Event planning turns into a battlefield when team leads don’t see eye to eye. And guess who suffers? Everyone. Cut through the chaos. Get them in the same room (or Zoom) and force a real convo. No passive-aggressive emails. No side chats. Just straight-up alignment. Define non-negotiables. Find common ground. And when egos flare? Remind them it’s about the event, not their turf war. Also, humor helps. A well-placed joke can defuse tension faster than another “per my last email.” Keep it human. Keep it moving.

To bridge the communication gap among team leads during event planning, cultivating a culture of transparency and collaboration is essential. Begin by establishing regular check-ins where everyone shares updates and concerns, fostering an open dialogue. Use collaborative tools like shared agendas to ensure all voices are heard. Encourage active listening; this promotes understanding and allows for consensus-building. Finally, celebrate small wins together, reinforcing teamwork. By prioritizing communication, we align our goals and drive successful events.

One thing I’ve found helpful is to designate a lead for each portion of the event, send out to-do lists and reminders, verify each lead is receiving the communication and make phone calls if you are unsure.

To bridge the communication gap, facilitate a structured discussion where each team lead shares concerns and objectives. Encourage active listening, align on common goals, and establish clear roles to avoid conflicts. A neutral mediator can help streamline decisions and foster collaboration, ensuring a smooth event execution.

This shouldn’t be happening if you’ve built the right team and sourced the right vendors. This is why venue and vendor acquisition is so important and why it‘s vital you explain to clients why you work with certain people. Lack of communication happens when there is a lack of familiarity between teams and how they prefer to work. Build relationships and build familiarity with your contacts and partners before anything.