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 (29 page)

We should have done the same when we arrived and saw the stage for the fashion show being carried out because it didn’t fit and we watched bottles of champagne disappearing upstairs with the models. The writing was on the wall right there, but we didn’t get out while the getting was good. Dee Dee said she was mortified when one of our top clients saw her carrying a stack of dirty dishes to the kitchen, praying that they did not think this was an event that she was responsible for. That was a wake-up call to the damage we could easily do to our reputation if we did not step away from run-and-rescue missions.

And we tried to tell them that one bathroom serving hundreds of guests in a venue that was about to be torn down was not a good idea. And you can imagine the outcome. It wasn’t pretty nor pleasant and guests left early because within an hour they could no longer use the facilities. Luckily for the PettyPartyPrincesses the fire marshal had not caught wind of what they were doing.

The final breaking point when we made good our escape from the Ladies Who Lunch speed dial was at one fund-raising gala where no audiovisual rehearsals were done, even though we had stressed over and over how necessary this was. When the moment came to see the show, with over a thousand people sitting in the ballroom, the equipment turned out not to be working. That was before the fire alarm and sprinkler system went off after a fire broke out in the back corridors from the device used to set off the indoor pyro centerpieces at each table by someone who had no experience. As guests hastily departed, they did stop long enough to take home—or divide up—the centerpieces, which were only borrowed not bought, and the nonprofit organization ended up having to pay for them as well.

We decided we were much safer and could contribute in a way that would be better for all involved by working with our corporate clients when they decided to sponsor a gala fund-raiser to help them create standout events that produced desired results for all involved as well as protecting their interests, the nonprofit organization’s and our own from those with a social agenda and hopefully bring nonprofit event planners a bit of a break from working nonstop with the PettyPartyPrincesses and their ladies-in-waiting.

The holiday tea we did with one corporate client was a tremendous financial success. The ballroom was filled with designer and celebrity decorated Christmas trees—you could smell the scent of pine from the lobby—that were to be auctioned off and delivered to the winning home (or hospital, nursing home, etc. of their choice). The event was heartwarming from beginning till end and put everyone in a festive mood. The silent auction offered items perfect for holiday gifts. Everyone came out a winner. It wasn’t a case of building an event that was all about ME, the chair, but crafting one that would be of value to all involved.

One corporate sponsored nonprofit event that always warmed our hearts was the travel company that flew terminally ill children to the North Pole every year on a flight to nowhere. Santa and his helpers would emerge from the cockpit and distribute gifts to the children and give their family members a lifelong lasting memory. Doesn’t get much better than seeing children’s faces filled with happiness and wonder after returning home from the North Pole.

Yup, give us our DiamondDiva’s attitude of caring instead of catering to a DemandingDiva’s any day. Dee Dee, Daniela and I all agreed that doing what we do and how we do it is a fit for who we are and what we love to do, and that our Ladies That Lunch club (with only PettyPartyPrincesses and their ladies-in-waiting as members, who operate very differently from the Ladies That Lunch club/Respected Society Mavens members) experiences left us the wiser as to what is truly important in life. We discovered that being masters of discretion had served us, and those we worked with and for, well.

SOCIAL AGENDAS: Q&A

Corporate Events vs. Nonprofit Events

Q:
What is a one of the main differences between working on a corporate event and on a nonprofit event?

A:
With corporate events you have an assigned budget and multiple event objectives to be met and you are working with an executive team committed to reaching those goals. With a nonprofit event you have the added challenge of raising, or waiting, for sponsorship dollars to be raised and you are often working with committee chairs and volunteers who do not have an event planning background and do not necessarily understand all the timing and logistical requirements of some of their demands. They are also giving their time, and their personal and professional responsibilities can often take priority over volunteer time commitments.

Assignment

Discuss how event planning companies can work effectively with nonprofit committees and stay in control of their time and not be fielding numerous calls coming in. (Answer: one way is by appointing one specific person to be the main contact person as opposed to having all the committee members have access to calls.)

