09/05/2017

1 Realization, 5 Guidelines

By OSAE Member Karen Kaiser, owner of Kaiser Association Management

Recently, someone asked me for event management tips. As I rattled off my go-to suggestions, I paused. I realized that how you manage – how you behave – can have a bigger impact on the event’s overall success.

For right or for wrong, how you conduct yourself may stay with guests far longer than whether the room was warm enough. And, as the “face” of the event, your actions morph into the image of the association. Thus, my list of ABCs evolved into a talk about the importance of soft skills.

Here are my top five principles when managing events:

1. Treat your venue and suppliers as partners, not “just vendors.” It’s a team effort; you’re all in this together. You hold the purse strings, but how they perform will be a reflection of your association. Respect them; be transparent (even when facing internal snags); be empathetic about their role. With events, especially those involving volunteers, business protocol sometimes goes out the window. You’ll need countless “favors” from your vendors. If you've been cooperative and gracious with them, they’ll be happy to bend their own rules. They recognize that while you’re the boss, they hold the keys to the event’s success. Treat and respect your vendors as you hope your board will treat and respect you. And, remember: thank the staff before you leave!
2. Trust the experts’ expertise. Sure, you can dictate every detail, but let them contribute their expertise. You know the intricacies of event execution for your organization, but you’re not a chef. You don’t manufacture trophies. You’re not a florist. You’re not a DJ. You have a vision for your event, but let the specialists guide you. That’s why you’re paying them. Plus, flexibility and being receptive to suggestions can save you a lot of money via volume discounts that you may not know of if you micromanage.
3. Fall on the sword rather than pointing fingers if information has been mis-communicated to you. Don’t embarrass a guest in front of their boss or colleagues if they provided incomplete or erroneous information on their registration.
4. Fix it first. If something goes wrong – big or small – your first action should be to fix the problem. At a recent event, a volunteer reported that the caterer had not delivered enough food. The delivery guy looked panicked as he studied the paperwork. Honestly, at that moment, I didn’t really care who was at fault. I calmly told him – and his boss, whom he had phoned – that I just needed more food. Quickly. I said we’d figure it out later. Who, why, the money – all that can wait. Later, you can trace the source, adjust the payment and if it was preventable, make notes to ensure it never happens again. Don’t get caught up during the critical moments trying to figure out who’s to blame. Be calm and just fix it.
5. Have a heart. There are rules and policies for a reason, but remember that we’re all human. Set rules, but know when to bend. Twice, I’ve had no-shows who were involved in an auto accident en route. Be willing to make exceptions, eat the cost, cancel a reservation, refund a payment or offer a program credit when a member (or potential member!) experiences an accident or family emergency.

At the end of the conversation, I did provide one tangible suggestion: Never forget the coffee! I’m not a caffeine junkie, and I’ve learned that coffee addicts have no mercy. It’s life-or-death in the morning, it’s critical with lunch or dinner... and it’s simply responsible to have it available before your guests head home after an evening of networking fun with cocktails. 

In the end, sometimes, it is the thought(fulness) that counts.

About the author:

Karen S. Kaiser, owner of Kaiser Association Management, has been in the industry since 1990, and has executed almost 700 events. Of all the pieces and parts of managing associations, the self-described “behind-the-scenes geek” says that it is truly event management that sets her soul on fire and fuels her passion.