Large Scale Event Management

Aims & objectives

The aim of this training is to build upon participants’ skills in the principles of large scale event management within the frame of the European Youth Capital initiative; to develop their knowledge and application of management processes when working with youth target groups; to enable participants to apply principles of events management to a practical situation based on the individual experience of each team representing their event management expertise in organizing European Youth Capital initiative.
Some of the main topics and experiences to be presented and discussed are: event design and themes, human resources issues, finance and events, sponsorship and fundraising, marketing and communications, the role of information technologies, risk assessment and management, events law and administration, health and safety requirements, contingency planning, event operations and ethics, event co-ordination, team work and group performance, evaluation, feedback and local legacies.

Target group & international/intercultural composition of the group & team

Target groups:
- Representatives of Eurpean Youth Capital (EYC) teams that are in the process of implementing or have implemented an EYC initiative. Partner countries were Portugal, Greece, Slovenia, Italy, Romania;
- Representatives of the local youth sector of Varna directly involved in / supporting the application of the city for EYC 2017 and its implementation.

Training methods used & main activities

- Interactive sharing of good practices
- Simulation and role plays for practicing event management skills
- Outdoor activities for exploring surrounding as potential event management points
- Group work and creative tasks
- Presentations and discussions
- Group and self-reflection

Outcomes of the activity

For representatives of EYC teams:
• participants have developed knowledge and competences about large scale event management;
• the common meaning of large scale event management within EYC is clarified;
• all good practices and commonalities in managing large scale events are collected and summarized;
• participants have built up relationships between each other and have created a stable network.

For representatives of local Varna youth NGOs:
• participants have developed knowledge and competences about large scale event management
• participants have become more familiar with the EYC concept and the specifics of the application of Varna, as well as the opportunities to become part of it;
• they have explored opportunities in terms of themes, activities and places to organize large scale events supporting EYC 2017;
• all good practices and commonalities in managing large scale events are collected and summarized.

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

As the training is part of an overall training programme, part of the YiA Action 4.6 Project "Youth Capitals in Action", I have participated in the initial process of developing the project application and the training programme with its 5 trainings.
Within this first training we have been two trainers developing the training programme together, participating in all the sessions and delivering training activities as full time trainers. The group was over 30 participants which required strong training presence. I have been full-time-trainer in the following activities:
- official opening of the training
- group building activity
- getting to knwo erach other
- networking
- exploring the EYC initiative
- large scale event management basics
- large scale event management practices
- outdoor activities
- summarizing and closing of the training

I worked on this training for 6 days days as a full time trainer.