Planning an all Inclusive Carnival Concert in the North Western end of Trinidad

The main aim of this project is for your company to gain a profit from this event. It will also help in gaining recognition and promoting the culture of the Carnival season in Trinidad and Tobago. The cost of the project will amount to the sum of $460,500.00. This cost includes all expenses for the project which will include the live performers, caterers, food and drinks, payment to all suppliers and hired workers. Reana Singh (the project manager) will be in charge of this project where she will have a team off four people working with her and also working along with Best Show’s Ltd. The tasks of this project will be divided among the members who all are competent, skilled and qualified to accomplish the job.

The event will take place at Pier One Chaguaramus on the 22nd of April, 2011. It will start from 6am in the morning and end at 12pm at night. It will be an outdoor event where it would have adequate space for patrons. The venue is accommodating with space for the event with sufficient parking and toilet facilities.

The cost of a ticket for general admission is $600.00 and for VIP is $750.00 and VVIP is $1000.00. It is an all inclusive event which entails both food and premium drinks. The tickets will electronic so one person will enter on one ticket. There will be live performances IMIJ and Company and Kess the Band, it will also have entertainment such as DJ’s and dances from the Shiv Shakti Group of Dancers.

All risk was identified and solutions were made to accompany them. This project from all analysis done will prove to be viable to your organisation in terms of success and profitability.

Introduction

“A project is a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service or result” (Schwalbe.K 2009, p.4). ‘Best Shows’ is an Event Management company specialising in the arrangement of Open Air Concerts. Best Shows provide services to organisations that promote their brand at seasonal events such as Carnival in this case. The specific services that they provide include arrangements with regards to the venue, the performers, promotion and a total end to end delivery.

Presently, the company has the contract to put on an all inclusive carnival concert in the North Western end of Trinidad. Best Shows currently employs 3 event managers and 5 administrative assistants but the event managers are currently tied up in smaller projects, which is why I was hired as Project Manager responsible for this project.

Due to the Carnival Season the event would promote the culture of the carnival season also to promote Best Show’s Client. The main objective of this project is to be successful, profitable and making sure the client is satisfied with the outcome. This project will be beneficial because it will make a profit and the organisation will receive recognition from hosting the concert.

As the project manager, I would use my experience and expertise along with my team of four, to complete the project successfully and with the help of a project feasibility study which was undertaken; taking into consideration PESTLE which focus on the business environment and SWOT analysis which focuses on strengths and weakness, opportunities and threats of the project and would be used to aid in strategic planning. (Appendix A and Appendix B)

Through the process of research and the internet I was able to get information project management.

Project Life Cycle Stages

“Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements” (Ibid, p.16.). For any project there are typically four stages, these are Initiating, Planning, Executing and Closure which is known as the Project life Cycle.

Stage 1- Initiation Stage.

The principles of Project Management states that you should make sure that your business is viable. Best shows accepted the role of planning this event because we have been successfully providing the services requested by the client for over 20 years. To appraise the viability of our event a project feasibility study was undertaken taking into consideration the following:

> A PESTLE( Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental) analysis which focuses on the business environment of the project and

> The SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis which is a strategic planning tool is used to identify the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the event.

Some of the other tools and techniques that can be used in the initiating phase to determine the viability of the project include, Brainstorming with a team of people, comparing other similar projects, ROI (Return on investment) and NPV (Net Present Value).

From the SWOT analysis for the event “Soca In D Sun” the strengths outweighed the weaknesses. The fact that the event will be held during the Carnival season is a benefit because during that time of year there is normally a flock of tourists in the country that are willing to spend their money to attend a good all-inclusive fete like “Soca In D Sun”. So even though from the SWOT analysis one of the weaknesses is that there may be a poor turnout for the event there is a small possibility of that happening because of the time of the year in which the event is taking place. Also, Best Shows has an advantage over other companies that are hosting carnival events because we have been in business for quite a while and our employees are very experienced in managing these types of events successfully. The event will be held in an ideal environment because there is adequate room for hosting the event, sufficient and secure parking for patrons unlike some events that may not have those advantages. Since the event is being held in the North Western area of the country, there is a possibility that the number of people attending from the Southern Area may not be much. However we still expect that a majority of the tickets will be sold because most of the tourists and party goers are based in the Northern Area of the country during the Carnival Season.