Cause Marketing

Q:
Why would corporations want to partner with nonprofit organizations and run their own event with them?

A:
Cause marketing is very important today. It gives a corporation a chance to showcase their company and the good work that they are doing. It brings brand awareness and good PR and introduces their company to a very targeted market audience.

It is important to align the corporation, the cause and the event. For example, holding a charity golf tournament and having strippers doing lap dances and serving drinks on the course would not be appropriate nor play out well in the press. There needs to be a fit. For example, one financial district does a very successful race through the downtown streets with the runners dressed in business suits and carrying attaché cases. They make it fun and have created a way to get more press coverage than had runners worn traditional workout clothes.

Assignment

Discuss some examples of corporate fund-raising events and whether or not they were a good fit.

Nonprofit Event Challenges

Q:
What is one of the most difficult aspects of doing a nonprofit event?

A:
Making sure that there is sufficient time to secure sponsorship dollars. It takes time to research and contact the right corporate sponsors and get them to a yes, as well as to get dollars in from charity supporters. An event can run at a loss if there is not sufficient time to turn everything around. You need more than six months of planning time. With a corporate event you can turn it around in a matter of days or weeks if the dollars are there to make it happen.

Assignment

Choose a random charity and think about which corporate sponsors would be a fit—where there would be a mutual benefit and why.

Nonprofit Event Essentials

Q:
What essential item should be costed in, as it will help the event be a success and pave the way for additional corporate involvement the next year?

A:
Budget for experienced event planning staff as opposed to relying on volunteers to try and save dollars. If the event execution is not seamless, it will be difficult to attract the potential and existing corporate sponsors who may be attending to participate the following year.

Assignment

Where could volunteers be most effectively used during an event and what areas should be managed by event planning experts for best results? (Answer: securing and manning silent auction goods is one area at which volunteers excel.)

Managing Chairs and Their Committee Members

Q:
How can you avoid having a clash of the egos between chair person heads?

A:
Give each a specific area or areas of responsibility. They can compete to bring their best to their assigned areas as opposed to competing among themselves on whose direction to follow if they are both overseeing the same area.

Assignment

What would be some of the event element areas that the event chairs could be actively involved in that would not cause upset but allow them to shine. (Answer: some areas would include preparing the guest list, selling tickets, managing RSVPs and allocating the table seating.)

Non-financial Profits

Q:
Is it ever okay for a charity event to run at a loss?

A:
Yes. Sometimes cause awareness is the main objective, as may be good media exposure that will help to pave the way for sponsorship dollars for a major upcoming event.

Assignment

Discuss various types of charity events that receive excellent media coverage year after year and why that may be. (Answer: one would be tied to celebrity event endorsement.)

Nonprofit Concerns for Event Planners

Q:
When taking on a charity event, what do event planning companies need to be aware of?

A:
They will be judged on the event execution. And they need to realize that some of their corporate clients could be there as guests, and it will reflect back on the planning company should an event not come across as polished and professional because volunteers and not expert event planning staff were being used to save dollars.

Assignment

Discuss other ways that event planning companies can take part in charity events and still maintain complete event orchestration control. (Answer: one way is by proposing that a corporate client create and underwrite a charity event in full and work closely with the charity to make sure that both sets of event objectives are met.)

Aligning Client and Cause

Q:
What do corporate sponsors look for when selecting a charity?

A:
Corporate sponsors want to work with charities that are professional, appeal to their target market audience, attract maximum attendance and media exposure and whose cause is in alignment with their corporate culture.

Assignment

Discuss ways that a charity organization can effectively market their event to potential corporate sponsors. (Answer: one way is to invite corporate decision-makers as their guests to this year’s event so that they can see firsthand how their event is run.)

Volunteering

Q:
Can professional event planning companies and event planners benefit from volunteering their time and their talents in a controlled manner?

