Going into details

Getting it right…

With all the effort needed to organise a quality event you want people to be able to come! Issue invitations as early as possible and check that they're going to the right people within an organisation. Staff move around a lot nowadays so a quick telephone check ensures you get the right name and title.

Enclose directions to the venue and check their accuracy just before the event. One excellent set of directions was ruined because the week before the event a key building ('turn left at the roundabout after the red hospital') was painted white! Alternatively advise delegates to look at websites such as www.multimap.com.

If your speakers plan to use equipment then make sure that the lead is long enough to reach the socket and that the necessary screens, marker pens, pointers, etc. are in place. Have spare equipment available if at all possible. If a fuse or bulb blows then being able to wheel another 'whatever-it-is' into place is much quicker than sorting out the fault. Spare paper work – lapel badges, agendas, etc. – is also very useful. If you and a colleague are travelling to an event separately, take a set each. Then if one of you is delayed the paperwork should still arrive on time.

At award or prize-giving ceremonies you're unlikely to forget the prizes, but you need to designate someone to bring them. You also need to make sure the presenter knows who is to receive what and why; a crib list is useful. Make sure the recipient is available and handy for the podium; if the award is to be a surprise, brief one of the recipient's colleagues to encourage them to be around at the right time.

And if it goes wrong…

If you're left high and dry at the last minute with an important gap – insurance, health and safety, catering, etc. – then ditch the budget and get expert help. Professional event organisers handle emergency situations all the time and have the infrastructure to put something in place very quickly. Jeopardising your entire event at the eleventh hour will cost a lot more than the experts' bill. If you can't get expert help then be creative. No after-dinner speaker? Contact one of the local amateur choirs to see if they'll sing at short notice. Catering let you down? See whether local restaurants will fit in a block booking. Power cut? Rearrange the sessions to give priority to those which don't need electrical equipment.

It depends on the time you have of course. If something really major goes wrong at the absolute last minute then an open acknowledgement of the fact to your delegates is better than a cobbled second-rate solution. They will be sympathetic, particularly if the rest of the event is obviously running like clockwork. You can always suggest an impromptu workshop, more free time or even a look round the company if your event is being held on site.

If it's something small which has gone awry then turn it to your advantage. No flowers? Several of the delegates have hayfever. Place cards not arrived? Delegates may choose their own seats and continue their post-workshop discussion. Signage late? Draft in ushers from your own staff or that of the venue.

Whatever happens look as though nothing is wrong; if you appear cheerfully unconcerned then you'll find that most delegates won't even notice the hitch. Remember, you know what was planned, they don't! The best organisation in the world can sometimes go astray but with vigilance, imagination and a sense of humour your event can still be memorable – and for the right reasons, not the wrong ones.