The Barefoot Event Professor

Tag: career

  • People Are Stupid: An Event Professional’s Guide to Risk

    People Are Stupid: An Event Professional’s Guide to Risk

    My soap box is getting a lot of use, I guess this is what happens when I don’t post regularly 😊. 

    This time I want to talk about the “short cut” articles.  You know the ones I mean, “7 Steps to …” fill in the blank.  It drives me crazy when people market these articles as how to get started in the events industry, how to get promoted and most of all for me, risk management.  It belittles our industry and the skills, knowledge and experience that takes years to develop.  The best event professionals never stop learning, even when they have reached the pinnacle of their career.  They constantly push themselves and do not believe they can learn something quickly.

    What specifically set me off was an article about the risks that all event professionals need to consider, the number was under 10.  Not only is this ludicrous, it is dangerous; we all know there are WAY more than 10 risks that need to be considered.  It is the idea of applying a very basic knowledge to risks.  I have spent 30 years of my life studying risk management, so to infer that you can be an expert by reading and following the advice of an article makes me furious.  To put my money where my mouth is, I want to dedicate this blog to giving some introductory information on risk management, starting with people.

    There’s No Such Thing as “Risk-Free”

    Before diving into people, we need to remember there is no such thing as a “risk-free” event.  We all know that perfect events don’t exist, but we tend to forget that risk free events are an impossibility as well.  During my speaking engagements I typically ask the question, “why is there no such thing as a risk-free event”.  It never takes long for someone to offer that there are people at the event and they are unpredictable.  When we talk further about that, what comes up is the “people” we are discussing are the attendees.  Attendees are the focus of events, so it makes perfect sense that they are the first thing we think of related to the cause of risks.  The reason that attendees are so unpredictable lies in the event itself.  There is no agreement on a single definition for events, instead there are a lot of definitions. The common thread is “events are a gathering of people for a purpose, outside their normal routine”.  This means that people suspend their reality when attending an event.  They also assume the space is safe, also reasonable.  Added to these assumptions is the structure/activity of the event, basically what they are expected to do during the event.  Group psychology tells us that a person is smart, but people are stupid (interestingly quoted in The Men in Black movie).  Then we add alcohol into the mix and we reach levels of stupid that are astounding.

    The Supplier Partners

    Moving away from attendees, it is important to remember the numerous other people that are involved in the planning and execution of an event.  We rely on so many people to help bring the client’s vision to life; even the best have off days, it’s called being human.  How we counter that is to make sure to build relationships and check credentials; it’s not a matter of trust, it’s a matter of liability.  We need to think about timing, specifically how long we have to put things together.  Typically, the installation is scheduled with time buffers so that adjustments can be made to still meet deadlines.  Where the danger can lie is the tear down; it happens quickly and after long hours.  This means people are tired and not necessarily thinking things through.  Short cuts are common, like standing on a chair to take something down.  We’ve all done it.

    The Client

    Let’s move on to the client.  If we’re really lucky they understand the events industry; doesn’t happen a lot.  If we’re lucky they trust us to guide them through the process.  It’s common to deal with people who don’t understand the events industry and the work that goes into creating a safe and secure environment that meets their vision.  During the planning process the client could want changes that either cannot be done in the allotted time, are outside the scope of the event parameters, and/or are dangerous.  They also may not understand some of the risk management elements that you include in the event, which is usually when we hear “but nothing bad has ever happened” (don’t you love that phrase).  I mentioned this in my post on August 12 “Learning to Say “No”:  You’re Allowed to Draw the Line”, it is our job to educate the client.  To make sure they understand what can, cannot and should not be done.  On-site is a whole other issue with the client.  During my career I had numerous times when the client wanted things on-site which were not a good idea.  The one that sticks out most is when the client wanted to buy several rounds of drinks for attendees.  It’s fun to have a logical discussion with someone who is intoxicated.

    The Uninvited

    A piece of the people puzzle that we frequently forget are those dumb-dumbs that are not part of the event and wander through it.  How many times have you had to stand guard over a food station because some stranger believes it is for them?  Or had people wander into a room during set-up or the event, when they don’t belong there?  We’re responsible to secure the area, which means keeping everyone as safe as possible, including people who shouldn’t be there.

