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 (24 page)

SEPTEMBER 14

Still here overseeing teardown and move-out of the client’s product with some of their executive staff and just heard that for their next event The Chairman is flying in and bringing his wife and his children, who he is placing in Jake’s tender care along with The Emperor’s Empress. Time to check our hair product stock and see if we can find a resort that offers three separate towers. Have a feeling Jake is going to be one very busy person. Note to self: Have Daniela look into those new running shoes that come equipped with a GPS tracking system for Jake, and make them part of Jake’s required dress code for the event while move-in, setup and rehearsal are going on. It’ll be our little secret in case Jake attempts any more disappearing acts.

ALL HAIL (OR OH, HELL) TO THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING: Q&A

Client Culture

Q:
Why is it important to understand your client’s corporate culture?

A:
Knowing your client and their attendees allows you to design an event that will be a match for who they are. It is important to know the group demographics and corporate culture as well. If they are formal, a playful event will not sell. If they want cutting edge, because of the nature of their company, their profile, their platform and their positioning in the industry, they will not want—nor should you ever deliver—a cookie-cutter event.

Assignment

Discuss ways you can pick up clues to a company’s corporate culture. Some are visual, some are spoken, some are in actions required of them and required of you.

Costings

Q;
How is a costing best presented to a client?

A:
Event planning companies present their costs to clients many ways. One way is by “packaging” the event, presenting one price (either a total or a per-person cost) to the client. Another way is to lay everything “menu” style and to add a flat management fee or a percentage management fee based on the total cost of the event. It is important for an event planning company to set company policy and procedures with how their proposals and cost breakdowns are to look and be laid out so that there is uniformity. That will reflect on how your company does business, e.g., it shows you have an eye for detail.

Assignment

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages between the two cost breakdown styles and how each is impacted when clients make changes, such as to guest numbers, and which will allow the client to make better informed decisions. Using the theme party ideas in this chapter, look at different ways the costs for this event inclusion could be laid out and presented to the client.

Proposals

Q:
How many proposals should an event planner prepare for a client?

A:
The objective is to select the best event to meet the client’s objectives and not offer them a smorgasbord of options. They are coming to you for your expertise, not multiple choice. Research, development and proposal preparation is costly in terms of time, energy and money, and many event planning companies submit proposals “on spec” with no guarantees that they will receive the business. When all costs are factored in, preparing a proposal can come in over $10,000. Some event planning companies have started to charge a fee for proposal preparation, which is applied to the event once contracted, and other event planning companies refuse to get involved in bidding wars. That seems entirely reasonable when you consider that one client was known to solicit up to 19 bids for their events.

Assignment

Create a proposal for a client presentation, tracking the number of hours spent on preparation and costs involved (hours, long distance, couriers, etc.).

Proposal Costs

Q:
With the high cost of creating a proposal, how do you select the right event without covering all your bases?

A:
It is important to qualify a client’s proposal request, and that means obtaining specific answers to specific questions. Many event planning companies design client proposal request forms that are mandatory for their sales staff to complete with their client before a proposal will be prepared. If a client does not have the time to help you design the best program for them, you need to question whether or not they are serious about holding an event or if they are merely shopping around for ideas and planning to do the event themselves.

Assignment

Design a client proposal request form that will better help you to create an event that is the perfect match. Use some of the material from this chapter to help you. Hint: Refer to what was learned from past events.

Client Protocol

Q:
Is there anything that an event planning company can do should they run into a client who will not do business with some of their employees, as in the example in this chapter?

A:
In this chapter, the decision to prefer working with males is part and parcel of their corporate culture and it still exists today. You can win them over slowly, but there may be areas of compromise in the beginning and perhaps forever. It is up to the event planning company and their staff to decide if they want to proceed and if they can handle the demands of a certain client.

Assignment

Discuss ways that event planning companies can handle clients with very specific service needs and how to decide if and when it is time to walk away.

Client History

Q:
Along with the client proposal request, is there anything else that will help an event planning company zero in on what event elements to include?