The opportunities that Best Shows hope to gain from hosting the event “Soca In D Sun” include, but is not limited to, the promotion and recognition of both the client and Best Shows which may gain new contracts and expand the existing clientele. It may also provide a profit to the organisation and the stakeholders involved. The threats that can affect this event are; the unpredictable weather or other events being held on the same day. Also, there is a possibility that the event may be non-profitable to the organisation, for example, if enough tickets are not sold for the event.

From the PESTLE analysis, the political factors suggest that the event will bring revenue for the country based on the time it being held. Economically the funds allocated to host the event will be enough to cover everything and the cost of the tickets will cover the money spend and also bring a profit to the organisation. Socially, the event will not be a burden to neighbours because of the venue in which it is being held and it will also appeal to a variety of different people. In terms of the technological aspect, there will be detailed information about the event online which will help to promote the event and bring awareness to a larger crowd. The tickets will have a specific code on them which means that one person to one ticket so no one can use a fake ticket to gain entry inside the event. Legally and environmentally, all HSE policies need to be followed and the relevant permits need to obtained, from legal authorities such as the EMA (Environmental Management Authority) before the event takes place.

It is important before staring the project that we have an efficient and competent project team in place. The project team would include the sponsor, which is Best Shows client, the team member which will be led by me, the Project manager. In order for the project to run smoothly there will be meetings with the immediate stakeholders involved, these include, the client of Best Show’s, Best Show’s Ltd, Project Manager, Employees, Live performers and entertainment and caterers.

It is imperative to have a project organisation, where members of the team will report directly to me, the Project manager.

As the project manager it is important to be a leader with different leadership styles and at times I will have to be; according to the circumstances. My job is varied to include team building and conflict management.

Stage 2- Planning Stage.

The Planning stage is important because this is where it will be shown how the project will be managed, which includes, the Project Scope, Schedule, Cost, Quality, Staffing, Communication, Risk and Procurement.

The Project Scope and Project Charter can be found in the Appendix , this document includes all the work that the project requires, and only the work required to complete the event “Soca In d Sun” successfully. A WBS (Work Breakdown Structure), see (Appendix E) which is a hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team, can also be found in the appendix. The WBS allows us to breakdown the event into small packages which will be easier to keep track of.

A project schedule was also done to provide information about the project and help in controlling the project so that it goes on schedule. This schedule was built on the basis of the WBS and indicates all activities, their duration, resources required and their sequencing of relationships. The schedule also indicates the activities that are critical to achieve project timeline and has a good indication of resources constraints. The ultimate goal of the project schedule was to create a realistic project schedule that provides a basis for monitoring and controlling the project process for the time dimension of the project.

The main output of the Project schedule is displayed in the form of a GANTT chart (Appendix F) . This GANTT chart provides a standard format for displaying the Project Schedule information by listing the event activities and the corresponding start and finish dates in calendar format. Activities on the GANTT chart will coincide with the activities on the WBS, the activity list and the milestone list. From the WBS we will also be able to get our Critical Path (Appendix) for the project. “The Critical Path shows the shortest time in which the project can be completed.” (Schwalbe p.139, 2009). By using the information from the WBS we were able to create a network diagram, which is shown in the (Appendix G). From the GANTT chart we are able to get the project estimated start date and end dates which are 01/05/11 and 6/6/11 respectfully. We found our critical path for the event “Soca In D Sun” to be 28 days (Appendix G (1))

The estimated cost of this project is approximately $460, 500.00. The following is a breakdown of the estimated cost of the project:

