events compared to community events?

Ancillary events occur alongside a primary event to generate additional revenue and require significant planning (e.g., a World Cup Fan Fest). Community events are smaller, serve a specific geographic region, and offer more creative freedom (e.g., start-of-year events, swim meets).

In strategic alignment, how are Vision, Mission, Outcomes, Goals, and Objectives defined?

Vision: What is our WHY? Mission: How will we get to our WHY? Outcomes: Measures of program impact on individuals and society. Goals: Broad-based statements of what is to be accomplished (where you are going). Objectives: Steps to reach a goal (how you will get there).

What are the five components of the SMART goal framework?

Specific (what will be accomplished and what actions will be taken), Measurable (data that measures the goal: how much, how well), Achievable (whether the goal is doable with available skills and resources), Relevant (alignment with broader goals and importance of the result), and Time-Bound (the timeframe for accomplishing the goal).

What are the two major divisions and five stages of a standard logic model?

The two divisions are Planned Work and Intended Results. The five stages are: $1$. Resources/Inputs and $2$. Activities (under Planned Work), followed by $3$. Outputs, $4$. Outcomes, and $5$. Impact (under Intended Results).

What are the three outcome levels and their typical time horizons in a logic model?

Initial: occurs soon after participation, focusing on what participants learn or short-term changes. Intermediate/Short-term: occurs within $1\text{--}3\,\text{years}$, often involving changes in behaviour. Long-term: occurs within $4\text{--}6\,\text{years}$, representing meaningful systemic, organizational, or community-wide change.

What are three recognized limitations of logic models?

1. They predominantly focus on positive change, whereas not all changes are positive. 2. They reflect what the program intends to do rather than actual operational reality. 3. They depict expected outcomes but fail to capture unintended or unexpected outcomes.

What five elements must be defined in a well-written and complete outcome statement?

1. Who will change (the people being trained/served); 2. What will change (knowledge, attitudes, skills); 3. By how much (realistic amount of change); 4. By when (timeframe for the change); 5. How the change will be measured (surveys, tests, interviews, or other methods).

What is the difference between direct, indirect, and induced economic effects of an event?

Direct effects refer to initial spending directly associated with the event. Indirect effects are additional economic activity generated by businesses supplying goods and services to the event. Induced effects occur when event workers spend the income they earned from the event within the economy.

What five types of community assets are evaluated during asset mapping in Stage B?

1. People; 2. Places; 3. Partnerships and networks; 4. Associations, groups, and institutions; 5. Local business information.

What four primary methods are used to gather participant input during Stage B?

1. Citizen Advisory Committees; 2. Public Meetings and Workshops; 3. Interviews (unscheduled/social media, and scheduled/focus groups); 4. Surveys (needs assessment, community attitude and interest, marketing).

What are the five dimensions of the attendee experience that an event design must address?

1. Psychological (personality, role, status, self-image, how attendees want to be perceived by peers); 2. Cognitive (how expectations, motivations, and previous memories influence perception); 3. Emotional (shaping emotional states such as happiness, stress, anxiety, or euphoria); 4. Social (attendee-to-attendee interactions and relationships); 5. Environmental (physical space, layout, and sensory atmosphere).

What elements constitute the event marketing mix?

Product (the experience, competition, unique features), Price/Time (costs and time commitment), Place (venue and location accessibility), Promotion (communication channels), and People (aligning with target market needs and expectations).

What top-down sequence describes the policy-to-event translation flow in Stage A?

Canadian Recreation Framework -> BC Tourism Strategy -> Community / organizational priorities -> Program opportunity -> Event concept -> Event experience.