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

  On-Site Codes of Conduct

  Q: How is an on-site code of conduct established?

  A: Before an event takes place, three pre-con meetings are held: one with on-site staff, another with the client and sales executive and a third with suppliers at the location. Before those meetings take place, each person will have received and reviewed the event’s function sheets; the role they have been assigned to play, the timelines and event/show flow, dress codes, codes of behavior and codes of conduct are listed there. For example, the function sheet for the band will outline dress code; where they are to take their breaks and eat their meals; if they are allowed to mix with guests, drink or smoke while on duty; unacceptable language; the appearance of their instruments (e.g., no logos); and any other areas of concern. (Special note: Function sheets are covered in-depth in Event Planning: The Ultimate Guide and The Business of Event Planning.)

  What qualifies as required and expected behavior can change from client to client, but what they are requesting must be in accordance with the event planning company’s personal and professional codes of conduct, for instance, staff members joining the participants for dinner.

  Assignment

  Prepare a list of different areas of codes of conduct that could apply to staff, clients and suppliers that should be established prior to the event taking place.

  Responsibilities and Boundaries

  Q: Is there a difference between what BoyTroy and Jake do with their clients on site inspections? Is Jake breaking company policy by going to strip clubs with his clients?

  A: Going to strip clubs with clients is something that Jake is comfortable doing, chooses to do and is not asked to do by the event planning company. Asking BoyTroy to do that would be inappropriate and could lead to sexual harassment charges. It is against his personal and professional code of conduct.

  Jake does not actively suggest going to strip clubs but if in the course of an evening out his client wants to stop in for a drink at one, Jake is not averse to doing so. BoyTroy, on the other hand, handles the situation by ensuring that the client is in the watchful care of a DMC limousine driver if they want to set out on their own.

  Each makes sure that their client is cared for and safe but staff are not asked to do anything that they are personally or professionally uncomfortable with. It is their choice. And they know that at all times they are a representative of the company and act accordingly. Successful event planning companies have set policies and their employees know exactly where and when to draw the line. During an event, sales reps are generally not assigned specific duties, as they require the freedom to be with their client and to do what needs to be done to service them. Client requests can range from personal to professional. For example, one company president wanted his sales rep to personally make sure that his wife and daughters were well looked after at a theatre event that was not part of the program.

  Assignment

  Name three situations where company policy, procedure and protocol should be clearly spelled out from a legal perspective and three situations where there is some flexibility, e.g., drinking while on program is not permitted but in some cases it may be in keeping with company policy for a sales rep to have a beer or glass of wine with dinner—if they choose to—with their clients while entertaining them on their site inspection.

  Personal Drivers During Site Inspections

  Q: How can you protect staff from bearing the responsibility of driving a client around on a site inspection?

  A: It is always advisable during a site inspection or on program to have a professional driver and car hired to take care of the driving while staff take care of the client and the details. It is a time saver (no getting lost in a new destination, not wasting time searching for parking, etc.); enables the sales rep to have a drink at lunch or dinner with their client if they choose; and gives the event planning staff member, sales rep, supplier and client time to focus on what they are there for. It also works to ensure client safety, as an experienced driver can ensure you don’t unknowingly venture into an unsavory part of town or a bar or nightclub that should be avoided.

  Assignment

  Determine what costs need to be considered when adding to the proposed budget a private car and driver for a site inspection. (In addition to standard costs like rental, gas, insurance, and stocking the car or limousine with beverages and snacks, etc. there are often overlooked costs, such as meals for the driver—although that may not be a requirement on all programs—as well as tipping, and a buffer for overtime charges in case the evening goes later than planned.) Explain why a private driver and car is better than taking local taxis to get to and from your destinations.

  Breaches of Supplier Codes of Conduct

  Q: Should the night duty manager who gave Em’s room key to her client have been reprimanded?

  A: Yes. That situation needed to be addressed immediately with a higher-up but in this case the night duty manager was the one that had been responsible for handing over the key to the client, and at that time there was no one on duty that was in a higher position to deal with the matter. Still, the situation should have been brought to the attention of someone even higher.

  Assignment

  What other measures could Em have taken to feel safer that night as opposed to choosing to sleep in that room with a dresser pushed up against the door (which would not be safe in the case of an emergency that required her to leave the room quickly).

  Adequate Staffing

  Q: How could the minicoach takeover have been averted?

