In life, things go wrong.
Sometimes spectacularly wrong. So too in the world of events. Ask any event planner, banquet manager, or conference executive to tell you about a time when something went terribly wrong and they will deliver a horror story the likes of which you've never heard.
Many times you, as the attendee or stakeholder, never knew anything went wrong because professional planners are, well, professional. Unflappable. Resourceful and quick on their feet.
Other times, like in 2012, when the Indoor Wake Park attraction at the Georgia Boat Show burst and flooded one of the exhibit floors, you can't help but know. Calling it a disaster is an understatement. This was devastating. The absolute worst.
As horror stories go, that's a doozy. But on the heels of that disaster, something even more remarkable was about to unfold.
That catastrophe was remedied by event professionals in just four hours. Imagine! Remediation included removing all the water from every corner of the event floor, revamping hundreds of electrical drops and floor outlets, getting boats back on their stands, re-carpeting the show floor (much of the carpet was swept away by the water), drying boats and trailers and accessories, fixing or replacing signage and removing the 'indoor wake park' assets - which were broken and strewn across a third of the 330,000 square feet of exhibit space. A communication network assembled out of thin air to notify press, attendees, exhibitors and guests of a 'short delay' before opening. It was, a miracle.
While we could debate why anyone would put what amounts to an Olympic sized 'above ground pool' with 100,000 gallons of water in a carpeted and electrified facility, we could ask the same about why we put nearly half a million people on a 600 acre farm in Bethel, NY with barely enough parking for staff let alone attendees, no real medical facility or legitimate security, grossly underestimated food and beverage options, not to mention an absence of free water stations, and an unimaginable lack of restrooms! Read: Woodstock - one of the greatest music festivals of all time.
While our personal examples below are not THAT extreme, they are actual incidents of consequence to their respective events. Superior preplanning, risk analysis, and experience can mitigate most potential problems likely to cause serious legal or financial injury. But even when all evidence indicates a seamless execution, there are two wildcards almost impossible to predict; the human condition and mother nature. So, when that something does go wrong, a seasoned professional from Meeting Workx will assemble every resource from all four corners of the globe and execute a remedy with stealth and military precision.
And you probably won't even know it.
Drunken Sailor
When the principal stakeholder of the event is detained by police for an unflattering incident.
Cause: The human condition; emotion.
Resolution: Ask us how mutual respect and a long conversation generated an amenable solution for the immediate situation, and how we now monitor and manage 'unpredictables.'
Peeved Bees
When an activist group pickets the show entrance to inhibit and intimidate attendance because there are exhibitors who sell pesticides.
Cause: The human condition; principals.
Resolution: Ask us how we resolved this potentially devastating incident with generosity and a big stick.
The Great Fall
During break down, an exhibit wall filled with stone falls and injures another party.
Cause: The human condition; fallibility.
Resolution: Ask us how our first aid station preplan, mutual indemnification and umbrella policy protected all parties.
A Wall of Water
Torrential rains flood the roof of the venue. Water begins pouring in through the 'sealed' vertical glass walls - leaking into the pre-function space, cafe and registration.
Cause: Mother Nature.
Resolution: Ask us how three women ran the world that day -like lady Generals at CENTCOM barking orders and leading directives, but with please and thank-yous.
Murphy's Law
After repeated warnings about holding meetings in Florida in September, a hurricane is headed straight for the event venue, expected to hit over event dates.
Cause: Mother Nature.
Resolution: Ask us how many hours we spent pre event, rewriting the venue contract and creating ancillary clauses around force majeure.