On Your Marks…

Words heard at the starting line. The place where it all begins. Often, organizations who host events skip this one critical step. As such, they end up feeling overwhelmed by the amount of details and project management required. Oh sure, they have checklists, a budget, timelines, contracts, etc. but don’t know where to begin. “Begin” being the key word….

Event planning must start with an Initial Meeting. This isn’t ground-breaking information. I’m just stating the obvious-but-overlooked vital first step of planning. After the event has been identified as necessary, and the goals and objectives are determined by leadership, the next thing has to be the Initial Planning Meeting.

This meeting is where a representative from every conceivable department related to the event comes together at the table to talk through details surrounding the event. No detail is too insignificant. No date is too far into the future. No department should be left out. This may be one of the only meetings where literally everyone is at the same table.

Why do this? Because each department will view the event through their own “responsibility lens” that someone from outside their department simply may not understand. Each department listens for particular details, recognizes areas that have been challenges in the past, or identifies hurdles they will need to overcome.

When preparing the team for this meeting set the right expectations. Set aside several hours and plan an agenda with each department scheduled for some time. Some departments may opt to skip portions of the meeting they know do not impact them. Stick to the agenda and keep people on task. List follow up meetings that need to be scheduled and action steps to be taken. Ensure everyone knows who the project manager(s) are, has a copy of the budget, event timeline with milestones, and every action step has a person assigned to it. There should be nothing left open for interpretation.

Yes, it may sound like a long day. It is. But trust me, your team will appreciate the work on the front end as it pays off in time-savings and communication clarity throughout the project.

Need to talk through who needs to be at this meeting, what an agenda might look like, or what the follow up could be? I’d love to! Email me and let’s talk.

Know someone planning events? Share Tracy’s Tidbits on your social media and spread the word!

Please and Thank You!

Remember the days when we used to pass someone on the sidewalk, smile, and say hi? I hope so, it was less than two years ago that this type of interaction was a social norm. It seems like the pandemic has given people a courtesy lobotomy. Now, people divert their eyes from others, walk oddly off the sidewalk and onto the grass when they pass, and they are most certainly put off at the thought of saying hello.

I recently read an article from an event industry publication that referenced a Time Magazine article about how rude people are these days. It was fascinating. Not in a good way but in a “I-can’t-believe-how-we -human-beings-have-changed” way. The article referenced the statistic that, by its publication in September 2021, the FAA had racked up over 1 million dollars in “unruly behavior” fines. 

The Hospitality and Tourism industry took a huge hit. This includes restaurants, caterers, airlines, hotels, convention centers, event planners, and all of the associated organizations and support services related to each of the above. Everyone is having trouble getting staff to return to work for a variety of reasons. As I am working with a team of people to plan a 3-day in-person event in January, we are encountering the effects of this in varying ways. The inability to get supplies due to supply chain shortages and overseas transport delays, labor strikes by union workers versus day laborers, and furloughed sales and convention staff leading to slow response times on mission-critical planning details to name a few.

Everyone who IS showing up is doing the work of more than one person, oftentimes working outside of their normal skillset, and guaranteed is working longer hours. When you do have the opportunity to visit a hotel, dine in a restaurant, or attend a conference and experience a delay or challenge with your service, pause before you respond. I can tell you from the event planner’s side, we have been working earnestly to overcome as many hurdles as possible with far fewer resources than ever before. Thank those who HAVE shown up and are tending to your needs.

I’m sure life will always be different after we have collectively experienced a global pandemic together as a world community. We’ll never go “back to” anything like it was before, we’ll always be moving forward. We can, however, remember how to behave like human beings and treat others how we would like to be treated.

Have you seen the shift in common courtesy? Do you have a humorous story to share? You can email me or share it with us here.

I’d love to have you share this blog with others who plan meetings and events!

Examine The Debrief

In my previous blog, “The Pumpkin Hour,” I broke down four different types of personalities you may find on your team once an event is over. One in particular is the Questioner. Once an event is over, the Questioner wants to process the event right now, this minute, because the fat lady sang, and the curtain fell. News flash, this is NOT the best time to debrief the event. 

But, the Questioner will say the event is fresh in your mind. You don’t want to forget the important issues that need addressing. You won’t all be together again for a few weeks because everyone is taking vacation. There is a lot you want to say. Yep. Exactly. 

During the event, everyone should be capturing topics for discussion at the debrief meeting; things that could be improved upon and things that went well. This information is key for next year’s planning. At the end of an event, however, everyone needs time to process the let-down and adrenaline from the event; let the emotions subside, mentally refresh, and get some rest. Your baby’s been born, now time has to pass for you to forget the trauma of giving birth if you plan to do it again.

Also, waiting to debrief allows the team to collect post-event survey data from different stakeholders. Information from attendees, exhibitors, staff or volunteers, and board members or investors will contribute to how successful the debrief meeting is. An efficient and effective debrief meeting should consist of these five things:

  1. Schedule the debrief meeting about one month after the event.
  2. Bring survey data to the meeting, but stay focused on themes, not individual comments.
  3. Bring each team member’s comments, thoughts, and suggestions to the meeting, but again, stay focused on themes, not specific issues.
  4. Keep the agenda timed and list each area or aspect of the event to be discussed (ie: content relevance, speaker selection, venue location, ease of check-in, food & beverage, etc.).
  5. Take good notes, outline action steps, and identify goals and objectives for the items that need addressing.