A:
For event planners starting out and looking to gain experience with different styles of events, nonprofit gala events can be an excellent place to learn what not to do and what to do. One event planning company used volunteering at nonprofit events as a marketing tool to grow their client base. They deliberately sought out high-profile events chaired by PartyPrincesses because of their social standing, the circles they moved in and the business contacts they could—and did—introduce them to.

Assignment

List the various ways event planners can work with nonprofit organizations to the mutual benefit of both companies.

CHAPTER 12

ROCKING THE CASBAH

Em has another encounter with DiamondDiva but this time around she is going in knowing exactly what to expect and how to handle her client demands in a way that causes her no stress and protects her client, her company and her own composure.

DECEMBER 13

What a week. Just back from a whirlwind site inspection with DiamondDiva and Wills, covering one end of Morocco to the other by private—white, of course—stretch limousine through the Atlas Mountains. Casablanca, Marrakech, Fez, Rabat and Meknes were just a few of our stops. DiamondDiva was in her element. Champagne was within arm’s reach for the duration of the trip but was carefully monitored, and we ensured there were numerous stops so that she was not just sitting in the limo and drinking for extended periods of time. Bright, shiny, expensive objects were still very effective in distracting DiamondDiva from drinking. They are her true passion.

And we fed her love of adventure. Staying in palaces. Bargaining for jewelry in the medina and souks. Rescuing a blonde-haired and blue-eyed young maiden who begged us for help, as she came upon us and our guide in the maze. DiamondDiva being rescued in return from the snake charmers in Djemaa el-Fna Square in Marrakech. DiamondDiva ordering bastila (pronounced
basteela
and translated means pigeon pie) for all of us to dine upon, and electing to sleep in the limo overnight as opposed to any of the hotels we saw in one area. Shudder. Taking part in a traditional hand washing ceremony, where rosewater is poured from a silver urn, before being served a typical Moroccan dinner of salads, couscous, tajine, lamb and other local specialties in a private tent in the middle of the desert and being entertained by folkloric dances, while sitting on thick Moroccan carpets with traditional low tables. Watching an exhibit of Arabian horses ridden by acrobats and cavaliers demonstrating traditional forms of old military combat under a desert sky filled with stars with a flaming grand finale. Just another typical week at the office, but with a much longer commute.

Can’t believe a year has already gone by and it’s starting to become a tradition that I spend part of my December with DiamondDiva, but this trip was so much better because we now had a handle on our client and an understanding of her—and her participants’—needs. That is the beauty of repeat business, which often leads to referral business: you get to know how to choose exactly the right event elements that will be a fit for your client.

I hadn’t been back in Northern Africa since I had traveled there on a site inspection alone when I first started out in the business. That had been a learning adventure. And it stirred up a lot of old memories. I had placed my self in unsafe situations a couple of times by being too trusting and forgiving too easily. If the general manager of one of the hotels had not turned on the radio in his car when he did while were were supposedly on our way to dinner and heard the news that made it imperative to get immediately back to his hotel, I don’t know what would have happened back then up on that lonely mountaintop when he kept saying, “Nice girls say no but they really mean yes”—but that’s a story to be shared someday at a later time.

Right now it’s time to decompress DiamondDiva, catch up with loved ones and make my way slowly into the office. Note to self: I have got to learn to start requesting advance copies of menus when traveling with DiamondDiva. Thank goodness she missed seeing camel meat on the menu.

Next week I am heading back out again, this time to the South Pacific on a luxury yacht cruise that we have taken over exclusively for our client and his guests. Only Daniela will be staying behind. An incredible week is planned, complete with dinner served by tuxedoed waiters in the ocean. Will be well worth the longer commute to get to our floating office. . . .

Rocking the Casbah: Assignment

Design an overview of a seven-day program in Morocco that would hold appeal to DiamondDiva and list the important event elements that would need to be included in her program. Make notes on what staff would need to be aware of (past learning lessons from other chapters that would apply to any DiamondDiva event, e.g., make sure that staff do not dress in a manner that outshines DiamondDiva, arrange security for purse full of gems).