I am often contacted by law firms whose large-scale or high-profile events are overwhelming their marketing team with the tasks and details needed to produce the event successfully. While I always recommend contacting an event planner before the going gets tough, I’ve learned that we can get-going with just 3-6 weeks notice if everyone has a clear picture of their roles and responsibilities. So we developed a quick-pick list of short-term event planning services to rescue our legal marketing friends, but helpful for other event planners as well:

REGISTRATION RESCUE

You need this if … you’re waking up in the middle of the night dreaming of clients out in the cold, standing on registration lines like tourists at the TKTS booth.

We arrive early, handle guest check-in at the registration desk, and clean up, so you can focus on developing relationships with your attendees, rather than managing logistics. Give us your guest list three days before and we’ll print and stuff your name tags too.

LOCATION RELATIONS

You need this if … you think the terms apron, boneyard and crescent all refer to things in the kitchen and you’d like to keep it that way.

Following your site selection and contract signing, we facilitate venue arrangements through clear and consistent communication in advance of the event and manage the needs that arise on-site during the event.

VENDOR RE-DEVELOPMENT

You need this if … you’ve talked to your go-to AV guy about microphones and a screen but can never seem to get through the estimate sitting in your inbox, especially since his equipment descriptions don’t contain any vowels.

We finalize proposals from vendors and manage their tasks through the event, including catering, consulting, destination management, entertainment, event design, graphic design, photography, printing, promotions, production (audio-visual, lighting, staging, videography), and transportation, among others.

The TASKMASTER

You need this if … every to-do on your legal pad is turning into you-do-two (because each task takes more steps than expected) or you-do-too (because swamped team members need more advance notice).

We lay out the list of roles and responsibilities in a detailed timeline, from the start of our involvement through the post-event debrief, and check in regularly with each person involved to report back as each task has been accomplished.

BRIEF RELIEF

You need this if … it all started with one partner, but nine others keep calling and sidelining your day as you go on a wild goose chase for just “one more thing” they need to know about the event.

We develop and update a Master Event Plan of all the services and event details, from the start of our involvement in the event planning process, and provide it to you as a reference on a regular basis.

When time and resources are tight, the key to producing a successful event is to have very clear, delineated roles, starting with the ones listed here. If you need to be rescued – or just need more info, including pricing for these services – email me at ginger@gingerdonnanevents.com.

On Saturday October 15^th, I was a part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk in Princeton, NJ.  Approximately 2,500 people were on hand in Forrestal Village to walk with lighted balloons and help raise money for the fight against blood cancers. It was also a day of firsts for me as an event planning assistant: my first all-day event and my first outdoor event. It was amazing to see exactly what goes into staging and executing an event attended by so many people. The walkers did not start arriving until 4:00PM, but the day started hours earlier, with tent setups and positioning mapped out and assembly of the tent city beginning.  Once I oriented myself to both the map and the site, I was educated enough to start answering questions and helping out where needed.

Three things that I used during the preparations:  a box cutter, a generator for a 12-foot high light tower, and an Allen wrench.   Here is what I found out about being the on-site planner for an event of this magnitude: it’s all about juggling!

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society staff had a vanload of disparate items, ranging from  signs, food donations, carnations, and what seemed like a million cases of water that needed to be unloaded and distributed.  This is where the box cutter came into play – three of the signs that were supposed to fit into metal stands did not fit. I found a box cutter from one of the tent guys and went to work.  They sure fit by the time I was done (and I’m happy to report, no injuries!). Next came the Allen wrench – there were actually two of them used to assemble the site map stand. I was able to manage that fine, but not knowing where to put them so that we would have them at the end of the day, I held them in my pocket for the next 10 hours – and do you know how hard it is to use an Allen wrench in the pitch-dark? Thank goodness for the lovely volunteer with a flashlight app on her phone! Whatever help I was able to provide on Saturday, as rudimentary as it was, I was certainly not going to lose the Allen wrenches.