By maintaining the agenda and focusing on themes instead of specific issues or details, the meeting will be more productive and take less time overall. I mean really, receiving 11 out of 1500 survey comments about meeting rooms being too cold is not worth spending time discussing a process for getting temperatures changed in a room for future events…

Do you have any debrief meeting tips? I’d love to hear them! Email me or share them here.

Please like and share this blog on your social media and with others who plan events!

Avoiding the Avoidable

I came across an article in one of my industry magazines (and it was brought to my attention by my sister 😉 that surprised me as a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP). I assume those planning events for the United Nations are professionals, if not certified in some way (but we know what happens when we assume). An epic fail happened at their Climate Summit recently that could potentially have been avoided. Granted, I only have a brief article provided by NPR and I don’t have all of the facts. I actually have several questions, but this feels like a completely avoidable issue…

One of the visiting ministers was unable to attend the event because she uses a wheelchair to ambulate and the facility where the summit was being held was not wheelchair accessible. I understand that in other countries, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not apply. This was enacted so that facilities were made accessible, and reasonable accommodations were put into place so those who are differently-abled are capable of attending events (among other things, but this portion is relevant to the blog). Regardless, as NPR pointed out, it’s 2021 and we should be up on accessibility needs by now. However, there are safeguards during an event planning process that should have allowed the Summit to serve all of the guests well.

The Site Visit – Hopefully the event planners made a pre-event visit to the physical site to walk the space, get eyes-on the building and grounds, take pictures, measurements, talk with the staff, and work through any logistics and questions around the event. This is critical to the planning process. I have a lengthy, detailed checklist I work through so nothing is overlooked (and it’s constantly evolving). Safeguard One – the planner should have made note that the facility was not wheelchair accessible, even if by accident, noting the narrowness of doors or hallways, lack of ramps, immoveable center posts in double doors, lack of handrails, etc..

Contract Review – If (and this is where I have the most questions) each attending minister had a contract or some type of agreement, there would most definitely be information in this document around the fact that the minister uses a wheelchair and what type of special accommodations she would have requested be in place for her to attend. I know this because for an upcoming event our organization is planning, we have a speaker who uses a wheelchair and there is information around this fact throughout her agreement. Safeguard Two – a contract, rider, or agreement for special guests could have provided the information needed to prepare the space properly.

Guest List Review – Even if there are no agreements for the ministers attending, reviewing the guest list for a variety of reasons; invitation prep, confirmation of attendance, security, transportation or hotel arrangements, or gift-giving, should have raised someone’s awareness or curiosity about the minister using a wheelchair and what implications that would have for the planning process. Safeguard Three – knowing who your audience is can be a vital step in serving them well.

Like I said, I have more questions than answers, but let’s consider this a great lesson learned. If there is an avoidable issue, as event planners, let’s do our due diligence to avoid it from happening.

Have you learned a lesson the hard way (and what seasoned planner hasn’t?)? Share it with us so others can gain wisdom from your insights or email me your story.

And don’t forget to like this blog and share it on you social media and with those you know who plan events!

These Boots are Made for Walking

Well, it wasn’t exactly boots I was after, but footwear for sure. You’ll have to indulge me. What’s the benefit of having your own blog if once in a blue moon you can’t rant? Apparently, after the world shut down, nobody gets dressed for work anymore. I mean actually dressed in business attire. Suit, tie, blouse, skirt, jacket, dress shoes; you remember.

Heels. All I needed was heels. I have some from back in the day (it wasn’t that long ago) but knowing I was going to an event specifically to be on my feet all day, I was hoping to find something a little more comfortable.

Comfortable, I could find; 94 kinds of boots, slippers, slip-on, fuzzy, cozy shoes that couldn’t be more inappropriate to wear with my skirt and jacket if I went barefoot. I went to several reputable stores that have historically carried dress shoes (I won’t shoe-shame them here, you know who you are). Seriously, it was either these sweatpant-slogging mules for the “business-on-top” look or sparkly stilettos for the occasional in-person wedding or girls’ night out.

I was attending a globally successful business event for the Hospitality and Tourism Industry; Event Professionals, Hoteliers, Convention Centers and Venues, City and Country Representatives, and Service and Technology Providers together in the most hospitable place on earth, Las Vegas. It requires, not only by dress code, but by respect, business attire. That’s what was expected from me and everyone else attending. All this girl needed was new shoes.

Come to find out while chatting with my colleagues, I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t find these basic business necessities. Sadly, across the country, we have relegated ourselves to professional profiles and personas but we can’t pull together an outfit, shoes included, to meet in person!

Despite my disappointment with having to wear my 3-year old shoes, I found professionals dressed and behaving in a professional manner. Just like the good ole days, albeit masked and vaccinated. As a Certified Meeting Professional, it was life-giving to experience people again. Lots of people. In this case, like-minded professionals from all around the world, some having broken free from border restrictions mere moments before boarding a plane. Everyone sharing experiences learned from the demise and resurrection of hospitality. Of course, walking through the casinos in our sole-worn shoes of old, grateful to be together once again. 

I’d love it if you’d share this blog on your social media! Have a suggestion for one? Feel free to email me.