Confessions of an Event Planner: Case Studies From the Real World of Events--How to Handle the Unexpected and How to Be a Master of Discretion Read Online Free PDF Page B

hospitality desk, wanting to be assigned to a room with a Jacuzzi as well. It didn’t seem to matter to him that he didn’t qualify to be in one. Sighhhh. I left him in Dee Dee’s capable hands and headed out to advance dinner preparations. Sorry, Dee Dee!
    Tonight was just what I was hoping for—very low-key. Everyone had a long travel day with an early morning flight and a connection through Miami. With the drinking and being out in the sun, after coming from winter weather, they were toasted in more ways than one and ready to retire early tonight. A simple welcome reception and dinner is the general rule of thumb for planning first-night activities. No use spending major dollars when guests, no matter how much they want to let loose, will be headed to bed early. Some didn’t even make it down to dinner tonight! They have a full day of meetings tomorrow and dinner off-property in the evening. By then they will have gotten their second wind, feeding off each other’s energy and gathering in groups to create mischief—Day Two is what we’re bracing for.
    Didn’t really need to open the corporate hospitality suite this evening. Those who did show up were starting to fade by the time the Key Lime Pie was being served. Most were missing in action, fast asleep, their roommates told us. A parting announcement by company heads was made letting their guys know that early morning wake-up calls had been scheduled on their behalf to make sure everyone was present for the group breakfast, and that while they wanted everyone to have a great time, being late for their meeting was not an option.
    Finally, it was time for us to turn in and call it a night as well.
    DECEMBER 14
    My 4:00 a.m. wake-up call came in on schedule. We were off to a good start. First things first. I called down to the front desk to see if anything went amiss last night. Everything was fairly —there was emphasis on the fairly —quiet last night. Good. That means shenanigans may have gone on but nothing to be overly concerned with as yet.
    Our day always starts well in advance of the group. We had the hospitality desk to set up, notices to post, breakfast preparations to oversee, meeting room setup to approve, audiovisual equipment to test out and a hundred other items to cross off our function sheets, the bible for on-site program directors and event planning suppliers and venues. Everything that has to be done and the manner in which it is to be performed is laid out on those sheets. Each event element is scripted, carefully laid out minute by minute so that everyone involved with the program is operating with the same information and all know exactly what is expected from them. We ensure our function sheets are crafted with military precision and timing. Movie and stage directors have it easy; they can do endless rehearsals or say cut and shoot the scene over again. For me, there’s no safety net. My function sheets have to be perfect, and for an intricate program that might mean a hundred pages of perfection. They are sent out in advance to all involved, who review and rework them before going out on the “pre-con”—the pre-event walk-through of the function sheets with staff, venue and suppliers before the event takes place. Function sheets get everyone on the same page, even if the person who’s orchestrating the event on-site isn’t the one I began the planning process with. Let’s face it . . . I don’t have time to deal with people who aren’t up to speed, and there’s little room for error. Holding a pre-con to review the function sheets makes sure those who will be on-site have read them and there are no misconceptions as to what is and is not included and how it is to be done.
    I usually like to get up early enough to take a few moments for myself by the ocean whenever I am staying at a beachfront location. To me, watching the sunrise, taking a dip or doing yoga by the water is one of my favorite perks of the job. After that, I was