#Reflections

Net Profit:$320

Number of Runners:45

Success?

Although we had a great time and we hosted a fun event it was a complete failure in the business standpoint. Our goal was to make money and we failed to do so. We originally forecasted to earn about $7,000 because groups in the past have done similar and we thought we could build a better event using their knowledge. We were mistaken in this thought and our estimates and expectations were completely off.

Analysis

Obtaining permits such as: Campus grounds permit, MU permit and Sound permit there is a few weeks of lag time while waiting for approval.

Theme Selection: We had quite a bit of trouble picking out a theme and running with it. Originally wanted to have a run with blow up obstacle courses but this made our costs too expensive so we had to nix the idea. Then we wanted to have a battle of the sex’s type race but the organization we wanted to partner with didn’t like the idea. Our third theme was an Ohana Family run but we had some issues with using the proper language so we didn’t offend the Hawaiian culture. We thought it would be best to switch to a summer fun themed run so we didn’t have to worry about offending anyone. This process took a lot of time and it hindered other steps that were crucial for a successful event.

Organization: We weren’t getting good feedback from organizations to partner with. We originally wanted to have help paying for event insurance or advertising from the organization we would be donating to but after contacting several non-profits this wasn’t a possibility. We ended up paying our own insurance and picking the Red Cross Nepal Relief Fund due to the recent earthquake that had occurred near the time of out event.

Obtaining Sponsors: This was a challenge for us. There were several factors that influenced the quantity of sponsors we were able to obtain. We didn’t sell our event well enough to get very many people interested. Some businesses that were able to sponsor us couldn’t because they needed at least 6 weeks to process our request. Since our entire event was planned in 10 weeks and we were already way behind where we were supposed to be this wasn’t a possibility.

Marketing: Our marketing was set back too far for us to gather a crowd of people that weren’t friends or family of our project group. The main format of marketing we used was social media which was a mistake. We should have covered multiple formats to reach a larger crowd especially since we were too late in the game.

Significant Events

Effective & Ineffective Management

#Reflections

Effective:

Strong communication was made a team norm from the start of the project. communication within the group allowed for clear expectations of tasks and appropriate behaviors. For example, we utilized communication tools such as text, email, and phone because many members within the group lived outside the city of corvallis, OR. As a result of strong communication, there were no miscommunications nor a lack of understanding for task completion.

Team cohesiveness created trust between group members and allowed each member to contribute to the group through an open work-related climate. When our group faced a roadblock, we were able to rely on each other to work through the issue, utilizing each members knowledge and expertise. As a result of our team cohesiveness, the group was able to shift its focus on an issue and solve it as a group to resume the progress of the project.

Shared leadership roles were significant because it increased participation within the group through shared accountability. From the very beginning we decided we were not going to designate a team leader because we wanted to give everyone a chance to add their value through group efforts.

Ineffective:

There was a lack effective analysis. Firstly, the team underestimated the competition. There were other running events in the area going on around the same time. Secondly, we overestimated the amount of people we could get to show up.

While the team was pretty good about making first contacts with sponsors, and charities, we were not so good about following up. There was a lack of face to face contact that would have helped finalize a partner and get more sponsors.

The team spent money on items that did not add value to the event. Items such as higher quality shirts, and renting the pavilion were expenses that we personally liked and made our event look good, but ended up reducing our total profits.

Advice for Future Teams

Organizations/Event insurance

It is important to find a charity to partner with that provide insurance coverage, then there’s no need to purchase your own insurance. It can cut down the expenses by $200 - $400 and also speed up the ground use access process.

Use multiple channels to advertise and accurately forecast the number of participants

In our project, we mainly relied on social media such as Facebook as a promotional tool. Although there are at least 80 people marked that they were going to the event, only 15 people registered on the official site and hardly any of the people who committed to going on Facebook actually showed up. Therefore, it is important to do early advertising through distributing flyers, contacting newspaper, and local radio stations. By getting the word out early, it makes it easier to forecast the number of participants and avoids the overproduction of deliverables (T-shirts, food and drink, etc.), which will reduce costs.

Submit campus use forms for approval as soon as possible

It takes at least two weeks for the university to review and approve the ground use. It is better to have it complete early on. If there are problems with the maps/city government, it’s easier to make adjustment while staying on schedule.

Avoid emails

Face-to-face communication is more effective than emails. Most people don’t respond to their emails for weeks.

Get started early: By starting early, you are able to combat the curveballs that are thrown at you and still have time to make the necessary changes. In our project, we did not have a definite theme and charity picked out for several weeks which hindered the process of moving forward with other agendas.

Expect the unexpected: Don’t just assume that things will go smoothly and without roadblocks. Even the little things like ground approvals and theme selection can cause problems. The biggest thing we learned is to assign someone to play devil’s advocate. It’s not the best job but it will help with bringing possible problems to the surface before they become a serious issue.