Elements of Mystery Shopping and Its Importance

Mystery shopping entails the practice by which individuals pose as potential clients, which gauge the customer service and the overall involvement of obtaining a product or a service. Certain elements must be present in an event that can influence the overall perception of the client in judging the service quality of that occasion. Mystery shopping is utilized to survey the nature of administration given by stores and client service points. The individual undertaking the role of the mystery customer performs pre-decided assignments, for example, enquiring about a specific administration or offering, purchasing an item or recording a protestation. All through the procedure, the secret customer watches the conduct of the attending worker and, after leaving the business condition, records his or her perceptions on an uncommonly arranged shape. Event marketing should by far most be led by a primary objective; whereby, the laid down goals are to be realized (Reber, 2014). There are numerous factors existing that influence how the overall service quality is conceived by customers attending an event. The aim of this essay is to identify different elements that exist with the events and management service industry that have the sturdiest effect on the perception of the quality of service.

Elements That Influence Perception of an Event’s Service Quality

The following features constitute the basis by which clients use to judge the overall experience or image that an event conveys to them.

Venue

The venue that is used should be able to accommodate the targeted audience. “There must be a connection between the venue selected and the community served”, (Reber, 2014). The type of event, layout and space influences the kind of setting that is utilized to cater for the whole event. For example, the Mobile World Congress event which attracts more than 100,000 people uses the fira de Barcelona venue which has a capacity to accommodate all the people, products and the equipment to be used. Since this type of event attracts a huge crowd from all over the world, the venue has to be large enough to accommodate the necessary participants.

The layout of the venue is designed to allow ample walking space. Individuals can be able to freely navigate their way through to various stands without inconveniences. This allows easy access to the location of the products.

Security

Security calls for the safety of the clients, products and the customer service personnel. Security serves to generate confidence in the safety of the event by reducing fear and anxiety among the consumers. Numerous factors such as number of all entry points, the population of the customers and access of restricted locations influence the overall perception of security by the clients (Melbourne Showgrounds, 2017). All of these factors should be highly monitored in order to have a safety atmosphere in the venue. For example, the Mobile World Congress is highly monitored by the use of CCTV cameras for any suspicious activity.

Security personnel such as police officers are to be present in events that attract huge crowds of people. This is done in order to reduce the response time, if an issue that threatens security in that event arises.

Customer Service

Catering for the clients is the selling point of an event, and it strongly influences their perception of the whole occasion; whether it was positive or negative. Customer service involves catering for the needs of the clients regarding the products or the services offered. The perception of the clients is swayed by factors such as how information is offered, time taken to reply and how the said product or service can better the client in accomplishing his/her wants. The catering of the clients should be readily accessible in order to convince them to buy or partake of a brand’s service (SponsorBoat, 2014). This is evident by the numerous customer service personnel that help consumers’ in solving mobile related issues in the Mobile World Congress. Each stand, representing a different mobile brand, has unique employees that try to explain new features that can help clients achieve certain tasks with ease. Customer service aids customers in making decisions concerning the purchasing of products; therefore, it should be presented in manner that positively influences the client to attend the events in the future.

Creativity

This involves coming up with ingenious ideas that can impact the emotions of the audience (Reber, 2014). It entails showcasing elements that capture and captivate the audience’s attention thus drawing them closer to a brand’s merchandises. Creativity serves to leave a lasting impression on the minds of the customers. The perception portrayed lasts a longer time even after the event is completed. For example, consumers were highly motivated to attend the next Mobile World Congress after various mobile brands showcased their products by use of holographic screens that captivated the onlookers. Livestreaming was also resourceful to online clients who were unable to attend the event. Creativity should be original and unique only to that event in order for that occasion to leave a lasting impression on its customers (Event, 2012).

Flow of Events

The overall management influences the tone and direction by which the event inclines to (Reber, 2014). The flow is affected by the sequences included within that event. The arrangement of procedures should be directed by a leader in order to avoid disengagement of the audience from the event. Individuals in the World Mobile Congress, for example, were directed to various viewing points by the use of microphones and directional arrows that pointed the way forward. The flow of an event should be directed by a program that allows equal amounts of time to be spent in various stop points. The audience are not only captivated, but also form an emotional connection with the event since they are anxious and excited to see what is presented next. A successful flow of events includes the participation of the audience by enabling them to proceed within the outlined sequence of the whole event.

Value

Value is new knowledge obtained by the clients after attending an event. This can be through the introduction of new products or services that achieve higher results as compared to older versions. The customers feel they have gained something by attending the event hence are more inclined to attend similar future events. Events that offer value to clients are designed with “repeatability and expandability in mind”, (Reber,2014). This enables the organizers of such an event to be able to replicate such an occasion while yet offering new products that do not exist in the market. Value can also be in the form of the message conveyed in the theme of an event. for example, the theme of the Mobile World Congress 2017 in portraying the role played by mobile phones in our current world was Elemental. The various new advanced technological devices, did not overshadow the message presented by the theme. Value; therefore, is the message carried by the audience after the event is done (Reber, 2014).

Importance Of Communication And Marketing In Events Planning

Communication plays a vital role towards ensuring effectiveness. Success in any event management is multifaceted and it entails more details that entail more than normal communication between people and team members. There are diverse pieces to the puzzle that are needed to pull off an impeccable event (Reber, 2014). Having the right momentum to decide when to communicate and speak is vital and is a skill that requires time to build. Thus it is one of the essential traits towards the business of events management. Immediately an event becomes scheduled, a planner is required to deliver. The scheduling of an event entails time and dates and venue for the event to take place.

