What happens when something happens at your Gala?

The other night, everything was setup for success, for a record breaking year, opportunity for real success. Ticket prices were increase, attendance jumped to 30% more, the Audio/Visual was improved, you could say that the runway was cleared for takeoff! Working with the organizations new Event Planner, we shrunk the timeline to 45 minutes and placed each component strategically to lead up to the fundraising.? Our Story Tellers were coached by professionals to deliver the best heart tug possible. The Live Auction items were experiences you could never find anywhere else except in that room last night.?

Once the honorees were honored and photos taken, it was my time to shine…

I took the stage, encouraging the crowd to all raise their paddles for our family photo, capturing attention and building the energy in the room. It was time to shine! When out of the corner of my eye, a little huddle had formed, I heard some glass shatter and noticed that we had an emergency.?

“Is there a medical professional or Doctor here tonight? “ I asked from the microphone. Hoping there was someone quick. With luck, a well dress gentleman stepped out from the audience to provide assistance. 95% of the audience really didn’t know what was going on. They were busy eating, drinking and socializing as most everyone does at a Gala. I stood by on the stage, with a watchful eye over the situation.? Our Event Planner and I huddled up with the team to figure out ways to help recover from this pause. Luckily the gentleman who had fallen was alive and smile and waved to us all as the paramedics rolled him from the ballroom.? Unfortunately this individual was the husband of the co-founder of the organization we were celebrating 25 Years of service to the community for.? Her and her friends were the ones in the huddle and made their way out of the event to care for her husband. With that, a giant hole was left in our audience and a monster gap in our timeline. 22 minutes had passed from when I took the stage to the moment the paramedics assisted their new patient out of the doors. This literally knocked the wind out of this event.?

“Everyone, our friend is in the hands of the great care of the paramedics and on the way to the hospital. Let’s give him a supporting round of applause as they depart” I clearly spoke into the microphone. An applause raised out of the crowd with warmth and well wishes. Thank goodness this wasn’t an alternative outcome. From this moment, it was time to recapture the rooms attention and finally take our family photo. Looking out into the audience, I noticed that our 300 guests quickly shrank to 150, way less than the previous year. A much younger audience enjoying the open bar and tasting stations. Not the ideal demographic as what had walked out the door just moments before.? “It’s time to start the Auction…who’s ready?” I asked… a much smaller applause rang out from our much more intimate audience. “Well friends, now its that time to do what we came to do…to Fundraise”?

I don’t share this story to gloat or show off, but to share an example of one of the worst things that can happen at your Gala. There are horror stories of centerpieces setting fire, power going out or the drunk volunteer emcee making off color jokes or worse…the honoree going on their 3 page of a long winded acceptance speech.? All of these mentioned and so many more that I don’t want to? think about are just examples of what can happen to really dampen the energy and momentum you try to build at any event you are holding. These are situations that you can try and try to plan for, but truly never be prepared for.? Luck is really your only ally in the fight against Murphy’s Law…that and a seasoned Professional Emcee/Auctioneer.?

After finishing the Live Auction and Paddle raise, which actually did better than expected we closed the night out with a “Thank You” from the executive director behind a plastic smile hiding disappointment. He hugged me on the stage and walked off. I knew his feeling as this Gala was setup to be a raging success from the moment we opened the doors. Following the closing of the event, I walked off stage to a number of donors and guests telling me how happy they were, how excited the auction was and how smoothly I handled the pause in the program.? Our event planner had a very clear sense of relief in there eyes and the development director was glowing