JOB

ESTIMATED COST

Hire live performers and entertainment

$ 170,000.00

Caterers – inclusive of food and drinks

$ 100, 000.00

Stage, Equipment and Lighting

$ 25,000.00

Rental of Washroom and Decorations

$30,000.00

Security personnel

$15,000.00

Rental of tents

$5,000.00

Payment of workers

$55, 000.00

Payment for the Venue

$ 20,000.00

Printing of tickets and Advertising

$25,500.00

Clean up Crew

$15, 000.00

TOTAL ESTIMATED COST

$ 460,500.00

In terms of quality of the project, the stakeholders expect to have high standard of entertainment, lighting, decorations, food, drink and performers. For the event “Soca In D Sun” we used the Quality Management Process which involves having a quality plan, quality assurance and quality control. I, as the Project Manager will inspect, monitor and record the results of the activities during the preparation of the event and make necessary changes if needed. By using this Management Process we can ensure that our client is pleased with the outcome of the event.

“The OBS provides an organizational rather than a task-based perspective of the project.” (http://glossary.tenrox.com/organization-breakdown-structure.htm). An OBS for the event can be found in the Appendix. The OBS matches the WBS and allows us to assign individuals to the tasks involved in the project. The project has four Team Leaders who are responsible for different areas of the event and are required to report directly to me, the Project manager.

A Project Responsibility Assignment Matrix can also be found in the Appendix. “A responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) is a matrix that maps the work of the project as described in the work breakdown structure (WBS) to the people responsible for performing the work.” (Schwalbe p.169, 2009)

During this stage the risk should be identified, evaluated, ranked and actions taken to minimize the impact. A qualitative risk analysis was done where I used judgement and my expert opinion to determine the significance of the risk. The risk that was identified was-

The venue may not be available for the date of the concert and the actions that can be taken by having a substitute venue or book the venue early. This is off High risk.

Live performers may not be available or within budget. The mitigating action for this risk we will hire as early as possible to avoid any extra charges for last minute booking. This is off high risk.

The entertainers may arrive late due to unforeseen circumstances. The mitigating action would be that the hired Dj would entertain the crowd until the performers arrive. This is off high risk.

The weather might be unfavourable. Our company will provide some tents just in the case the weather doesn’t hold out. This is off low risk.

Stage 3- Executing

In order for the event “Soca In D Sun” to run smoothly, it is necessary to monitor all the work that is being done from the planning stage. In the execution phase it is important that all work go according to plan. By carefully monitoring the progress of the event, corrective measures can be taken along the way if any problems are encountered. The event will be monitored according to the key stages which are; project scope, schedule, cost, quality, staffing, communication, risks and procurement. The project scope involves the team and the contractors who evaluate the impact if there are any changes, and it should have the approval from stakeholders. Good communication is crucial in the project execution stage. Effective communication is the key to having the work executed as planned as done in this event. If there are any changes it should be documented and communicated with the team members when agreed. There were no changes to be made because everything was according to schedule, cost and quality for this event.

Each team member will be held responsible for their respective roles as it goes according to plan in ensuring the execution phase (WBS Appendix) and (RAM Appendix). The team members responsible for decoration, caterers, bar and toilets, venue and advertising, security and parking, live performers, entertainment and music set up must report directly to me, the project manager on their progress. This is necessary to keep the project on track, by using these reports we can compare the progress and use previously discussed measure to bring the project back on schedule.

To stay within the assigned budget the Actual cost will be monitored and compared to the plan cost to ensure that we do not exceed the amount of money assigned for the event. The quality of work should also be monitored to ensure that it meet the requirements of the scope of works for the event. The staffs who are assigned to the various activities of “Soca In D Sun” are competent, experienced in their fields and qualified and they have the ability to perform their duties on schedule. During the course of the project, I held a few team building sessions which would achieve a more productive environment. Frequent contact was made with my team members, ensuring that support is available to deal with any conflicts which may arise. The schedule for the team meetings would be issued and the suppliers and other workers would be included. From this I will be given the project progress and updates and if any issues it will be discussed with Best Show’s and the client.

