Confessions of an Event Planner: Case Studies From the Real World of Events--How to Handle the Unexpected and How to Be a Master of Discretion

by Judy Allen

  They spent the second night on a film set making their own movie. They had a blast. The invitations to their evening’s event had been mock film clapperboards and at the film site all of the participant had a director’s chair with their name on it, which was shipped to their home when they returned. Professional makeup artists and stylists worked with the company’s incentive winners to get them ready for their starring roles, while their partners and spouses enjoyed food and drink from catered tables and helped the winners with their lines.

  The next night, all of the guests were taken by stretch limousines (booked, contracted and deposits paid well in advance of the official Oscar date announcement, thanks to the expert help of our well-connected DMC, who knew when Oscar Night was scheduled to take place before it was even announced) to their farewell gala where they were greeted by their own red carpet, which was set for dramatic effect with six-foot pillars with flames burning up to 48 inches high lined up along the walkway. Screaming fans and paparazzi on hand to welcome them added to their delight in the festivities for celebrating winning their company’s top sales achievement award. During their reception, dinner and awards presentation, carefully edited live coverage of the Oscars was shown, with clips from the movies they had made the night before spliced in. Follow spotlights and live eye camera added to the excitement, as company winners made their way from their table to the stage to accept both their company’s highest award and a mock Oscar to remember the night and their starring performance. After the awards ceremony, guests had the limousines at their disposal for the rest of the night. With their statues in hand, they set out to enjoy a Hollywood night in true star fashion, and the stories that came back the next day swept through their company and industry.

  They enjoyed every minute of their trip, basking in their “15 minutes of being a company superstar” fame and the cachet of their company once again celebrating their personal and professional successes by having staged something truly special for them that set them, their achievements and their company apart from their competition.

  I looked down the list of this year’s attendees and smiled at some of the names. As always, the group had their resident bad boy. In this company’s case, Simon Oh was his name, or I should say “Ohhhhh!!! Simon Ohhhhh!!! as he never tired of introducing himself, remarking that that’s how “the ladies” usually say his name, alluding to his prowess in bed. Dee Dee rolls her eyes each and every time she hears him try to use his pickup line, but Simon is relatively harmless as bad boys go. For one couple, this will be their farewell incentive trip with this company, as they are retiring and turning their franchise business over to their daughter and son-in-law to run. It’s nice that all four of them are able to travel together this time so the beloved retiring dad and his wife could say their good-byes to their fellow colleagues and have the opportunity to proudly introduce them to their branch’s new owners, whom their peers had been hearing stories about for years.

  The first night is going to be relatively light. Everyone will be tired from traveling and looking forward to some quiet time. A themed Mexican Fiesta reception on the hotel grounds is planned so that guests can make an appearance, have some drinks, sample some food, while background music plays, and feel free to leave as early or as late as they please after their company pres says a few words of welcome. With Mexico just 25 minutes away it’s a fitting welcome theme. The “heavy” (enough food to replace a dinner) Mexican hot and cold menu will include:

  MUSHROOM CEVICHE ON CORN CHIPS

  Grilled Cilantro Pesto Chicken with Ancho Chili Glaze

  Black Bean and Corn Salsa in Blue Corn Masa Cups

  Rock Shrimp with Pico de Gallo on Cucumber

  Mini Beef Burritos

  Black Bean and Vegetable Burritos

  Goat Cheese and Chorizo Empanadas

  Chicken Empanadas

  Crispy Red Chili Chicken Strips

  Crab Quesadillas with Asadero Cheese

  BROILED CHICKEN WITH ANCHO CHILE AÏOLI

  Rock Shrimp Ceviche in Mesa Corn Cups

  Spicy Crab Salsa with Tomatillo Medallions

  Vegetarian Tortilla Roll

  Cilantro Meatballs

  Asadero and Roasted Pepper Quesadillas

  It will all be served with icy Mexican beers, margaritas and other tequila specialty drinks, along with a traditional open bar.

  JANUARY 21

  This morning, guests were to enjoy a fun Jeep rally, which had been designed to introduce them to the beauty of the desert up close and personal, and end up taking part in a city slicker cattle drive on horseback, learning techniques they could use to drive sales back in the office, promote teamwork and develop quick decision-making and organizational skills. Then they would break into a hearty packed lunch and be given a custom steam-fitted Stetson cowboy hat. For those who didn’t want to try horseback riding, other tie-in activities designed to impart the same learning lessons were going to be provided. At the end of the cattle drive, shuttle buses with beverages and snacks onboard would be waiting to take participants back to their resort in air-conditioned comfort.

  Well, that was the plan at least. We failed to factor in Simon Oh and his band of mischief makers (all guys, some single and some who had opted not to take a partner on the trip) taking over a shuttle bus and trying to make a run for the Mexican border town of Nogales for some tequila shots, out-and-out frolicking, checking out the ladies of Nogales in their local strip bars and brothels, seeing the “Wet Dance” show they had heard about and investigating up close and personal not the desert beauty but the red light district, as the tearful staff member from the local DMC came to tell Dee Dee.

