Ryan’s Journal: Preparation is Key
by Ryan Pew
I am in Chicago this week for a mini conference and learned a few things about the importance of attention to detail and preparation.
When my team and I arrived to set up our booth the first thing we learned is we had not paid attention to the details. We had not completed a step in our registration to have our badge scanner work. Initially I thought this would be an issue, but when I had valuable conversations with people on the floor I started asking them to write down their info in my notebook. The result was actual eye contact while speaking and getting a sense of the problem in their own words. Crisis averted but a rookie mistake.
During the course of the conference it was clear that the person in charge of setting up the event is a rockstar. She worked long hours, was dedicated to her role and was literally running around to get things done the day of. The venue was amazing, the speakers fresh and the food was on time.
However, about mid way through the morning the unexpected happened. The power went out.
Power outages and tech events typically do not mix well. As the information became available we leaned that it was not just the venue, but a few city blocks that were without power.
I’m not sure this event was in any contingency plan, but adjustments were made right away. The guest speaker lost his slides, but was able to speak from memory without a microphone. The attendees were forced to look up from laptops without WiFi and have true conversations. And the windows were opened to allow fresh air with the AC out.
The power ended up being out for 2 plus hours and it was interesting to see how people adjusted. The end result though was a memorable experience that led to some positive reviews from attendees. They appreciated that we could not control the power, liked the venue and enjoyed the conversations. Perhaps we can repeat the process next year.
Image credit: Miriam Delirium
