Event Hero Survival Guide: Week 2

Event days are not for the weak at heart

Okay, we know exercise is good for you, but while at an event make sure you take the shortest and most convenient route from one spot to another, to save your feet and your energy. If you’ve ever counted your steps on an event, you know you get your exercise.

Take the elevator and don’t feel guilty about it. If you have doubts about this, wear a pedometer or a Fitbit on show days and see just how many steps you take and how much ground you cover. It’s okay to take the easy way up, but just on show days!

Emergency? What emergency?

What’s your event emergency plan? Every event super hero knows that anything is possible and having a plan in place will prevent panic if an issue arises. Most importantly, make sure your event team knows the emergency plan. Wonder Woman couldn’t have saved the world without Wonder Girl. Heck, even Superman couldn’t have done what he did without Lois Lane. Oh yea, and Wonder Boy too!

An Emergency Plan for when bad weather hits

Planning, planning, and more planning

Have a plan and make sure you are sufficiently staffed for the event. Use volunteers, staff, and interns strategically placed to cover all areas. They are your eyes and ears and will save you time and energy when overseeing your event.

It is better to have too many workers and have to let some go early than to have to spend your precious time trying to round up additional help on event day. Figuring out how many staff you need will get easier with time, but don’t be afraid to have one or two extra people who know they may be cut early.

Your reputation as an event planner is on the line here, and if something doesn’t get taken care of, that will hurt your business. Just make sure that any extra staff LOOK as if they are doing something important and not just standing around wasting your client’s money. Then, when you are sure you are covered, cut unnecessary staff.

Everybody needs a mood ring

Remember mood rings? It’s important to make sure the mood of event is where you want it to be. No matter what the topic of your event, you want your attendees to be comfortable, engaged, and calm, and at ease. In other words, a nice sea blue color.

Take the pulse of your attendees, an unofficial poll. Ask a few participants how things are going or if they need anything, to get a feel if there are problems that need to be fixed. The response of just a few will usually reflect the sentiment of the whole.

Check in with catering for timing and meal placement, check on vendors, and on VIP movement and satisfaction. Get feedback from your staff on the ground. A simple “thumbs up” is enough to know that all is going well whereas a covert peace sign (as established in a pre-event meeting) indicates your staff member needs your attention.

Know your event technology and all the bells and whistles you have available at your fingertips and use them to alleviate any unforeseen issues that may arise.

Don’t forget to check in next week for the final part of our series!