Tips For Managing A Crisis When Planning Your Event
Let’s face it, planning an event is hard enough without something going wrong on the actual day. However, disaster does strike at the most unexpected moments, and the success of your event will depend on you keeping cool, calm and collected.
A power cut, travel disruptions, key speakers not turning up, problems with your venue - these are just some of the things that can and do go wrong, but the good news is there is usually a way to get around them, and if you do it well, nobody need ever know. Well, you might not get away with that if there has been a power cut and everybody is sitting in the dark! It could be a great ice-breaker though! There is usually a positive to be found in every negative.
Let’s take a look into what should go into a good event emergency plan so that you are ready for anything, even if the lights go out!
Communication
With the events industry estimated to be worth around £11bn in the UK, it’s essential that efficient crisis management plays a big role at your event. Communication is important and will ensure that everybody knows what they are meant to be doing or where they are meant to be at any given moment. That includes everybody from your set up staff to caterers and keynote speakers. Even a small disruption can impact your event, and so it’s essential that you all know what to do and how to resolve any issues.
When things go wrong, rumours can quickly spread across the event floor, and so it’s also important to think of ways you can deliver critical information effectively, and so that it doesn’t cause panic or concerns.
Use Social Media For Time Critical Problems
Fortunately, the UK is spared from natural disasters such as earthquakes and tornadoes. However, we can be victim to heavy overnight snowfalls, especially on higher ground and in the northern areas of the country. Even in the summer, the weather can play havoc, especially if your air conditioning decides to give up the ghost, or there is a heavy downpour that interrupts or delays your event.
This is why social media is a great tool if you need to get time critical messages out to your delegates and guests, and can really help to boost your reputation. Lack of communication, even when delivering bad news, is often much worse than keeping people in the loop.
Emergency Suppliers
There is a lot to arrange when hosting an event, and you are no doubt going to be using lots of different suppliers. From catering to furniture hire, and entertainment to venue hire, it’s important that you are prepared for problems arising with suppliers, and have a contingency plan in place where possible.
Here at Furniture Hire UK, we can often offer furniture delivery on the same or next day, making us the perfect supplier to have on hand at all times. We will not let you down, and with our years of experience in supplying event furniture and our glowing reputation, we’re the company to have on your primary or emergency suppliers list.
Media Response Plan
Is your event going to be covered by the press or any other media agencies? If so, it’s important to treat invited photographers and journalists to the event like you would any other guest. The last thing you want is bad press coverage because the press were treated like second-class citizens. Keep these guys in the loop as much as possible.
Event Insurance
With so many things that could go wrong, event insurance is one of the most important considerations when planning your event. According to Hiscox Insurance, over 45% of events are not covered by any kind of insurance even though 40% of event organisers have had to cancel events in the past. Most venues carry a public liability policy, but this may not cover your needs. It’s worth checking before your event goes ahead to ensure you have the right protection in place.
Everything Covered? Now Enjoy Your Event!
We hope we haven’t scared you too much with our guide to the things that could go wrong. Most events run like clockwork, and a great crisis management plan will ensure yours does too. We’d be delighted to talk to you about event furniture hire, whether you are looking to secure an emergency supplier or you would like to use us as your primary furniture provider. Get in touch with our team today.
