How "Smooth" Are You?

I spent last week off-site for a client's annual convention & trade show. During the course of the week, more than a few attendess commented on how "smoothly" the event had gone. A compliment for our staff team and efforts - of course. But what exactly does it mean in terms of convention planning and implementation? How do you define "smooth" when you look at your association's events?

• Does it mean that nothing was forgotten or overlooked? No - just ask me about those awards certificates I left in my hotel room.


• Does it mean that there were no last-minute freak-outs or undue stress? Nope, can't say that either. In moments of weakness, I'm sure I snapped a bit at my fellow team members. But luckily, they are forgiving people. Right, guys? Right?


• Does it mean that every attendee walked away happy? That's a great goal, but we haven't achieved it yet. (And if you do - let me know how!) Our meetings are always a balance of trying to meet the needs of attendees vs. exhibitors, small businesses vs. big businesses, long-time members vs. new to the industry. And as they say, you can't please 'em all.


• Does it mean that everything went exactly the way I envisioned it? Does it ever? I always keep a mental list of things I'll do differently next year, but I think the key is being able to think on your feet and react quickly. Flexibility is the name of the game.

So, with all the little things that can go wrong during a client's event, how do we define success? For me personally, my goal is that the attendees never see all these foibles and missteps.

They shouldn't know when we've stayed up until the wee hours of morning putting the finishing touches on a presentation or when I've missplaced the speaker's handouts or when something goes off schedule. They may see us as staff sweat from time to time, but they should also know we're on top of any problem that might crop up. Conventions can be a messy business, but if we're doing our job, our attendees shouldn't see the mess.

So how do I define "success" at a Convention? When, despite what may have gone on behind the scenes, an attendee comes up to me and comments on how "smoothly" everything went.

Yep, I'll take that.