And Bouncing Back When It’s Not Perfect | By Emily Herr STADIUMS:
Planning a Perfect Event,
It’s simple. Every event manager wants everything to go perfect-
ly for every event from the setup, doors opening all the way, until the last guest leaves. We work for days, weeks, or even months and years planning and preparing for events at our venues to reach a level that exceeds expectations for our clients, sponsors, promoters, etc.
However, every event manager also knows there’s really no such
changing things as we go, based on the client’s needs. So, what’s the best way to combat a major event-fail? Communication. Com- munication goes back to one of the most vital skills you can learn, but it’s more than just knowing you need to be a good communica- tor and more than understanding that communication makes the event go well. It’s understanding how to apply good communica- tion skills and continuing to practice those skills every step of the Most event planners are the typical Type-A personalities. We’re competitive, self-motivated, get a little stressed out, and always in a rush to get things done, but we do, in fact, get them done. While we like to take control of the event, create a vision and run with it, one of the biggest challenges can be getting everyone on the same page and fully executing all facets of the event. The list of items that can go wrong at an event is unlimited, including, but certainly not limited to, the room is not being set properly, tables are missing, the windows weren’t cleaned, the sound system failed, the scoreboard denied, the bathrooms were not cleaned, and so on. Working in the venue industry, we have to communicate with so
- ager” makes the list of the Top 5 most stressful jobs year after year. Just in house, we’re in constant communication with operations, security, housekeeping, AV Operations, catering, not to mention our legal and marketing teams, to ensure we’re following best prac- tices within our own organizations. It is so easy for things to get missed or forgotten. What are the best solutions to ensure nothing does get missed? comes to mind is that we need to be more “present” at each event.
52 Facility Manager Magazine
As long as we are at the event, we can solve all the problems, adjust of events each year we may not be able to physically be at every event, and after 50-plus hour weeks, is being more present really the solution to ensuring a “perfect” event?
phone. After each phone call, ensure you are on the same page as the client by sending a recap email. This may include cost estimates, layouts, and event details. This is a great opportunity to lay out all expectations, and you have it in writing. While every venue oper- continue to bring more and more events to our venue. At New Era Field, we have a series of documents that go out monthly, weekly, and daily giving more and more details as we get closer to the event. We also have a number of shared documents everyone has multiple sources of information and the exact informa- tion they need for each event that isn’t bogged down by other event logistics. While this a great starting point for our organization, com- munication is a process that needs continuous adjusting after every event to ensure the information is reaching all necessary parties as we continually strive to not only meet but exceed the expectations of our clients daily. Lastly, how are we bouncing back when there are communication
breakdowns? With events daily, we are expected to be on our game with no down time. It’s about keeping your head high, being able to be receptive to feedback and change, and ensuring that everyone is receiving and understanding your communication patterns. Even if a process seemed to have worked for years, one single event-fail can require change to the process. Being adaptable to these changes will help us advance in our careers, and if our communication system is FM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
