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

by Judy Allen

  All guests had their luggage picked up at their homes and whisked off to their destination. Their bags would be delivered to their guestrooms and be unpacked with all at the ready for them when they arrived. Limousines picked them up from their front door to the airport, where the guests flew away to a weekend of pampering, complete with custom monogrammed robes; couples’ stone massages—with each partner also receiving training on how to give the other a stone massage (and a personal stone massage kit being delivered to their home upon their return); culinary delights at a private dinner cooked by a renowned chef for the region and served in a VIP section set up in their actual cooking kitchen; a top show complete with the best seats in the house, a VIP reception and backstage passes; and a private breakfast in a luxury department store before opening hours, where they were also presented with a shopping spree card and their own personal shopper to help them with their purchases before store opening.

  It was wonderful that we were able to recreate the exact same level of life experience at each destination by doing it as a three-tier program to different destinations to keep the budget in check. No one felt as if they were not a true “winner,” and back in the office on Monday they’ll be able to share their different experiences with one another and create another motivational opportunity for the company. While the budget had been pared down, the experiences had not been and no one had the sense that this event design was the result of cost cutting while the company was going through expansion expenses. The company had now broken away from their old mode, bringing new energy into their incentive event program,

  One last whoo hoo for pulling it off. Feels great when you can get a client to open their minds to new possibilities. This weekend event, held on Valentine’s Day weekend, was perfect for the participants and their partners and gave them a romantic time-out for two they will long remember. Creating events that are meaningful, memorable and magical is what fuels all of us at the office. I’m very happy tonight that we hit all of the right buttons and made this work for our client and their guests.

  INVENTIVE INCENTIVES: Q&A

  Dealing with Budget Constraints

  Q: How can you create effective event programs on limited funds?

  A: Create one-of-a-kind—not cookie-cutter—life experiences that will educate, enlighten or entertain participants and give them something that they can take away that can enhance the quality of their personal and professional lives (like the couples’ stone massages that were taken to a new level by also providing training on how to do stone massages on each other and having a kit sent to their home). It is not a matter of dollars and cents but dollars being spent to make sense and touch the senses in a way that will evoke the specific set of emotions that are required to achieve the results you are looking for. This can take place anywhere in the world and at any budget level. You just have to be open to new events and breaking away from what is traditional, tried and tired. People become blasé about taking part in a “been there, done that” event that offers no cachet and does not evoke either a personal or professional desire to experience.

  Mastering strategic design is essential if you want to elevate the caliber of your events (The Business of Event Planning covers strategic design in great detail). One corporation credits the innovative well-being incentive program they put in place—which costs them $250,000 a year and runs through the year with top achievers in well-being (not sales) taking part in this particular incentive—with bringing them a financial return of more than $2 million dollars a year, and that is just the financial return from lowered health insurance costs and other areas tied into that. Staff motivation is high, absenteeism greatly reduced, staff turnover minimal and the energy of the company culture they have created by introducing this program is soaring—as is productivity—because what they put in place benefited their employees in their personal as well as their professional lives.

  Assignment

  Create a list of lifestyle life experience options at different budget levels that meet the criteria of being educational, enlightening and/or entertaining, as well as ones that are meaningful, memorable and magical. Remember, these can be fun or formal as well.

  CHAPTER 7

  ALL HAIL (OR OH, HELL) TO THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING

  Em and her team handle a difficult client on top of an intricate event program. They must devise ways to manage both successfully, making this a true test of their talents.

  SEPTEMBER 5

  This client is reminding me of the story of the emperor who wore no clothes but “his peeps” did not want to be the ones to tell him, and he is trying my patience. Jake has a client, a high-end manufacturer, whose corporate, country and company culture is run very much that way. The events themselves are creative challenges—multimillion-dollar multimedia events filled with theatrical special effects and private performances with top-name entertainment with which to entice their dealers to attend and choose their event (and their product) over their competition’s. We enjoy strategically designing and effectively staging them to bring about the desired return, but the client himself, The Emperor, brings with him his own creative challenges that test our patience, our endurance, our ethical business boundaries and our discretion.