    The Event Team

    Let’s not forget the event team; the people you rely on to execute the event.  The team can be made up of a combination of paid and unpaid people.  Some have event experience and training, and some do not.  Some have a grasp of the overall picture, and some do not.  Some we know and some we do not.  This means we are working with a lot of unknowns.  We have to think about their schedules (breaks), making sure they are being looked after (F&B), that they are capable of the responsibilities we have assigned them, and that they are getting value from the experience.

    You

    Last, but not least, there is you.  As event professionals we are great at thinking about other people, but we don’t always look after ourselves.  Things like resting and eating get put aside until we take care of “one more thing”.  We tend not to delegate and will jump into any situation that needs help.  We can become a risk if we are not careful to look after ourselves.

    So What Does This Mean?

    So what does all this mean?  It means we have to spend time really thinking about the people who are involved in the event.  We need to break down the characteristics and personalities of who is there.  Quite often we have demographic information (age, gender, education, job) on the attendees, which is a great starting point.  But we need to go further, and apply it to all the people we come into contact with.  We need to understand the “why” and the “what”; why are they coming to the event, what will they be doing, and what do they want from it.

    Okay, getting off my soapbox for now. Never fear, I will be back with more risk management information using my Robson Risk Management Model as a guide.

  • When Not Everyone Speaks “Event”: Lessons in Patience and Perspective

    When Not Everyone Speaks “Event”: Lessons in Patience and Perspective

    It’s been a while since I’ve posted. The beginning of the semester is always busy, but this year has been more so than others. I’ve taken on a new position, Faculty Lead, and one of my responsibilities is a new course titled “First Year Experience”. This course is for all the first-time Freshmen in the School of Business, there are 202 of them. It is the brainchild of my esteemed colleague Kristine Kelley, and is aimed at helping Freshmen acclimatize to the College environment. The course runs one hour a week for 15 weeks and covers topics like professionalism, time management, self-awareness and mindfulness.

    Why am I telling you about this course? The course is set up like 14 weekly events, which is my wheelhouse. It has been quite a learning experience for me in that it’s been quite some time since I worked with non-event professionals or students. I waiver between wanting to handhold my colleagues through the process, like I would with students, or expecting them to know what needs to be done. Neither of these approaches is productive, leading to frustration on my part and likely on my colleagues as well.

    As any event professional worth their salt, I am constantly evaluating the course and my approach.  So, what have I learned so far?  First creating an event for 200+ people that focuses on creating a community as well as helping them navigate their first year is difficult.  Endicott College prides itself on having small classes, which I love, but it means we are severely limited on the spaces we can use for this number of students.  The spaces we can use are either set up in theater-style, making interaction difficult, or very open, making it loud and difficult to hear.  Second, how do we keep 200+ 18-year-olds engaged for 50 minutes with a limited staff (16 people)?  The key component of this class is not to lecture at the students, instead we want to have an interactive experience.  Third, how do we provide content that is meaningful in an interactive way and assess them?  We need to be able to assess how effective the content is without giving them another paper to write.  Specifically, we want to give them something that encourages reflection and awareness.  At the moment I don’t have an answer to these questions, I would love to hear opinions.

    Personally, I have learned that I need to be clearer in my communication and expectations.  I also need to learn not to get frustrated when people question my decisions.  I have spent the better part of my life justifying my career choice as being substantive, which explains part of my frustration when working with non-event people.  In my class I harp on being open-minded and not taking offence to a client who micro-manages; it’s clear I need to heed my own advice.

    As the title states, I need to remind myself we are all on the same team even though we have different perspectives.  The hard part for me, I can hear my family laughing already, is patience.  It was pointed out to me long ago that I have no patience, instead I have discipline.  It’s time to start using it.

  • Dear Media:  Event Professionals Deserve Better

    Dear Media:  Event Professionals Deserve Better

    Now that I’ve gotten off my soapbox about Astroworld and risk management, I thought I would offer a rant on how others perceive the events industry.  This has been a constant source of aggravation in my adult life, and I know I’m not the only one.  Early in my career when I told people I was an event planner, I would get one of two responses: “what is that”; or, “that must be fun”.  I thought when I got my PhD it would change, and it did a little.  Now I get “you can get a degree in that”. 