The key to effective events and one events managers can make good use of is to bolster the event promoting endeavors with focused and customized messages to every invitee that has been identified. Each gathering of invitees ought to get particular messages that are custom fitted to their interests. Reaction rates for a one size fit all welcome can be less than half the number of the invitations for particular gatherings of participants (Hill, 2015). For instance, prospects, VIP clienteles, diverse levels of affiliation individuals and so forth. Besides, it is important to send customized solicitations. Some of these solicitations include, "To Whom It May Concern" or others may have headings like "Dear Client." Also, these solicitations need to be replaced with key fields like initially title, name, as well as organization that are post converged into the note for the welcoming initiative. The mail consolidation will make the welcoming note seem to be less similar to a sweeping welcome and more like a singular proposal. This exploration has established that goal oriented and tailoring messages can be the distinction between an effective occasion and an event that is distributed out for the lack of response. Email is the principal method for dedicated and modified solicitations (Hill, 2015). Personalization is mostly fixated on informing the major cases revolving around advertising skills that can epitomize the determining moment an event.

Making a convincing website for the events company is paramount to effective occasion showcasing. It is basic for an occasion site to enable participants to enroll and pay for an occasion on the web. There are distinctive site arranged exhibiting exercises that can be used to propel enrollment and interest, for instance, energetic riser refunds, cluster rates, and headway codes. Offering on the web event enlistment by methods for the event webpage is key since it empowers coordinators to gage if they will have the fitting measure of space, support, seats, and materials at the event (SponsorBoat, 2014). Without a strong online enlistment arrangement and the capacity to track these measurements, organizers regularly overbook a scene or undersell the space they have purchased. A quality occasion site ought to present participants with an occasion motivation and streamline the enrollment procedure for all parties. Online enlistment frameworks can offer a great deal more than straightforward web shapes that gather information through email or exceed expectations. These frameworks can pre-populate participant information into enlistment shapes and give a basic three snap enrollment handle demonstrated to significantly expand reaction rates. Nobody likes to round out long structures. Organizers can use framework components to enable participants to enroll just for the occasion sessions they find important (SponsorBoat, 2014). Furthermore, organizers can make fragmented enlistment a stride encourage by displaying different enrollment ways on the sites for various sorts of participants. For instance, VIP participants would be welcome to take an interest in a select systems administration excursion while others would just observe the instructive sessions amid the enlistment procedure.

The other key to occasion achievement is automation of every single regulatory undertaking. Data segment, stuffing wraps, manual portion get ready, making reports physically, completing telephone enlistments, and phone investigating and diverse endeavors eat up a colossal measure of time and resources. Yet again, programming systems can automate these dull limits and engage one coordinator to execute more events, upgrade the way of events, focus on bigger sum obligations, settle on taught decisions and leave the working environment at a sensible time every day (Cornelissen, 2014). Occasion battles will turn out to be further dynamic and computerization can yield price investment assets of close to approximately ninety-two percent. In recent times and based on the quick paced commercial condition, it is the ideal opportunity for event organizers to grasp 21st-century invention tools and utilize them further boosting their full good affluence for the most extreme rate of profitability.

A standout amongst those promoting works may be to always search for better approaches from claiming to develop the company’s incomes. Key dream methods constantly on the post to new chances and making methodologies to the organization on taking advantage of them. The organization Might uncover exciting, developing business sectors that it Might supply items or benefits on (Cornelissen, 2014). Contriving approaches from claiming offering extra administrations alternately results of the clients that an organization now need will be an alternate approach to quicken development (Cornelissen, 2014). Additionally, marketing and communication play an important role towards fostering goodwill within the events management and planning process. Events organizations utilize correspondence methodologies to raise a picture about continuously becoming a great corporate resident. Publicizing the company’s altruistic exercises will be restricted this may be finished. The showcasing Branch Previously, an organization additionally tries with Figure community, territorial or national occasions the organization might partake previously should produce publicity (Hill, 2015). Organizations buy sponsorships will brandishing occasions that get national television purposes of presentation for the sample. Yet sponsoring more modest events, for example, kids’ neighborhood sports leagues, could additionally make compelling.

Events planning and management become beneficial when it comes to the point where everyone is allowed to work together and bring out clear expectations of the needed tasks thereby increasing productivity. Productivity is one of the most important factors to consider when people work within the events management business because it caters for their tight deadlines and schedules (Cornelissen, 2014). Marketing is also important in events management in the sense that it helps ensure that proper channels of following up scheduled events by clients are made possible. On several occasions, in PR and occasion administration one needs to convey adequately both internally as well as remotely. This could be with the food providers or picture takers, and follow-up is especially urgent. Beginning from the earliest starting point, it is critical to set clear and brief desires to keep everybody at risk for what they are accommodating the occasion. In any case, particularly with external sellers that are busy, an events planner ought to catch up keeping in mind the end goal to guarantee that they will get what they were guaranteed (Cornelissen, 2014). By doing as such in a convenient and expert way, in many cases, individuals will welcome the update and correspondence. Particularly in occasion administration, expecting that individuals will recollect is not generally the best procedure, it is dependably a smart thought to catch up at any rate once to ensure everything runs easily.

In conclusion, mystery shopping is crucial towards ensuring good shopping experience. It helps make sure that employees within an organization follow the required criteria necessary to ensure smooth flow of planning and carrying out of events. For an event to be considered successful, various elements need to be adhered to in order to leave a positive perception among the consumers. All of these components should be based on fulfilling the needs of the client. Additionally, marketing and communication skills enhance events planning as well as ensure that the client and event planner relationship is maintained. Marketing ensures that there is smooth flow of work and it is also key to effective events. A good events managers can make good use of it to bolster the event promoting endeavors with focused and customized messages to every invitee that has been identified. Success in any event management is multifaceted and it entails more details that entail more than normal communication between people and team members. Therefore, a good events planning requires successive marketing in addition to employing the technique of mystery shopping to boost productivity.