Preparing for the Event

SUMMARY

In this unit we will cover the following topics:

 Tool Kits

 Floor Plans

 Run Sheets

 Checklists

 Contingency Plans

Let me paint a picture for you. Imagine you are in charge of a sales conference for a major
technology brand. You're about to arrive on site. Months, perhaps more than a year have gone
into planning the experience. The details have been endless. The menu has been viewed and
reviewed down to the smallest coffee break. The registration process has been planned to the
minute. But there's one thing you may have given very little thought to: the flow of the event. It is
one thing to plan a flawless event, but it is quite another to choreograph it.

What happens in the week leading up to the event is crucial. You need to make sure that every
little thing that happens on the day of the event has been choreographed within an inch of its
life. Things like run sheets need to have been distributed, checked and triple checked by ALL
vendors, staff and contractors. The Event Tool Kit should have been replenished and the Event
Bible put together with several copies made.

The lead up to the event is key to the success of the event. It's all in the detail and that is what
we are going to look at in this unit.

Choreographing the Event

In the 7 days prior to the event you should be checking

all the tiny details of the event. Winding up all the particulars is a non-stop process requiring
good organisational skills.This is the most crucial time involving the timelines and checklists you
have created and have been following. Get them back out, revise them, create more checklists
and assign the ones you have to the appropriate people.

For example, make sure you communicate the final number of registrants to the venue and
confirm any dietary requirements with the food and beverage team. Ask to see final copies of
the BEO (Banquet Event Order) to make sure that everything you have discussed with the
venue has been accounted for on there. We will talk about BEO's in more detail on the next
page.

Start making copies of all important paperwork pertaining to the event such as contracts,
rooming lists, menus, names and phone numbers of everyone involved. You may well be taking
your laptop with you but you still need paper copies of everything. Imagine if you have been
called to a meeting during the event and one of your team urgently needs the contact details for
one of the suppliers, and those details are in your computer which has hibernated and needs a
password in order to access information - that's when paper copies come in handy.

Finally, you need to make sure you are in constant contact with the guests or delegates. They
will require some hand-holding and need to receive updates of what is happening on a regular
basis. If the event you are organising has a website then put all your updates on the website
and point your guests or delegates to it for up to the minute information.

During the last week before the event, there are things that must be done. We have listed all the
different possibilities for you to have a look at. Remember some of this information is really only
relevant to conferences such as name badges, registrations etc. but in some cases it may be
relevant for other forms of events too. Have a look at the list below:

1. Confirm all travel and hotel arrangements for your client including out-of-town delegates or
participants.

2. Go over your specific expectations with the suppliers regarding: when they need to arrive
at the venue, how to contact you, and when their bump in and out times are

3. Confirm the venue's booking, menu, room set up, contact person's name for a/v
requirements and room problems during the day.

4. Call suppliers to confirm their availability for the event and to answer their last minute
questions (usually about the number of registrants, directions to the venue). Even though
their questions were probably answered in some of the information you sent them originally,
they are likely involved in many events and forget specific details quite easily.

5. Prepare the handout packages for the delegates or guests. This often involves combining
the handout material with the free 'gifts' by sponsors and the venue (notepads, pens) plus the
agenda/program for the day, name badges, evaluation form, information on the organisation
putting on the event, content material from any speaker(s), delegate contact list, venue site
plan, tourist information (if appropriate for type of event), exhibitors' contact, sponsors's
contact list, etc.

6. Name badges (not appropriate for gala dinners, product launches etc) that hang around
the neck are easiest as they do not damage clothing (like stick-on badges). The badge can
include first name in larger letters, last name, job title, organisation's name where they work.
The badge should be checked against the registration form. Have blank badges available to
make corrections on site. The badge may include a logo of the event name and/or your
organisation's name as host.

7. Ensure you have extra registration forms for last minute registrants.

8. Ensure you have receipt forms (in duplicate) for new registrants as well as receipts for
those who pre-paid.

9. If you decided to record the sessions, you will need to have the necessary equipment
(video recorder, audio recorder, and/or camera for still photography).
 10. Prepare draft 'scripts' for:

Event Chair

 Welcome

 Housekeeping (e.g., where toilets are, introduce coordinator for the day who will answer any
questions, lunch and break times)

 Thank the sponsors and exhibitors

 Info on any draws or contests for the day

 Where smoking area is

Those introducing and thanking the speaker(s).

 Your speaker(s) may well have a basic introduction script prepared for their clients that you can
modify to suit the occasion.

 Thanking the speaker usually includes a 30-second or less personal highlight or summary of the
presentation.

11. You will need to know how to deal with:

 Refunds

 Lost badges, programs, etc.

 "Lost" registrations

 On site registrants who want to attend on "credit" (i.e., pay later)

 Pre-registered participants who still owe money

 Handling cash and checks on site and where to put it until it can be deposited – the venue may
have a safe on site that you can use.

