Event Stakeholders and Audiences

This lecture represents the first of two recordings for Week Two.
The focal subjects for this recording are Event Stakeholders and Event Audiences.
The subsequent recording for the week will cover Event Goals and Objectives.
These concepts are fundamental to events management, specifically during the current learning stage and the future planning stage of a project.

The Term: Stakeholder is a specific term used in events management and PR. It is distinct from the term "shareholder," which refers to a different concept entirely and should not be confused with event stakeholders.
General Definition: A stakeholder is any person or organization that maintains a real interest in the event.
Perception of Impact: Stakeholders believe that the actions taken by event organizers affects them in some capacity.
Ability to Influence: Because they are affected, stakeholders possess the power to influence the project. This influence can manifest in two ways:
- In a really helpful way (positive influence).
- In a not so helpful way (negative influence).
Planning Obligations: Event planners must think carefully about the specific expectations and needs of every individual stakeholder group.
Broad Environment: Organizers do not work solely for the client; they operate within a large environment populated by various groups who may benefit from, be affected by, or even be worried about the event.

Status: The client is the major stakeholder in the project as they are the ones commissioning the event.
Core Research Requirements: To effectively manage this stakeholder, planners must understand:
- Who the client is precisely.
- What the client stands for (their values and brand).
- The specific outcomes the client hopes the event will achieve.
Primary Information Sources:
- The Event Brief: Must be read carefully.
- Background Research: General investigation into the client entity.
- Client Briefing: Direct interaction to gather essential details for shaping event ideas.
Placement: While the client sits at the center of the project, they remain just one stakeholder among many that must be identified.

Identifying the range of stakeholders is a mandatory step in event development. A typical (though non-exhaustive) list includes:

Host/Principal Parties: The client, the event principal, or the host.
Management Entities: The organizing committee.
Talent and Support: Performers, teams, performers' managers, and local managers of talent.
Community Groups: The local or host community.
Governance: Local government authorities.
Safety and Infrastructure: Emergency services and various contractors (noting that there can be dozens of specific contractors not listed).
Financial Supporters: Sponsors (the number varies by event size; there might be 3, 10, or 20+ sponsors).
Internal Teams: Co-workers and volunteers working at the event.
Tourism Industry: Regional tourism bodies.
Publicity: The media (described as an "always very important" stakeholder).
Opposition: Various organizations that oppose the event.
Participants: Often referred to interchangeably as customers, participants, the audience, or attendees.

Scale of Management: Large-scale events commonly involve more than 50 different stakeholders.
The Management Plan: Because of the high volume of involved parties, a Stakeholder Management Plan is a crucial part of managing an event. The first step in creating this plan is the identification of all stakeholders.
Interest Fragmentation: Every stakeholder brings a different interest to the event, meaning they all have different "stakes."
The Recipe for Conflict: Conflict often arises because the individual needs of various stakeholders often overlap or directly contradict one another.
Example of Stakeholder Conflict:
- Stakeholder A (Attendees): May desire very loud music at a concert event.
- Stakeholder B (Host Community): May desire peace and quiet in their neighborhood.
- The event manager's job is to navigate these conflicting individual needs.