Top 5 Things That Go Wrong At Events

In live events, anything can go wrong, and often does. Cables break, batteries die and next thing you know the projector and the laptop don’t want to talk to each other anymore. At Phantom PD, we’ve seen (and rescued) enough gone wrong moments to know exactly where they come from.

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes mishaps aren’t preventable. But more often than not the root cause of the issue runs deep into the operation of the event and everything leading up to it. We’ve compiled the top 5 things that go wrong in events, and we’ve expanded on how our services work proactively to prevent these from happening in the first place.

Technical Failures

Now, if you're not familiar with how this kind of equipment works there is one thing you need to know.

It’s a rare situation that equipment decides it doesn’t want to work that day. There isn’t a solution. They just decide to not work…and then the next day they do. Unexplainable but frustrating

But most of the time it is something that can be fixed. Outdated equipment, broken cables, unbalanced audio, a light flashing when it shouldn't, the list goes on. 

At Phantom PD we put procedures in place to prevent these from happening.

Before the truck is loaded we take out all of the equipment (and the backups) and thoroughly test everything. Making sure everything is doing what it is supposed to do.

We bring backups of the equipment that is most likely to get damaged. We always have extra headsets for mics as they are fragile. An extra laptop with a presentation on, mixed in so it can be swapped seamlessly if the first one fails, so the audience is unaware.

Environmental Challenges

Sometimes the weather isn’t on our side. Wind can affect acoustics, sun can overheat equipment and rain doesn’t help anything. Other environmental factors include venues as well. Every now and again you get a pillar that is in the perfect spot to be in the way.

Preventing these things is particularly tricky (including the weather) but a lot can be put in place to make sure everything still runs smoothly. We always try to do at least one site visit for every event. This helps us see the layout and so we can work around any challenges beforehand. 

For outdoor events we have full risk assessments for weather and show stop procedures communicated with all staff in the case of something extreme. Safety is our number one priority.

Last Minute Changes

We understand that things can change unexpectedly. But last minute changes have a big impact on how an event is run, coordinated and executed. We’ve come across changes from something as simple as a slight script to change, to a complete venue change!

As a team we are adaptable and have precautions in place to help everything continue to run as it should. Such as content deadlines. This is so we can test the presentation and match up cues for our technical team. We have a deadline for a head count which is checked multiple times so all of your guests/delegates are comfortable. 

We also can provide a comfort monitor so even if your presentation has been changed, the presenter has peace of mind that they know exactly what is on the screen and what’s coming next.

Attendee Experience

The most important thing to go right is your attendees experience at the event! You could have everything perfect. The lights, immersive sound, eye catching decor; but there’s a pillar in one of your guests face. They have to fumble and find their seat that wasn’t posted at the door, the queue for the bar is just a clump and they can’t see the stage from their seat. A lot of these things could be make or break for your event and making sure that everyone’s experience is on point is a no brainer. 

At Phantom PD we build your event with people in mind. Our layouts always make sure crowd flow is never an issue for safety and for experience. Every sightline is checked so there is no obstruction and we make sure sound is equal and balanced throughout the room.

Vendor Coordination

Being in sync is key for a successful event, but a lot of the time you find that all these vendors have been booked and no communication has been made between them. Food comes out too early, people don't know when they’re going on stage and it ends up a big mess. 

That’s why our team coordinates vendors involved. Communication is from the very beginning and a plan/schedule is put in place that works for the flow of the event. Our event manager cues on the day so that everything runs seamlessly.

At Phantom PD, we pride ourselves in professionalism, preparation, and delivering events that run exactly as they should; no matter what happens behind the scenes!

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