 Theft of any items

 Injuries or medical emergencies (have first aid kit plus contact information for local
ambulance/paramedic services)

 Complaints about venue, food, speaker(s)

12. Have enough:

 Pens and pencils,

 Paper,

 Staplers and stables, staple removers,

 Duct tape,

 Scissors, glue,
  Paper clips,

 Calculator,

 Blank name badges,

 Ribbons to identify speakers, workshop organisers, sponsors,

 Extra programs for the registration table at the event.

13. Ensure that you have an up-to-date registrants' list.

14. Ensure that you have extra copies of the handout packages for last-minute registrants.

15. Ensure you have mobile numbers for each of your assistants and that they are have
sufficient battery life for the day.

16. Make contact with the venue for any last minute changes, decisions, or requests.

17. Assign someone, or do it yourself, to welcome the speaker(s) personally upon their

arrival. If they have travelled in from out-of-town, it may be helpful to meet them at the airport
or hotel or to have a note waiting for them at the hotel from you.

18. Assign someone, or do it yourself, to prepare and give the introduction to the speaker at
the event. This person can also do any "housekeeping" announcements. Make sure they
understand the importance of staying on schedule.

19. Prepare signs (or have the venue do it) showing people:

 Where to go as they enter the building at the different doorways

 Which way to go at stairways, end of hallways and at elevators,

 Outside the venue room(s)

 If you have assigned people to certain tables, prepare table markers (either a number or name on
a table stand) so people can find their assigned seats.

20. Assign someone to thank the speaker at the end of the event (if different from the person
who introduced them). You may decide to give the speaker(s) a memento of the community
as a gift so that will need to be on hand for the event.

21. Send out reminder e-mails (or call, if necessary) to registrants with directions to the
venue, the starting and finishing times and an offer for last minute discounts to any of their
colleagues, family and friends if appropriate.

22. Designate "helpers" whom are visible to the participants throughout the day to help with
questions, information and emergencies.

Lastly, make sure you have as much rest as you possibly can before the event so that you are
relatively calm and relaxed and in control of all the last minute things that happen on the day of
the event.

The Banquet Event Order

Banquet event orders are prepared by the facility (venue) and are used to distribute the detailed
information about your event to all parties involved. These are always considered part of the
total contract you have with the facility, so it is important that the information contained therein is
completely accurate.

After you have worked with the sales staff, catering department, chef and other operations at
your event facility and determined the specifics for your event, you should receive your copy of
the BEOs. These are usually completed approximately 4 to 6 weeks prior to your event (if you
have that lead time). You should review them carefully and make any changes. Pay particular
attention to the dates, set-up times, configuration and pricing to make sure it coincides with
what you initially agreed upon. Once you've made all your changes, give it back to the facility to
revise and request an updated copy. This may go back and forth several times until it is 100%
accurate.

Once your BEO's are complete, they will be given to every department within the facility so they
are aware of the part they play in the success of your event. A few days prior to your event, it is
always wise to request one final copy of the BEO's as they are to be distributed so that you can
give them one final look and also give them to your staff. It is much better to catch problems
now than find them the day of your event.

Standard information found in most BEO's:

 Across a standard form will be the venue's name, address, phone and fax along with the page
number, BEO number and sometimes Folio number (which is the billing account). Always make
sure you have received all pages of your BEO.

 Toward the top you'll also find the event date and your contact person - usually the one who
prepared the document. Confirm the event date is correct. Some will also list the event contact
person (you or your client), mailing and billing address.

 Next you'll find the method of payment arranged for your account and any deposit amounts that
have been made.   If you have not previously established a billing account, you will be
responsible for total and final payment at the conclusion of the event.

 Look for the time frame for the hotel's or venue's guarantee - this is the final number of guests the
hotel will prepare and charge you for. This information is usually due to the venue 72 hours prior
to the event, but does vary.

 Under that you'll find the event dates, set up times and room assignments in a grid form. Pay
close attention to the set-up times listed to make sure they match your schedule. Next is
the type of function, which is abbreviated (BFK stands for breakfast, BUF for buffet, etc.), followed
by expected attendance (EXP), guarantee number (GTD), set (which is how the room is to be laid
out - theatre, buffet, etc.) and room hire amount.

 The BEO then is usually divided into columns or sections. Under set up you'll find information
about the time and any special set-up requirements including audio visual, head tables, dance
floor, etc. Specific charges will also be listed here.

 Other information that might be detailed include special arrangements (like accessing the room
early or having an electrician on hand), parking, security and who has authority to sign the master
bill.

 On the menu section, it will detail the food and beverage requirements for this specific function
and the costs. Here you will also find the 'plus-plus' information for tax and service charge. Make
sure it matches what you were quoted.

 There should also be any other specific provisions or charges listed here including your food and
beverage guarantee slippage limits (how far under your guarantee you can fall before being
 charged), and your food and beverage minimums before other charges (like bartenders or room
hire) kick in.

 Somewhere on this document, often in small print, you'll find the general attrition clause. It might
read something like: "All groups who must cancel less than 90 days to the event date are subject
to a cancellation fee equal to the peak number of guest rooms x room rate, full meeting charges
and ½ the projected food and beverage revenue."

