Event organization profession is busy at the end of the year

Dũng "Sắc Việt" (in the red shirt) said that the end of the year is a busy time for him, and for many years he has been working through New Year's Eve.

The "money-making" season

Having worked in the event industry for over 10 years, Tran Van Dung (Dung "Sac Viet") has worked through New Year's Eve for 8 of those years.

Mr. Dung's company is usually in charge of organizing the New Year's Eve cultural program and fireworks display at Bach Dang Lake (Hai Duong City). Therefore, he and his colleagues would watch the fireworks and celebrate New Year's Eve at the event location, then return to the company at 3 AM for the New Year's opening ceremony and New Year's greetings. Mr. Dung arranged taxis for his colleagues from distant provinces like Hoa Binh, Vinh Phuc, and Thai Binh to return home for Tet.

This year, after spending a few days celebrating Tet with his family, he and his colleagues are once again preparing to organize a Spring live concert on February 8th and 9th at the Bach Dang pedestrian street and night market.

Towards the end of the year, there are days when his company handles 4-5 events. With a team of just over 20 people at Sac Viet Entertainment, he has to divide the staff among many programs. At the same time, he hires an additional 20-30 part-time staff to help with the events.

For large events that require a large team, Mr. Dung only accepts one or two programs a day. "I don't dare take on too many because I can't handle it, and I'm afraid I can't guarantee the quality of the program," Mr. Dung said.

With many events scheduled towards the end of the year, many companies have to split their staff to handle the workload, or even hire additional external personnel.

According to some event organizers, the busiest time of year is the last three months of the year and the beginning of the following year, as this period sees a high concentration of anniversaries, major holidays, year-end summaries, and festivals. This is considered the "golden season" for event organizers.

Working for two years

Many companies and businesses hold year-end and New Year's parties during this time.

Currently, many events and programs organized by departments, agencies, companies, and businesses hire professional event management companies. These companies handle the entire program, from idea generation and scriptwriting to inviting artists and MCs, setting up tents, stages, sound, lighting, and seating.

Currently, the province has approximately 50 businesses specializing in event organization. Events such as inaugurations, grand openings, cultural and sporting events, all-inclusive wedding packages, product launches, etc., are usually contracted out to these event organizing businesses.

Depending on the scale and number of guests at each event, the preparation time will vary. The budget for each event is also based on this, allowing the collaborating parties to work together accordingly. "The cost of an event can range from tens to hundreds of millions of VND," revealed a long-time event industry professional.

Medium to large-scale events require 1-2 months of preparation beforehand, from developing the concept and script to working with the client. Only after the plan is approved can production and execution begin.

For example, the art program celebrating the Lunar New Year of the Snake 2025 at Bach Dang Park is scheduled to take place on the evening of the 29th of Tet, but the stage is currently being set up.

The program to celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Snake 2025 was conceptualized and prepared a month in advance.

For those in the event organizing business, working through New Year's Eve for two consecutive years is commonplace.

On New Year's Eve of the Year of the Dragon 2024, after finishing a cultural performance at the Central Cultural Square of the Eastern Region, Mr. Nguyen Tai (from Hai Duong City) quickly dismantled the sound system, lighting, and electronic equipment to move back to his company. The stage and mechanical equipment could be packed up later. Yet, by the time he finished, it was already a new day.

Despite receiving a Tet bonus of around 5-10 million VND, he still tries to work during this time to earn extra income instead of watching the Tet comedy show with his family and celebrating the New Year.

Many art and music programs are held in the evening, so event organizers may work late into the night, or even into the next day.

Having worked through New Year's Eve many years ago, Mr. NH (from Nam Sach) understands the hardships of event organizing. In recent years, Mr. H. has allowed himself and his colleagues to take an earlier Tet holiday break, no longer accepting programs close to Tet.

Mr. H understands the hardships of this job, having to leave early and return late. Some programs in distant provinces even require traveling for many days, with irregular eating, sleeping, and resting schedules.

"We've worked hard all year. During Tet, everyone wants to go home early to be with their families. Those who live far away also need to be with their wives and children, so this year I'm letting everyone take an early Tet holiday and not accepting any more projects close to Tet," Mr. H. confided.

MOC MIEN

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/nghe-to-chuc-su-kien-tat-bat-dip-cuoi-nam-403847.html