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 (4 page)

I watched as, room keycards in hand, the guys started to head into the hotel in search of their guestroom. To help tone things down, they have not been given private rooms but are sharing a room with one of their colleagues. This didn’t apply to the company heads, though. The pairing—who was sharing with whom—was strategically planned so that certain individuals would get to spend quality time one on one with someone the company hoped they would bond with, share sales techniques with and discuss common challenges with over the course of their stay—and keep tabs on them. Fifty men came down and we must have all of them present and accounted for at the end of their stay. And the general consensus from the get-go was that there would be less room for inhibitions to run free if they were paired with a roommate. But then again, if the company heads have made the wrong match, we could end up with double the trouble on our hands. The dynamics of every group are different; however, I’m used to getting a mix of people from different social spheres, education backgrounds, and life and business experiences.

But, back to my recap of today. From all the hooting, whooo hoooing and laughter coming from the balconies, it was no secret that the top sales staff had discovered the 80-gallon Jacuzzis in their two- and three-bedroom suites and were busy discussing in-room party possibilities. Everyone had tried to earn the Jacuzzi suites, which would no doubt soon be “party central.” We’d assigned all the guestrooms to the same general area to try to keep the noise contained, but with this crowd? Doubt that’s possible. They’re here for a good time and will be going full blast. In minutes they were back down, hanging out at the tiki bar, roughhousing in the junior Olympic-size heated swimming pool, taking note of the tropical garden setting and checking out the fitness center, while sending some of the others on a quest to find the nearest place to stock up on beer and snacks for their rooms. And yes, just like clockwork, this group’s Mr. Entitlement has already shown up at the hospitality desk, wanting to be assigned to a room with a Jacuzzi as well. It didn’t seem to matter to him that he didn’t qualify to be in one. Sighhhh. I left him in Dee Dee’s capable hands and headed out to advance dinner preparations. Sorry, Dee Dee!

Tonight was just what I was hoping for—very low-key. Everyone had a long travel day with an early morning flight and a connection through Miami. With the drinking and being out in the sun, after coming from winter weather, they were toasted in more ways than one and ready to retire early tonight. A simple welcome reception and dinner is the general rule of thumb for planning first-night activities. No use spending major dollars when guests, no matter how much they want to let loose, will be headed to bed early. Some didn’t even make it down to dinner tonight! They have a full day of meetings tomorrow and dinner off-property in the evening. By then they will have gotten their second wind, feeding off each other’s energy and gathering in groups to create mischief—Day Two is what we’re bracing for.

Didn’t really need to open the corporate hospitality suite this evening. Those who did show up were starting to fade by the time the Key Lime Pie was being served. Most were missing in action, fast asleep, their roommates told us. A parting announcement by company heads was made letting their guys know that early morning wake-up calls had been scheduled on their behalf to make sure everyone was present for the group breakfast, and that while they wanted everyone to have a great time, being late for their meeting was not an option.

Finally, it was time for us to turn in and call it a night as well.

DECEMBER 14

My 4:00 a.m. wake-up call came in on schedule. We were off to a good start. First things first. I called down to the front desk to see if anything went amiss last night. Everything was
fairly
—there was emphasis on the
fairly
—quiet last night. Good. That means shenanigans may have gone on but nothing to be overly concerned with as yet.

Our day always starts well in advance of the group. We had the hospitality desk to set up, notices to post, breakfast preparations to oversee, meeting room setup to approve, audiovisual equipment to test out and a hundred other items to cross off our function sheets, the bible for on-site program directors and event planning suppliers and venues. Everything that has to be done and the manner in which it is to be performed is laid out on those sheets. Each event element is scripted, carefully laid out minute by minute so that everyone involved with the program is operating with the same information and all know exactly what is expected from them. We ensure our function sheets are crafted with military precision and timing. Movie and stage directors have it easy; they can do endless rehearsals or say cut and shoot the scene over again. For me, there’s no safety net. My function sheets have to be perfect, and for an intricate program that might mean a hundred pages of perfection. They are sent out in advance to all involved, who review and rework them before going out on the “pre-con”—the pre-event walk-through of the function sheets with staff, venue and suppliers before the event takes place. Function sheets get everyone on the same page, even if the person who’s orchestrating the event on-site isn’t the one I began the planning process with. Let’s face it . . . I don’t have time to deal with people who aren’t up to speed, and there’s little room for error. Holding a pre-con to review the function sheets makes sure those who will be on-site have read them and there are no misconceptions as to what is and is not included and how it is to be done.

I usually like to get up early enough to take a few moments for myself by the ocean whenever I am staying at a beachfront location. To me, watching the sunrise, taking a dip or doing yoga by the water is one of my favorite perks of the job. After that, I was off to shower, change into “work” clothes and get ready to meet Dee Dee for coffee before we started our rounds. I wouldn’t dream of running around in a bathing suit or yoga wear once clients or even hotel staff are up and about. If trip directors have scheduled time off during the day, arrangements are made for them to use another’s hotel’s beach and pool facilities. It’s just better to maintain a polished, professional look around guests and hotel employees at all times. Lounging around the hotel pool or on the beach in a bikini or even a more conservative bathing suit sends the wrong message even if it is on my off time.

Breakfast ready to go. Check.