Confirming Your Suppliers

Regardless of the event you are organising, from a wedding to a corporate conference, don't
ever take for granted that because you have spoken to and contracted your suppliers that they
will actually show up. We have heard many horror stories where planners have assumed
everything is fine and not bothered to confirm with their suppliers a few days prior to the event.
Remember, you may well have booked your suppliers 6 months in advance. During this time
staff members could have moved on or things may have got lost or misplaced. You need to
confirm the event details with your suppliers 48 hours or so prior to the event. Here are some
basic details you need to remember to check with them:

 Check suppliers specific conditions: date, time, and description of goods Insurance - public
liability, staff, etc.

 Supplier specific safety regulations e.g. Fire ( for fireworks supplier)

 Council, correct permits

 Logistic needs for suppliers at the event, as well as to and from the event

 Overall supplier schedule, check clashes and check with venue or site on logistics

 Individual schedules given to suppliers showing arrival and exit times

 Map given to suppliers showing entrances, exits, loading docks and other facilities and specific
site of interest

 Contact sheet given to suppliers showing communication for the day and emergency numbers

 Check on payment schedule

Creating Runsheets

A running sheet for your event should be developed. This needs to

take in every aspect of the day, including such things as: flights arriving, when cleaners are on
site, when does the AV equipment get installed, sound testing, who is meeting and greeting.
This sheet needs to be given to all those involved both in the set up of the event and the day
itself.

The more detail these sheets cover the better. When planning events myself I found it very
useful, as did the suppliers, to do different itineraries for different people. I always made sure
the supplier itinerary was fairly detailed. This gave them a very good overview on the scale and
size of the event, their part in it and they always found it handy to know where I was going to be
at any given point in time. My itinerary for the suppliers would always include details of where I
was going to be at what time, with contact details for both myself and any assistants working
with me plastered all over the itinerary. We also inserted contact numbers for everyone.

The itinerary for the client was not so detailed and didn't have side notes. We only gave them
information that was relevant to them. If you try and give them too much information they will
start to delve into areas they shouldn't. The running sheet should help you not create more
work. A rule of thumb with your clients is that everything you tell them is on a 'Need to Know'
basis only.

The PDF example in the right hand column will show you the run sheet we used for a 5 day
corporate event. It is fairly detailed and will give you an example of what is required when
putting together a document such as this.

Designing Floor Plans

Floor plans are scale drawings that show the relationship between rooms, spaces and physical
features viewed from above. They provide a way to visualise how people will move through the
space. Floor plans makes it easier to check if the space is suitable for its intended purpose,
work through any potential challenges and redesign before moving forward into more elaborate
planning or building stages. It can be fun, too, to experiment with different design alternatives
and circulation flows, which show how people move through the space.

Noted architect Jean Nouvel said, "Space, space: architects always talk about space! But
creating a space is not automatically doing architecture. With the same space, you can make a
masterpiece or cause a disaster." That's why from Tiny Houses to making a convention flow
smoothly for attendees, a floor plan is the place to begin creating and diagramming a logical
space based on end user requirements.

Floor plans vs building plans

Floor plans show the big picture of living, work, and outdoor spaces. Although they should be
scale drawings, floor plans don't hold enough information for builders to actually construct a
home or other structure. Instead, a floor plan is essentially a simple diagram showing room
layout and offering a conceptual starting point. A builder needs complete blueprints, or
construction-ready drawings, with technical information that you will not find on most floor plans.

Circulation and traffic flow

In any space where people live, work, shop, or gather, the arrangement within rooms and the
flow from one space to another make a difference in the feel and utility of the environment.
Good circulation and traffic flow depend on what space is being planned—for example, in a
retail space, you may want to direct the way visitors move through a space, and in an art
gallery, you may want traffic to be less restrictive to prevent bottle necks. Depending on the way
square footage is divided, interiors of the same size can feel very different depending on
sightlines (a sightline is the theoretical line-of-sight of an observer to an object or area being
viewed). As a rule of thumb, the fewer visual obstructions there are in a space, the larger it will
appear to be.
Flow and Feng Shui
The idea of flow doesn't simply apply to the physical movement of people through space. Feng
Shui, or the art and science of creating a harmonious environment, has been in use for over
5,000 years to arrange private and public spaces. Today, Feng Shui practitioners all over the
world use scaled floor plans to design new structures or rearrange existing environments to
correspond to the strict rules of the ancient practice. For examples, the world's newest Disney
theme park in Shanghai, has been built after consultation with Feng Shui masters.

