What are the 5 Cs of event management?

Explore the crucial concept, coordination, control, culmination, and close-out phases of event planning.

With people coming together again to celebrate, collaborate, and build connections following the COVID-19 pandemic, event management has re-emerged as a thriving industry. 

To better understand the process behind it, event management can essentially be broken down into what’s called ‘the 5 Cs’. Here, you’ll discover what are the 5 Cs of event management. 

Definition of event management 

Globally, events have continued to play a vital role across business, sport, culture, and many other facets of everyday life.  

Event management is the process of planning, organising, managing, and promoting an event. It can be anything from a small group gathering to a large-scale conference, and can be a virtual or in-person event. 

Shifts in technological developments, markets and audiences mean that the event management industry has rapidly evolved in recent years. These shifts have created a much greater need for event managers with advanced skills and insights in event management. 

What are the 5 Cs of event management 

A relatively easy way to understand event management and what the process is behind it is to break it down into 5 phases – the 5 Cs of event management. 

1. Concept

This is where you define the what, where, when, who, and why of the event. The ‘why’ could be to inform the community about and raise money for an important cause, or to organise a graduation ceremony, wedding, or conference. The ‘what’ will depend on the audience for the event and their expectations, and it needs to be in sync with the other ‘w’s of the event. 

2. Coordination

This is the planning phase. It includes crucial elements such as budgeting, setting timelines, booking appropriate venues, organising catering, transportation, staff, equipment and facilities, and planning other details of the event. Attention to detail is vital during this phase.

3. Control

This is where event managers make sure the event is running to plan. Adequate resources need to be aligned with scheduled work, and controls need to be in place to ensure the event is delivered on time and within budget. 

4. Culmination

This is essentially the culmination of all the event planning – the day of the event itself. It’s where the event manager coordinates the event on the day and performs tasks such as managing staff, suppliers, security, communication, and ultimately the successful execution of the event. 
 
5. Close-out

Once the event is over, it’s important for the event manager to reflect on the success (or failure) of the event and what worked well and what didn’t. This includes reviewing and evaluating the event, reporting, and identifying areas of improvement. 

How can the 5 Cs help you create a successful event? 

The 5 Cs provide a very useful framework to follow when creating an event. When followed from start to finish during the event planning process, they help event managers to ensure that no important detail or element is left out.

In turn, this helps to boost the success of the event, since there would be careful and thorough planning and execution behind it. 

Conversely, without the 5 Cs in place, event managers risk leaving out vital details and considerations, and opening up the event to failure. 

How can an MA Creative Events Management help you succeed in the events industry? 

With audiences globally becoming increasingly discerning, as well as rapid technological advances defining the industry, an MA Creative Events Management can play an integral part in helping you succeed in today’s events industry. 

An MA Creative Events Management will equip you with the advanced skills and expertise to design, plan, produce and manage a diverse range of events, across both creative and corporate sectors.  

You’ll be able to enhance your professional practice, creative perspectives and approaches, and critically evaluate and challenge current industry norms.  

With these skills and insights, you’ll be ready to position yourself as a highly-sought-after event manager in the global job market. 

If you’re looking to launch an exciting career in event management, or take the next step in your career as an event manager, Falmouth University offers a flexible online MA Creative Events Management that will empower you with the expertise you need to boost your success: