When You Misstep, What Comes Next?

I’ve been paying close attention to the news about last week’s Travis Scott concert, and I can’t help but compare it to a Pearl Jam concert over 20 years ago and their response to the event. How do you respond to your missteps? What comes next? Do you have a system in place?

Hindsight is 20/20

I love live concerts! Over the last year and half, I’ve missed the thrill of seeing my favorite performers live and in their own element. And I’ve noticed the absence of energy in performances without crowds. So I understand how the extra energy of being back after 20 months, could get out of control. With so many people in a small space, things don’t always go the way you want them to.

Yes, I’m talking about the Travis Scott concert. I can’t imagine what the people who were injured, or witnessed it, or lost loved ones, are going through. That level of shock and trauma. This isn’t the first time an event like this has ended in tragedy. And experts can look back at events like this and point out where things went wrong. But hindsight is 20/20.?

A few things stood out to me about the concert at Astro World. And I couldn’t help but compare this to a Pearl Jam concert about 21 years ago in Germany.

Both Pearl Jam and Travis Scott are known for high-energy concerts and for encouraging a spirit of chaos that includes crowd surfing and stage diving. And both performers had teams and security specifically in place to handle audience members in distress. And those teams had a plan in place ahead of time to deal with those moments.

During last week’s concert, Travis Scott sang on for 40 minutes?after?security had pulled bodies from the arena and proclaimed it a mass-casualty event. He stopped momentarily, and then finished his set. By comparison, 21 years ago, Pearl Jam’s concert ended abruptly.

The other difference I noticed is still playing out. 21 years ago, Pearl Jam refunded tickets, paid for funeral and medical costs, and visited the family members who had lost loved ones at the concert. They stayed in touch with those families. And last year, they held a memorial to recognize the loss and share stories of recovery. We’re still seeing how Travis Scott will respond in the aftermath. It’s still playing out.

How we respond to our missteps is vitally important

The truth is, we’ve all made missteps, on some level. Whether it’s out of fear, ignorance, or even arrogance, we’ve all made missteps. And we’ve had to deal with the repercussions. And in those moments, it’s vitally important how we follow up. A lot of missteps can be cured by an absolutely stellar response system that’s crafted ahead of time and implemented at exactly the right moment, in the brand-aligned way.

How do you follow-up with people? When something bad happens or when you have to cancel at the last minute, how do you deal with the aftermath? What we plan for ahead of time and how we implement it afterwards can make all the difference in the world. The way we follow up (or the lack of follow up) can overshadow an event?or?it can nurture reengagement. That’s the difference between reacting and responding.?

Until I get to see you in person and give you a great big hug, stay safe, respond well, and rock on!