While organizations are generally concerned only with the results, most leaders fail to realize the amount of details that must be analyzed, managed, and overseen, if an event is to come out effectively. Recently I celebrated my birthday during one of the conferences I was working with, and the hotel's management staff presented me with a gift of a lovely flask, engraved, "The Ultimate Backup Plan." This was a humorous reference to my constant insistence that there be multiple contingency plans to cover any foreseeable eventuality, and while always hoping for the preferred plan to be all that was necessary, being prepared for just about anything.
Professional event planners and managers realize that sometimes something does not work out as expected. Obviously, certain things, such as weather are uncontrollable, and so contingencies must be in place in advance for any weather. Many untrained individuals think only of rain as a weather concern, but I have also been involved when unseasonably cold or windy weather occurred. A professional will make sure that large outside "heaters" are available and plentiful in supply, so that any area that attendees might be exposed to, is as comfortable as possible. Professionals never leave things like this to chance, but list variable "fallbacks" that the hotel must provide in case of inclement weather.
How often have you attended a conference or convention when the elevators were extremely crowded during certain "crush" hours? It is important to contractually have in place the availability and usage of some sort of elevator override system, to minimize the inconvenience.
One of the greatest financial issues that face most organizations is properly guaranteeing numbers, so as not to either underestimate or overestimate the number attending functions involving food and beverage. Minimizing the "breakage," or the amount of meals the organization pays for that go unused, often amounts to a major factor between whether a conference succeeds or fails from a financial perspective.
An event professional must be an expert negotiator, as well. One of the most trying circumstances for a conference/ convention planner is when he is not the original negotiator of the contract, and often finds himself burdened by conditions and situations that are far less than optimal. I always advise that once an organization determines they will use the services of a professional, they should take advantage of his expertise and experience, and put him and the organization in the best possible scenario for success.
There are so many details involved in properly running an event. Neglect of considering even one detail, even if it might seem small and perhaps insignificant, can often cause irreversible harm. After having planned and overseen hundreds of events in the past three plus decades, while details may be tedious, if left unmanaged, can often become critical.
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