Event logistics are the backbone of any successful live event, but they can also be unpredictable and challenging to manage. Whether it's a change in venue, weather, speakers, or attendees, you need to be prepared to adapt and communicate effectively. Here are some strategies for managing unexpected changes in event logistics.
The first step is to assess the impact of the change on your event objectives, budget, timeline, and stakeholders. How critical is the change? How much time do you have to adjust? How will it affect your attendees, speakers, sponsors, and vendors? How will it affect your reputation and credibility? By answering these questions, you can prioritize your actions and allocate your resources accordingly.
In terms of event/temp staffing, it's always a good idea to work with a partner that's proactive in having redundancies in place. At ATN, we are adding the appropriate number of on-site backup staffers to ensure 100% attendance even if there's an unforeseen issue with a starters arrival time. So whether you need 3 staff or 300, you get what you asked for and your event, conference, trade show etc. has the coverage it needs.
The second step is to communicate clearly and promptly with all the parties involved in the event. This includes your team, your clients, your speakers, your sponsors, your vendors, and your attendees. Use multiple channels, such as email, phone, social media, and website, to inform them of the change, the reason behind it, and the solutions you are implementing. Be transparent, honest, and empathetic, and address any concerns or questions they may have. Keep them updated on the progress and any further changes.
Prompt and courteous communication is key to creating long term relationships in events. There are bound to be issues that come up, but it's how they're handled that matters most. I always like there to be multiple points of contact just in case so nobody is at an event without a lifeline.
The third step is to implement backup plans that you have prepared in advance or developed on the spot. Backup plans are contingency measures that help you mitigate the risks and minimize the disruptions caused by the change. For example, if your venue is unavailable, you may have a list of alternative venues that meet your criteria and are within your budget. If your speaker cancels, you may have a pool of backup speakers who can fill in or a recorded presentation that you can play. If your attendees drop out, you may have a waiting list or a refund policy that you can offer.
Having a backup plan when it comes to transportation around getting your guest speaker to an event is critical. Often, we will have multiple transportation options booked (flights, cars, etc.) to ensure that speakers can get to their booked engagements on time and as stress-free as possible. This backup plan should be documented and shared with all parties involved in making the speaker's engagement at a live event a resounding success.
Organizing events in rural Tanzania requires us to be both incredibly flexible and also okay with navigating ambiguities. This means we have backup plans for anything you can possibly think of. What if it rains, what if cows run through the festival grounds, how many backup generators do we need? How many backup vehicles do we require, do they all have two spare tires? What do we do about hyenas at night? Being prepared to shift quickly to any number of contingencies we've put in place is key. It's helpful for me to sit with a group of people from different backgrounds and with different experiences in Tanzania, and to just ask: "What could go wrong?" And then we put plans in place.
The fourth step is to be flexible and creative in adapting to the change and finding solutions. Sometimes, you may have to improvise or compromise to make the best of the situation. For example, if your event is affected by bad weather, you may have to move some activities indoors or reschedule them for another time. If your budget is cut, you may have to negotiate with your vendors or sponsors or reduce some costs. If your attendees are dissatisfied, you may have to offer them some incentives or extras to improve their experience.
One thing I've always found helpful is to put myself in the client's shoes. Luckily, I typically work with event producers and was also an EP for many years, so I've been on their side before and am empathetic to how difficult their jobs can be at times. Being in it together with a common goal is a good feeling to have.
The fifth step is to learn and improve from the change and the feedback you receive. After the event, you should evaluate the impact of the change on your event performance, attendee satisfaction, and stakeholder relationships. You should also solicit feedback from your team, your clients, your speakers, your sponsors, your vendors, and your attendees on how you handled the change and what you can do better next time. You should document the lessons learned and the best practices and apply them to your future events.
What happens after the event is truly a measure of an event's success. Do more customers decide to buy from your brand? Does your organization see an uptick in donations? Is there an influx of social buzz around your brand? All of these, combined with asking the right questions of your attendees, can help paint the picture of your event's success, so that you can take those learnings with you into the next event.