  Head Office is based overseas and The Emperor is here for a short—or long—reign, wholly dependent on sales results and the company’s position in their marketplace. Their mission is to be number one and our mission is to help them achieve their goal by strategically using events as communication, marketing and sales tools. Unfortunately, our hands are often tied by the dictates of The Emperor and his band of solely male executives, whose livelihood and length of their own tenuous stay over here depends on how well they please this man each and every moment of the day and well into the wee hours of the night. Their fear of losing face and literally being sent packing with an imperious and dismissive “off with their head” is tremendous and very real as they have witnessed it taking place many times among their peers.

  Jake was brought in to run and rescue one of their programs they were originally contracted to do with another event planning company who fell out of favor, and we only had a short time to turn around and craft something that would take them in a new direction and place them on the fast track to securing more sales. The other company was not producing results nor attendance and was deemed to be mismanaging company funds—by that The Emperor meant they were always coming in over projected “estimated” budget costs and had committed the ultimate transgression, one that caused them to lose the respect of their peers when one of their stage production’s highly visible errors in judgment became known and fodder for their industry’s gossip mills—through lack of discretion on the event planning company’s part—and had everyone joking about what had taken place. (One of their top new products, long anticipated, billed as being a “powerful force” guaranteed to move the company forward, had to be pushed onstage during their product launch because of poor planning and logistical execution. No matter how much dry ice was used to try and hide the bunch of poor employees enlisted to push the piece of heavy machinery out on stage—instead of being powered under its own steam, as was the original plan, to great fanfare—everyone could see them and joked, “here’s our hot new product but it doesn’t work on its own and has to be sold with its team of manual workhorses”). Ah, the cost of doing business with an event planning company that doesn’t know what they don’t know.

  Bidding for their business was, as usual, a feeding frenzy, with all the major event planning companies vying to be the one The Emperor selected. After the dust settled down and the incumbent event planning company had been selected to handle their upcoming event, they were ceremoniously rejected after coming back to the table one too many times with additional charges, and word finally getting back to The Emperor that what had taken place on their last event had gotten out. Enter Jake, stage left.

  Jake just happened to make a sales call at the right time, with the right sample proposa
l of what we would do, an example of how we break down our cost summaries displaying our company policy of being one of total cost transparency, and being the right gender—a macho man, a manly man, a man’s man, a ladies’ man (even though just in his own eyes)—which was extremely beneficial as The Emperor and his peeps preferred dealing man to man and it greatly pained them to have to address a woman in our board meetings and on-site. Any of us of the female persuasion could be standing right beside Jake as he discussed event elements with The Emperor and his band of not-so-merry men and it was as though we didn’t exist. There was no acknowledgement of our presence, and if the Emperor had a question to ask, it was asked directly to Jake, who would then turn to us for the answer, and then turn back to the Emperor and repeat what we just said. It was as though Jake was the female-to-male interpreter. And this would go on continually to all of our female amusement, which we did our best to hide. It didn’t bother us, as we knew it was not personal nor a reflection of our abilities, just how The Emperor and his posse of men preferred to do business both here and at Head Office (that male-female condescension we saw displayed firsthand when they flew in to take part in their North American events). The opportunity to design spectacular themed multimillion-dollar events in which to showcase their product at their launches, combined with the chance to test our strategic event marketing talents to the max, more than made up for having Jake pull translation duty. While our competition had felt stressed to the max with them, we thrived on being stretched to grow and produce events that exceeded all expectations.

