Lou Russell

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Minimal Project Management For Event
Professionals

• presented by
• Lou Russell
• Russell Martin Associates
• [phone]
• info_at_russellmartin.com
• www.russellmartin.com

4/14/05
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The Dilemma

• The wedding has gone poorly and everyone is busy
  trying to figure out how to resolve the issue
  with the brides family. Both the caterer and
  the event planner have to decide whether to share
  the blame or blame each other. There will be
  ten opportunities (rounds) to express whose
  fault is it.

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• Please break into teams of three or four.
• One person will be the caterer.
• One person will be the event planner.
• The other one or two will be observers.
• The caterer and the event planner will each have
  one BLACK CARD (indicating you blame the other)
  and one RED CARD (indicating you share the
  blame). When the observer says GO, each will
  play a card of their choice. Play 10 times
  keep score.

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What is Project Management?
A PROJECT has a beginning and end meets
pre-established goals for cost, schedule and
quality PROJECT MANAGEMENT is different from
other management because it focuses on a
finite project it uses part-time resources
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What is your job as Project Manager?
Project Team Members
Project Manager
Plans, Organizes and Controls the Project
Perform project activities and produce project
deliverables (example, course development)
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The Five Deadly Sins of Project Management

• Seek first to blame.
• Im busy, I must be making money.
• We can do that.
• That will just take a minute.
• All projects are the same.

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Seek First to Blame
--OR--
Tune to WIIFM
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Im busy, I must be making money.
4 HARD QUESTIONS

• What is the goal?
• Who are the decision makers?
• What are the risk factors?
• What are the constraints?

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Establish Project Scope
Theme, goals
Press releases
Public Relations
Entertainment
Entertainment
goals
IKEA Grand Opening
Decision makers
IKEA Planner
Theme, goals
approval
Timing
GOAL To introduce and build brand exposure to
grow sales.
Menu/pricing
Chef
food
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Anticipate Risk
Risk Management

• Overall Project Risk
• Average
• Size - How big is this event or how long will
  it take relative to others you have done?
• Rated 1(small) - 10(large)
• Structure - How stable are the requirements?
• Rated 1(fixed) - 10(undefined)
• Design - How understood are the components
  (technology, entertainment, menu, etc.)?
• Rated 1(old) - 10(new)

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Constraints
Constraints
3
2
1
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We can do that.
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That will just take a minute.
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All projects are the same.
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Troubleshooting

• Week 2 (3 weeks remaining until the event)
• The entertainment vendor is one week late with
  their proposed plan. What do you do?
• Remind them, and hope to steal the lost week back
  by shortening demos and practice time.
• Remind them, and tell them that they have to
  figure out how to get back on schedule without
  neglecting any future work.
• Remind them, and start planning contingency
  ideas.
• Dont sweat it thats the business.
  It will all work out.

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The Five Deadly Sins of Project Management

• Seek first to blame collaborate.
• Im busy on the things that are I must be making
  money.
• We can do that for a price.
• That will just take some planning a minute.
• All projects are the same unique.

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