Seven steps to a creating a floor plan to scale for any space

Whether you are using paper, pencil, and graph paper to help you scale, or an online program
to draw up your floor plan, there are some essential steps and items that go into the creation of
a solid diagram:

1. List requirements. Make a thorough list of the needs and wants of those who will occupy the space.
2. Measure. Make sure you have the correct measurements, so you may want to measure twice. What to
measure:
1. Outside walls or footprint of your space, any doorways or entries, and windows.
2. The walls from side to side and from the floor to the ceiling.
3. Where the electrical outlets, switches, and other controls are located.
4. Permanent fixtures: any and all architectural features, including fireplaces, brackets, shelves, benches, and any
other built-in features.
5. Surrounding space and outside or overall dimensions of these items, and then locate each on your plan.
6. Objects that will be inside the space.
3. Scale. Floor plans should be drafted to scale, which means reducing the size of your drawing so the entire
space can reasonable fit on a piece of paper or screen. A common scale is 1/4 inch = 1 foot. This same
scale should be applied to objects like furniture or exhibit booths that will be included in the floor plan.
4. Think about sightlines. Standing, sitting, or working what do you want to see? Think about windows,
doorways, walls and what makes the most sense for the purposes you intend for the space.
5. Render it. With all the components in mind, organise your floor plan.  
6. Evaluate. Review the wants and needs list. Evaluate the spatial arrangement including analysing
circulation.  Other factors include usable space, privacy, and accessibility.
7. Share. Collaborate and have someone else look over your floor plan to get helpful feedback to
double-check your thinking and design.

The real costs of a badly planned meeting event can run high, so it simply makes sense to be
as meticulous as possible in advance, including a well-executed floor plan. Weddings, corporate
events, and conventions need to accommodate hundreds or even thousands of people. That
means that they must be well thought out to ensure that space is being used effectively and
efficiently. Understanding seating, booth, traffic patterns and thinking about crowd dynamics are
important to attendees, exhibitors and vendors. It's also crucial for caterers, sound and lighting
teams, security and other professionals to be familiar with the physical space they will be
working with to create a successful event in the venue. Understanding crowd dynamics is
fundamental to creating a successful event, as is planning the physical space.

A great piece of software we use here at the Academy, and it is free, is All Seated. You can
read more about it here...

If you want ot dive into things in more detail then you could also try www.cadplanners.com
Popular Meeting Space Floor Plans
Hotels and other conference facilities provide room dimensions and the maximum number of
people who can fit into a meeting room space. The first step in selecting meeting room space is
to understand the most popular meeting space floor plans. To be sure, keep in mind that
"maximum" number of individuals are usually noted for that space, and the calculations do not
consider other room setup requirements, such as banquet stations, staging or A/V, which take
away from the overall space.

Classroom Floor Plan

Classroom layout includes rows of tables and chairs. Six foot tables can comfortably hold two
people per table, and eight foot tables can comfortably hold three people per table. The tables
are typically arranged in rows joining two tables in length, and then incorporates an aisle for
people to access the seats.

Tip: ask the facility's conference services manager to clarify the total number of people they
calculate or place at each table; facilities often calculate their maximum based on an additional
person per table. Unfortunately, attendees at the end of each table end up bumping their knees
against table legs.

Theatre Floor Plan

Theatre floor plans typically line up rows of chairs and space aisles depending on the width of
the room and the total seating needed. Some facilities have actual auditoriums, which make
great spaces for formal presentations. Theater floor plans allow for the maximum number of
people to fit into a meeting room.

Tip: ask the conference services manager about the seat width of the chairs. Operations teams
will often bump seats next to each other, and this can make for uncomfortable seating
depending on the total attendees. If the chairs have a narrow width, request comfortable
spacing for theatre seating.

Banquet Floor Plan

Banquet seating is commonly calculated based on round tables that hold 10 people using 6'
round tables. Some facilities also use 5' round tables. Banquet style allows for small group
interaction at each table. Banquet seating is often used for dinner events or as separate space
for breakfast and lunch breaks.

Tip: Request a room layout for tables of 8 rather than 10. This will allow event attendees to have
extra space to place their notebooks and other materials. Confirm with the facility that they use
6' rounds rather than 5' rounds (a smaller table).

Reception Room Floor Plan

Reception space typically includes numerous high boy tables throughout a room, as well as
tables for banquet and bar services. Because it isn't necessary for dedicated seating space, this
will reflect the largest number of individuals who can fit into the room.

Tip: discuss the total number of tables needed for the reception, and request that the facility mix
the room with 5' rounds that include six seats for those who do not want to stand.

Boardroom Floor Plan

A boardroom floor plan structures the room with all attendees sitting around a closed table
environment. Boardroom set-up is structured for attendees to have close interaction.

Tip: most facilities offer a specific boardroom which is designed for executive meetings. The
furniture reflects an executive environment, including leather chairs, built-in A/V equipment, and
other amenities to impress attendees. These rooms are designed for about 15 people.

U-Shaped Floor Plan

U-shaped floor plans layout tables and seating to form a "U" toward the front of the room where
the speaker will lead a discussion. This allows A/V to sit in the center of the "U" and project to a
screen next to the speaker.

Tip: rely on a U-shaped floor plan when planning interactive presentations for speakers to
exchange ideas with the attendees. U-shaped floor plans are good for rectangle shaped rooms.

Hollow Square Floor Plan

The hollow square layout is similar to the u-shape floor plan but simply closes off the fourth side
to form a closed square or rectangle. It also has an open space in the middle of the table.
Hollow square layouts are better for mid-sized rooms to hold a reasonable number of people
who may interact with each other throughout the meeting.

Tip: hollow square floor plans are best for brainstorm sessions and meetings that allow all
participants to contribute to the discussion.

