A right Willy Wonka
Watching the news story about the disastrous launch of the Willy Wonka Immersive Experience, was a bit like watching car crash TV – and it left us feeling very uncomfortable. When the news first broke, the organisers of the event cited ‘unreliable suppliers’ as their main problem. Now, Mr Wonka himself (or at least the actor who was there to play him) has spoken out to say it was ‘heartbreaking and dangerous’, there was no chocolate, his script was ’15 pages of AI generated gibberish’ and the entire thing descended into chaos. Promising the ‘full Wonka experience’ children were left in tears with families demanding their money back. As experienced event planners, it’s the stuff of nightmares!
But it poses the question – how ‘let down’ do you have to be for it to be that bad? If it was one area of the experience that fell short, the being let down by a supplier line, might just cut it, but when the entire thing is a disaster, surely it’s not a supply problem, but the event management company who is to blame. Of course, a spokesperson from House of Illuminati included in their statement an apology and the promise of refunds – but is that enough, or is their reputation ruined?
All we can say is, with the benefit of experience, we can rest easy knowing that we would never suggest an event goes ahead unless we were confident it was going to be a success. It doesn’t matter whether you are planning an Open Day, a conference, an exhibition – meticulous planning of every aspect is the key to its success. Here are a few of our top tips to consider if you’ve got an event coming up:
· Agree the budget – before you do anything else! Create a realistic budget for what you want to achieve, allow some contingency and stick to it.
· Check for date clashes – speak to a couple of the people you would like to attend and check they haven’t been invited to anything else on that date and also check the events on in the locality to ensure there’s not a clash.
· Create an event plan calendar – a key part of successful event planning is a having a shared document where you can see who is responsible for what and by when, and make sure someone is in charge of monitoring progress.
· Choose location wisely – is it easy to get to, is there enough parking, is it accessible – not just for the guests but if you have any equipment you need to get there.
· Catering considerations – can the venue deliver on your expectations? If not, get a variety of quotes from external providers and ensure the detail is included in what they provide.
· Content – Agree speakers, review presentations, ensure AV compatibility, do you need promotional material, would it be beneficial to have a photographer there on the day.
As important as it is to be proactive, you also need to be reactive, with little or no notice, as there inevitably may sometimes be a hiccup along the way. I think back to helping a customer with a product launch party they were holding at an exhibition in Germany and whilst working in the office in the UK, half an hour before the event was due to start, we received a call to say the glassware hadn’t arrived (although it had actually been ordered I hasten to add). A couple of phone calls later and the matter was resolved – just in time for the champagne to be poured!
If you’ve got an event in the pipeline and don’t want a repeat of the Wonka experience on your hands, give Brouha a call. We work with clients on a variety of events, both in the UK and overseas and can assure you that we’ll never forget the chocolate!
Call us: 01672 514947 or email us: hello@brouhamarketing.com