  They had openly expressed enthusiasm for the example theme event, just one event element that Jake had shown them (their events traditionally went on for three to four nights depending on the location), so we had a feel for the style they were looking for and the message they wanted their product to convey to their dealers, suppliers and customers—that of leading the way to the future and that their products were the safest and best on the market. But to custom design an event that would bring them the company returns they were looking for and move them towards their desired number one industry position, Jake would have to work closely with them to create a past history and to get to know their intended audience’s demographics. We knew he was capable of delving and digging until he got the answers we needed in order to give the client our very best, and Jake knew from experience that Daniela, who supervised planning and operations, would keep sending him back in until he did. The mock-up theme, with their delighted response, gave us a starting place. It was built around Inukshuks, the massive stone figures built in the image of a human that stand silhouetted on the treeless Arctic horizons erected by the Inuit people to serve as guides, giving direction to fellow journeyers and to all who would follow. They were a practical way of pointing to the better and safer way or passage. This really tied into their product. They were also symbols of showing responsibility and dependence on one another to make the way better and safer for all. And that expressed what they wanted their company to stand for.

  IMAGINE . . .

  The doors open. The room is bathed in darkness, completely draped from ceiling to floor in black. Steam rises from the floor, creating an atmosphere of stillness and the mists of the Arctic tundra. Twinkling everywhere against the black are hundreds of white lights and multi-colored moving curtains symbolic of the majestic northern lights. Lasers flash upon 15-foot Inuit stone sculptures standing guard over the night. The sound of a drum echoes in the darkness.

  Tables are snowy white, accented with icy white neon and accent tones of icy blue. Each napkin is tied with icicle napkin rings and in the center of each table is a circlet of small inukshuk figures around glowing blue candlelight. At the end of the evening, each guest will take home an inukshuk figure as a memento of the night and a reminder of the power inherent in their ability to guide others (to buy their product was their ultimate goal).

  The dinner: a delicious sampling of native offerings, beautifully presented and elegantly served.

  When coffee and liqueurs have been served, a pool of blue light will appear on stage and the voice-over will introduce an award-winning singer for a private performance. A chorus of children’s voices will be heard around the room. They will enter from the back of the room and make their way to the stage. The theme song written especially for the occasion touches on “wheels of change” and how together all of our dreams can come true. Guests will be carried back to the meaning of this evening’s symbol—the Inukshuk and how it stands as a directional marker guiding the way—representing the responsibility they share to one another, their dependence on one another and the importance of making an effort today that will make the way better and safer for everyone. Performance will also include Inuit dancers and drummers.

  INVITATION

  Custom invitations will incorporate a description of the inukshuk and the meaning behind the statue as it ties into the evening’s theme. Custom menus will also carry the theme.

  DECOR

  • Inukshuk figures around the room with their product dramatically lit beside each one.

  • Inukshuk figures (two) set to each side of the entrance that will become platforms for two drummers.

  • Further treatment at each inukshuk location to include blue mini-lights and acrylic shards for shattered ice effect.

  • Indoor pyro to simulate cascade of snow falling as the doors open.

  • Snow blanket for base of inukshuk figures. Foam snowballs.

  • Floor-to-ceiling black drape with stars and simulated northern lights effect.

  • Bar areas: “glass block” bars enhanced with blue lights.

  • Fiber-optic shimmer curtain for stage area with “iceberg” stage set. Stage for announcement and for high-energy dance band to follow private performance.

  • Center revolving stage for performance, creating a “theatre in the round” atmosphere.

  • Wall of ice lit with blue lights. Theme could be carved into ice block.

  • Laser show. Dramatic lighting and special effects.

  TABLE TREATMENTS

  Combination of neon table treatments to include:

  • Full-circle neon table tops with cloths placed over the neon piece to diffuse the light.

  • Neon pedestals, high, as base for florals (white on white) or smaller inukshuks.

  • White-on-white linens.

  • Pale “ice” blue napkins with icicle and ribbon accent.

  • Randomly strewn acrylic ice cubes in various stages.

  • Glass-block pedestals for florals set on full neon tabletops.