  A: Having additional staff—experienced DMC staff—on board each vehicle, along with an event planning staff member, would have helped. They would have been on the watch for Ohhhh Simon’s antics, which they would have already been briefed on. Assigning a young, inexperienced DMC alone to handle a group that had been drinking allowed Simon to take advantage. The learning lesson there was in future to have an event planning staff member as well as DMC staff onboard each motor coach, and to advise drivers to take instruction only from event planning staff members or DMCs. On this program there was enough staff on hand to have covered additional staffing on each motor coach, but having two events close together (the afternoon activity and the evening theme party) had split up the team numbers, as had scheduling time off for the staff who would be working the late shift and covering the evening event. There are times when it is necessary to work longer hours during an event or do split shifts to cover what needs to be done.

  Assignment

  Discuss other means that could have been used to maintain better control over the group with regard to return transportation if insufficient staffing meant an inability to have an event planning staff member aboard each minicoach. (Include increasing the minicoaches to full-size coaches or running manned shuttle service back and forth.)

  Codes of Conduct on a Program

  Q: Is it ever permissible for event planning staff to drink after hours when they are working out of country or on an overnight program?

  A: This is an example of one issue that needs to be covered in an event planning staff code of conduct. It is up to each event planning company to establish what they will and will not allow and to ensure that their in-house staff and freelance staff are aware that the on-site job requirements extend well past an eight-hour workday. If all the event planning staff, in this chapter, had relaxed on the final night and celebrated by drinking, instead of preparing for departure day by doing final review of master accounts with accounting, going over luggage pull details with bell staff, etc., or been in bed asleep for an early morning shift, they would not have been in a position to respond as they did when they were advised of the death on their program.

  You never know on-site when you will be required to handle an emergency situation, be it within the group or a national disaster. The time for celebration is back in the office when everyone is pulled together again for a post-event recap and discussion on learning lessons that can be incorporated into th
e next event to do it even better.

  Assignment

  Review different types of emergency situations that event planning staff could be required to deal with while handling a group that is overnighting in town, out of town or out of country, and make a list of different event planning staff—and supplier—codes of conduct that should be established.

  Event Staffing

  Q: When costing an event, should there be a standard number of event planning staff costed into advancing the event or will it change from event to event?

  A: For costing purposes it is always advisable to include pre and post staff costs. You want to give the client a clear expectation of all costs with no hidden surprises at the end. Advance setup staff cost is an area that can be calculated by taking into consideration all that staff will be required to oversee, from pre-con to move-in, setup, rehearsal, arrival of group, group transfers, group registration (all pre-event activities), and teardown, move-out, and reviewing and obtaining final billing from suppliers (post-event activities). Some move-ins and setups can take a day, while others take a week or more. The same applies on teardown and move-out. And sometimes extra crew will be required to be brought in to facilitate a fast move-out if the facility has another event waiting to move in. It is advisable for event planning companies to establish a costing policy. For example, will pre and post staff costs be presented in the initial budget to the client or listed under “not included”?

  Assignment

  Using this chapter as an example of an incentive program, capture as many budget costs as possible that should have been included in the quote to the client. In which areas would it be beneficial to establish company policy?

  Office Staffing During an Event

  Q: Is it always a good idea to leave staff behind at the office or are there times when the office should be closed down and everyone take part in the event?

  A: It is always advisable to have staff back in the office to attend to your other clients calling in, work on upcoming events and be there to handle any special requests or emergency situations. Experienced freelance event/trip directors are a valuable asset to any event planning company. Sought-after freelance staff can do research and development of an event in the office, step in and do event operations and work on-site around the world. They work for a number of event planning companies, unless they have an exclusive contract, and keep all that they do for others strictly confidential—their livelihood depends on their discretion. They can also teach event planning companies new, effective event execution methods that they have discovered while working around the world, or introduce planners to new ideas. In order to grow your company and your business, you need to grow your resources so that your company does not come to a complete standstill when an event is operating. Experienced freelance event/trip directors are very essential in helping event planning companies do multiple events at the same time.

  Assignment

  Discuss the various reasons why it is always advisable to have someone staffing the office while other staff members are out of the office running the events. (There are some examples in earlier chapters, e.g., monitoring the check-ins and flights on arrival day when the rest of the staff are either in the air with the group or on location preparing for them to arrive.)

  Acquiring Knowledge

  Q: Are there any other ways event planners and event planning companies can grow their knowledge?

