The Measurement Maze

Most event planners in the US plan events in the US. Some also plan international events, but they’re not the majority. However, for those that do, it’s got to be tough to have to plan both in the Imperial and Metric systems. Think about it. How many aspects of event planning are different when you consider this factor? Food and beverage (F&B), room setups, trade show details, and freight just to name a few. 

In F&B alone, a planner would be dealing with Fahrenheit vs Celsius calculations when it comes to safe food serving and storage temperatures. This is incredibly important for the health and wellbeing of the attendees, staff, and guests being served. Planners would also need to understand the difference between ounces and kilograms to determine portion sizes; as well as ounces vs liters for wet goods and pounds vs grams for dry goods when ordering items in bulk like flour, pasta, milk, and soda. Miscalculate these measurements and a planner could either run out of food or have enough food to feed the state of Maine.

When creating room diagrams, table sizes in the US are in inches where anywhere else in the world, the measurements are in centimeters, so ordering a 60-inch round for dining or an 8-foot rectangle for check-in won’t do the trick. The same goes when considering required hallway widths, distances between tables and chairs, placement of decorations and signage, and when laying out stage designs. Then, there are a whole host of additional measurement changes to calculate when including a trade show with the event; booth sizes, aisle widths, ceiling heights, sign requirements, and more.

Not only do measurements affect the trade show floor, but probably more so, are weights. So much freight is moved around on the floor by forklift and delivery drivers that if a planner is not paying attention, one could very well overpay for these services. The difference between pounds and grams or kilograms can be significant and wreak havoc on an organization’s profit margin or change the price a planner passes on to the vendors to pay.

There are also distances to think about. Miles and kilometers are very different, especially if a planner is paying to ship freight by truck across the country. If an organization is anticipating one price based on miles and the cost is factored by kilometers, their budget could be in danger. Being thorough, reading every word, and communicating well will align expectations if working across international borders.

There are even other factors planners need to keep in mind when planning international events besides weights and measures. To be successful, planners need to understand their audience. Are the attendees local, international attendees, or are they coming in from other countries? Depending on the answer, visas might be required and this could be a lengthy process. Letters of invitation are needed for attendees from certain countries and these generally have to be accompanied by detailed itineraries for each person. 

All this to say, if you are thinking you might want to work with international events, please talk to another planner who has been doing them for a while. Ask about some of the challenges they have faced and what has been required to overcome them. Ask about their experience with different government agencies, which countries have been helpful and which have not; what supporting agencies are available to help make things flow more smoothly and which you want to avoid. Especially these days, you need to be up on current affairs and how they are impacting your ability to plan events in a country in which you do not live.  

As most event planners are, be smart, do your due diligence, and make the decision that is right for you, your organization, and the different stakeholders involved.

Have you encountered a measurement issue when planning an event because of the differences between Imperial and Metric? Share your story here or send me an email!

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