The importance of having a knowledgeable and experienced company
As we can all imagine, any event that brings a large number of people together brings with it a large number of problems. The more people are coming, the greater the likelihood that something will go wrong. The correct organization of an event depends on the anticipation and resolution of all these problems that arise on the fly. Es.Cultura has more than proven experience in the organization of events and this time we will talk with our National Production Director, Paco Corbacho, about the problems that arise in the day to day activities of our work.
What types of problems usually appear in the organization of events?
It should be noted that problems do not have to come from the organizer, but there are also external problems. In general we usually find 3 types of situations:
Unexpected changes of the client with respect to the event:
- Schedule changes.
- Changes of spaces and/or locations for the tests.
- Information problems: they occur when at some point in the chain of clients (production, agencies, final client…) the information about the event is distorted and the final client does not know how certain aspects of the event are going to be approached. Sometimes there is a direct loss of useful information that never reaches the organizer.
Problems with the staff:
- Punctuality problems.
- Unreported absences.
- Not coming with the information of the event properly prepared.
Problems with Suppliers:
- Punctuality problems.
- Cancellations: resources end up not arriving.
- Sometimes material is missing or the contracted materials are not prepared.
What are the most common problems in the organization of events?
The most common problems can be divided into three groups.
Common problems with the client:
- Although a specific duration for the activities of the event has been recommended and agreed upon, it is very common for the client to insist that some activity last longer and longer. The thing is that when we manage to extend the duration of the activity as much as possible, attending to the client’s requests, most of the time (as we had previously planned and advised) the client tells us that it is too long, or that it is too hot, or that they are too tired, that we should stop… And in the end we have to cut the duration as we go along.
- Even though our team sends all the details of the event to the client in advance, it usually happens that the client (especially if it is someone especially imaginative), during the celebration of the event, sees the spaces already decided and set up for the tests and decides that it is better to change them completely.
Common problems with the staff:
- Something very common, especially organizing events with large groups, or in cities where we work with some temporary staff, is that the day before the activity arrive one or more messages such as: “I feel awful and I do not think I can attend the event tomorrow,” “I have a last minute family problem and I can not go,” etc.. With the problem that it entails: having to look for new qualified personnel at the last minute and restructure the whole previous organization.
- Another drawback we often encounter is the language. When we have requested personnel with a specific language for the job, there are times when people arrive with certified degrees, but when it comes down to it, it turns out that they don’t dominate the language as we need and they have accredited. Therefore, our production team must first check that the level requested is the right one.
Common problems with suppliers:
- Sometimes the materials that arrive at the event are useless. The material that has previously been requested does not correspond to what finally arrives. The excuses are varied, but usually it is because the supplier does not have the necessary stock and decides to replace some elements by others thinking of covering everything, resulting in something very different from your expectation.
- Delivery deadlines are not met. Most suppliers are not accustomed to working with the intensity and timing of the event industry. They are not aware that it is very important to meet the deadline, otherwise it is possible that their materials can no longer be used at the event.
Is the client or assistant aware of all the problems that occur?
No, we do our best so that no one perceives any of the inconveniences that are happening.
How can these unforeseen events be resolved discreetly without reaching the client or the attending public?
We may encounter many problems at events, but very rarely do we encounter unforeseen events. The job of a good production team is that everything is foreseen, even the most adverse circumstances. As for what is unpredictable, there are times when it is very complicated that, at least the client, does not know. In fact, there are times when it is even good that he does (especially for inconveniences that do not concern us), so that he is aware of the capacity of resolution that we may have. Although if the problems have a solution, we usually ensure that no one knows.
With respect to the audience, things are different. They don’t have as much information about the event as the client, so it’s much more difficult for them to find out that some kind of setback has occurred.
Why does Es.Cultura Events excel at last minute problem solving?
Es.Cultura is its own event producer. This means that our company prioritizes and invests in a production team that is specialized not only in the planning and organization of corporate events, but also in different fields that allow us to differentiate ourselves from others. Having a multidisciplinary and specialized team allows each member to know what to do at any given moment. The key to our success is the self-confidence of our team.
