Plan B: Noisy Neighbors

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Twenty-four hours before our event, everything was spot on. It was a pharmaceutical investigators meeting at a posh Washington, D.C., property. The caterers were ready, the A/V was set, and busses were staged and ready to go. Every facet of the event was going perfectly, birds were singing and love was in the air.

Until one of our team members said abruptly: “We might have a problem.”

That phrase makes the hair on the back of most planners’ necks stand on end. I soon found out that some spit and duct tape couldn’t fix this “problem.” It turned out that our little problem was so big, it has an acronym: POTUS.

The e-mail we had received was simple: “The President of the United States, George W. Bush, will be speaking in the ballroom next to yours during an annual luncheon. We do not feel that this last-minute change will cause any disruption to your meeting, but wanted you to know.”

If you have never been in proximity to the leader of the free world, it is hard to comprehend the security systems, but it was clear to us that it was time to move to Plan B.

The first thing we learned from the Secret Service was that all of our attendees would have to be on time, with credentials, to be allowed access. Once inside, they could only leave with an escort and only if absolutely necessary. Also, a Secret Service agent would sit in the back of the room for our entire event.

Next, back-of-house access would not be available after 7 a.m., so breakfast, lunch and two breaks worth of food had to be brought in early. If an attendee’s special order was forgotten, too bad. And the décor and A/V teams would have to ensure everyone had the proper tools, backups and supplies to keep us self-sufficient for the duration.

We puzzled over how to tell our attendees about the next-door meeting. You never want to over- or under-hype something important, but you want everyone to pay attention.

To accomplish this, team members made a brief announcement on the elevator ride up to the welcome reception, which made sure everyone was aware, while also putting an exciting, positive spin on the whole affair and warning them to not be late.

The morning of the event, the security measures were as advertised. Elevators, escalators and doorways were all secure and locked down, and the metal detectors and screening areas would rival any airport’s.

Knowing we would have stragglers, we dispatched a team to hit the coffee shops and hotel restaurants looking for wayward guests before they were locked out. All but one made it in.

Just as the attendees were seated and ready for the keynote, the doors at the back of the room opened and in came the explosives dogs. They ignored the attendees as they sniffed briefcases, purses and corners. Then, as quick as they had arrived, they were gone.

In the end, we had just one unexpected twist when one team member was straightening the curtains behind the stage near the room’s emergency exit during the lunch break. Unfortunately, right at that time, the president was passing by the exit door through the back of the house.

Our Secret Service guest had a few stern words, but at least our team member wasn’t tackled to the floor and led away
in handcuffs.

By the time the attendees had finished their afternoon break, all was as if it had never happened. The agents and security teams were gone, the metal detectors were on their way to the next stop and the dogs were nothing but a memory.

We, however, were left with a few things: a happy client, happy attendees and happy partners — and a few laughs.

About the author: Keith Johnston

Guest columnist Keith Johnston is group vice president of OnSite Events Inc., a Chicago-based corporate event planning and design firm that recently launched its OnSite Events Green division to help companies and associations produce sustainable meetings and events.

Contact: keith@onsiteevents.com