The events industry is filled with surprises – some good and some bad. In a previous blog we gave you tips on how to avoid the obvious mistakes that event planners often experience, but what happens when contingent disasters strike?
This is where being a born events planner comes into play. Being able to strategically think on your feet and make decisions that ensure the best outcome for your event is an inherent skill for some, for others it’s a skill that improves with experience. Problems may vary in size from small to large, but whatever scale the disaster, as an events planner you need to be ready to face the issue in a calm and controlled manner. We know how much pressure that can be, so we’ve put together our top 3 tips to help you approach some of the most common problems faced at events.
How to problem solve at events
Be Prepared and Remember the Back-Up Plan
When faced with a crisis, the common reaction is to go into panic mode, and that’s never a place from which to effectively make rational decisions. Establishing backup plans for your event must-haves should be part of your planning process from the word go, and having alternative options in the back of your mind is handy - but if you can go further and put contingencies in place, then rather do that. As you start the process of developing your back-up plans, consider the various internal and external factors that could stimulate an event disaster, such as:
- Weather
- Traffic, location and travel time
- Safety and security
- Supplier logistics and coordination
- Venue liaison and preparation
- Staff communication and coordination
- Attendee experience
Tap into Your Resources
Remember our blog on the importance of maintaining a good relationship with your event suppliers? Well, these relationships can come in handy in tough situations. A good relationship with your event supplier is the ultimate support plan in case disaster strikes because you know that they will have your back. When we caught up with our project planners to bring you real life tips, they stressed that “the tech team and the venue are your lifeline. Make friends ahead of time, and they will move the world for you.” This is true. We’ve shared our story about the relationship we have with our production supplier that got us out of a booking arrangement gone wrong. You can read it here but long story short - our supplier went as far as leaving their equipment in place for an event taking place after ours. They were willing to go the extra mile for us at the drop of a hat and trouble shoot with our team to find the best solution. In these types of situations, finding alternative or innovative solutions could make or break your event experience, so having trustworthy suppliers to facilitate and implement them is invaluable.
Call in An Events Hero
Over the years, we’ve seen the importance of having friends in the event industry, and at Worx Group we strive to be that friend for our clients. If you find yourself planning an event without the aid of an events expert from the start and you hit a wall or are faced with a disaster in the middle of your planning, consider reaching out to an experienced planner. In this industry, biting off more than you can chew when planning could lead to disaster, so know what you are good at and do that perfectly. As experts, we do our best to stay on our toes for those times when we’re called in only days before a client’s event to jump in and assist at a moment’s notice. Not only will event pros solve the problem you’re facing, but we could also potentially come up with additional solutions for your event, take a lot of pressure off and restore any direction that was lost during the planning of your event.
Our project planners will tell you that eventing is about thinking on your feet. Things may not go as you planned, but you’ll need to be able to re-think your plan on the spot for the best outcome.
The Secret to Successful Eventing
As a planner you can expect things to go wrong but don’t forget your role. Be prepared to be the calm in the chaos! Things will get crazy, and you will need to stay grounded to ensure things run smoothly, use your backups and remember that you are in control.