Event Planners Tool Kit

 There have been many articles written on what a
Wedding Planner has in her Emergency Kit, or a bride should have in her Wedding Day Kit, but
there hasn't been as many written on what an Event Planner has in their kit. Do they even have
a kit? Of course they do. No self-respecting event planner or organiser would attend an event
without their trusty tool kit.

Every planner is different and will have their own style, choice and brands that they use, but
fundamentally most of us will have a very similar list. When I am organising an event I usually
have my practical kit and my event bible. Here we are looking at the practical kit. Now it doesn't
have to be anything fancy, in fact I would advise popping down to your local Hardware store and
picking up one of the small workman's tool boxes and using that as they have plenty of
compartments. Another good idea is to use one of the Scrap Booking tool boxes, they also have
many handy compartments for storing the types of things I am about to suggest.

Now you need to try and think ahead of time and anticipate all the little things you might need
when you are onsite at an event. To help I usually split my list up into categories:

 Essentials

 Tools

 Admin

 Extras

Now remember the PDF list on the right is not an exhaustive one, but it will certainly cover all
your basic requirements.

The Event Bible

The Event Bible is the blueprint of your event. It is the file that contains
all the information pertaining to your event and no self-respecting planner should arrive on site
without it. This file will have been built up over a period of time from when the event brief was
first received to when the last adjustment was made on the run-sheet.

So, how is an Event Bible put together? Not unlike the Tool Kit I like to split my bible into
sections as follows:

 Administration

 Finance

 General

 Logistics

Administration - this part of the file is usually the first one to start filling up. It will generally
contain copies of all your contracts, contact details for all your suppliers, speaker bios, floor
plans and any other information relevant to the event.

Finance - in here will be a detailed copy of your budget, invoices relating to the budget and a
section for adding any additions made to the budget during the event such as photocopying,
taxis etc

General - this is where I usually keep all the information relating to the location and site such as
telephone numbers for local emergency services, taxi details, public transport timetables and
any sight seeing information.

Logistics - I always have several copies of my run sheet which will also include all the bump in
and out information, copies of the event program, flight schedules of interstate or international
guests, transfer details and a list of all break out areas being used.

As before this is not an exhaustive list but it certainly contains the basic things that should be
included within the blueprint of your event.

The Mobile Office

One of the things that many people don't realise until they
work at their first event is how physically demanding this job can be. Regardless of how high
end your event is, or whether you are a junior or senior planner, you are going to be on the
move; a lot! There will also be times when you need to get your hands dirty.

As an event planner your job is to be cool, calm and collected and in control at all times. If you
can't find the things you need quickly and easily, the event is going to start to unravel pretty
quickly and there is nothing that screams 'disorganised' more than when you ask someone for
something and they start emptying the contents of bags on the desk to find it.

If I am attending an event that requires me to travel away for more than a day, I pack a large
suitcase with all of the things I may need during the event. Basically I pack my office into it; my
Event Bible, My Toolkit, My laptop, Notebooks, etc. I would set this up in my hotel room and
then 'decant' what I need from it each day. For the day I use a 'mobile' briefcase. It is a little
smaller than a suitcase and looks very similar; with a pull out handle and wheels (this is
essential, your mobile office can get heavy and what you want to avoid is having bags to carry).
I can fit everything I need for a day in this (including a cute pair of flip flops for when I really
need to hustle) and as I can pull it along easily with me it leaves me with a hand free to carry my
toolkit (the only thing that does not fit into the briefcase). It is also good practice to organise a
space for yourself at the event venue; so that you can set up your mobile office and have
somewhere to work from during the event. This needs to be a secure place but easily
accessible. The great thing about a mobile office like this is that it is easily packed up and
transported with you when it is time to go and you will always have everything you need at your
fingertips. It is worth investing as much as you can into your 'mobile briefcase'. This really is a
case of 'you get what you pay for' so shop around and find something that suits your style and
needs.

Listen to the Audio below

   

Shipping

When you are ready to pack and ship materials, there are
many issues to consider so that you can easily track each item. The better organised you are,
the better you can help the shippier find the right item (lost) box. More important, you know
exactly what is inside the missing box.

First create an organised system for the inventory that goes into the boxes and then organise
the boxes themselves. Clearly record what is placed in each box and clearly identify the box on
the outside with a numbered system so that you will know exactly what is in each box. For
example, use the letter 'P' for your personal items such as your tool box, lists of important
documents etc. You may want to use 'H1' for the presenters' handouts. If you have ten boxes of
handouts, your numbering systems would be "H1 of 10", "H2 of 10" and so on.
Top Tips

Each piece should have two shipping labels because labels can be mistakenly turned inward or
out of sight or can fall off. When shipments are stacked, your labels may face inside the pallet
and be invisible. Two labels are especially helpful when a piece is missing and the warehouse is
searching for it. Two labels increase the chances that people will read them.

Using boxes with strong corners decreases the chances of their falling apart in transit.
Strengthen the box with packing tape on all the edges and corners. Remember that corners of
boxes will crease. Try plastic containers instead of boxes. Corners will not dent and they stack
better. Most have handles making them easier to move around.