  Trying was the operative word. Don’t ask me how Dee Dee was able to cut them off at the pass. I did pass by once and overheard Dee Dee having a discussion with Simon about how Rocky Mountain Oysters or Prairie Oysters (fried calf and bull balls) are a delicacy and it would be her personal pleasure to have them prepared for him and his friends if he tried something like that again.

  At least, I think those were the balls she was talking about having specially prepared and served up on a platter for them. I just kept walking and left everything in Dee Dee’s hands. There could have been very serious consequences to their actions today, from being thrown into a Mexican jail to major financial legal liability to them, their company and the DMC if anyone had been injured on the commandeered shuttle.

  My staff had been alerted to what had taken place but is well practiced in the art of discretion and schooled in the ABCs of event planning. Their actions and conversations left the guests none the wiser about Simon Oh and his crew’s attempted shenanigans. In the client’s and their guests’ minds, Simon and company’s late return to the resort was simply chalked up to mechanical problems encountered on their return shuttle bus and Simon was Ohhhhh, so grateful.

  Diamonds and Denim is the theme for tonight’s exclusive evening event being held at a multimillion-dollar Spanish Colonial estate that’s nestled in the hills of the Santa Catalina Mountains. We love to use the estate when we are in Tucson. We’ve held so many events there that it’s beginning to feel as though we’re entertaining in our own home. Wishful thinking! The estate features grand mission-style architecture, lush landscaping, beautiful fountains, cobblestone walkways and waterfalls. The barns are filled with championship horses and also house extraordinary antique art and carriage collections. And there’s a wonderful free-form rock swimming pool with cascading water.

  Cowboy cocktails and appetizers will be served on the beautiful outdoor reception area, which is enhanced by willows and mesquite trees and is the perfect location to watch the sun set, listen to background music and stroll the grounds. Card sharks dressed in western garb, trick ropers and a friendly game of horseshoes will provide entertainment for the guests as they mix and mingle with their peers.

  The estate’s interior has saguaro-ribbed ceilings, hand-carved woodwork and a massive rock fireplace. A glass wall in the copper bar area ope
ns to reveal an outdoor waterfall, making this the perfect setting for dinner and dancing. We’re setting up the buffet outside to ensure good room flow, and that the guests get a hint of the beautiful grounds. The band we’ve hired is one of our favorites and we know that the guests will love their act. We’ve also hired professional dancers to teach those wanting to learn Tucson’s popular line dances. The estate also has a beautiful fire pit and a hot tub as well, and s’mores, toasted marshmallows and a cowboy strumming his guitar under the stars will provide the finishing touches to the night.

  Yum. Dinner tonight will consist of:

  Vegetarian Chile with Sour Cream and Red Onions

  Tossed Garden Green Salad with Ranch Dressing or

  Cilantro Vinaigrette

  Black Bean Salad with Roasted Corn and Sweet Peppers

  Marinated Vegetable Salad

  Penne Pasta Salad with Grilled Peppers and Herb Vinaigrette

  Mesquite-Broiled T-bone Steak—One Pounder

  Smoked Guaymas Jumbo Shrimp

  Baby Back Ribs with Barbecue Sauce

  Grilled Chicken with Sweet Barbecue Sauce

  Ranch Style Baked Beans

  Corn on the Cob

  Baked Potatoes with Butter, Sour Cream, Scallions, and Bacon Bits

  Cornbread with Honey Butter

  Chocolate Pecan Pie

  Warm Peach Cobbler in an Iron Skillet

  Apple Pie

  Sliced Watermelon

  Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, Tea, Herbal Tea

  Tucked out of sight, an area’s been set up for staff to enjoy dinner as well, but not all at one time. The catering staff will prepare plates in the cooking tents and bring them over to our area as opposed to having our crew lining up with the guests. Joining the guests is just not done. Sometimes a client will invite the staff to eat with them but that’s not something that we prefer to do. Having our own private, out-of-the-way area lets us catch up on what has to be done, gives us a break and lets us talk freely among one another without worry of being overheard. Beverages are kept strictly to soda, lemonade, sweet tea, hot tea, coffee, and bottled juices and water when we are working and even off duty, because you just don’t know when you may be asked to round up a missing shuttle bus and a band of wayward men.

  JANUARY 22

  This year’s gala farewell evening event and awards presentation should be another standout one for them and their industry. At sunset guests will be heading out to enjoy a hot-air balloon ride.

  Chase cars will follow the balloons and take them to a champagne reception set in the middle of the desert. Waiters in tuxedos will be waiting with silver trays filled with the finest champagne while classical music is gently played, filling the desert air with haunting melodies to make hearts spill over with emotion. A large, clear tent has been set up. The decor and special effect lighting is breath-taking. A white-glove gourmet dinner will follow with a dessert presentation that is as pretty as it is delicious to eat. A cloud of spun pink cotton candy wrapped around ice cream with petals of sugared violets sprinkled around will be this evening’s sweet ending.

