In Case You (or I) Missed It: 'Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics' Recap, Part IX

Today's recap reminds me of a party planner I once knew....Anyway, on with the show:

From Chapter 16
For public relations specialists, events and other types of meetings are great ways to reach people, and they are also good ways to involve those same people and their five senses (touch, taste, hearing, smell, and sight). These events need to be deliberately planned right down to every detail.
In the group or club meeting, these particular details that require the most attention are time and location, facilities and their seating capacity, invitations, name tags, a menu if refreshments are possible, who will be the speakers, how one registers, and of course the costs of it all.
Banquets tend to be more formal affairs, and need to be planned greatly in advance--sometimes months, sometimes weeks. Besides the aforementioned details found in a group meeting, banquets also require additions such as decorations, the choice of entertainment, A/V equipment, fees for the speakers, and charts detailing seating arrangements.
Cocktail parties and receptions have the greatest care taken into account, mainly because of possible liability that stems from alcohol consumption and the amount of food and soft beverages available.
With the cases of open houses or plant tours, the planning that goes into each requires carefully handling visitors and meticulous training of personnel in contact with said visitors.
Conventions are a greater challenge as the professionals in charge need to oversee multiple events and meetings over a select number of days. These conventions may even consist of the previously mentioned events all grouped together as part of the schedule.
Trade shows attract millions of people, and exhibit space costs can vary from the figures of $50,000 to $1 million. A relative of these shows, promotional events, also has costly fees, but with good reason--the occasional celebrity appearance. Such promotional events can be grand openings, product announcements or unveilings, or even charity races like a 10-K. The only things that need to be taken into great consideration are city permits in order to actually hold the event; security to make sure nothing disrupts it; and liability insurance in the event that something does indeed go wrong.