use HTML::Entities;
my($text) = "Kren’s 89th birthday";
print encode_entities($text), $/;

##</code><code>##

Kren&acirc;&#128;&#153;s 89th birthday

##</code><code>##

$event{'desc'} =~ s/’/\&\#39\;/g;
$event{'desc'} =~ s/–/-/g;
$event{'desc'} =~ s/—/ - /g;
$event{'desc'} =~ s/‘/'/g;
$event{'desc'} =~ s/'/'/g;
$event{'desc'} =~ s/“/"/g;
$event{'desc'} =~ s/”/"/g;