Avoiding the 4 a.m. “OMG” Moments

By: Linda Hampton, CMP

Let’s face it; as event planners, we have all had these moments. Your eyes pop open, you glance at the clock, its four a.m. and your all of a sudden worried that you’ve forgotten to: sign the contract for your event next week, confirm the speaker, book the flights, order the name badges, or some other neurotic / paranoid detail. 

For those that are diligent, you might even get out of bed and check your files or your computer. However, if you are like me, you will convince yourself that by simply writing a note in the glow of your alarm clock, you can stop worrying and go back to sleep. Of course, if you’re again, like me, you will just lie there obsessing on this and all the other details you might have forgotten. 

I’m not saying that structure and diligence will prevent all of these “OMG” moments from happening, but applying adequate structure and being disciplined to implement it on a consistent basis, can assist. With 20 plus years of experience in event planning, I have created a simple checklist to assist in confirming that all the details necessary to execute a successful event have been addressed. The obvious objective is to keep details that I can control under control, then those last minute surprises, which there always are, will be easier to deal with. Over the years, I have proven to myself, that this structure would help ensure no detail is overlooked and as with most structures, I’ve found that the old KISS rule (keep it simple silly) was the best approach.

The checklist I started with has been modified and updated frequently. Keeping your structure evergreen is critical as times and responsibilities change. For example, ten years ago, I would not have been responsible for making sure participants with food allergies were accommodated. However, I now have an area on my checklist to ensure I have made arrangements for sharing the ingredients of menu items, so guests with food allergies are well informed. 

More recently, I have added new items for consideration regarding “green meetings” allowing me to be more environmentally conscious of my meeting choices. This includes areas such as selecting a venue that recycles materials to taking into consideration the “carbon footprint” associated with an event and making modifications to be more environmentally friendly, where possible.

As either a seasoned event planner or a beginner, there are a variety of resources available to assist you in creating your own checklists from publications to seminars. Resources available at sgmp.org may offer information and some may event offer basic checklists for you to copy and begin using today. If you would like copies of checklists I’ve created to assist in event planning, don’t hesitate to contact me. 

As you know, the hard part is making sure you follow the structure. Even after planning thousands of events, remind yourself daily that your last successful event is only that. Your future success is based on your ability to discipline yourself again and again to follow the steps and not assume you now have enough experience to wing it.

So next time your eyes pop open at 4am, smile to yourself, knowing you have all the details covered and roll over for a few more hours of well deserved rest.

Biography: 

Linda Hampton, CMP - is part owner of Norris Conference Centers, which began in Austin Texas in 1990. 

Linda has a BS in education from Baylor, an MBA from Texas State University and a Masters in Leadership Development from UT- Austin.

Prior to her career with Norris, Linda spent a number of years planning and hosting numerous events during her employment with the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce.  Linda also spent three years as the Show Director - for the Austin Boat Show. 

With over 20 years of event planning & hosting experience, combined with “lessons learned” while hosting over 30,000 meetings and conferences and an additional 3,000 plus social events at Norris facilities, Linda has a wealth of industry knowledge. 

This experience, along with the combined experience and insight of the staff at Norris Conference Centers, has been consolidated into "The Complete Resource Guide for the Professional Meeting and Event Planner" - which is full of practical tools such as checklists, recommendations and a glossary of terms to assist both the experienced and novice planner when coordinating an event. To inquire about copies of “The Complete Resource Guide” and/or information regarding speaking engagements please contact Linda Hampton at 713-780-9387 or l.hampton@norriscenters.com