Getting on the Same Page Is the Key to Event Success
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
By Kimberly Beaune CMP, CSEP
Everyone in the events industry has experienced the agony of showing up to a chaotic event site and realizing there has been a serious breakdown in communication. We’ve all said “If only I had known …” or “Why didn’t someone tell me …?” and have been certain that we could have been part of the solution long before the problem actually happened if only there had been more communication. We’ve all experienced the frustration of trying to do our best work when we don’t get the full picture. Sometimes it’s a planner keeping the vision too close to the vest and not sharing the full story with their vendors, and other times vendors become so overprotective of their piece of the puzzle that they don’t realize how their piece impacts others.
On the flip side, we have all experienced those magical moments when everyone comes to the table with the same vision and end result in mind. As an event professional, there is no better feeling than walking into a space at load-in and knowing everyone is on the same page and reading from the same script. It is amazing how many potential event disasters have been avoided simply by hosting an effective production meeting where all the players are around the table openly sharing their understanding, assumptions and challenges. Sometimes it’s not possible to get everyone together, but in that case it is paramount to create an environment where information is shared freely and questions/communication is encouraged.
With the layers of detail and technology that today’s live events require and the increasingly tight timelines and focus on value for dollars spent, it is more important than ever that we work effectively and efficiently. That spirit of collaboration and communication is central to the values of ILEA. Our members hail from all aspects of the event supply chain and represent all the various disciplines that come together every day across the globe to produce live events. Founding member J. Robert Graves was a tent vendor and he had experienced many chaotic event sites in his day. He saw the need to encourage clearer communication and collaboration between various event vendors and took that as the impetus to gather some friends and start a society dedicated to improving the special events industry. He felt that by creating a collaborative community, we could make producing events smoother and ultimately more successful.
Join us at ILEA Live on 18 August at 10:30 a.m. for Event Wars: Extreme Production Challenge. This is a fun and interactive breakout session that brings various event disciplines together to collaborate and create a unique and effective visual production schedule. It’s not too late to register!
Kimberly Beaune CMP, CSEP, is an event storyteller at Creative Twist Inc. and immediate past president of the ILEA Toronto Chapter. She will be presenting “Event Wars” at ILEA Live with Elizabeth Nutting, CSEP.
Tags: CSEP , ILEA Live