Welcu

What is the wifi password? You asked a doorman who doesn’t know, who asked the lighting technician who also doesn’t know, and now you have been told to look for Jean wearing a red top who is walking around with a folder. You can’t see Jean anywhere. – The joys of un-informed teams. They waste our attendees’ time, and don’t leave a good impression on your guests.

Our Lead Developer Jaime went to a very classy event last week, despite all the branding and the free giveaways, patrons weren’t impressed because they didn’t have the information they needed to get the most out of the occasion. Attendees didn’t know where they were going, what time the speakers were starting or even where the bathrooms were located. The well intentioned workers couldn’t even help the guests, because quite simply, the organisers hadn’t told them to begin with. Maybe we have forgotten, but the event-staff are going to be representing our events and will be the ones our patrons turn-to with questions.

Do you have the right people for the job and are they equip to answer the many questions that will be fired at them throughout the course of the day?

Event managers go to so much effort decorating their event, and planning the schedule to perfection, but too often we forget about the face of the events, the people. It doesn’t matter where the workers come from, internal or external to your organization, what their role is on the day, scanning tickets or even pouring coffee, they should be armed with information for your attendees.

Maybe your staff will be dealing with simple questions, such as “where are the toilets”, or even more complicated ones: “I haven’t purchased a ticket to the gala dinner tonight, can I still get one even though the online payments have closed?” The staff working at your event, should be working the event. They need to have the basic information and should know when, how, and who to pass-on questions to – and should be wowing your guests with their helpfulness and charm along the way.

In terms of the right people, as most of us know by now; as in life, people often conform to the expectations we have of them. Generally we have little choice about the personalities we have working with us on the event day. Yet, what we do have control over is how we mould people’s attitudes to fit with our vision of the event. Share your hopes, share your strategy, tell them the approach you would like the team to take towards the attendees.

Want superstars? Try making people feel useful, valued, and enable them to make decisions that are in their power to make, more often than not people will step up to the plate and wow both you and your guests.

Noticing a pattern here? We’re suggesting you treat your workers as part of a team. As the coach of the event you see the winning traits that each of your members have. You realize that you are only as strong as your weakest link, you inform the team of the strategy and get them working together. No matter how complicated your event is, and how many people and stakeholders are involved, you are presenting one event, and you need to have one team in order to give your attendees that “wow” factor we are all striving for.

So without further ado, run over this check-list and score the goal on the day with your event-staff superstars.

1. Produce an event information sheet.
2. Send pre-event information emails.
3. Host a meeting with event staff before patrons arrive.
4. Use communication devices, and/or exchange mobile numbers that can be used throughout the event.
5. Provide all staff with the contact numbers of key people.
6. Delegate and enable decision-making in your team.
7. Share your vision for the event and set the standards for the event staff.