    I’ve thought a lot about why people either don’t know about the industry or don’t understand it.  There are several reasons, but I think they can be boiled down to two primary reasons.  The first is that people who are familiar with events being a career it’s because they have known someone who has been involved in planning events.  This is usually through their job, where someone is responsible for planning events.  So, they know it is a job, but have no understanding of what goes into it.  I believe that is due to the fact that when they arrive at an event, they see the end result only.  They don’t see the months/years of work that goes into it.  Event professionals are experts at making things look flawless, even when things go wrong.

    The second reason is the way the events industry are portrayed in the media. The Netflix documentary Trainwreck. The Astroworld Tragedy, is the latest in a long history of the events industry being portrayed negatively.   When I say “media” I don’t just mean documentaries, but also news outlets and popular media (sitcoms).  Most news outlets today focus on sensational stories, the phrase “if it bleeds, it leads” is well earned.  This means that news stories focus on things like Astroworld, Woodstock 99, the Las Vegas shootings, and many more.  It is common when something bad at an event for media within the industry to reach out for my comments.  It is extremely uncommon for other news outlets to do the same.  The interview that I did with NewsNation Prime was the first time this happened.  When I watch coverage of these types of stories, I never see an event professional as someone that was included.  This leads to incorrect conclusions.  For example, there was a shooting at a Garlic Festival in California shortly after the Route 91 shooting in Las Vegas.  A man cut through a chain link fence to enter at the back of the festival and opened fire.  On-duty police, who were at the event, responded within a minute and ended the violence within 2 minutes.  This was horrific, but is it reasonable to plan for someone to cut through a fence?  I can confidently say it is not reasonable; which was my response to the question “what did organizers do wrong?”.  If someone is determined to do evil, they will find a way.  It is clear to me organizers had a strong plan in place based on the response time; this is a good thing.  This is not an isolated incident, when you look at any reporting of tragedies at events, there are a lot of judgments based on having the whole story.

    If the media isn’t portraying the events industry negatively, they are making fun of it.  Think about shows like Friends, or The Big Bang Theory, there are numerous references to being a “party planner”.  It is always in a dismissive way, suggesting that it is a joke, not a real job.  The movie The Wedding Planner put events on the map; I had so many students state that movie as the reason they wanted to be in events.  You have heard the sayings “any publicity is good publicity”, and “there’s no such thing as bad press”.  I wholeheartedly disagree with these statements because if the portrayal is wrong, which is the case, it’s even harder to correct people.

    I understand many people, including myself, “fell” into the industry.  That doesn’t mean we haven’t spent our careers learning our craft.  Anyone who is an event professional has spent hours in education through associations or courses, conversations with each other, and learning from their mistakes through deep evaluation.  Even when an event is successful these professionals will strive to find ways to be better.  I wish the media would focus on this side of the industry.

  • Passion and Profession: My Life in Event Management

    Passion and Profession: My Life in Event Management

    I’ve always been an event professional—long before I even knew it was a profession. I was the one who organized everything: school dances, parties, sports tournaments—if something needed organizing, I stepped in. I loved the challenge and thrived on the recognition that came with a job well done. Growing up in a traditional, old-fashioned family, my ambitions were often dismissed and ridiculed. I was constantly told I should want something “normal,” and any deviation from that was met with criticism. I’m sharing this because it helps explain why I’ve spent the last 30 years studying, working in, and advocating for the events industry.

    My professional journey began in 1994 at the University of Guelph, where I worked part-time as a secretary for an environmental computer science professor. One day, after returning from a conference, he told me he’d agreed—along with two European colleagues—to host an international conference. They needed someone to manage it. I had no experience, but the promise of a trip to Whistler, British Columbia, for me and my family was enough to get me to say “yes.”

    Over the next eight months, I undertook all the aspects of planning a conference—from negotiating hotel contracts and managing registrations to creating schedules and coordinating transportation. All this with just a desktop computer, dial-up internet, and a fax machine. I felt grossly unqualified and made plenty of mistakes, like booking hotel rooms for attendees who left early meaning the organization had to pay. But I discovered something even more valuable: I loved the work.

    From 1994 to 2010, I worked as an international conference manager, traveling to Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Italy, the U.S., and Switzerland, among others. I “fell” into a career I hadn’t known existed, and being a natural researcher, I began digging into the field. I found associations, and educational opportunities that deepened my understanding and expanded my network. Although I lived in a small town and couldn’t attend regular association meetings, I went to annual conferences where I finally found a community that understood me. These professionals didn’t just speak my language—they lived it and accepted me.

