3 Tips to Survive Event Day Chaos

Someone asked me recently how I am able to stay so calm under pressure on event day. After working in the meetings and events industry for as long as I have, it’s not something I consciously think about anymore. No two events are alike, and there is always some sort of issue that needs to be addressed, so there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Once I sat down and thought about the different experiences I’ve had over my 20 years, a few things came to mind that truly do help me survive event-day chaos. Here are my top three:

• Be Prepared. I do my best to be fully prepared for an event. By event day, I have reviewed the event planning checklist multiple times to ensure everything is complete. I will have sat in on a pre-con meeting to go over the full event schedule, by room and by day, with the venue’s representatives, which usually include a CSM (Convention Services Manager), a Catering Manager, a Head of Security, and an Operations Manager. I’ll check in with everyone on the event execution team to ensure they’re all present and have what they need to do their jobs. And, every document related to the event will be printed and organized in my binder so I can find what I need when I need it. Plus, I am on-site early before anyone else, so I can settle into the on-site office and be mentally and physically ready to welcome the team.
• Dress Appropriately. As the Certified Meeting Professional and usually the decision-maker (also known as the authorized signatory), I like to dress a little bit nicer than others. It tells people I’m in charge without having to tell people I’m in charge. Still, I run hot and am on my feet all day, so comfort is the name of the game. I dress in layers and wear comfortable shoes. I have a sparkly pair of tennis shoes that go with every look; dress or pants alike. I also wear a sleeveless shirt as my base layer, so at a minimum, I can slip into the onsite office and strip down in front of my fan for a few minutes.
• Be A Swan. I would have never used this term, but I heard it recently, and it describes things perfectly. A swan looks graceful, effortlessly gliding across a pond; however, below the water, their feet are kicking, sometimes frantically, to get to the other side. I have to keep a level head and calm demeanor on the outside, no matter what I am feeling on the inside. Just as children take their emotional cues from their parents, so do junior team members or volunteers or attendees, for that matter, from those who are, or even appear to be, in charge.

If you focus on getting these three right, the other things will fall into place. Because you’ve prepared, you won’t be scrambling to find a copy of the BEO (Banquet Event Order) for the next meal to see if you remembered to order the special pescatarian dinner; it will be color-coded and in the F&B section of your binder. Because you are not feeling blisters develop on your heels, you can focus your attention on welcoming guests as they arrive and escorting a lost attendee to their next session. Because you have mastered the art of looking calm on the outside, no matter how you feel on the inside, when the CSM comes to you and says there is a conflict with a breakout room, you can turn to her with a smile and say, “Let’s go take a look.”

What is one of your top ways to survive the event day chaos? Share with us here or
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Bonus Tip! One thing that helps me survive event day chaos is knowing that very few people actually know what is going on behind the scenes. It may feel like the entire event is ruined by whatever “surprise” comes up requiring a change in the plan, however, in all honesty, it is usually only the person who brought the issue to your attention, someone you may need to consult to make any changes, those whose help you need to implement any changes, and the handful of people who might have been initially impacted by the issue. 99% of the rest of the attendees, staff, volunteers, vendors, exhibitors, or venue employees have no idea that anything even happened in the first place. This takes the pressure off of feeling like you’re letting people down, or that in any way this issue has “ruined” the event.

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