  • White chair covers with silver or pale blue ties.

  • Cobalt blue glassware and plates.

  PLACE CARDS

  An engraved compass with each guest’s name is used as a place card (tying in with theme: direction/leading the way).

  The Menu

  • Butternut Squash Soup (with a trail of roasted pumpkinseeds laid across the top)

  • Choice of:

  Grilled Salmon with Rose Hip Sauce & Smoked Oyster

  Potato Cakes

  Roasted Turkey with Cranberry Pinion Sauce

  Buffalo Brisket Barbecue with Grilled Corn with Chili Oil

  and Pico de Gallo

  Venison and Ribbons of Summer Squash with Sage Pesto

  Custom Baked Miniature Alaskas

  • Plates will be dusted with paprika in the shape of directional markings—north, east, south and west—and set upon juniper or pine branches.

  Take-Away Gift

  Autographed CD.

  Optional Enhancement

  Existing lights can be changed to icicle light fixtures.

  There were learning curves along the way but we skillfully maneuvered our way through them. Jake more than did his part; he stepped “manfully” into his role and grew close with The Emperor and his band of not-so-merry men. We learned over the years:

  • That the key to winning the account year after year—yes, the feeding frenzy still wen
t on, as it was Head Office policy to get comparison quotes in and you couldn’t take it professionally or personally—was winning The Emperor’s heart by suggesting only destinations that offered access to world-class golfing, gambling, water-skiing and deep-sea fishing. A combination of all of the above was highly desirable but any one or more was a guaranteed yes. And suggesting a location, no matter how perfect for the participants, where The Emperor had family with whom he would then be obligated to spend time, was a definite no.

  • That it was imperative that The Emperor be booked the best suite in the hotel or resort and that no one be booked on the same floor as he was or be placed on a floor numbered higher than his was. Ideally, finding a hotel or resort with two towers made that logistically easier on guestroom managers.

  • That not all women were treated as though they did not exist. We were asked oh so discreetly to hire a specific young lady, Sandy, The Emperor’s close “friend,” as a “freelancer” to be on each and every event program and to be assigned to fly with The Emperor on his private jet and to accompany him in his private limousine when and where requested. MistressSandy was allowed to dress as she pleased, do as she pleased and work exclusively for The Emperor to tend to his, um, personal needs when she was requested, no matter the time, be it day or night cough cough—summonedtohisbedroomorelsewhere—cough cough (really have to do something for this tickle in the back of my throat) and to never mention to his wife, who sometimes accompanied him on his trips (depending on quality of upscale shopping available in the destination), that MistressSandy did not work for us full time. “I knew she would be sporting a ‘tramp stamp,’” Daniela declared with a righteous sniff the first time she saw MistressSandy in a barely-there bikini with her tattooed backside. Must say The Emperor paid her well—we saw MistressSandy’s “salary” that was approved and written into his company event budget, as were all her on-site personal credit card and signed-to-the-room charges. I must say The Emperor’s female conquests certainly liked to shop and pamper themselves. It was difficult to say who spent more when they were both on these trips—MistressSandy or The Empress. Jake hated the trips when The Empress was on board. It became his duty to escort her where she wanted to go, as The Emperor only felt comfortable with her safety when Jake was there to take care of her needs. Translated, that meant The Emperor knew Jake would check in with us to alert us when The Empress was returning so that we could inform The Emperor’s entourage of men, who in turn made sure that The Emperor was not caught without his clothes. Only once was there a near slipup when Jake called in a little too close to the resort and The Emperor’s posse almost broke their necks trying to get down the escalator as fast as they could to greet the returning Empress and delay her on her way to her suite. A senior executive from the group was sent to alert The Emperor in the agreed manner, returning to our hospitality desk visibly shaken, panting from his race to goodness knows where, and apparently in desperate need of a stiff drink to recover his nerves as he requested the key to the private executive bar suite.