Preparation is not the fun part of any job. Think about the time, dedication, and hard work it takes to get to a Super Bowl. Think about the long hours, days, weeks and months of sacrifice, pushing through pain and injuries. In our industry, the behind-the-scenes preparation for a big event also requires a lot of perseverance and grit. There are late nights, early mornings, long hours of planning that go into every event. And in the most difficult times, such as the ones we now find ourselves facing, the challenges are not only about performance. They are about survival. Our owners, Paul Trapp and Steve Davis, have came up with 6 strategies to prepare for success, which are more relevant now than ever:

  1. Recognize and seize opportunity
    The key to realizing when there is a need greater than your own and capitalizing on the opportunity that exists in meeting that need.
  2. Become a disruptor
    Not only should you try to create something that no one else is doing – you should do ti in a way that inspires a great benefit to others and to society.
  3. Attract great talent
    Look for people with the qualities you seek, rather than specific experience, and help them find their purpose. If recruiting is about empowering, retaining is about celebrating –showing gratitude and appreciation often and with dedication.
  4. Establish a solid culture
    There are two facts about a business’s culture: 1) it will define itself either by default or by design and 2) it is created at the top and cascades downward. Culture is about creating a positive experience for your employees.
  5. Embrace Murphy’s Law
    Murphy’s Law has never been truer than in the event planning business. Because Murphy will show up in any number of forms, when preparing to do anything, there has to be a list of solutions in place before a problem ever happens.
  6. Embrace change
    Nelson Mandela said “Difficulties break some men, but make others.” When there is a downturn in business, and those times will always come, finding the resilience to pivot and get back to it, with the passion and skills you’ve picked up along the way, will set you apart and help you rebuild.Preparation is everything. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you prepare for your next event opportunity. Even as we are all facing incredibly challenging times, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and if you properly prepare, you’ll be ready to seize it.

Contact:  Denise Radcliff, CFE   (571) 488-8460 or dradcliff@eventprep.com