Celebrity oriented event management & its challenges: Prashanti Malisetti, Founder and CEO, Pixel Pictures

I’m often asked about what is the difference between managing a normal event and one where there is a celebrity, if one needs special skills for ‘celebrity-oriented event management’. To be honest, this is not really a special skill set. However, the job does come with its own set of challenges and issues.

An event involves coordination with multiple stakeholders - participants, production houses, PR agencies (or the media directly), F&B, security etc. An event manager needs to have the ability to juggle multiple roles at the same time. There is a particular kind of an energy that surrounds an event. You need to be on your feet, think fast and resolve the issue without the guests ever realising that there was a blip.

This is heightened when there is a celebrity involved in the event. Why?

● Security

Any event where celebrities are part of, security is of utmost importance - not just for the celebrity but the potential for crisis is higher. Many people would want to meet the celebrity, or take photographs with them. We need to be conscious of the security of the celebrity in question. Secondly, a crowd could build up very easily when a celebrity is present, which means potential fights breaking out in the audience, or a mob situation. If the event is in a public place where we cannot control all aspects of security, the event manager has to consider the risks and issues that might arise during the event itself.

● Logistics

Logistics means the process of coordinating and moving resources -people, materials, inventory and equipment, moving them from one place to the place where the event is going to take place.

With celebrities involved, there is the additional challenge of ensuring that the person can move in and out without being mobbed. There is also a certain quality to be maintained, keeping in mind the timelines. Logistics for celebrities also means taking care of their possible crew as well. Flights, accommodation, in-city transport - all of these have to be planned, building in potential delays, to ensure the event runs seamlessly.

● Confidentiality

A celebrity still has a private life. The event manager has to comply with the various policies laid out by the managers and ensure that there are no issues with regard to questions asked by the media or the public. Celebrity-oriented event management also means you need to ensure private spaces for the person to relax, without the constant glare of public or media.

● Cost Management & Budget

This is one of the most critical aspects of celebrity-oriented event management. There are various last minute challenges that often create challenges with the budget. A good event manager plans for these eventualities while budgeting for the event and its issues.

When a celebrity is associated with an event, getting sponsors becomes easier as compared to a normal event with no big names attached. It is also important to know and understand which brands celebrities want to be associated with. Many times celebrities have their own views about different brands; celebrities generally try and stay away from anything that may create controversies or may be contradictory to their beliefs.

As they say- every coin has two sides- managing events with celebrity presence can be a bittersweet experience. On one hand it's a lot of fun, you get to work with a known celebrity and organise a grand event, on the other hand there are challenges of the event being very upscale and looking after every small detail to the satisfaction of the celebrity as well as the public. Because a slip up here can cost you your reputation and bring a negative publicity for the event.

So to conclude, I would say that there has definitely been a rise in celebrity-oriented event management in India. Celebrities have a huge impact on people and can bring more visibility for the event. I can see a steady growth of such celebrity based events in the coming years.