Presentations
Most speakers will have a bio & photo for you to use within the event program or any handouts
that will be distributed during the event. You will need to chase them for these, especially if you
are using a printing company to produce the programs.

Speakers will need to be organized and it is your responsibility to make sure that their travel and
accommodation has been organized including their transfer from and to the airport - you don't
want to receive a phone call from a frustrated speaker who is stuck at the airport.

Most speakers will also need to be chased prior to the event for their presentations. It is
advisable to receive all power point presentations as early as possible, so you can arrange
them in order of appearance to make the life of the AV technicians easier on the day. That way
there are no unpleasant surprises during the event.

Presentation Checklist

Speaker's Name

Date of Contact

Contact Info (telephone, email)

Agreed Fee

Date, Time & Length of presentation

Audio-visual requirements: (check boxes that apply)

❏ microphone(s),

❏ flip charts,

❏ overhead projector,

❏ slides/films/powerpoint

❏ audiotape/CD,

❏ DVD/VCR

 
The content the speaker will cover in presentation?

Speaker's Photo Sent?

Speaker's Bio Sent?

Handout Master Sent?

Transportation Booked & Paid?

Accommodation Booked?

Flights and Transfers

Make life easy for your client and make sure you provide them Travel Tips. When I was running
events this was something that I put into my client's event kit as standard. It is an added extra
but shows that you have thought of every possible little part of their event.

Three Ways to Ensure you Make your Client makes their Flight on Time!

Don't let the airline select the seat. Most airlines allow you the option of selecting your seat
online when you book your flight. Advise your client to do it. Failure to confirm a seat in advance
puts them at risk of being dropped from the flight if they get overbooked.

Advise your client to go online within 24 hours before their flight and check the status. They
need to make sure the departure times are still the same and there are no unexpected delays.
You are supposed to be notified if changes have been made, but that doesn't always happen.
While they are at it, they can check in and print their boarding passes online.

They should arrive at the airport at least two hours early. I thought this was common knowledge,
but I see people miss their flights all the time! You can never predict what is going to cause
delays at the airport. Check in stress free. They can always get a Starbuck's or some delicious
airport food.

Four Ways to Avoid Losing Your Luggage

If your client cannot get a nonstop flight for their trip, make sure there is no more than one
layover on the itinerary.

Shop around, because every additional plane change puts your client's luggage at risk of being
misdirected. Schedule at least a one hour layover between flights to give the airline adequate
time to transfer the bags.

Book the entire journey with one airline. Most of my lost luggage incidents have involved
multiple carriers during international travel. If only one airline is involved, at least you know who
is responsible.

Buy permanent luggage tags and forget about the cheap paper tags at the airline counter. The
paper tags get ripped off too easily and make it difficult for the airline to locate luggage. 

The Pre-Event Meeting

 With events that you are planning you should
always try to have a pre-event meeting with the sales manager, catering manager, audio-visual
department and the general manager of the venue, along with any other important players
where possible.

Go over all the details. Make any changes needed during this meeting. Get keys to all the
meeting rooms. Introduce the facility members to any members of your team who are
authorized to make decisions in case you are unavailable. Let them know who is allowed to
order more coffee at the breaks or charge that last-minute order for an extra flat screen or
printing 50 handouts.

Establish a chain of command for implementing changes or handling emergencies and

communicate it to the facility and to your staff. Review the list of names and mobile numbers,
extensions and time schedules to know who will be where when. You will want to know if there
is a shift change in the middles of your event and if so, when that happens and who is in
charge.

Check to see it your equipment, supplies and materials have arrived. Check them yourself if you
can and compare them with your lists. This is important because if there is a box missing you
will have time to hunt it down.

Walk around the site and familiarise yourself with the layout. Get familiar with hotel staff.
Introduce yourself to the front desk personnel. Get to know people by name. Make friends.
You'll be glad you did.

Contingency Plans
Admit it — some days, a job as high-pressure as event planning can feel like one scary story
after another. Even though your attention to detail and gift for communication do everything to
ensure that your events come off flawlessly, there is, occasionally, a little itty-bitty thing (or two)
that escapes your control and threatens to upset the entire carefully orchestrated masterpiece.

Because of the time constraint of the event date, the pressure of a live audience and the
necessity of involving many other partners to ensure that the event is realised according to your
and the client's vision (not to mention, often, the unpredictability of weather), there are infinite
opportunities for things to slip through the cracks.

And that's what you're there for. Even so, we all have one moment that makes us shudder in
horror every time it crosses our mind. We break into a cold sweat when someone says
something that reminds us; we wake with a start in the middle of the night and wish anew that it
had never happened.

And yet, those moments often coincide with great insight. What doesn't kill you, as they say,
makes you stronger. If a problem arises during your event be creative. There are usually a
number of ways to positively resolve problems, but they won't come to mind when the crisis
arises. Those of us who have planned hundreds of meetings and events have already
encountered problems - some minor, and some very major. The most important things to
remember are:

 Keep your cool - yelling or scolding won't get the problem solved and will only make things worse

 Ask what "WE" can do to make this happen or fix the problem - remember, everyone involved
owns the problem and has a stake in fixing it so the event will be a success

 Don't point fingers and blame - this isn't the time and you need "all hands on deck" and all parties
involved to resolve it

 Try to think out of the box - what's another way to accomplish what the original plan was?