Suppliers for this event are in good standing such as the caterers, live performances, entertainment, decorators, security personnel and venue. Negotiations are being held to get the best price and delivery from the suppliers and to clarify any misunderstandings that they may have. All correspondence and contracts documents will be recorded, signed by authorising persons and date stamped.

Everything that was planned in the planning stage was executed in this stage. This is where all schedules and assignments were carried out and accomplished with the specific date and time. The project manager which is me, made sure all assignments and tasks were completed with good quality and time through the process of monitoring, controlling and also through effective communication.

Stage 4-Closure

When all the work is completed, the event will be held at the venue on the 31st of May, 2011 where it will be handed over to Best Show’s Ltd, this is when the responsible will be transferred from my team and me, the Project Manager. All the project documents will then be filed and a final report will be written and submitted.

The project performance will be evaluated against the stated objectives with considerations given the time, cost and quality. In this project which was planning an all inclusive event for the Carnival season all the stated objectives were met. The lessons learnt will be reviewed, documented and integrated into the project management plan for any improvements towards the next project. A final closure meeting was held with the team members where we also celebrated the success of the event. Any open contract documents will be closed and filed.

The goods and services for the event were received on schedule and all the outstanding payments were made. The suppliers’ performance will be reviewed and documented to be used for future projects.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The event “Soca In D Sun” was a successful event. It made a profit for the organisation that hosted it and also brought recognition to both the client and Best Show’s Ltd, while promoting the culture of Carnival within the country. The client was pleased and satisfied with the processes taken, to complete the project as requested.

With taking a project like this one, as the project manager you must have a competent, qualified and skilled workforce or team. This is essential in accomplishing the project successfully because these are the people who actually perform the tasks assigned to them. The project scope, cost, quality and time are very important in undertaking an event like this one. These must be monitored and managed carefully and continuously till the end in order to meet the project scope.

A schedule is very important in planning events because it has a time limit, so once a schedule is available and issued to all team members it will go according to the planned date and time. When organising an event like this one the project manager should be able to deal with conflicts if they arise, lucky my team and I have worked together for many years so there were no conflicts.

Another recommendation which is most important is to stay within your planned budget. The stakeholders who have invested in a project expect it to stay within the budget and become very unpleased when it exceeds it. Make sure and plan months earlier so if you have to hire live performers, which we did, you would not have to pay extra for the late booking. The client of Best Show’s catered for this late booking so it was included in the budget, but not always it is so.

Appendix C

PROJECT CHARTER

TOPIC

DESCRIPTION

SCOPE SECTION

Project Name

Soca In D Sun (All inclusive concert)

Business Case

The main objective of this project is to host an all inclusive carnival concert. The organisation will gain profit and recognition from the general public and members of staff and it will have to meet the standards of the client. It will be held in the north western side of Trinidad in Pier One Chaguaramas and will start and finish from 6am to 12pm. The area where the event is to be held is very accommodating for this type of carnival event. All the necessary permits and licences are to be approved for the event to make sure it goes smoothly without interference from any legal entities. The grounds will also follow the rules and regulation of Health and Safety, making sure the facilities that are provided for the patrons are clean and safe which will also include the caterers that are hired to make the food and drinks and the bathroom facilities should be clean and up kept during the course of the event. The live performers and entertainment should be booked along with the venue.

Project Objectives

The objective is to make a profit on this event

Involve staff members of the organisation ( meaning the client of Best Shows)

Another objective is to show their interest in the culture of Trinidad in the Carnival season.

One objective is for this event to be successful and without mishaps.

Project Oversight

The project will be controlled by the Project Manager where there are four additional members that assist in the day-to-day activities of the project. The Project Manager will manage internal control with the help of the assistants in making sure that the organisation’s resources are applied to meet the objectives of the client and organisation. Internal and external controls interact in a case like the live performers performing at the event at a certain time and place, where they should be on time and well equipped.

Final Deliverables

The client will make a profit and the event will be a successful one where the needs of the client are all satisfied within the given resources and time.

