#Failure4INNOVEAT: What's your 'Food Fail' story?

Behind every event always lies a recipe for failure: To give in, or solve and avert for success?

When one talks about failures, I think one profession that is prone to, and most likely to experience failure, is that of an events manager - yep, that’s my profession!

We've all heard of notorious event failures like the infamous Fyre Festival, promised to be the most luxurious music festival that ever happened. Sadly, it never happened.?

Contractors went unpaid, musical acts were cancelled, and investors were swindled out of their money. Attendees found themselves stranded on an island, enduring shabby tents with little to no food. We may never know if it was a scam from the start, false advertising, or just careless event management. But one thing is certain: it was a catastrophic failure.

There are so many lessons to be learnt from this event fail, but let’s stick to the most obvious: when the risks far outweigh the rewards and failure is almost certain, it's crucial to hit the brakes. Yes, the show must go on, but sometimes it's better to have no show at all than a bad one, especially when you know beyond a doubt that you're courting disaster, much like the organizers of the Fyre Festival.

…And now, let’s turn to #Failure4INNOVEAT and allow me to share my fair of failures over the years of organizing events on the topics of climate change and food systems. Some of these failures may be oblivious to the event participants, but certainly obvious for me and those that work closely with me in organizing these events.?

Failure #1: Serving steak at a high-level dinner event to discuss “Transforming food systems under a changing climate”…well, almost!!!?

Two weeks prior to the event, I was asked by the caterer to select 2 main course options for guests to choose from. Without thinking thoroughly, I simply selected a meat option (steak) and vegetarian option (salad). I then sent out an email to all confirmed guests with the 3-course dinner menu and requested them to select their main course. My boss at that time, read my email and swiftly responded, asking why we were serving steak when the dinner's theme revolved around transforming food systems. He had a valid point, and I PANICKED. Unfortunately, I couldn’t retract the email and most of the guests were very prompt to respond with their selection of the main course (surprisingly, many of them opted for the meat option).?

In a frantic effort to rectify the situation, I implored the caterer to change the ‘steak’ to a more climate-friendly meal option. Eventually, we agreed on ‘Cauliflower steak’…for everyone! At least we managed to accommodate both selected options into one single dish. Fortunately, the change went unnoticed or at least uncomplained, and the meal turned out to be delicious ??

Failure #1 status: Solved and averted! Lesson learnt.

Failure #2: Confronting food waste in hosting meetings/conferences?

I must admit, one ongoing challenge I confront is the daunting task of reducing food waste generated by the meetings and conferences I organize. Despite many years of experience in event management, I have yet to master the art of minimizing food waste effectively.?

When hosting events at hotels, the set menu is determined by the number of participants, leaving me without control over the quantity of food served. Restricting or limiting food becomes impractical, as this can potentially harm the hotel’s reputation and violate food safety regulations by redistributing leftovers.

It's a constant reminder of the importance of practicing what we preach and finding innovative solutions to this pressing issue.

Failure #2 status: Yet to be solved…seeking innovative solutions!

As you can see from my experiences - failures are an inherent part of an events manager's journey. However, they offer invaluable lessons that shape our professional growth. From epic event fiascos to challenges in minimizing food waste, each failure presents an opportunity for introspection, improvement, and the pursuit of innovative solutions.

Do you have a #Failure4INNOVEAT story? Share yours.