How Event Management Can Change The World

When we think of events, images of parties, concerts and festivals probably come to mind and you’re not wrong… Buuut, the world of event management is a lot wider than that.

What if I told you that Entertainment Business Management can change the world? Don’t believe me? Here are a few examples:

Earth Hour

How do you transform a simple idea into a world-wide phenomenon? Way back in 2004, WWF (the World Wide Fund For Nature) got in touch with ad agency Leo Burnett to find a way to increase Australians’ engagement with climate change. 

They developed the idea with the City of Sydney, as well as Fairfax Media and launched the very first Earth Hour in 2007, where households and businesses were encouraged to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour. 

The idea caught on like rapid fire and this year, 192 countries and territories took part in turning their lights off for an hour.

This event sends a clear message to world leaders that millions of people around the world want urgent climate change action. While the event organisers stress that it’s a symbolic action rather than about an energy reduction exercise, a 2014 study said that the events reduced electricity consumption by around 4%!

Earth Hour also inspires anyone, anywhere that they can make a difference, no matter how small and insignificant it seems: like turning off a switch for an hour.

Someone working in EBM would be involved in working with the agency as well as developing a marketing strategy to help get the word out in an engaging and memorable way.

Mullets for Mental Health

The resurgence of the long in the back, short on the top-and-sides look has made a powerful and poetic comeback. Now, it’s even synonymous with raising dosh for mental health.

The Black Dog Institute have embarked on a campaign called Mullets For Mental Health, where everyday Aussies are encouraged to bring back the iconic look to help raise money for research into improving our mental health support infrastructure.

Black Dog Institute are the only medical research institute in Australia that works to reduce mental illness and suicide for people of all ages. Their work is funded through grants, fee-for service income or donations.

This year, 13,868 mullets have been grown to save a whopping $5,628,729 !! And these numbers keep on rising. 

Suicide is the leading cause of death among Australians aged 15-44, and approximately 60% of Australians reporting symptoms of mental illness don’t seek help. Mullets for Mental Health allows Black Dog Institute to drive real change through research into the early detection, prevention and treatment of common mental health disorders. 

It’s not just about the research either - whether you’re growing a mullet with your mates, or you see a friend growing one whilst you’re struggling yourself, it’s also about raising awareness and comradery to help each other when you’re really going through it.

While marketing this campaign, someone working in EBM might contact high-profile celebrities, stars and influencers to get them on board and influence others to get out the clippers!

Sydney Writers’ Festival

Some events aren’t necessarily about getting people to take action outright like Clean Up Australia Day - they’re about challenging audiences to look at issues from different perspectives, which can lead to action in the future.

The Sydney Writers’ Festival brings thousands of writers and thinkers from across the globe together to chat through some of the biggest issues of our time. Organising this event is a massive undertaking, with 400 writers taking part in 300 events to up to 80,000 people at a time!

These conferences cover topics such as climate change, systemic change, religion and ethics, science and our bodies and politics, just to name a few. The speakers’ aim is to challenge the way viewers see the world, bring people together, and create a space for honest conversations.

They also make sure that their events are accessible to the public, with ⅓ of the events being run for free, as well as giving regional libraries and community centres ways to stream the events so that people don’t miss out. Certain events are also Auslan-interpreted, so that audiences who are Deaf or hard of hearing can enjoy the event. 

Of course, people working in Entertainment Business Management would be involved in securing the speakers and the talent, but might also be communicating with the venue to make sure that the events are accessible for a wide range of audiences.

So, events can inspire people to take action, like Earth Hour. They can bring awareness and raise money for charity, like Mullets For Mental Health. And they can completely change the way people perceive the world, like the Sydney Writers’ Festival.

It’s safe to say that event organisers have the opportunity to change the dang world. If this sounds good to you, you’re not gonna want to miss our newest academy Backstage Class - your go-to guide to entertainment business management. We partnered with JMC Academy to give you all the goss on planning, promoting, and putting on an unreal event.