Rugby World Cup: organising a sporting event

September is the month of the Rugby World Cup. This massive sporting event is being held over 13 different venues across the UK. Naturally it stirs up strong emotion among the fans and supporters and strong event management is crucial to make sure an event like this is a success and not a disappointment. Here are some of our top tips for organising a successful sporting event …

1. Objectives: All events start with a clear definition of the event objectives. We know this should be obvious, but it is really easy to skim over this step. The Rugby World Cup is primarily a series of tournaments that allow teams from a huge variety of locations to compete against one another. It also has major commercial value for those involved. Determine the objectives and key players who stand to invest and benefit from your event and this will inform all the other decisions you need to make.
2. Venue: This one is also pretty obvious, but you need the right kind of venue(s) for the type of sporting event and for the number of attendees you want to attract. Does the venue have the right kind of space and equipment for your event? Also does it have the right facilities to keep your attendees happy?
3. Date: Make sure you pick a sensible date. Check for clashes with other similar events especially other sports or local community events. You want to maximise the chances your event will be well attended.
4. Sponsorship: sporting events can be expensive to run and sponsorship is often crucial. The popularity and community importance of many sports events make them a good choice for local businesses interested in raising their profile. Ensure you design attractive sponsorship packages and approach relevant local or national sponsors in plenty of time.
5. Officials: Unlike for most other events, there will be specific officials that are required to make sure the rules of play are upheld. You may need timekeepers, score keepers and referees who can validate the matches and results and are available for your event.
6. Ticket sales: Your event won’t go far without healthy tickets sales. You need to have a promotion and publicity plan in place for your event. How will you make sure your audience know about the event and, more importantly, buy tickets?
7. Travel: Don’t forget to think about the volume of people travelling at one time to get to your event. You may have both away and home fans to consider. How will attendees reach your venue? Is there enough parking and public transport for your attendees? Do you need to plan measures to try and ease local traffic created by an influx of attendees?
8. Staff and volunteers: Make sure you have enough people available on the day or days of the events to manage the needs and flow of both the attendees and the sports players. This will ensure the event runs smoothly and everyone has a good time!

If you are interested in finding out more about event management or think that a career in event management might be for you please get in touch with us. We offer training that fits around your needs and will help you launch yourself right into the industry, no matter what kind of events you want to work in. Email our Head of Student Recruitment, Karin, on info@eventcourse.com or call on 0207 183 5129 to find out more about our courses. Featured image used under a creative commons license, see here for details.