A:
Preparing a client history is another vital peace of information that planners will require in order to be able to select the appropriate venue, event elements, etc., and it is important to know what worked and did not work.

Assignment

Create a client history template that would give event planning staff the information they need to begin preparing a proposal. Use some of the material from this chapter to help you. Hint: Refer to what was learned from past events.

Client Proposal Requests vs. Client History

Q:
What is the difference between a client proposal request and a client history?

A:
A client proposal request is focused on the upcoming event. A client history is what actually took place in the past.

Assignment

Think about who else besides the event planning company can benefit from knowing a client’s event history and why.

Special Requests

Q:
Can company policy be established on how to handle client “special requests”?

A:
Company policy needs to be in place and all employees—in-house, sales and freelance—need to know where the line must be drawn, what will be condoned and what will not, and how to deal with such requests with tact and finesse.

Assignment

Discuss the situation outlined in this chapter with the client wanting to have his mistress hired as freelance staff, with her salary built into his program and paid for by his company. Are there legal ramifications? Are there moral issues and will staff morale be affected?

CHAPTER
8

LONG COMMUTE TO WORK

Em sets out on her own to do a site inspection for a client and then heads to a nearby destination to check it out as a possible incentive destination for other groups. Her trip includes a few surprises.

SEPTEMBER 16

Another day, another country. Getting on a plane to go to work for those in the international corporate, social and celebrity event planning business feels exactly the same as getting in the car, on the bus or on the subway does for others, except you sometimes have jet lag and heavy baggage to contend with. Next trip we’re using Luggage Forward, where they pick up your luggage at home and when you see it again it’s in your hotel suite, and at the end of your stay you can either send it forward to another destination, back home or to the office, which sounds simply blissful. It worked very well with our three-tier group program, and we need to take just as good care of ourselves as we do of our clients. If Dee Dee has her way, all our overnight flights will be on private jets or luxury airliners like EOS Airlines, where the airline seat turns into a private airline suite when it’s converted to a six-foot bed. The poor girl had been emotionally scarred after waking up on an overnight flight to find a teenage boy snuggled into her, drooling happily. Daniela has volunteered to do any overnight flights where she can board Singapore Airline’s newest aircraft, with the full sleeping suites.

I remember waking up many times wondering where in the world I was—seriously! When I do that and find I’m home in my own bed, I know my trips are running too close together. I don’t know how some of the freelance staff do it, traveling up to 300 days of the year.

I don’t think I really realized starting out just how much traveling I would be doing locally, nationally and internationally. You end up traveling a fair bit not just on site inspections to run the client through the event and going on-site for the event but also on fam—or familiarization—trips as well so that you can check out new destinations and resorts to see if there is a fit for your clients. Fam trips can take a few days or a couple of weeks, depending on where you are traveling to. Sometimes when you find yourself in a part of the world that you know holds great appeal for incentives, meetings, etc., you tack on a couple of nearby destinations to check out at the same time in case you want to consider them as destinations on their own or as part of a two-tier program.

Some days the commute is just a little longer than others and today was one of them. It took me over 36 hours to reach Mauritius. I felt I had become one with my seat by the time I finally arrived. I was on a site inspection but entirely alone as the client was leaving it up to me to make the decision for them as to whether or not it would be the perfect spot to travel to after their upscale African safari next year. And it was. BoyTroy and Dee Dee already had done the African safari site with the client earlier this year and everything was set there. Mauritius was an add-on program they had decided to do as a post executive retreat and wanted it checked out as soon as possible. I was already scheduled to travel to the Seychelles for another client site inspection so I took Mauritius on as I was going to be in that part of the world anyhow. BoyTroy and Dee Dee were off running this year’s event for the client and could not join me, so it was just me, myself and I to enjoy the island at my leisure and getting to set my own timetable. But after just coming off The Emperor’s program and traveling all this way, the only thing I wanted to see at that moment was my bed.