  A: Yes. This chapter presents many areas. For example, doing an event that includes fireworks and lasers gives event planning staff an opportunity to learn from experts in their field what has to be done, how it should be done and what could be done for even more impact. If you assign key personnel to manage these areas, you are also providing your company with a hands-on learning experience that can be shared back in the office and help elevate your company’s knowledge. This will aid planners in event design and help them to be more creative in implementing tips and techniques picked up on the job while working with experts in their field.

  Assignment

  Discuss other learning opportunities included in this chapter.

  Team-Building Group Activities

  Q: Why wouldn’t everyone be required to take part in the cattle roundup event on horseback?

  A: Team-building exercises are wonderful for helping companies reach specific objectives, but the key to running successful team-building events is not to create personal and professional anxiety. Instead, create events that meet people where they are physically, intellectually and emotionally. Sometimes you can achieve that within the same event and sometimes it is important to stage a series of events that will produce the same result. For example, a flyfishing team-building experience was designed to give participants skills that transferred over to the office (e.g., learning to fish where the fish are), just as a yoga retreat was designed to develop skills that carried over to home (e.g., learning to push past discomfort). Both were set up so that everyone could take part, no matter their abilities. The same went for a ropes course where one part involved climbing up a telephone pole and jumping off (all safely strapped in). Guests learned to take one step more than they were comfortable with, and it did not matter if they only climbed three feet off the ground or reached the top. People learned regardless of where they stopped; the event was designed to give peer support and not be competitive. Horseback riding is not for everyone but there are ways to work with horses that all can take part in.

  Assignment

  Discuss the team-building lessons that could be used back in the office that would be imparted from a flyfishing team-building exercise, and look at how various team-building activities could be adapted to meet the needs of everyone, no matter their age or physical ability.

  Using Special Effects

  Q: When using special effects such as fireworks or lasers, what is important to keep in mind?

  A: Always work with the best. Never choose your special effect suppliers by price but by experience, reputation and safety records. Make sure that all required permits and insurances are in place and up to date and that all fire marshal rules and regulations are strictly adhered to. In some cases you will be required to have emergency medical staff on hand, so be prepared for that request. You can’t risk having unqualified people doing special effects. At one event using lasers, participants’ eyes were damaged by too much intensity in the tent. The original event called to have the laser show take place outside but because of the weather it was moved inside. From newspaper reports, it did not sound as if adjustments were made to accommodate being in an enclosed space.

  Assignment

  Discuss various types of special effects that would require special handling. Several are mentioned in this chapter both in present and past events this group has experienced. (Special note: The six-foot pillars with flames burning up to 48-inches high would be considered a special effect.)

  CHAPTER 6

  INVENTIVE INCENTIVES

  Em’s innovative design creativity helps one company with limited funds meet their company objectives by developing a multi-tier program that has three events taking place at once in three different parts of the world.

  FEBRUARY 14

  Well, that went well. What a weekend. We had three identical events taking place all at the same time but in different parts of the world, and our client was soooo happy that we gave his employees and their partners exactly what they wanted and managed to pull it off with a reduced budget this year. Dollars the company usually spent on this annual event needed to be used instead to invest in expansion, but no one felt that they were taking part in an event that was not up to par with the past year’s, which had been the goal.

  Usually this client did over-the-top getaways for their top incentive winners and alternated each year between local, European and exotic locales. This year we did all three at once. This had been the year when traditionally everyone would have headed off to an exotic location but the dollars were just not there to be able to take eve
ryone. The client didn’t want to send out a message to their staff—or their suppliers—about being concerned about costs and cutbacks. This was a year of tightening the belt, but they didn’t want it reflected in how the top salespeople were rewarded. Pulling back the event and having it held locally would have raised red flags. The way to overcome this was to break the mold: move away from the old format and create a program that would meet their present budget needs, opening the door to doing something innovative and new again the following year.

  When we looked at the dollars and the number of participants, what came to mind was doing a three-tier program. The top sales staff and their partners would jet off to an exotic locale, the next level would head to Europe and the last to a U.S. location, but each group would be experiencing the exact same life experience event inclusions on the exact same weekend. Each group became more intimate because of its smaller size. The employees loved the idea that they would get an opportunity to stand out from the crowd and shine and be able to spend quality time one on one with top company executives and their spouses, thanks to the smaller numbers per group.