    Those experiences inspired me to formalize my training. I earned a Special Event Coordinator certification from the Ontario government, completed an Event Management certificate through George Washington University, and eventually enrolled in their Master of Tourism Administration (MTA) program. Going back to school as a single parent with a full-time, travel-heavy job was no small feat. But I loved what I was learning and earned my degree in 2007.

    After graduating, I worked as a teaching assistant in the MTA program and attended an alumni event where a professor encouraged me to pursue a PhD. A week later, I had submitted my application to the University of Waterloo’s Recreation and Leisure Studies program—at his insistence. I was at a crossroads: continue as an event professional and possibly start my own company; or pivot toward education. As much as I respect entrepreneurs, I never had the desire to be one. Teaching allowed me to combine my love of events with my passion for research and mentoring. I completed my PhD in 2.5 years—1.5 years faster than average in Canada.

    When I joined the faculty at Endicott College, I found the perfect fit. I could teach, research, and still plan events. I developed a risk management process for events, traveled to speak about it, and eventually published a book. I also deepened my involvement with industry associations and grew my global network.

    Today, I continue to study the events industry not just because it’s my profession, but because it’s my passion. It has shaped my life, challenged me, inspired me—and given me a place where I finally feel I belong.

    I know there are many more people out there with a similar experience and would love to hear your story. Maybe we can encourage others to become more active.

  • Rethinking Work-Life Balance: A Generational Perspective

    Rethinking Work-Life Balance: A Generational Perspective

    Over the past year, I’ve had numerous conversations with students about work-life balance. While it’s far from a new topic, the recent surge in curiosity has been a bit puzzling. As a geek, I decided to dig a little deeper into why this topic seems to matter more than ever.

    I’m part of the generational bridge between Baby Boomers and Gen X. That in-between space might explain why I view work-life balance differently than many of today’s students. I was raised with the belief that work was what you did to pay the bills. There was a very clear separation between your professional responsibilities and your personal life. Most jobs were nine-to-five, and no one expected you to take your work home. That’s not to say we didn’t care about doing a good job—but our jobs didn’t define us. Work was what we did, not who we were.

    As society evolved, so did I—especially when it came to the expectations placed on women. I grew up in a time when the standard path for a woman was to get married and focus on her family. Careers weren’t really part of the plan. In fact, my generation was one of the first to be actively encouraged to pursue post-secondary education. We didn’t have many female role models in leadership, and the underlying message was clear: family came first.

    I followed that path and got married. But when it became apparent that my husband couldn’t financially support us, I had to find a job that would allow us to get ahead.  After bouncing around a few jobs, I became an international conference planner—and found something unexpected: I loved working. It wasn’t just a necessity; it became a source of identity and fulfillment. I was fortunate to encounter strong, inspiring female mentors who taught me that wanting more than the traditional role of wife and mother wasn’t just okay—it was powerful. I realized that I spent far too many hours working to not enjoy and find meaning in what I did.

    So, how does this all relate to work-life balance? For me, the concept was not a consideration. I didn’t just have a job—I had a passion. I loved the challenges, the growth, the community, and the opportunity to make a difference. That passion led me to dive deeper into the events industry. I joined professional associations, earned two certificates, and eventually completed both a Master’s and Doctorate.

    When you Google “work-life balance,” you’ll find countless definitions. Most can be distilled down to one core idea: separating the stress of work from the things that matter most to you. But what happens when work is one of those things that matter most? When your career isn’t a burden, but a source of joy?

    This brings me to what I see in younger generations today. They’ve been raised to follow their passion, to seek careers that are meaningful and fulfilling. And yet, we’re still telling them: “Do what you love—but not more than 40 hours a week.” That’s a confusing and, frankly, contradictory message.

    If you truly love what you do—and ideally, we all should—then maybe work-life balance shouldn’t be about separation at all. Maybe it’s time to rethink the whole idea.  What if balance isn’t about dividing your time evenly between work and life? What if it’s about alignment—ensuring that how you spend your time reflects your values, your passions, and your goals?  For some, that might mean clear boundaries and rigid schedules. For others, it might mean embracing the blur between work and life because both bring purpose and joy. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.

    And maybe that’s the point.