The major talent had their vehicle breakdown, the balloons for the picture opportunities are all deflating, the food isn’t warm or even on its way, and the cake isn’t here. Hold on. Breathe! It’s going to be okay.
Here are some ways that you can manage a collective of last-minute changes so that you and your event team can stay sane and on the same page.
It’s not just a saying to bend like a reed; it is a metaphor that every event planner needs to keep in mind. There will be changes. There will be things that go wrong. You have to learn as an event planner to take the time to learn to be flexible like a reed that doesn’t break in the wind. You could say that this is step one in the process of what to do when things go haywire. Take a deep breath and bend to the changes, don’t be rigid.
More than likely, with any event, you are going to have a team that is going to need to know what is going on and what changes are happening. This is where having a virtual run of show or a group chat can be very handy. Better yet, if you have access to a communication system, then use that. Headsets may look a little funky, but they are a lifesaver when there are changes that you have no control over. You must be transparent with your team. They are going to be able to help you when things seem too tight, and having more brains working on the same problem can find a solution faster than relying on yourself to find all of the solutions.
First off, what are small things? If the plates don’t match, that is a small thing. Ran out of napkins? Send someone to pick up some more at a local grocer. Those are easy fixes. If something doesn’t match perfectly, more than likely, you and your team are the only ones who are going to notice what is going on. Your primary responsibility is to make sure that the event goes off without a major problem and small problems do not need your focus.
One of the easiest things on your list should always be the check-in system. Check out this guide if you need tips on managing event check-in. There are several systems out there that you can use for checking in, but you want to make sure that you are using something reliable so that you can have a stress-free time tracking your attendees.
As an event planner, one of the ways that you can keep yourself sane is by checking in on your timeline. Something that changes later in the event can be fixed early on. Immediate changes require immediate attention, but this means that you can delegate how to handle what is going on without needing to stress too much over what is going on. This is why you need a team when it comes to running an event: delegate, delegate, delegate. Along with your timeline, make sure that your runsheet stays updated. A great way to take stress off of yourself with a runsheet is to have both a virtual and a physical copy that people can mark with the changes that are going on. The more people you communicate with, the more people there are that you can delegate to!
The hardest part is when a key event point changes, but again, don’t stress over it. There are ways that you can handle the changes: have a backup plan! The best plan is one that has multiple backup plans to keep guests entertained and to make sure that you are always on point when it comes to your event running skills. As long as you hit your main key event points and target attractions, then you are on your way to managing changes without the stress.
This is the hardest part when you are managing an event. But there is some stress management needed when you are handling changes. Take a deep breath, don’t let it get to you, and take the time that you need, hopefully just five minutes, to reset your mindset and get yourself back on track. Remember, you’ve got this!
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