Events that did not go to plan – Breeze Bites

If you’re an Event Manager you know there are a lot of things that can go wrong at an event, even the best laid plans often go askew. The whole reason we have a plan is so we know what we’re doing.  So what happens when things don't go according to plan? It can be frustrating, confusing, funny and sometimes dangerous, but there are always ways to recover and get back on track no matter how big or small the event is. 

Check out these big and small disasters at events.

Bands without beer

A music event was set to take place at a local sporting ground. A lot of big name bands were going to perform as well as a handful of local favourites. What transpired was an absolute sell-out with thousands of party people chomping at the bit to see their favourite bands.

Everything seemed to be in place; the sun was shining, parking attendants kept the parking situation under control, gaining entrance was a smooth and effortless procedure. It was all proving to be perfectly planned, until the attendees decided they wanted to buy something to drink.

One of the prerequisites was that the event planners allow the sports facility to sell alcohol and soft drinks, therefore making the profit on the drinks. The only problem was that the event planners hadn’t confirmed if the sports facility had catered to the enormous amount of people who were going to be in attendance; the sell-out crowd. Only a handful of small bars had been opened up around the facility and they were already running out of alcohol before the bands started playing.

What resulted was a huge team of angry people clambering over one another to get to one of the few bars as well as seize the last few cases of beer before they were all sold out. Queues and queues of people waited anxiously for hours, hoping they would be served some sort of beverage when they reached the front. Instead they were told that there was nothing left to be bought.

What could have been an incredible experience was ruined by the attendees not getting what they had expected.

The big electric brush swap 

A promotional stall handing out free electric toothbrushes to commuters at Waterloo Station (England) was forced to shut down amid safety fears. Colgate's 'Big Electric Brush Swap' offered to exchange old electric toothbrushes for new ones worth £169.99 - but they underestimated demand for the deal. Hundreds of people overwhelmed staff and caused mayhem as frustrated consumers were turned away. Colgate apologised and subsequently made the promotion online-only.

5th birthday party

 Kids birthday parties are fun right?! Planning a 5 year olds party takes creativity and a lot of thought. Games, food and entertainment. A whole heap of kids were invited and the party went well apart from the fact no child was interested in any of the games or activities planned.  And to get them all to sit in a circle for a game of pass-the-parcel was like coordinating a military operation, which failed miserably. All the children wanted to do their own thing; some played in the garden, some played with toys - which was not what I had planned for. However it did make my (Mum’s) job easier when I finally clicked no child was interested.

India’s Commonwealth Games 2010

Called the “worst-planned international sporting event ever” by Business Insider, India’s Commonwealth Games suffered from an incredible roster of mishaps and problems, including corruption allegations, serious stadium construction delays, flooding, dengue fever outbreaks, poor security, water supply issues, tourist shootings and – ta da – a bridge collapse.

Giant Snapple-Pop (ice block) flood

Back in 2005, Snapple (ice block company) attempted to break a world record by creating the world’s biggest ice-pop. They strapped a massive popsicle onto the back of a trailer and hauled it into the middle of Union Square on the first day of summer. Surprise! It melted and the fire department was called to clean up the ocean of kiwi-strawberry runoff. 

In Event Management a contingency plan is a must, a plan B is always needed. When you’re planning an event you should always consider what might go wrong, how drastically it might go wrong, and how you can fix it if the worst happens. 

For any enquires on event management, corporate events, conference and incentives days please call Jo. Jo can bring all her experience, passion and skill to the table to create a fresh and innovative partnership with you.