It’s all solvable! Minimizing and moving on from hiccups and other tragedies at your next event

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, not the most intelligent, but the one most

responsive to change.” - Charles Darwin

Equating survival to hosting a great event may be hyperbolic, but there is a nugget of reality in

this Darwin quote. Event execution and great hosting certainly requires flexibility, resilience,

and adaptability. Nevertheless, Human Centered Events’ goal is for you to thrive vs. survive in

your event journey, and in the throes of unexpected surprises, here a few practical tips.

1. Mindset

HCE always starts with creating space through a grounded understanding, intentionality, and

belief that all is solvable. Sailing through mishaps is completely doable if you know that

something will always popup; so here’s to utilizing your tools to keep moving to the finish line

with a smile in your heart (and hopefully on your face).

Optimism, pessimism, or pragmatism? Where you naturally fall on this spectrum is great; things

will go wrong, and you can successfully pivot through tough moments with any outlook. People

may gravitate toward more of the positive optimism, but I’ve met can-do pessimist hosts in my

life that epitomize effortless events.

2. Planning in Advance

Usually, the pessimistic or pragmatic approach leans wholly into the first tip of planning for the

‘what-ifs’, and they usually prepare for the worst just by default. Optimists in my experience

consider what could potentially go wrong, but their attitude will carry the solutions through

themselves or others in the moment vs. the ‘knew this would happen’ crowd of preparedness.

Use your past as a guide for planning contingencies as best as possible. Tech problems last

year? Food mishaps? Forgot something? Add it to a list and plan accordingly beforehand.

There is a familiarity with problem solving if you’ve seen it before. Speedy recovery is yours

with that type of preparation.

In any case, there is only so much time for planning, and I would advise preparation to mainly

focus on crafting the experience you want – especially if your event has never been hosted

before. Envisioning and planning for your great event will have a better return on your time and

excitement than over planning for what could go wrong.

3. Seeing the Problem & taking Action

After establishing your mindset and planning strategy, it is easier to face any hiccup or tragedy

head on. Admitting you have a problem in the first place and understanding the magnitude of its

reach will immediately help in the solving. Everything is solvable, figureoutable, etc. This is a triage process. Is it a minor inconvenience hiccup or a full-on tragedy that will be event

altering? You can handle both! The speed you take these moments on and find action

ultimately minimizes the negative impact. You and your guests can enjoy a seamless

experience by not letting problems grow and fester.

Hiccups or anything minor are more common and action is usually easily done quickly. I never

hesitate to cut and run with anything that goes awry and can be edited out without much fuss.

Burnt appetizer at a dinner party? I’ll move it to the garage without a second thought and a

smile.

Minor inconveniences can start to become heavy if they multiply and/or happen in rapid

succession. Critical thinking cannot happen if you get overwhelmed, so usually this would be a

perfect time for a grownup timeout to reset. Step away or find an activity that is mindless where

you can separate yourself for a hot minute.

Thinking outside the box with others becomes an effective strategy as we move into more

complicated problems. Don’t hesitate to add in a trusted collaborator if you run into a roadblock.

The best ideas can come from a surprise opportunity to lean on others. In fact, bringing guests

into problem solving may make everyone feel good – just remember that your attitude as host

will set the stage for generosity of spirit and willingness to pitch in.

Knowing what to do in the moment and what can wait until later will set you apart as a great

host. I adhere to a tourniquet mode of tragic assessment. Like minor hiccups with the cut and

run mentality, you can also make hard decisions that will make things easier in the long run.

4. All the Feelings

Cancelling events are not uncommon in the post-COVID timeline, and societal understanding is

coming along! As a good host, your responsibilities are many. Losing out on vendor fees may

be a sting to the budget, but prioritizing peace of mind in major event surprises is never a bad

choice.

Do not let others’ disappointment have real estate in your head after major event choices – you

are not responsible for those feelings. However, managing emotions and validating those

feelings can be one of your most important tools in your hosting toolbox.

Effective communication may not come easy in these situations, but simplifying your message

and decision making can only help. Sometimes saying less is more, but don’t hesitate to be

vulnerable with your guests. You are allowed to be human and show up as you are.

A host with a racing pulse, dripping in disappointment, and a high dose of guilt can have a

tendency to make even the most composed individual want to overexplain and stew in those

feelings. This is totally understandable, but you will be thankful if you can dial it back for

yourself and your guests. Inspired action after tragedy may take a while to come into focus, but

it will come.

Everyone knows things go wrong; minimizing problems and moving through them is reliant on

mindset, speed, and knowing your strengths. It is also important to validate emotions and

manage feelings. Make these moments part of your event journey however they show up, and

oftentimes they will lead to ingenuity, excitement, and connection. Everything is solvable.