Contingency 101: Retail Event’s Not So Grand Opening

I cannot read about an event crisis without putting on my contingency planning instructor cap and providing readers with an educational opportunity. So when my local newspaper wrote up a grand opening charity event gone bad last week for a national chain store, I mentally began creating the contingency plan that they should have had in place. To give you the short version of this not-so-grand opening event: The power went out, caterers were stuck in an elevator and torrential downpours backed up the busy valet parking service 35 cars deep. What could a contingency plan have done to alleviate some or all of these issues? Let’s study this together:

1. Power – Those who have taken my seminars on contingency planning know that most crises fall into one of four categories: Natural, Accidental, Technological and Human Frailty. In this case, the power going out could have fallen into any one of the four, or a combination. The first question for any organization holding an event in Florida needs to be: “Do you have a back-up power source?” If not, would the event planner have been correct in telling the client that generators should be brought in to prevent a situation such as the one that occurred? I would wholeheartedly say, “yes!” Power at any meeting is critical and not having the wherewithal to have back-up for a national corporate-sponsored charity event – especially one that will likely garner press coverage – can ruin your reputation as a meeting professional.

2. Stuck Caterers – Yes, I know that many of you will say there is no way to foresee this issue and you are right. The issue you need to consider is what happens if elevators fail, regardless of who is in them at the time. If your client is bringing a VIP upstairs and gets stuck, that is not going to be a happy client… Or VIP. Is there anything to do? Yes, if there is no backup power in a building, have them take the stairs. If it’s too far to climb, then you need to find out what the building can do to ensure continuous operation of the elevators. Is this realistic? Maybe not, but your job as a planner is to look at those issues that could force you to change, delay or cancel the event.

3. Valet Predicament – The issues surrounding valet parking are never going to be completely resolved. I once held a small meeting of 40 physicians driving in from the surrounding area. I specifically addressed my concern about the valet issue since there was such a limited drop-off area. I was told that extra valet staff would be used to prevent a problem. Guess what, we still had a problem because the extra valets had nowhere to park the vehicles that much sooner. In the example of the store’s grand opening, the issue was created by bad weather, according to the newspaper account. This could have been anticipated with an accurate weather forecast. Planners and suppliers need to work this issue together. Some potential solutions could involve adding staff, moving valet to a separate area away from the traditional front of the venue or using a relay system where you stage cars nearby and once the influx has subsided, you move them to their final area. Finally, this issue also rears its ugly head at the end of the event. Venues must use the scheduled wrap-up times as a cue to again, stage cars or set up a separate area away from the building to reduce waiting time.

4. Weather: As I write this, I hear thunder in the distance. In Florida, we have to understand the impact of rain and thunderstorms on our events, especially in our notorious Hurricane Season of June through November. (Not planning for earlier or later storms, as the retailer with the grand opening did, is done at your event’s peril!) I had a discussion recently with a member of the press corps. He was selected to be an honorary chairman for a charity event. Everything went well, he told me, except that they forgot to plan for a sudden rainstorm. Sure enough, it rained. When I asked what they did, he replied: “Panic ensued.” Although we as professionals will typically work out an inside venue back-up location should an outside event need to be moved, it’s imperative that we look at the myriad things that will be impacted by weather, even with an indoor function, such as the valet issue and power outage cited above, or access roads flooding.

Contingency planning failures and crisis management woes should not be the subject of news reports or horror stories told at association meetings, (or contingency classes). Yet they continue to be an afterthought within our industry. Join me in fighting that shortcoming and push your company, your suppliers, your staff and your clients to do better at creating a contingency plan. It may never be used but, like an insurance policy, it is crucial to have.

Note: I invite the company in question, or its public relations firm, event planner or other professional involved in this grand opening event to reply with their perspective, if they wish.