Project Customers

The client of Best Show’s is a customer, Best Show’s is a customer, the public are customers, the caterers and live performers.

Customer Requirements

The client wants an event for the carnival season where the event should be successful and profitable. The client should be satisfied with the outcome of the event in terms of staying within the stated budget. They want quality for the money spent.

Customer Needs

The client of Best Show’s should be satisfied with the outcome of the project. Best Show’s should be satisfied with the Project Manager on planning the event. The general public should have great tasting food and drinks, should be able to enjoy the live performers and entertainment. Ticket prices should be within a reasonable price range. Toilet and parking facilities should be clean and safe.

Stakeholders

The client of Best Show’s, Best Show’s Ltd, Project Manager, General Public, Employees, Live performers and entertainment and caterers.

Summary Scope Statement

The main objective of this project is to gain recognition for the client of Best Shows’, for the event to be profitable and successful and promoting the culture of the Carnival season. An all inclusive event will be held in order to accomplish these objectives. It will have a competent, skilled and qualified workforce which would drive this project to its success. The work will be divided through a Work Breakdown Structure where each person will be responsible for the task assigned. The cost of the event is $420,500.00 and a high quality is expected.

Assumptions

Weather may be unpredictable

One of the live performers may fall sick

The caterers food may not taste good or was spoilt

The public may not attend due to the location or time and date of the event.

Identified Risks

The venue may not be available for the date of the concert. The actions that can be taken by having a substitute venue or book the venue early.

Live performers may not be available or within budget. The mitigating action for this risk we will hire as early as possible to avoid any extra charges for last minute booking.

The entertainers may arrive late due to unforeseen circumstances. The mitigating action would be that the hired Dj would entertain the crowd until the performers arrive.

The weather might be unfavourable. Our company will provide some tents just in the case the weather doesn’t hold out.

Preliminary Schedule And Milestones

The project will start on the 02nd/05/11 and will end on the 9th/6/11

Cost Estimates

The cost of the project is $460,500.00

RESOURCES SECTION

Team Assignments

Each member is competent, qualified and skilled in their fields assigned to them.

The Project Manager – Reana Singh

Team of four (4)

1. Anisa Jagdin – In charge of decorations, caterers, bar and toilets, tent rental.

2. Alicia Biran- In organising the Venue, Tickets and Advertising.

3. Kevin Ramkhalawan- In charge of organising the security and parking facilities and clean-up crew.

4. Lawrence Biran- Is in charge of organising the live performers, entertainment, music set-up and stage, equipment and lighting.

Deadline

Reana Singh- to deliver final project- 3rd /6/2011

Anisa Jagdin- deadline date for Decorations ,Caterers, Bar and Toilets –

30th /5/2011

Alicia Biran- Venue and Advertising- 19th /5/2011 which is before the tickets are printed and Tickets- 19th /5/2011

Kevin Ramkhalawan- Security and Parking Facilities- 31st /5/2011 and Cleanup crew- 2nd /6/2011

Lawrence Biran- Live performers, Entertainment and Music set-up-

19th /5/2011 and for Stage, Equipment and Lighting deadline is 30th/5/2011

Staff Effort Limit

Staff will be working through some weekends which are on Saturday and Sunday. Over time will be necessary for all members to complete their assignments on time and on schedule. They are working full time on the job.

Spending Limit

Reana Singh- $ 55,000.00

Anisa Jagdin- $130,000.00

Alicia Biran- $ 45,500.00

Kevin Ramkhalawan- $ 30,000.00

Lawrence Biran- $ 200,000.00

Organisational Constraints

The resource allocation that may impact this project is the live performers may be hard to achieve during the carnival season. The venue may not be available.

Project Priorities

Getting the venue for the date required, book the live performers, organise ticket information and sent to print, caterers and bar and facilities. Everything in this project is very important to the success of the event. These mentioned above have a high importance to the event.

