UVIC Blog Post #5

Event planning in the disaster prevention industry

Four months ago I landed in Japan to pursue an international Co-oP as a CAPI Intern. This opportunity involved me wearing many hats, one of which I was most excited about was the event planning space. In this blog post I will share exactly how I was able to use my knowledge gained from the past few months to successful assist in the planning of a disaster prevention workshop.

On July 23rd, our company hosted a 30+ person event in Kobe which featured disaster prevention training, videos, techniques, and live demonstrations. The event was lectured by the Chairman of NPO Plus Arts, Hirokazu Nagata alongside other staff members. The workshop lasted about four hours and was hosted at the Design Creative Center in Kobe.

The goal of this session was to improve disaster preparedness capacity for regional non-profit, and similar organizations. The learnings from this session will help improve public, community, school, and teachers ability to raise awareness of disaster prevention. Iza! Kaeru Caravan, the name of the event, also has a goods shop where you can purchase the materials used during the workshop.

What did you learn from the experience?

There were many learning outcomes from this experience that I will use in my future endeavours. The most notable lessons are planning, marketing, and execution.

Proper planning was the only reason this workshop turned out to be such a success. Not only did we need to make sure we were staffed properly but also had the right materials for participants to use. For example, one of the most popular items from our gift shop is the "Frog Doll Help Kerozo" which helps children become familiar with injured persons in disaster situations.

As event planners, we had to make sure the proper equipment was ordered, stored, and ready for use for when our participants arrived.

Marketing is another key aspect of a successful event. Using my skills in blog post writing, photography, and newsletter drafting, which I gained throughout my internship, I was able to create marketing material to promote the event.

Lastly was the execution of the event. A critical step which uses both the planning and marketing efforts. As people began to arrive we made sure each guest had the proper pamphlets, materials, and knowledge to participate in each activity.

We ensured our guests were understanding the materials by asking them if they had any questions throughout the day. Each demonstration station was staffed by a trained employee with the necessary materials to highlight our products.

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