“All hands on deck” would be a great way to describe much of the day – help wherever you can. Unload boxes, unpack signs, tell volunteers where to go, keep track of all the vendors’ deliveries, learn how to operate the generators for the  light towers, hand out balloons , and clean up, clean up, clean up! The coordination of all the volunteers was a massive undertaking – you want volunteers there early, but what if the equipment they are going to use is late? I guess there’s never a worry of too many volunteers showing up, but you also don’t want people standing around with nothing to do.  The 40 mph winds didn’t deter us too much – thank goodness they died down by the time the walkers began arriving. The balloon task was definitely labor-intensive – well over 3,000 balloons were blown up, then had to be distributed individually – and the wire cords for the special light-up balloons did not get the memo about not getting tangled!

It turned out to be a wonderful, successful day, and a really inspiring event. Volunteers, walkers and staff were all so engaged and supportive of each other, and the atmosphere was so upbeat.  Aside from being completely exhausted and having my first case of “event headache,” I felt privileged to see and be part of such a great event, and to be able to truly appreciate all the work that goes into it.

There’s nothing like a hurricane to make you focus on your emergency plan, at home, at work or for events. The stories we’ve been hearing from clients, vendors and volunteers are tough but luckily, not heartbreaking, since those we’ve talked to have come out the other side safe and sound. We didn’t have any events taking place for the past week but we’re never in the clear when it comes to upcoming events. September and October are still a part of hurricane season, not to mention the unthinkable, like once-in-a-century earthquakes and the ever-present threat of terrorist attacks.

Inclement Weather: For outdoor events and festivals, just a little rain can make for a complete change of plans including back-up indoor space, rescheduling or the cost of additional tents with or without sidewalls. For meetings and conferences, a little rain typically won’t change much, until the winds pick up and transportation gets difficult. The date of the event is too late to talk to your venues and vendors about flexibility in case of cancellation or postponement.

Natural Disasters: Just because the news says a hurricane is on the way, doesn’t mean you and your vendors are on the same page in terms of when force majeure comes into effect. Hurricane Irene hit New York Saturday afternoon but what if you had a brunch scheduled for earlier that day that no one planned to attend because they needed to be in their homes when the storm hit? Don’t wait to communicate.

Terrorist Attacks: It was one of many people’s first thoughts when the earthquake hit, because the threat of terrorist attacks has not gone away. You need to know your venue’s evacuation protocol, including when to stay put. Event planners are not first responders but they should be first communicators when an emergency happens just prior to or during an event they’ve organized. This doesn’t (necessarily) mean you get up to the podium and start pointing at exit signs but you do talk to the security/police and your client to confirm proceeding with the first step of a pre-established plan.

Coming soon: Our September newsletter shares our emergency plan for a 300+ person conference this past spring. Not on the mailing list? Sign up here.

This Saturday, 5,000 people are expected to pay tribute and bring hope to thousands of people battling blood cancers at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light The Night Walks in New Jersey at Princeton’s Forrestal Village and at Verona Park.

Funds raised for these events support lifesaving research that has contributed to major advances in the treatment of blood cancers and treatments for other types of cancer. Those who raise $100 or more to help fight blood cancer are provided a wrist band, which entitles walkers to enjoy food, refreshments and entertainment, along with illuminated balloons and Light the Night t-shirts.

Over 50 vendors have donated their products and services to make these two events possible. We’ve been overwhelmed by the generosity of small and large businesses alike and just wanted to highlight a few of them:

In Verona, live music will be provided by LIVIN, an upbeat, funky rock band. LIVIN will also perform at the Morristown Light the Night Walk the following Saturday and has even formed a fundraising team.

Another band, joining us in Princeton and at the Camden Light the Night Walk the following Saturday, is M.E.R.C.K., made up of 11 and 12 year old kids performing hits by the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Weezer, Blink 182, Bon Jovi and Guns and Roses, among others.

Both bands will be joined by DJ A.D. Of Remixnetwork in Princeton and Soundbar Entertainment in Verona.

We’d also like to thank JR Floral Designs for their donation of 2,000 carnations and Art Digital for their time and effort in creating the signage for the event.

With generous partners like these, Saturday is guaranteed to be an inspirational night. Please visit www.lightthenight.org/nj to join us!