Eyes on the Road

It goes without saying that the key to achieving a stress-free and successful live event is a well-thought and detailed event plan. Given that, my following statement may seem completely counter-intuitive.

Do not hesitate to cast your event plan aside when circumstances on the ground change.

There is no mistaking the comfort created by having your project mapped out. However, that same sense of comfort can foster an inflexibility in responding to unforeseen circumstances. A road map can point you in the right direction...but you still need to read the road signs.

Sometimes its best to just put the map away, look around, and drive on.

Leading the Charge

Want to inspire loyalty in your event operations team? Make sure you're the type of leader that mans the front lines. Entrance gates backed up? Don't simply call for support, jump in and start taking tickets. Long wait at the concession stands? Start pulling beers and tossing slices, and do it with a smile. In short, be willing to lead the charge and your army will follow. Even if its only for a short while, it'll be noticed.

Event Tip - Staff Breaks

When solidifying an event location, make sure you're mindful of your surrounding resources – specifically access to food, water, and rest areas for your staff. This isn't simply a gesture of good will to your staff (although that would be enough in and of itself). It's a matter of productivity on several levels.

Assuming you're granting meals and breaks to your working personnel (you should be), it's within your best interest to keep them close at hand in the event of an unforeseen issue. If the nearest reprieve from the chaos of your event is the Burger King 15 miles away, rest assured that will be the destination. Factor in the drive, time to order, eat, and use the facilities, you've lost nearly an hour of precious productivity. If you push your staff to “make it quick”, then you've silently told them that giving them some time to recoup is more a begrudging obligation than an indicator of their worth (not to mention that such pressure almost always has the opposite effect).

If you have concessions on site, this is a partial solution for meals. However, if you don't provide a semi-quiet location for your staff to hole up during their break, rest assured the “dirty laundry” of the day will be aired right out in the open, potentially in front of guests. If you don't mind the public hearing how “disorganized” things are, then there's no worries. Otherwise, build a “staff break area” into your event plan, and do your best to leave it to them (i.e. stay away). After all, they may need a break from YOU.

Your best solution? Provide on-site break areas and meals for staff, or work out a deal with your food vendor/concessionaire to provide a discount to staff on their food and drink. Both will go a long way to ensuring a happy and productive event staff.