Meeting room set up as requested. Check.

Audiovisual working. Check.

Dee Dee is overseeing breakfast and the other program directors are at the hospitality desk ready to answer any questions the corporate heads or their guests may have. They will also call—should it be necessary—the rooms of any missing attendees who don’t get up for breakfast to make sure they’re on their way. I hope everyone answers their phone so we don’t have to send hotel staff to check on them.

Today will actually be pretty light. The guys will have breakfast and be in meetings most of the day. They’ll break for mid-morning refreshments and a barbecue lunch, but each time they’ll immediately head back into the meeting room. Only sweet tea, lemonade and sodas will be served with lunch. Against my reservations, the corporate hospitality suite will open once the meeting is finished and then it’s off for a night on the town as a group. This is party night and the corporate execs want them wound up from the moment the meeting lets out. I am certain it is going to be a very long and very late night.

The guys are starting to surface and many of them look a little worse for wear. Too much sun, too much drinking and too little sleep will do it every time. They are very subdued right now—nothing like the group that arrived. But experience has taught us they will bounce back and often with a vengeance. I’ve asked Dee Dee to monitor the meeting room to make sure that it doesn’t get too warm. Better to have it a touch on the cooler side so no one drifts off to sleep during the session and their attention will not be as likely to wander. The hospitality desk has been positioned in a way that attendees will not be tempted to slip out and ditch staying for the full meeting once it has started. It happens. One client, at their tropical getaway, had one of their staff assigned to beach duty to make sure they redirected any lost souls from their group that “mistook” the beach or the pool as the meeting venue, and the golf course was instructed not to accept any requests for tee-off times from any of their attendees when meetings were taking place. As with most out-of-town and out-of-country meetings that are both business and pleasure, there are tax implications, and companies work hard to make sure that all rules and regulations are met. Records are kept to make sure all is adhered to—and truth be known. some are real and others are fictional.

Some of the stories you hear about the goings-on in this industry never fail to surprise you. One company booked meeting rooms, equipment, breaks and lunches and paid for them, but they were only meetings scheduled for the “books,” not for real. Unfortunately for them, they also scheduled a golf tournament and private events to take place at the same time as the supposed meetings, leaving a paper trial that could not be denied. Not a smart move. And asking the hotel and others involved to look the other way placed suppliers in a difficult position and crossed ethical boundaries big time. This is the time I’d lay all my cards on the table and walk away. I’d much rather a client who assigns beach patrol duty. They mean business and not monkey business. But while they work hard when they are away, they also party hard. I’m pretty sure this is what this group will turn out to be like. My team and I are prepared for anything to happen. These guys, while they are dragging their tails right now, are high spirited because of the nature of their work and the type of personality that sales attracts, and they will be flying high by the end of their stay.

Coffee breaks and lunch went without incident. And the corporate execs met me halfway regarding the afternoon hospitality suite—bartenders were brought in to maintain some semblance of liquor control. I knew there’d be a lot of drinking going on tonight and I wanted them in relatively good shape before we set out. The extra local staff we have on-site tonight are all men that look like they can handle themselves and anything else that may be thrown at them. They’ll be there until the very last guest returns to the hotel, to lend a hand if anyone has more alcohol than they can manage.

And then we were off. Or at least they’re off. Dee Dee and I were one step ahead of them, advancing tonight’s progressive dinner and drinks party and in constant touch with the rest of our crew via cell phones, PDAs and walkie-talkies. Open-air trains and “go cups” with their choice of alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage were waiting for the group at the front of the hotel, setting the energy vibe for the evening ahead. The first stop on the route was “sunset celebrations and libations” at a pier made popular for its spectacular sunsets. Private vendors were set up just for the group, with finger food appetizers and drinks for the guys to enjoy while they watched the nightly salute to the sun take place amid musicians, jugglers and street performers. Then it was back on board to the next stop, which was a great seafood and steak restaurant right on the water that’s known for its cuisine and fun atmosphere. Tonight the restaurant belonged to the group. As part of the restaurant’s seafood display offerings, a live mermaid was sitting among the seafood specialties. I saw that as a potential red flag and assigned Dee Dee to keep a close eye on Ms. Mermaid, even though the owner assured us that no one before had ever made improper advances or given her a difficult time.

You could hear the guys coming before you even saw the open-air train rounding the corner. The early afternoon drinks followed by the “go cups” and sunset drinks had kicked in. Everyone was in great spirits but they’d settled in nicely. Some were placing their food and drink orders and some were helping themselves to the seafood buffet, when uh-oh—they finally discovered the live mermaid and just as I thought, they decided to have some fun. Mr. Instigator decided that it was their duty to set her free and release her back to the ocean and rallied his buddies to come help, which they quickly did. You could see that Ms. Mermaid was getting a little anxious and so was the owner—he finally saw what we had been saying. The distance between where Ms. Mermaid was draped along the table and the drop into the ocean was only a few feet, and with her heavy mermaid tail she would’ve quickly sunk, not swam away. Dee Dee, some of the male staff members and I were positioned to react quickly and make sure no actual physical harm came to her. We diffused the situation before it escalated to the next level. The advance team then headed off to make sure that everything was ready and waiting at the next progressive stop for local dessert specialties and coffee.