Meet At Memorial - Insider tips from Conference and Event Services

Use these strategies to keep it all going when Murphy's Law strikes 

Murphy’s Law - ‘If something can go wrong, it will’ - is alive and well in the event business. Some might even say that’s the fun part!  Emily Yetman, Event Coordinator for Conference and Event Services (CES), for Memorial University, is one of them.   

She says, “Those electric moments – something that is so far off from what was meant to happen is happening – is an adrenaline rush.”  

As a woman who has been in the events business in varying capacities for 10 years, Emily has the skills and expertise to rise to the occasion when Murphy’s Law kicks in.  

Real-Life Event Crisis: No Food for 50 (The Food Truck that Wouldn’t Cook)  

For instance, there’s the time Emily was running an event that had a bus load of hungry, excited travellers/conference attendees just off a long flight.

She says, "First stop - food! Hungry people are not happy people. The guests didn’t know, but we had a fun food truck planned. The truck was in position in a very scenic outdoor space. According to the plan, in 15 minutes there would be 50 hungry people showing up with food ready for them - perfect way to kick off their conference experience on a Saturday night."   

And then Murphy's Law kicked in: the propane in the food truck would not ignite. The food truck could not cook. 

She says, "This was obviously a problem that needed an immediate solution. Pressing the ignite button 50 times didn't work."    

Emily paused, assessed the situation, and came up with a plan.

Leveraging her network in the business, Emily called a nearby restaurant that she knew had capacity to accommodate 50 to see if they could take them in 15 minutes.   

She says, "When I called, knowing and sharing details like: one bill, pre-ordered food (not 50 people choosing from the menu), and an open bar made it much more enticing and an easier ‘yes’ from the restaurant’s perspective. Turns out they could do it."  

Emily updated the bus driver with the change-of-plans - “Take them to XYX place in 15 minutes!”

And then she dashed down to the location where she confirmed the plan and logistical details, and oversaw the set up.  Emily ordered plates and plates and plates of fun food with a variety (including gluten-free and vegetarian) everyone would enjoy.    

That sorted, she met the bus load of hungry guests at the door and directed them to the bar.  Shortly thereafter streams of food began to appear to the delight of guests.    

She says, "The guests were boisterous and happy, they loved the venue and the effortlessness of the service. They felt cared for and had no idea how close they came to no food! It was a rush for me, but it all worked out perfectly."   

That's one example, but there are innumerable ways Murphy’s Law can kick it. Happily there are ways to prepare. Here Emily shares her best counsel learned and earned through her hundreds of events.    

5 Strategies to Keep ‘er Going, Come What May  

1 – PLAN LIKE A PRO – Why details matter   The number one fan of Murphy’s Law may very well be summed up in the poem ‘To a Mouse’ by Robert Burns:  ‘the best-laid plans of mice and men oft’ go awry’.  

Great planning is the foundation of any sort of professional event – knowing your purpose, knowing your audience, managing the budget, etc – all essential.  I recommend to plan to the extent that you know exactly what’s supposed to happen, by whom, when, where and how.  It seems counter-intuitive, but if you’ve done your detailed planning, you’re in a much better position to respond when things go awry.     

2 – STAY CALM, BE CONFIDENT – Your guests don’t need to know  Whatever has gone wrong or is going wrong, there’s a very high probability that your guests don’t know.  There is no need and no benefit to making your problem their problem.  Pause a moment to clearly identify what the current problem is (not what went wrong) and how to solve it.  In the case above the problem wasn’t that the food truck broke down, the problem was that there was no food to offer hungry guests.  

3 - CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING - Whatever was meant to happen, let it go and put your energies into being creative about what will solve the problem. Pause. Open your mind.  Think of who can help and reach out.  (See Strategy 5 for the how-to).    

4 – COMMUNICATE CLEARLY – The key to a smooth pivot   Once the solution is in hand, clearly communicate what is going to happen next with members of the team who are needed to execute Plan B. In the case of the example above, the critical communications were to the driver of the bus (where to go and when) and the staff at the restaurant (let them sit wherever they like, serve buffet style).  (Remember - defer to Strategy 2 – Be Calm and Confident)   

5 – BUILD YOUR EVENT NETWORK – Why connections matter  Remember that the event business is big business, and there is a whole community of players who invest in it. Knowing who they are and what they offer is really helpful in all aspects of event planning, let alone when you’re faced with an immediate pivot. Because Emily knew a nearby resto had an upstairs capacity, it was a great first call.  And it worked.  Build your network by showing up at industry functions, letting people know what you’re offering the market, and build relationships that will help build a great event ecosystem.   

These strategies obviously won’t stop things from going wrong, but will help you respond effectively when Murphy's Law kicks in.

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At CES, we provide one of the broadest range of venues in the City, as well as CES Event Services. We're a one-stop shop with space, support, and capacity to manage the details—so your fall event feels smooth, on-point, and fully supported – Meet@mun.ca!  

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Meet at Memorial - Insider Tips is a series of blogs from Memorial University's Conference and Event Services team. Follow our socials, or email ktodd@mun.ca with the Subject 'subscribe' to receive 'Event Matters... because Events Matter' the CES e-newsletter and stay in the know when new blogs are published!  

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