OPENING NIGHT

In plain language and with numerous examples, Owens imparts years of event-planning knowledge–from reaching a target demographic through various media to finding sponsors and funding–in this step-by-step guide.

Owens, a certified fair executive, has made a career of organizing large expositions, and has learned how to use many tools for a successful event, from planning and marketing to actual operation and logistics. He walks the reader through these stages of event planning, providing tips and specific details in a high-energy text with many bulleted lists for easy reference. Those seeking to market an event must spend their advertising dollars wisely, and the author provides guidance not only for reaching the desired audience by radio, print, television and other media such as billboards and the Internet, but for meeting budgetary goals. Specific pointers on broadcast commercials vary from comparing the length of the human attention span, to the desired ad length, to determining the best time of day to run ads for particular events. Having learned from experience, Owens explains how some costs, such as ticket giveaways, can actually earn money for an event. Finding a sponsor may be critical to success; Opening Night details this procedure, from creating a proposal (with several comprehensive sample proposals included) to meeting with a prospective partner. For any event, the fundamental goal is to provide entertainment, and Owens details the specifics of hiring and organizing special acts, keeping in mind special concerns such as sanitation and security. Finally, to complete this crash course in large-event planning, Owens provides tips on modernizing long-standing events. The author writes in an informal, spoken style that readily conveys his instructions.

An easy-to-read, large-print introductory guide to event planning that covers all bases.