The Entertainment Industry And Venue Management 
Introduction
Entertainment occurs in a variety of species, among which are radio and television broadcasts, gambling, sports and online games, printed media, the live performances by artists, music and drama. The essence of the above mentioned types is to inform people, to refresh their minds, and to keep them occupied during their leisure times. Beyond this importance, there is also the matter of employment, as well as the business opportunities available for entrepreneurs and thus the promotion of the development and growth of economy.
Entertainment refers to various activities or tasks that hold the attention of the audience and keep them happy, that is why it is of high importance for many scholars (Shay & Cynthia 2010). Stories and songs are in existence for centuries, and thus entertainment is old as such, although it has undergone changes and improvements over the course of technology advancement (Gakhar & Sonia 2007). There is a link between entertainment, education and information, and, therefore, scholars invented the terms “edutainment” and “infotainment” (Shrum 2012). The economic significance of such activities is the substantial amount of money that is spent and invested in the field. The major forms of entertainment include music, games, banquets, performance, reading, theatre, cinema, storytelling, dances and films, sports, circus, exhibitions and fairs, magic and fireworks. In the contemporary world, entertainment improves the quality of people's lives through the promotion of leisure, employment opportunities, and stress relieve. Its significance is integrated into the larger economy of regions as well as countries.
The Contribution of the Entertainment Industry to the Economy
a. Analysis of the contribution.
The significance of the entertainment industry in the economy lays in the following.
The various activities in this specific field influence the circulation of money in a country’s economy, and this is due to the people's expenditure of leisure and fun. For instance, in the United Kingdom, the industry earned 12.4 billion euros for the national economy in 2011 through the publication of books, artistic creations and events, as well as arts performances (Center for Economics and Business Research 2013). What is more, entertainment in all its forms provides employment to the people working in the industry, as well as business opportunities for the investors who own the media houses and entertainment venues. The government also earns the revenue through the taxes levied on books, electronics, films, compact discs, the licences for the operations of entertainment joints, which thus contribute to the government finances used to satisfy the national needs of the population. The employees in the industry also pay income tax that increases the countries revenue collection. For example, during 2008-2011, the United Kingdom had over 100,000 people employed in the entertainment sector, and this represented 0.45% of the national employment (Center for Economic and Business Research 2013).
Economic development entails both the increase in the national income as well as the quality of people’s life, and in such a way entertainment advances the development. However, on a sad note, the problem of piracy of entertainment materials, especially music and movies affects the recorded sales and lowers the government revenue. The disadvantage of entertainment is that people dedicate many hours to leisure activities at the expense of work, which may lead to the decrease of the productivity of the economy.
b. Funding agencies.
Some of the agencies involved in the funding of entertainment activities should be mentioned. To improve the entertainment services offered to the people of the United Kingdom, several organizations fund the industry, the major ones among which are the UK Trade and Investment, London Film and Video Development Agency and the Arts Council England. The UK Trade and Investment is a firm owned by the government of the United Kingdom which provides funds for music production, especially for the youths and small organizations. Arts Council England, on the other hand, is a national body that offers grants to organizations and individuals with the aim of developing the production of arts (Merton Council 2015). The London Film and Video Development Agency is a regional body that concentrates its investments on the production of films and creative videos (Merton Council 2015). Although the organizations focus on different types of entertainment, they all share a common goal of improving the quality of entertainment.
Types of Activities Offered by the Entertainment Industry
a. Scope of the entertainment industry.
In the United Kingdom, entertainment exists in various forms, including advertisements, television programs, audio recordings, motion pictures that are fabricated and marketed by the private artists and organizations. The culture and tradition of the United Kingdom incorporate theatrical performances. Some plays are performed in the Royal National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, and are broadcasted occasionally. Betting industry enables people to enjoy their leisure time, as well as to win money through gambling. People can play games in groups, pairs, or individually with the aid of software that creates a virtual player and also provides entertainment. The broadcasting industry comprises the vast range of events, while the arts industry organises fairs and exhibitions, as well as installing art pieces in various locations like the Excel London, the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre. The sports industries facilitate participation or the review of various sporting activities at the stadiums and gyms, such as the London Aquatic Centre and Wembley Stadium among others. The music industry provides entertainment through live concerts, compact discs and the Internet downloads. Information in printed forms including newspapers, magazines, books, and cartoons is the product of publishing industry, which enables people to have a wide range of options to choose from (Florida, Mellander, & Stolarick 2009). The hospitality industry appears in the form of hotels and restaurants, like the Fat Duck or Gordon Ramsay restaurants among the others that provide venues for people to celebrate events through large banquets, or to spend their leisure time individually. Various performances, music, and dancing are also provided with the aim of amusement. Fast food joints, such as KFC, McDonald’s, the Little Chef or the Chicken Cottage earn substantial revenue from sales as well.
b. Classification of entertainment activities.
The classes of entertainment depend on the audience as well as the venues. Entertainment occurs in the form of mass, group or private activities, but the main importance lays in the purpose and the setting of the event. The species such as fairs, sports, cinema, theatre, banquets, air shows, and cabaret among the others are public events, while reading, music and games may be a rather private affair.