I was very grateful to see my limousine driver waiting for me when I cleared customs, and the drive to the resort was uneventful. I wasn’t in a space to truly take in what I was seeing and appreciate it, let alone evaluate it. That I would do tomorrow. My first priority when I hit my room was a shower and then sleep.

The resort was welcoming and my suite was gorgeous. I felt like a pampered but very tired princess. A selection of refreshing tropical juices on ice and a light repast of local specialties was waiting for me in my suite, and I looked forward to sampling local cuisine when I arose. The hot shower had been refreshing and my bed looked so inviting. Wrapped in the resort’s sumptuous robe I prepared to lie down. Just as my body was starting to relax I opened my eyes one last time before I succumbed to sleep and was out of that bed so fast I surprised even myself as well as the creature on the pillow that had been looking back at me . . . OMG . . . I had no clue what obviously had been preparing to sneak up and attack me. My heart was racing. I’m sure I looked like the commercial of the startled kitten clinging to the ceiling because that’s exactly how I felt at that moment. I’m fearless when anyone or anything does something to jeopardize the success of one of my programs—man or beast. I’m ready to take them on. My own inner convictions, past experiences and my co-worker Yul’s defense training has prepared me for most anything. Insects and creepy crawlers, however, make me go all girly. While I love to be in nature, I don’t want nature to be physically
on
me, especially species I can’t identify.

Time to find out what my present tiny terror attacker was. Lizards or tree frogs in my room I can handle, but while this new species was green, it was neither of those two and its huge eyes were watching my every move as closely as I was watching its. No way would I feel comfortable in my suite until my tiny menace was captured and carefully removed. I breathed a sigh of relief when housekeeping took my capture away with a respectful snicker and dutifully noted the tip on my expense report: Expense account entry: Tipping $10.00 for the removal of one extra large praying mantis. The rest of my stay in Mauritius was uneventful. My driver was wonderful. The venues we selected for group functions were perfect and tomorrow it will be time to reboard the plane and head for the Seychelles, but this time I’m rested, refreshed and ready to travel the world again.

SEPTEMBER 23

I had always heard that the Seychelles had some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. Watching the incredible sunset made me long to be sharing the experience with someone special in my life. I could now understand why many company owners flew their partners in pre or post program and extended their stay so they could share the wonder of what they were seeing and experiencing with someone they loved. Together they made work play and play work. Maybe someday I would go down that path again but with the partner and playmate I was meant to be with. I would leave that in the hands of God/the universe. Right now my only plans include an early night.

Tomorrow I’m going to play tourist. No schedules, no private cars and drivers—just me, myself and about 20 other people taking a boat trip to a small island that the resort’s activity director had recommended. I haven’t done something like that in years and just want to experience a day where I haven’t been wined, dined or wooed for my business.

SEPTEMBER 24

The trip started out pleasantly enough. A couple of families, honeymooners, two retired gentlemen traveling the world and me. It was great to be on the water enjoying the sunshine on my face, the breeze in my hair and the happy voices around me. We were off to spend the day at a private island. The host—an author and the owner of the island—would be letting us enjoy his world for the day. The beach was ours to enjoy, hammocks were set up to relax and read in, a walking tour of the island could be arranged and a casual luncheon would be served midday. The boat dropped us off and then left, the staff saying they would be back at 3 to pick us up. That surprised me, as I am used to having transportation waiting on standby in case of emergencies or plans changing. But no one else seemed particularly concerned. They found their place in the sun and settled in to enjoy the feeling of having their own private island retreat for the day.

The host came out to greet us and welcome everyone to his island and started to run through what we needed to know about the amenities, facilities and the like available to us. Suddenly the quiet was shattered by the frantic barking of his dogs and the host went to quiet them down. We heard a loud noise and in a few minutes the host reappeared seeming shaken and with blood oozing from a gash on his forehead. He said an intruder was on the island looking to steal our purses, cameras, etc. and that he had battled with him and been overpowered. The host and his staff had radioed for the police to come and also to find out if anyone had escaped from the prison that was set up on a nearby island. It apparently was swimming distance away and the host feared that if it was not just robbers that had come onto the island, it was someone planning to pick up an escaped convict. The host was off with his staff and dogs to check the other side of the island to see if he could find the intruder’s (or was it intruders’???) boat and stop them from leaving. We could either stay and wait on our own for them to return or we could come with them. Where is Yul when you need him?