 Offer to help - don't be bossy.

Listen to the audio below to hear some stories about Contingency Plans

   

Health and Safety in Event Planning

Health and safety can sometimes seem like a load of time-consuming red tape – when you're
busy planning an event, it's easy to lose sight of the importance of proper health and safety
planning.

From a risk-management perspective, it's important not to lose sight of health and safety –
what's the point in carefully planning fun and engaging events if someone is going to become
injured or, in a worst-case scenario, killed? Financial ruin and potentially criminal responsibility
is neither fun nor engaging!

This introduction to health and safety intends to discuss who you are responsible for under the
law and provide some tips on how to make sure you run and safe and fun event!

WHO ARE YOU RESPONSIBLE FOR?

You are responsible for the health and safety of:

1. People who work for you

2. Your attendees (whether the public, or invited guests)
3. Contractors

It is important to note that "people who work for you" also includes volunteers – payment isn't a
requirement to health and safety.

WITH THOSE PEOPLE IN MIND…

There's a three step process you should take to tackle health and safety at your event: Plan-
Monitor-Review.

PLAN

During the planning phase, you should first decide who is going to help you with your health and
safety duties: Are you going to manage it all yourself, or are you staff going to take on certain
responsibilities? Would it be better if someone from outside your organisation handled all health
and safety matters, leaving you more time to handle other aspects of your business?

In any instance, it's important to ensure that the people who are handling particular aspects of
your events health and safety are aware of their responsibilities and can be trusted to handle
them competently.

Next, you should consider creating a safety plan.

Health and safety has a risk-based approach and what that means is that if you're running a
coconut shy, it will require less detailed health and safety planning than if you're running a
bungee jump. There's a big difference between a misdirected ball hitting someone on the head
and a snapped bungee cord!

When considering your safety plan, should you consider the size of your event, its audience, its
location, what kind of activities you'll be putting on, how long it will last, and the time of year.

You should engage with all stakeholders during this phase, including your event staff, venue
owners and managers, your contractors, local authorities and (if appropriate) emergency
services. These people will provide valuable input and insight in to the health and safety risk of
your event. Contractors should be selected on their ability to deliver a competent and safe
service. Your staff should be fully trained to manage the risks associated with their job and how
to handle them (are they lifting heavy things, for example? How do they minimise back injury?)

You should develop an emergency plan: Yet again, this will be risk-based and the level of
emergency planning put in place should be proportionate to the event. You're not going to need
ambulances standing by for champagne and nibbles, but you would if you're planning a rally
race.

Some emergency risks to consider are fire, injury, bomb threats and natural hazards though
there may be others due to locality or risks involved. You should consider what response there
will be to each emergency risk – do you need a first aider on site? Will the event need to be
evacuated? Where will you evacuate people to? Will the emergency services need to be
standing by?

Emergencies are rare, but often have big consequences. Some emergencies tend towards
certain activities more than others, but you should consider your risks in light of your activity and
plan accordingly.

MONITOR

The important thing to remember here is that you've made a plan: Stick to the plan!

During the monitoring phase, you've identified all your risk and put in appropriate steps to
minimise their impact and ensure that everyone's going to have a great time.

You're setting up your event – are your staff setting up in line with agreed health and safety
protocols? Are contractors showing that level of care and competence expected?

Your event is now underway, and everything's going great – or is it?

During the monitoring phase, you, or your appointed individuals, should be feeding back
information periodically to ensure consistent health and safety delivery. You should be reporting
on how the careful planning you've prepared is being delivered and if something does go wrong,
handle it according to the plan!
Consider "near-misses" – this is where an accident could have happened, but luckily didn't.
Where, for example, something fell and nearly hit someone. Next time, it could be a miss and
it's important to log near misses as much as actual injury as it will be important in your review
stage.

REVIEW

Your event is over: Nobody has died and with the exception of a paper-cut from a particularly
sharp raffle ticket, nobody was hurt!

Although you may feel after such a successful event just sitting back and relaxing, it's important
to review and reflect on your event and determines precisely what happened in practice and
whether or not there are improvements you can make next time.

This is why near-misses are important – although it may have seemed like a remote possibility
in the planning stage, did the reality of your event pose an un-thought-of-risk? If it really was
unforeseeable, then nobody can blame you for this, but they can and will if you fail to act on it
next time.

POINTS TO TAKE AWAY

1. You're responsible as event organiser for your staff, your guests, and your contractors.

2. With those people in mind, you should follow a plan-monitor-review approach to your health
and safety planning

3. All health and safety is risk-based – the greater the risk, the greater the level of planning and
monitoring.

4. You should contingency plan for all plausible issues by engaging with all parties. Local
authorities will be helpful in determining local issues.

