Skift Take
Most of us go a little crazy over the holiday season. Whether you love it or hate it, its hard not get caught up in the whirl of decorations, preparations and shopping.
Today’s post is designed to provide a little light relief from the hustle and bustle of the season. It’s also a nod of appreciation and acknowledgement to all of you, who create amazing events year round.
Father Christmas is currently getting ready for the biggest night of his year. As Christmas Eve looms, Santa and his band of elves are working round the clock to get ready for the big event.
Here we take a look at some of the characteristics that make Santa the ultimate event planner.
Possesses the ability to be in many places at once
Santa has developed the incredible ability to be in many places all at the same time. It seems scientifically impossible that Santa is able to visit so many millions of homes on Christmas Eve and yet somehow he does it reliably year after year.
Like Santa, event planners have the amazing multitasking abilities and have an almost super-natural ability to be handle many different things at once.
Appears Jolly and Merry at All Times
Delivering gifts across an entire planet in one night is hard work. That doesn’t even begin to take into account the many weeks beforehand of planning and organizing, or the long days sitting in department stores, smiling while small children sit on your knee and dribble on you. However you never see Santa complaining.
Planning events is one of the most stressful jobs you can do. There are tight deadlines, hundreds of details to manage and organize and rarely does everything run smoothly. Yet, like Santa, event planners have the uncanny ability to work long days and nights, deal with breakdowns and deadlines and still wear a smile.
Never Works Alone
Santa’s job would be next to impossible, with a team of elves working hard behind the scenes to make it all happen. The master event planner knows she cannot do it alone. She is the queen of team, and is able to recruit large teams of volunteers to help her pull off the big event.
Is Always on Time
Have you ever noticed that Santa is never late? Can you imagine the upset on Christmas morning if children were to wake up and find no presents under the tree and instead found a note reading “Sorry, running a little bit behind, hopefully will make it to your house tomorrow.” It would never happen!
Like the best event planners, Santa is never late. Meeting professionals know the golden rule of event planning, that no-matter what goes wrong behind the scenes the show must happen and it must happen on time! No excuses.
Is Original and Recognizable
I defy you to see a man in a big red suit and a white beard and not think of Santa. It’s impossible. The Santa brand is unique and instantly recognizable.
Meeting professionals understand the importance of creating a brand that is attractive, compelling and original. They are not scared to stand out from the crowd, in fact they know the value of being distinct. They also know that a brand is more than a logo. They know that it includes how you look, how you speak, what your values are, what people say about you and how you treat other people.
Loves Making Lists
Santa is known to make a list of all the children throughout the world, categorizing them according to whether they have been ‘naughty’ or ‘nice’. Rumors that Santa has recently upgraded to a database have been neither confirmed nor denied by his team at the North Pole.
Meeting planners are the masters of list making. Like Santa they sort, categorize and manage every particle of information with precision. They use the best tools to help them keep all their data organized in the most efficient way possible.
Is a Mind-Reader
It always amazed me as a child that Santa seemed to know exactly what I wanted for Christmas. He has this incredible talent for knowing what we really want, our secret wishes and desires.
Like Santa, the best Event planners have the ability to know what their attendees want, even if they haven’t asked for it. They know why their attendees are coming to the event, what they really to do, see and hear and use their expertise to create experiences that hit all the high notes.
Creates Magic and Wonder
Let’s face it, there are easier ways to deliver gifts than on a sleigh pulled by a team of flying reindeers. However, it’s hard to think of a way that has quite the same sense of magic and wonder.
Event planners know that it’s not what you do, but how you do it that matters. An event is not just a line-up of presenters, it needs to be entertaining. It needs to surprise and delight the audience, otherwise people may just as well stay at home and read about it online.
Like Santa, event planners add that element of showmanship, the magic, that keeps people coming back for more.
WRAPPING UP
I don’t know what Santa does after he has dropped that final gift down the last chimney. I like to think of him sitting by a log fire, with a glass of mulled wine and some mince pies, smiling happily to himself and celebrating all the lives he has touched and all the people he has brought happiness to.
I like to think that you will find time to do the same, to find a moment over this holiday season to celebrate everything you accomplished this year and all the people whose lives were changed because of the events that you created.
Happy holidays!