Everyone opted not to be left on his or her own and we began our adventure around the island, each one helping the next slide down slopes and climb over branches and rocks. It felt like a scene from
Lost
and we didn’t know who or what we were searching for. We discovered the boat the intruders had used to get to our island and the host’s staff rendered it unusable for escape. Now we had intruders—and maybe escaped convicts—trapped on the island with no means of leaving, which was the exact same position we were in. Hot, tired, sweaty, bitten by bugs and scratched, we made our way back to the main house after traversing the entire island and finding no sign of the intruders. From time to time the dogs would bark, but nothing like this morning. By the time we got back, the police boat had arrived to check on us and let us know our boat would be making its way back to us. The police were now heading over to the prison to check and make sure all was in order over there. They offered to leave an officer with us for protection but the host said we should be okay and that we would be staying put. We took turns showering in the open-air shower, tended to our cuts and bruises and sat down to eat lunch. Everyone was on edge and the slightest noise made us jump. Adrenaline was pumping through everyone. When our boat reappeared, we all gratefully made our good-byes, wishing the host well. Everyone on board was all wound up and couldn’t stop talking about their encounter.

Having crafted murder mysteries and the like for special events, my imagination was working overtime. Was it real or was it illusion? I’ll never tell. Tricks of the trade and all that. This experience gave insight as to what clients experience when we include unexpected—but carefully planned—surprises for them. I could see how some could cause anxiety and others anticipation. Another thing I knew was that at the end of the day I’d be very ready to go back to being a pampered princess, do room service and relax in a bathtub built for two, filled with fragrant bubbles, and be fresh for tomorrow when my formal fam trip activities began.

SEPTEMBER 30

Done. Done. Done. Ready to fly home tomorrow. I feel I’ve explored every inch of the Seychelles and now know it inside out, which was the purpose of my stay.

Do a full tour of the island. Check.

See every resort that we would consider using and do a full site inspection of the property. Check.

Look at off-property venues with local DMC and discuss theme possibilities. Check.

Experience dining in the restaurants we would use for dine-around programs and private takeovers. Check.

Sample the nightlife and select the best options for our program guests. Check.

Review all land, air and sea activities we can create for our event. Check.

Take lots of pictures and notes in order to do full presentation to staff when I get back and have the material I need on hand to prepare client proposals. Check.

My site of Mauritius was much less intense. As it was a site inspection and I was familiar with the destination, I only had to check out the actual resort and venues we would be using on this proposed program and a few new event elements that had come into being since our last trip here like new resorts, restaurants, etc. A site inspection is essentially a dry run of your event program and a chance to see if all the event elements are still up to par and will deliver the results that you are looking for. Seychelles was different as it was a true fam and no one from the company had been there before, and it was important to maximize being there and see as much as possible and assess what would be a fit for different clients and different budgets. Really, wish I had both the time and the energy to check out the Maldives while I was in this part of the world, but I’ll have to make that trip another time. The Maldives is one place I would love to see both personally and professionally. That’s one of the perks of the business—when personal pursuits are work and work is play.

LONG COMMUTE TO WORK: Q&A

Site Inspections

Q:
Who should go on site inspections?

A:
It can vary from site inspection to site inspection. A sales rep may go with the event designer, event operations staff, a senior member of executive staff, a trusted freelance event/trip director with the client or client’s representatives or, as in this example, on their own. Whether you’re traveling on your own or with your client, personal safety is always a factor. Site inspections are arranged through the hotel you are considering contracting and with the DMC as well. The hotel will be responsible for making sure that you (and your clients) experience all the resort facilities, from their spa to their top dining rooms. They will take you on a tour of the property and show you the various room types and a selection of suites. You’ll be able to see your function space during the day and by night.