My nightmares are not about things chasing me, they are about typo’s in programs, seating charts that are wrong, and fuses blowing at just the wrong moment. Mistakes happen at events, it is a rule. It is the basis for this whole blog. Here are some tips for getting through them.
Stay Calm
You will not get the problem fixed if you are freaking out. You can do that after the event is over. Take a few deep breaths, shove your worry/ anger/ angst to the side and see the problem for what it is.
Break the Problem Down into Small Parts
I have planned many events where not every RSVP’ed and then decided to show up – or the RSVP’s were never sent through the organization. My sit down, assigned seat dinner did not have enough tables and the award winners were not sitting the award sponsors. I had another table pulled out and the extra centerpiece that I always have. A few people were willing to move to allow the award winners to sit at their sponsor’s table.
This seems simple because it was. Step 1: Always have extra decorations. Step 2: Make sure we had enough seats for everyone. Step 3: Quietly ask for assistance and offer a free drink or other compensation to those you are inconveniencing.
Focus on what you can fix first, work around what you cannot.
Example – Bad Graphic – Can we get another one? If No, what can we put in front of it to hide it?
Follow Up After the Event
Was this mistake a vendor problem or an internal one?
If it was a Vendor problem, speak with them, ask them how we can ensure that this does not happen again. I have had a vendor mess up and show no remorse or concern for how it affected my event. At that extreme, I told them that I would pay them 50% of their invoice and cancel all further orders. This is a rare occurrence but if you are not being treated fairly, be ready to find another vendor.
If this was an internal mistake, see where the break down happened and what process and checks can be put in place so it does not happen again. Make notes and set the new processes in place.
Move Forward
This is the hardest piece of advice to follow but the most necessary. If something goes wrong at one of my events, it is ultimately my responsibility and I take mistakes hard. I have learned to think of them as challenges. After a challenge, sit down and look at all that went right with the event. I would bet that 80% of the event was right and most of the guests did not even notice the 20% that went wrong.
Don’t believe me? Do an internal survey.
How many people actually noticed the issue or remembered what happened?
Mistakes happen. We are not perfect. Perfection in our eyes is unattainable, what we are searching for is perfection in the eyes of the guests. If they are happy and have no idea that mistakes happened – then we did our job perfectly.
How did you fix your biggest mistake at an event?