Golly, only a week to go until the conference and I can quite safely say the small (and perfectly formed) conference team are working their socks off, putting in ridiculous hours, to ensure that everything is ready.
If I step back for a moment and pause, I know we have everything ready anyway…apart from a frisson of panic, we could start the conference today and it would run smoothly enough!!
We would like to ensure our awards guests get the meal of their choice (rather than our choice); we would like delegates make use of the free parking and ensure their dietary requirements are catered for; we want to know they are warm enough…or cool enough and informed enough to enjoy the presentations; we want to make sure their we spell delegates names correctly so they feel valued.
…you get the gist!
And that is the thing – we would like EVERY delegate, presenter, exhibitor and steward to feel nurtured and empowered to have the best conference experience they possibly could…so we find ourselves going above and beyond to accommodate all the individual requests.
There is a huge amount of work that goes on behind the scenes of any event, to make sure it runs smoothly. I have no idea how event planners do this, day in and day out – they have my full admiration.
I do now have a different perspective when attending any event myself, that is catering for more than 8 people (the number I can comfortably manage at any one time!!). There is a HUGE difference between managing the needs of 8 people for one dinner party and managing the needs of 400 over three days…
…I wonder how the organisers of Harry and Meghan’s wedding are getting on, with only a week to go! At least we don’t have that event to manage – see, there is always a silver lining!!
In the meantime, please bear with us…normal service will be resumed as soon as possible…after the conference!