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.
