Which tools or techniques could be helpful to them and why?

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Sponsors: 9 main sponsors, including Sony, Warner Brothers, Walt Disney, Universal Pictures and Penguin Books
The first Comic-Con event in 1970 was focused on comics and science fiction novels and had a small, specialist audience. It has now grown to become the most visited exhibition-style event in the United States with participation from Hollywood film studios, computer game producers and publishers as comic book characters have moved into the mainstream with films like the Batman and Superman franchises and the recent X-Men trilogy. The event combines a major exhibition with a range of conference sessions involving movie stars, writers, film producers and artists. In addition to this, there are a number of interactive sessions where attendees can have autographs signed, play games involving their favourite characters, attend workshops and buy products.
Summary of event characteristics: Large exhibition hall featuring 5,445 exhibitors from comic book and mainstream publishing, film studios, computer game companies and music companies.
The exhibition also includes multiple film screenings, autograph sessions, workshops & master classes, keynote speakers, panel discussions and celebrity appearances. These all take place in the main exhibition hall or in one of the 6 break-out rooms. These rooms are located around the convention centre, and are not always easy to locate for visitors. The event is a sell-out every year, with the convention centre reaching visitor capacity and all the exhibition stands being sold out. Capacity attendance at Comic-Con has caused crowding issues. The event now sells four-day memberships in advance – in 2008 they abandoned on-site registration after huge over-crowding problems experienced in previous years.
The comic-con staff number 350 (with 250 volunteers and 100 permanent staff). Many of the staff are volunteers – often students with a keen interest in the industries represented at the event.

The event attracts a large number of industry professionals but also aims to attract consumer visitors – in recent years the organisers have made particular marketing attempts to attract more families and female visitors.
Core information taken from: http://www.comic-con.org
Prepare an event plan for Comic-Con which includes:
1. A Mission Statement for the Event.

2. An HR plan with an objective to recruit 250 volunteers for this event from a local university or college aged 18-25 who have an interest in the subject matter. Include in your plan how you intend to recruit, select, induct and train your team as well as how you intend to evaluate your volunteers performance.

3. A Marketing Communications plan aimed at getting more consumer visitors to attend the event. Your plan should include a SMART Objective, choice of communications tools and messages and how you intend to evaluate the success of your plan.

4. A Risk Assessment containing four risks and your proposed controls for reducing the impact of these.

5. Solutions to the following concerns:

• Your keynote speech is to be given by a very high profile celebrity in a hall that seats 2500. What processes and procedures will you put in place to ensure there is no over-crowding in the hall and that there is no congestion around the area before, during and after the talk?

Due to the recession, one of your key corporate sponsors has dropped out, causing a 10% reduction in your private sector funding. How do you intend to obtain the funding to make up this shortfall?

• The event team is finding it difficult to produce a detailed schedule of the Comic-Con event programme since there are so many activities going on simultaneously. Which tools or techniques could be helpful to them and why?

Question Two
‘Event planning can be aided by a variety of theories and tools which assist the event manager
Choose ONE of the following areas of event planning: Marketing, Human Resources, or Finance.
In your chosen area discuss two different theories or tools and explain their contribution to event planning. Refer to event examples to illustrate your answer