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What to Do if Your Event Goes South During the Conference

You’ve been a conference manager long enough to know the reality of things: events don’t always go as planned. People show up late, chairs may not show up, or you may even let something slip through the cracks (because we all know it happens).

While it’s impossible to foresee all of these potential problems, it isn’t impossible to control how you prepare for and handle mishaps. In fact, how you respond to each says more about you as a conference planner – and the organization you represent – than anything else.

Below are 5 tips you should keep in mind should anything go wrong. By following the step-by-step process, you can mitigate potential disasters and keep your event on track, regardless of what has happened.

1. Don’t Overreact

After months and months of planning, it’s tempting to react before thinking about what’s gone wrong. However, putting the mishap in perspective is a simple way to frame the mistake, how it will affect the event, and what you can logically do to resolve the issue.

Tempering your reaction will help you better react to the problem, too. For example, if a speaker’s microphone stops working, you can easily find a staff member to remedy the issue and channel your energy into finding a productive solution.

2. Don’t Beat Yourself Up

If you’re the reason something went wrong, there’s no need to dwell on the mistake or beat yourself up for it. While it can be tempting to do so – primarily because you’re concerned of what attendees or your colleagues may think if they know you’re to blame – it’s better to channel your energy on becoming part of the solution.

3. Think Practically, Not Frantically

The instant something goes wrong, it’s tempting to leap at the first solution you think of. However, it’s better to think practically about the problem beyond the frantic first thoughts that pass through your mind. Doing so will help you cultivate a better, more reasonable solution.

Use the extra time to consider who you need to involve, how to repair any damage that’s been done, and solutions to make up for any lingering ill effects.

4. Take Action

Action should closely follow step 3 so you can remedy problems as quickly as possible. Moreover, you should be able to delegate the needed steps to ensure you don’t waste any additional time in the process.

Remember, each of these steps is designed to avoid aggravating problems while facilitating a quick, efficient solution to your needs.

5. Invest in an Abstracts Management System

It’s impossible to avoid every problem at a conference. However, you should take all possible steps to stay as organized (and error-free) as possible. An abstracts management system is a simple way to do so.

An abstracts management system will keep you organized by centralizing all of your conference data and allowing you to manage entries, email attendees, and otherwise organize what’s to come. Moreover, an abstracts management system eliminates the inefficiencies and error-prone areas of planning a conference, giving you peace of mind that it’s less likely something may go wrong.

Never Plan on Your Event Going South, But Always be Prepared

A conference planner should never count on an event going south, but it’s always best to be prepared. The five tips above are simple strategies to keep in mind before and during your event.

By investing in an abstracts management system, you can avoid many of the common problems that may pop up during a conference. With the other tips in hand, you can be sure nothing else is left to chance, either.

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