Have you ever hosted a workshop, national sales meeting, incentive trip or even a dinner party where something didn’t go quite right? Roadblocks come in many shapes and sizes. Some impact entire communities, others only a small group of people. Some involve weather, others are related to schedules, people and resources. Some make headlines and others never show up in print or on our newsfeeds. When you are hosting an event, sometimes the smallest thing can result in what feels like a crisis, or worse… a disaster. A key benefit of hiring a professional Event Planner like KOB Event Solutions is that you have a trusted partner to lean on when unplanned situations arise. No matter what kind of issue occurs – the safety, security, and comfort of your guests is my primary concern.
Have you ever faced construction in and around your conference location? Jackhammer noise, paint fumes and cordoned off hotel lobbies are all realities in the venue business, but disastrous to your event! While upgrades and maintenance are necessary, they don’t need to impact your guests. Starting with negotiating the contract, I work to avoid it, and if I see it during site inspection prior to your arrival, I make sure that the disruption for your group is minimized. Disaster averted and your guests are none the wiser.
What happens if your “big ticket” keynote speaker cancels at the last minute? After months of advertising, this kind of situation puts you in a difficult spot. If that speaker was the primary draw for your event, how do you maintain engagement of your attendees? How do you fill the gap in the agenda with an equally interesting speaker or experience? My goal is to help you make the most of your event. – my job is to understand your high-impact agenda items and develop a contingency plan in the event of an emergency or cancellation like this. We keep your exposure in this kind of situation as minimal as possible.
Weather related situations are more broadly forgiven; after all, no one can control the weather. The impact to your event might range from the venue being unavailable, to attendees being stranded in transit. While any event planner should point out the risk of planning an event at a location routinely impacted by hurricane season, experienced planners will work with air travel support and venue staff to create a contingency plan ahead of time, should you decide to accept that risk. Domestic travel and travel abroad have different contingency planning needs. Emergency travel requirements for an incentive program in Aruba are more complex than a conference in Chicago with a major airport hub. Although it’s important to have good vendors no matter the event, we will work together to find the right balance of ‘what’s the priority’ for this event and your location.
As your trusted partner, I’ll take care of the logistics and details, working with my vendors to make sure that your guests have all the information they need and understand what happens next. That means you can focus on your role of being a leader, and helping your guests remain calm and feel safe when weather becomes a problem.
No matter what the crisis is, or what causes it – any disruption to your event means your goals may not be achieved. In extreme situations, the most important thing is the safety and security of your guests. Weather, cancellations, hotel closures, or construction concerns are all things that can be considered and planned for prior to you checking into your hotel for the event. Leave the problem solving and contingency planning to me so you can focus on being the business leader.
Our tagline is Meeting Planning. Solved. Let me help create solutions for your next meeting! Send me an email – kris@kobeventsolutions.com or visit our website: www.kobeventsolutions.com. I can answer any questions or address concerns about working with a planner from KOB Event Solutions. Interesting conversations and initial consultations are always complimentary- let me help you get started towards achieving your event goals!