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An Event to Remember

Posted by ablack on Mar. 23, 2016  /  Subscribe 0

Doesn’t it seem like no matter how many hours you put into planning the “perfect” event, something manages to go wrong?  Sure, you’re the Event Planning Poster Child for dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s, but somehow something will inevitably go astray.  Murphy’s Law, plain and simple!

If this describes your feelings about event planning, then you’re not alone.  Many a marketer before you have cursed the heaven’s in the name of Murphy.  But I think it’s time we cut ourselves some slack, because (here’s a newsflash) there is really no such thing as a “perfect” event.

I know, I know, I know; you like to think of yourself as the type of marketer who strives for “only the best,” but progress is better than perfection.  The more occasions that you organize, the better you will become.   And learning how to roll with the sometimes-painful punches that you encounter along the way is one of the key factors in success when you’re talking about planning and hosting an event.

This takes me back to the very first event that I ever helped to plan in A/E/C. This was actually less than a year ago and I cannot believe how much I have learned since then. Although it is a bit shameful to admit what I’m about to divulge, I am willing to publicly embarrass myself.  Why?  Because it’s okay  to make mistakes; in fact, most people learn more from their mistakes than they do their successes. 

Below are just the major errors that occurred during my very first event. Keep in mind, I was just an intern and overwhelmed beyond belief…but all disclaimers aside…

• Time’s a-Wastin’. The catered food was 45 minutes late. I repeat, 45 minutes late! What is everyone’s favorite part of attending events? Free Food. My stomach literally turned in knots as the guests waited…and waited…and waited…for the food to finally arrive. Lessons Learned: It is better to cater with a business you are familiar with. Choose a company that you know you can rely on based on overall reputation, peer references and reviews, etc. Also, have the caterer arrive at least 30 minutes early to your venue, just as a precaution.  Hey, believe me, it’s better to pay a little extra to the caterer for time than it is to try to appease a room full of hungry people. 

• Coffee Catastrophe. On top of the food disaster, we temporarily ran out of coffee for the guests half way through the event. This also happened to be an early morning event which of course means that plenty of coffee for everyone is not only needed, but expected. To say that I began to panic is an understatement. Lessons Learned:If a company says they will give you an “unlimited supply” of something, ask what their process is to refill the item prior to it running out and make sure that their process is bullet-proof…or at least reasonable.

• Recess, Anyone? So you’re probably already noticing a trend here regarding food snafu’s…and here’s another one!  We paid for over-priced juice which we could have otherwise bought at Costco. When I was quoted for coffee and juice, I ignorantly assumed this included “fresh” juice.  Imagine my embarrassment when we ended up handing out mini DOLE juice cans.  It was just like recess again…I was halfway expecting my juice to come accompanied by a Power-Ranger’s lunchbox.  And yeah, we ended up running out of the juice cans as well…Lesson Learned: Never, ever, ever assume anything. Ask as many questions as you can when placing a large catering order, even if the questions seem profoundly silly! You should know exactly what is arriving on the day of your event.

• Fashion Faux Pas: We ran out of the “preferred” shirt size that we were handing out to those in attendance. For whatever reason, I took our Superintendent’s word regarding sizing of shirts. Apparently, they thought the majority of the guests would prefer over-sized shirts.  As it turns out, very few attendees were interested in walking around in the polo equivalent of a dress. Lessons Learned: Never take someone’s word for what sizes you should order. If you know the guests well enough, then you’ll need to use your best judgement.  If you don’t know the gests well (or well enough), then anticipate for the majority of people landing somewhere in the middle of Small and XL and order the bulk of shirts accordingly.

• My One Job: I had one REAL job to accomplish at the event…just one…and I totally flopped it.  I forgot to bring sharpies for the signing of the beam at the topping out ceremony. Yep, I planned an event focused on singing and placing the last beam on a building and somehow forgot to bring the pens. Lesson Learned:  Checklists are absolutely mandatory when planning an event.  Start creating lists as soon as your planning process begins. Check your lists over at least twice before the day of the event and have another person look it over to make sure you’re not forgetting anything.

• Wind Blown. Sure, a nice breeze is always welcome, but I didn’t anticipate such a blustery morning…one that would send table covers flying in all directions.  Then again, we do live in a Valley, so I guess I’m sort of off the hook on this one… Lesson Learned: Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.  Variables beyond your control, such as the weather, are a reality of event planning. But you still have to be prepared.  Make sure that your event can survive, US Postal Service style (“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night…”).

If you don’t have “stress sweat” after reading my laundry list of event confessionals, then you’re obviously an event pro.  You are probably also wondering why I am giving advice about events after admitting to all of my mistakes.  But let me tell you, it only took one “bad” event for me to NEVER make those mistakes again. My next co-hosted event took place in September of 2015 and was a huge success. If it wasn’t for all that I had learned in my first event, I wouldn’t have been as prepared or planned as thoroughly for my second event.

So what else?  In addition to tips on what not to do when planning and hosting events, here are a few reminders to help you keep your sanity:

• An Eye on the Prize. Hosting a successful event requires strategy, planning and execution. Identify your objective for the party and check back in throughout the process to make sure your planning efforts are aligning with the goal(s) of the event. This seems simple, but it can be easy to lose sight of why an event is really being organized in the first place if you’re not keeping your “eye on the prize.”
  
  
• Insurance is Priceless. OK, not really; insurance definitely has a price tag, but you get the idea. Make sure to get vendor’s insurance in case of rare circumstances that have the potential to become huge liabilities for your company. If you are unfamiliar with this process, discuss it with someone at your company who is knowledgeable (typically a Contracts person or Executive).
    
• Less is More? Not Really. A good rule of thumb is to send out invitations early enough so that you can use the RSVP’s to give you a close estimate on expected attendance. Of course, you should keep in mind that 1) noteveryone who RSVP’d will actually show up, and 2) many people who didn’t RSVP will turn up after all.  If you are in a time crunch to get back to the caterer, then it is safe to assume between 50% and 60% of your invited guests will attend (for most events). Either way, plan for more than enough of everything that you’ll need to satisfy the crowd;  it is always better to have extra than to run out.
  
  
• Step Back. There is always room for improvement.  After each event, take a step back to reflect and evaluate what happened.  You can do this by passing out evaluation forms (if appropriate), or getting anonymous feedback from your peers after the event is over. Take notes and write down reminders for yourself so that the next even can be even more successful! 
  
  
• Enjoy Yourself. Seeing a stressed out host makes people feel like they are burden, so keep this in mind:  no one will notice even half of the “errors” that occur in any given event.  We are often our own worst critic, but sometimes you have to just smile, adjust as the event goes on and try not to let it affect your attitude.

So there you have it.  Hey, no one said event planning was an easy task.  But if you can remember some of these tips, you can save yourself some of the most stressful of situations…like running out of coffee…eek! Just thinking about that still makes me cringe.

Event planning can be a fun and exhilarating creative outlet for Marketers, but YOU will ultimately set the vibe.  If you look at an upcoming event as a drag, then it will probably be a drag. So plan an unforgettable event and be ready to shine (and have some fun, too)!  After all, EVERYONE loves the host…

About the Blogger: Ashley Black is one of those millennials that everyone can’t stop talking about.  She’s motivated, driven and proud to be a new face in the Phoenix A/E/C industry. Ashley loves to write, volunteer and watch her favorite NBA team – the Golden State Warriors.  She’s ready to prove everyone wrong about “youngsters in the workplace” and promises to be a marketing professional you won’t soon forget.

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