APPROVALS

Tile:

Signature:

Date:

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Appendix D

Preliminary Scope

Project : An all inclusive Carnival Fete (Soca In D Sun)

Project Objectives: For the concert to be a successful, profitable and company recognition.

Final Product Specification: The concert should be coordinated, organized, within budget and successful which will include entertainment, live performers, decorations, stage, lighting, great cuisine and drinks, photographers, toilet facilities, security, parking areas and stakeholder’s satisfaction.

Project Assumptions: That the event would be profitable, successful, unforgettable and within the budget. The arrangement for decorations, food, live performers, entertainment, parking and toilet facilities and security are in place, on time and available for all stakeholders without any problems.

Initial Project Organisation: To guarantee that all resources are obtainable, within the budget and these are advertising, performers, the venue, caterers, entertainment, security and food and drinks

Identified Risks: 1. The venue may not be available for the date of concert

2. There is a poor turnout for the event

3. The live performers may not be available or not within budget

4. The entertainment may arrive late due to unforeseen circumstances

5. It may have a chance of disappointing weather

6. The caters may arrive late and food and drinks could be insufficient

7. Parking may be insufficient

Project Milestones: Approval of budget by client, reserve the venue date and location, hire the caterers, book the entertainment and live performances, all tickets to be sold, a successful turnout and profits.

Initial Work Breakdown: The project manager will monitor and control this project. There is a team of 4 (four) members that work with the Project Manager. Alicia is in charge of organising the venue and advertising. Kevin focuses on the getting the live performers and entertainment which includes setting up the music. Anisa focuses on decorating of the venue, placement of the caterers, bars and toilet facilities. Lawrence is in charge of security and parking facilities.

Overall Cost Estimate : $460,500.00 obtained from client

Initial Requirement to Control Project:

Cost: A comparison of all prices for all parts of the event and making sure of quality

Quality: To hire great caterers, performers, entertainment and decorators that meets the standard of the client and project manager.

Schedule: Monitor and make sure that all phases of the project are on schedule and make sure that the resources are available when they are needed.

Appendix B

SWOT ANAYLSIS

Strengths:

* The time of year that the event will be hosted which is the Carnival Season

* The team working with the project manager will be a strength because the work is divided among members and is experienced in that field

* The venue which is Pier 1 in Chaguaramas would be ideal for the event because of the location and adequate space for the event

* There is sufficient parking and security for the safety of the party goers and their belongings

* The event takes place during the day until night so people can attend at anytime that they can.

* Advantage of the Soca Artistes live performance at the event.

Weaknesses:

* It could have a poor turnout because of other events or concerts on that day

* The weather may be unpredictable on the day of the event

* Because of the location in the North western part of Trinidad many people from south end may not attend.

* The tickets may be unaffordable for some people.

Opportunities:

* This event can promote the client’s company and also can promote Best Show’s

* It can be profitable to the organisation and the stakeholder’s

Threats:

* The weather may be unpredictable

* The event may not be a profitable one

* This may not be the only event being held on the same day

Appendix A

PESTLE Analysis

Political Factors: The event could bring in revenue for the country because carnival is celebrated throughout Trinidad and Tobago.

Economic Factors: The amount of $570,000.00 would be enough to host this all inclusive event

The price of $600 will be able to cover the cost of one person in the event for general admission which includes food and some premium drinks

Sociological Factors: The event caters for different lifestyle choices of the patrons

The surrounding community would not be affected by the event

Technological Factors: Information on the event will be available online with the purchase of tickets also through different types of payment methods online

The venue would be able to accommodate the stage, the equipment and sound system where there electrical system is concerned

Patrons to enter the event, the tickets will be electronic so they just have to swipe the card to gain entry and exit

Legal Factors: In organising the event, the Health and Safety rules and regulations

should be followed

Ensure that contracts and documents are drawn up for all artistes, entertainers, security and caters.

To obtain all relevant permits and licence for the event such as Bar License and Noise Permits

Environmental Factors: The regulations and policies of the country should be adhered to such as not littering and the music should be over a certain level.