5. Who is responsible for ensuring delivery and reporting back to you or an appointed
individual?

6. You should plan for emergencies and put in place procedures to deal with things when they
really go wrong.

7. During your event, you should periodically monitor how your planning is put into practice.

8. Near-misses are just as important to note and deal with as actual injury!

9. After your event, you should review your practices and consider what happened on the day
and any near-misses that may have occurred. Use this to plan your next event if appropriate.

10. There are hefty fines for breaches of health and safety. From a financial perspective, can
you really afford not to follow it?

11. Where an individual is personally responsible for a serious breach, you could even face
criminal sanctions. Plan, plan, plan, plan some more, and make sure it's happening!

Avoiding Event Disasters with Risk Management

Each event has thousands of moving parts and processes and potentially dozens of team
members, and all these elements and systems must work together properly to ensure a safe
and successful event. And sometimes it only takes a loose bolt or a small oversight by a tired
employee or vendor to start a disastrous and irreversible domino effect.

Below are eight principles to use when managing an event:

1. Reducing risk is a team effort

Just as amazing events are not produced and pulled off by a single person, reducing risk is also
a team endeavor. Each person has a set of responsibilities that must be clearly spelled out from
the outset of the planning process. And one of those responsibilities is to look for potential flaws
or issues and account for them in their preparations.

2. Your team is only as strong as its weakest link

You may be great at seeing flaws in your plans and sniffing out potential disasters. But how
about that intern who you put in charge of the entertainment and lighting? Or the new caterer
you just hired because they were the low bid?

You must be aware of where your weak links may potentially reside; give extra attention to
these areas; and even create contingency plans in case those people or processes don't come
through. And speaking of contingency plans…

3. Build in redundancy and backups wherever possible

Every experienced event planner knows the value of backup plans. If you're managing an
outdoor event, have a plan for inclement weather. If the keynote speaker is sick, have a backup
in town who can more than adequately cover for them.

You can even create redundancy in your planning processes, like backing up your event
planning details online in case your computer crashes or having two or more co-workers check
each other's work or be involved in planning important details.

4. Look for holes in your plans, systems and logic

Asking lots of questions and digging deeper makes your team members will consider
alternatives and reflect on their own assumptions and processes, which hopefully will mitigate
risks. But it also gets you in the mode of being constantly on guard and reluctant to assume
things will just go smoothly. They will only go smoothly once you have identified all the potential
flaws in your event planning processes and systems and addressed them adequately.

5. Set priorities and focus on high-risk items

Granted, in some cases it may not be feasible to create a backup plan for every little thing that
can go wrong in an event. So it's also important in your event management processes to identify
two types of items:

1. Those items that would cause the biggest impact if they were to go south. For example, spoiled
food from a subpar caterer would be more detrimental to the success of an event than if the
venue had dirty restrooms. Neither is desirable, but one is dramatically worse than the other;
people won't remember the dirty bathrooms (and most guys won't even notice), but they will all
remember getting sick on the bad shrimp at the Acme company picnic.
2. Those items that are most likely to cause problems. The entertainment vendor that your client
wanted but who is known to hit the bar one too many times before performing is a much higher
risk than the stable DJ you have hired over and over again because of his reliability.

6. Beware of the expert

Yes, that's you. You are an expert at what you do, which can also make you a risk factor. How?
For starters, experts in all professions can get complacent. You have planned loads of events
and have seen "practically everything," so you know what to expect and know what will probably
go wrong. Until the unexpected suddenly happens and you have no backup or contingency
because you never planned on it. This is where success can actually work against you.

Experts also rely on our own internal processing and often do not ask for outside input because
we know what we are doing and our approach has pretty much always worked (I'm guilty of this
myself). This internal processing may in fact have flaws or be incomplete, but we aren't aware of
it because we haven't asked for feedback. And maybe things have worked out in the past
because we've just been fortunate.

The moral here is to never assume you know everything and expect – and plan for – the
unexpected.

7. Take care of the small things

In event planning small errors or omissions can bring everything to a screeching halt, from a
malfunctioning projector to a misplaced car key that significantly delays delivery of food or
people.

Event planners almost always sweat the details; that is why people hire you and why you are
great at what you do. But like all of us, it's easy to get swept up in the rush of work, especially
when your lead times are getting shorter and you have less time to plan. So while the rest of the
world wants you to speed up, you need to remind yourself to slow down enough to make sure
you are attending to the small things.

8. There is no boilerplate approach to reducing risk

Every event is different and has different variables. Different client, different attendees, different
venue, different vendors. And although it is good practice to have lots of templated checklists
and processes to guide you in managing the event, you should be aware that risks and potential
issues will also be unique to each event.

When we need to be, human beings are rather adaptive creatures, and your approach to
managing risk at your events should also be adaptive and take into consideration all the
variables at play. So if a certain event has more transportation requirements for moving guests
from venue to venue, then devote more of your time to ensure that that process and those
vendors are prepared for anything.

As Event Planners we use a piece of software called BeSmart for identifying hazards within
event planning. It is not a specific event management tool, but is used for many industries,
however, there is an event management set of hazards wtihin it. My advice would be to have a
play around with this and conduct some dummy risk assessments and you will be surprised
about the things you need to account for as part of your health and safety plan.

Click here to access BeSmart