Theatre entertainment entails the performance of drama on stage facing a large group of spectators in venues such as the London Coliseum Theatre. Films, particularly documentaries and motion pictures are demonstrated either to the audience in halls or individuals in private places. Banquets generally perform the functions of official events with food served to a large group of individuals, accompanied by music and performances. Music entails live performances by artists to a wide audience in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall for example, or the listening of the same at home or offices through radio, compact discs, the internet, headphones, and television. Fairs are the displays of products or services in showrooms or grounds to people who visit the places for entertainment as well as due to some marketing purposes. Sports involve competitions between many individuals in different activities such as athletics, football, netball and basketball, and the venues are the grounds such as the Wembley Stadium.
The Management and Operation of Different Types of Venues
a. Comparing selected venues.
Among the operational and management strategies for entertainment venues the following should be mentioned. Some of the venues that host entertainment activities are hotel halls, wilderness, swimming pools, theatres, cinemas, stadiums, recreation gardens, beaches, and museums. To maximize the profit as well as to increase the customers’ satisfaction, the managers of these venues need to adopt certain measures.
ExCel London operates as a national centre for exhibitions and conferences, and hosts both public and private events, which contributes to the basis of revenue collection. The owners of such events hire the premises at the stipulated charges and this provides income to the business. The managers need to keep the venue in good state by executing the required repairs, renovations, and improvements in order to impress the local and the international guests expected in the International Food Event. The hygiene of the place and the proper supervision during the preparation, as well as the food service require thorough consideration so as to avoid any cases of food poisoning, or sale of substandard food. Enhanced security system is also important to keep the visitors and staff protected from any potential security incidence such as terrorism attacks. Apart from that, there is the need for employing qualified salespersons to promote the sale of food for increased revenues.
The EThames Graduate School London is an institution for higher education that also offers entertainment facilities as a way of generating revenue. The management needs to take proper security measures in order to ensure that all the events organized do not carry any potential harm. The timing of the event also requires consideration so as to ensure that the event is well attended (Gerdeman 2012). The most appropriate time is the holiday season, weekend or school vacations. All the necessary arrangements concerning food and accommodation are also of high significance as they provide guests with a good environment. Therefore, the managers need to cooperate with hospitality industries for this reason. The organizing committees should compose a proper time management plan to accommodate the various performers from different cultures. The organizers of the event also need to organize a sales team to sell the items exhibited from the different cultures.
The Royal Albert Hall operates as a venue for hosting concerts in the United Kingdom and collects substantial revenue for the business. The company earns revenue from hiring fees levied for those holding concerts, weddings, conferences and other occasions in the premises. Its managers need to ensure that security matters are properly addressed in order to avoid any possible incidences during the film and drama shows. Revenue collection and ticketing also requires decent management to sidestep or at least minimize the loss arising from fraud, theft, or mishandling of money. Proper records, as well as legitimate distribution of tickets, needs to be considered to ensure that no challenges emerge during the entry time. The public should be enabled to access the tickets in online platforms or in public places to simplify the acquisition process. The hall host concerts that have performers of various music genres such as reggae, rhythm and blues, pop, jazz, and country music among others.
b. Evaluating selected venues.
Some of the employment opportunities in the entertainment venues should be outlined. The Excel London needs technicians to conduct electrical, plumbing, carpentry and masonry repairs to keep the centre in good state so as to provide a good environment for conferences and exhibitions. Security officers are also relevant to safeguard the asset as well as the people attending events from potential threats. Furthermore, the venue needs housekeepers to maintain cleanliness and to organize the place to promote the aesthetic value. Ushers are also important for guiding guests to their seats as well as offering them the assistance they may need in the venue. The government through the Ministry of Education provided revenue for sponsoring the event and that included hiring the venue as well as the security personnel. Our school also provided money to finance our activity but we also had to contribute from our pockets to cater for miscellaneous costs.
The EThames Graduate School London requires security officers to protect the people and the property on the premises. During the cultural event, the venue needs proper crowd control measures to avoid confusion and security breach, and thus properly trained security officers should be employed. The management strategy applied in this case was organizing individuals into small groups with each having a task to perform. What we experienced during the cultural event was satisfactory, because everything was in order. The finances for the event were provided by our school, including our individual contributions and the donations from well wishers. The event was similar to the one held at ExCel London, as long as both events dealt with food. During the event, our class room was divided into various groups and my group was assigned the European food. The management strategy in this case was dividing the participants into groups and assigning each a task to present. Our duty was to collect some money, and the college and well-wishers assisted us to raise the required sum. The revenue obtained from selling food was used to cater for the cost of hiring the venue and other logistics involved.
The Royal Albert Hall needs security officers to maintain safety and order through surveillance for threats as well as crowd control. Ushers are also significant to guide the clients to their seats, while the importance of the housekeepers is to maintain cleanliness of the venue. Technicians such as plumbers, electricians, carpenters are also vital to execute repairs and maintenance of the venue to keep it in good state that would attract more clients. I attended a concert for various genres of music in this venue and examples of the performers were singers for country music, rock, rhythm and blues, pop music as well as reggae. The event was very successful because all types of songs were presented.
Conclusion
To conclude, entertainment is significant due to its versatility regarding education, amusement, communication and investment, as well as employment and the circulation of money in an economy. However, the challenge of piracy of entertainment materials imposes a challenge on both the owners of the arts and the government due to the tax evasion. People also need to balance their leisure and work time to ensure that the productivity of the society does not decline. The managers of entertainment joints should handle their work professionally to ensure that their customers are willing to come back. Lastly, there is the need to make certain that entertainment does no ruin the society, especially the underage youths and children.
