Event nightmares

It shouldn’t happen to a vet or an events organiser...

We all know that life doesn’t always go to plan. I have been managing events for 15 years now but the memory of two particularly heart stopping moments, early on in my career, can still wake me with a cold sweat. Here’s what happened...

The day Jimmy Saville really did fix it for me...

I was managing a charity event at Leeds Roundhay Park. A local big name celebrity footballer had been booked to appear. Hundreds of people had arrived to watch and the press were there in droves waiting to take pictures. Then his agent rang to cancel. What was I going to do? I would have to improvise and fast. And then guess which unsuspecting jogger should I see in the Park? Without any notice Sir Jimmy agreed to stand in and save the day.

The event which left me shaken and stirred...

The scene was set for a fabulous James Bond ‘Goldfinger’ inspired evening at the Casino for an annual awards ceremony for a Community Safety Partnership hosted by the Police. The stage was to be magnificently decorated by a number of golden mannequins but then they were left in a van overnight which was - ironically - stolen. Thankfully my brilliant team rushed around with gold spray paint to make some replacement decorations and the hundreds of people in the audience never knew the difference.

Here are my top tips to help you manage the unpredictable:

• At every step of the planning process think through what could go wrong and always have a contingency plan for every eventuality – in case a speaker doesn’t turn up, for instance, always have a back-up.
• Celebrities are notoriously unreliable (unless you have booked a committed charity worker like Sir Jimmy of course). Think twice before using one and always have a solid contract.
• Don’t ever leave props or essential set-up materials in a vehicle overnight.
• Be prepared to improvise on the day and think creatively.