  Everything has been thought of, from heaters to take the chill off the night air and luxury porta potties, to astronomers with high-power telescopes to point out the stars that have been named after each guest—in celebration of the company’s all-stars—from the Star Registry. A symphony under the stars will follow the awards presentation and with the client’s blessing, not a desire to burn my client’s money, a beautiful firework and laser display will be set to music as a grand finale.

  It was an unbelievable night—an incredible success and the perfect send-off to the retiring couple who had helped the parent company enjoy tremendous growth in their early years. Guests were driven back to the resort in stretch limousines and can’t wait to get back to the office to share their wonderful experiences with others.

  But for us the night wasn’t over. In the middle of the night we received a call that there had been a death on our program. The wife of the retiring gentleman had changed for bed happily talking about the wonderful evening she spent with her husband, daughter and son-in-law, closed her eyes, and peacefully died in her sleep. Everyone sprang into action and Daniela was contacted back home. We need her to meet the woman’s husband, daughter and son-in-law at the airport upon their return and do all she can to make this as easy a journey for them as possible. We have moved them to a different flight so that there will be time for us to make the necessary preparations on our end. It’s the family’s wishes that no one except the company president and as few people as possible from their group know what happened. Accepting everyone’s condolences at this time would be more than they can bear and their wishes have been respected. They want to make the announcement in their own way and at the right time for them.

  JANUARY 23

  Myki and Jae were assigned to make sure that the family was looked after from that moment on and would fly with them and their wife/mother’s body as well.

  Being a master of discretion in event planning involves not only being vigilant and circumspect about the good and the bad that can take place on an event, but sometimes also the sad. Our hearts were breaking for the family. Our responsibility was both to them and to keep the integrity of the program as per the family and the client’s wishes. Our demeanor could not change one iota until we waved goodbye at the airport to the departing client and their guests. It was essential that we kept up a good front with the rest of their participants—who were laughing, happy, revved up and ready to return home and work—as well as a professional one, which required us to focus on what we needed to do to have their program end on a high note for the other guests.

  We couldn’t allow our minds to center on what was taking place behind the scenes or relive memories of happier times, like when the couple had returned to the hospitality desk one year hand in hand, so excited to have climbed the Acropolis together. They recounted the story of how the man in front of them had inspired them—he was blind and climbing with a seeing companion and wanted to feel the joy of making it all the way to the top. They figured age was not going to stop them; if he could do it, they could—and did.

  I knew that seeing them the previous evening, happily finding their stars in the night sky with the help of the astronomer—we had taken care to make sure they were grouped together—would be another lasting memory of the love they shared that I would carry with me. I hoped remembering hearing her say to her husband that now they would be together for all of eternity, which is all she had ever wanted in life once they met, would help console him and his daughter and son-in-law when they gazed at the night sky and stars at home. There was nothing the others on our team could do right now for them. Dee Dee, Myki, Jae and Daniela had the family under their protective care and everything under control and we could all rest easier knowing that. They had their job to do just as we had ours.

  The only one from the group that the family did take into their confidence was, surprisingly to us, Simon Oh. He had amused the husband and wife with his antics this time (from their teasing remarks we gathered that they knew something about his shuttle escapade, but from him, not us) and in the past. It was a running joke that they were on the lookout for a good girl for him to settle him down. He stepped up amazingly to comfort them in a more personal display of affection than we could. Just goes to show you that you can never judge—or should judge—a person from one (or several) on-site incidents where bad behavior and impaired thinking can be set off by over indulging. You never know when they might live up to and even surpass your expectations. Ohhhhh, Simon, I think you won even Dee Dee’s heart with the tenderness and caring you showed to this family, and for fully being there for them when they reached out to you, electing on your own to change your plans and fly home with them.

  FROM CITY LIGHTS TO DESERT NIGHTS: Q&A

  Event Planning Buddy System

  Q: How does the buddy system work, when is it applicable and how does it affect staff s
cheduling and cost?

  A: The buddy system is usually only in effect during events when an open bar is available to guests, when their inhibitions and professional and personal boundaries might get dropped. You usually know who is targeting who by that time. There are company executives and participants that believe that coming on to an event planning staff member is part of the package, and while they can be persistent but manageable during the day, they can get more out of hand once alcohol is added to the mix. Event planners need to be aware of what is taking place in a room and it’s not limited just to the attendees’ well-being.

  Generally, an event is staffed so that there will be sufficient help on hand to manage any situation, which means staff to stay in the room, staff to get assistance if needed, etc., so it isn’t about assigning additional staff to work together but rather to work as a team from their stations around the room and to practice safety measures, such as walking back to their rooms together (it’s usually requested that staff rooms be on the same floor and in the same area as opposed to being spread out over the resort).

  Assignment

  Going back through the chapter, find one incident where the buddy system was needed and not practiced. (Answer: When the local DMC staff lost control of the minicoach and came to Dee Dee in tears. There should have been a staff member on board each minicoach to travel with the group to make sure they were under control, especially after the drinking that had gone on at lunch. That particular staffing had been the responsibility of the DMC, but they had cut back on staff numbers without informing Dee Dee. She would not make that mistake again, adding that to her list of lessons learned.)