We took a hiatus for a couple of weeks this month because we were preparing for a trip to Washington, DC. We have returned, and definitely wanted to share some insights from the trip. We've all heard the saying "What can go wrong will go wrong and fast." or "It's Murphy's Law". This week, we're going to talk about "When sh*t hits the fan" and how do you recover. 

Last week, a project that we've been working on since September 2013 culminated with a charter bus trip to Washington, DC. All of the planning in the world could not prepare me for what took placed during the trip. 

When I make the statement, sh*t hit the fan and fell on my head last week was an understatement. There were issues with vendors; the charter bus was pulled over twice by the police; the air conditioning on the bus broke down on the return trip home; there were issues with the hotel; others on the trip had traveling issues and people didn't want to fulfill their part of the contracts. Let's just say that I am glad to be home in one piece after this disastrous trip. 

Although the stress of the trip and the challenges got the best of me a couple of times during and after the trip, I learned five very valuable lessons that I want to share with you all. All of these lessons build upon the other and can hopefully help someone avoid these issues:

1. Listen to your intuition/ gut- with our hotel vendor, I had some apprehensions with this hotel prior to us actually traveling to Washington, DC. Since January, we went through four separate sales managers and each time we spoke with someone new, there were new "rules" in play. We were unable to get a straight answer from the staff, and when problems arose, their answers were "I don't know what happened." I had a strong inclination that we should have chosen another hotel property after the first sales manager left and it took over a month to determine the new point of contact. Looking back, I should have listened to my gut feeling because it would have saved me some headaches and lost sleep.
2. Don't put your full trust into others- most times when you really need someone to come through, they don't and often leave you holding the bag. This is especially true with friends and family, many times its unintentional- but it causes financial issues for you just the same. Referencing Tip #1 about trusting your intuition- listen to it the first time- it can keep your blood pressure down. 
3. ALWAYS have a back-up plan- I live off of contingency plans, and it's always good to have a plan A, B and sometimes C when Tip #2 occurs. Thankfully, when things started going awry, we had some back-up plans to help alleviate some of the discomfort and issues that occurred throughout the trip. Although I was stressing out, everyone else continued to enjoy their trip and proceeded as planned. Consider everything that could possibly go wrong and plan your contingency plans backwards from there. 
4. Keep your contracts with you at all times (especially if your event is off-site or out of town)- Again, I learned this lesson a LONG time ago. Whenever you have an event, purchase a plastic envelope from the $1 Store and keep copies of ALL of your contracts and important pieces of correspondence with you during your event. You never know when you may need to reference this information or remind a vendor of their end of the contract. If I didn't have my contracts on hand when issues arose, we would still be arguing with vendors. Consider this envelope like money- never leave home without it. 
5. Try to keep calm and keep it professional- As much as you may want to yell, scream, throw things and perhaps catch an assault charge, it's important to remain professional when dealing with these issues. I know I would have liked to done each of these things at any time throughout that trip, but I also know that acting out of character would have made the situation worse. In addition, it's hard to get concessions and allowances out of people when you're acting like a donkey. Therefore, it's far better to kill them with kindness and your pen than to fly off the handle and make yourself look stupid. There is a professional way to make your concerns known to the staff. Reference those contracts you brought with you and refer to that contingency plan, but whatever you do, keep it professional.  I learned that lesson well before this trip, but I had to be extra careful because you never know who is actually watching you and your reactions to a situation. 

So there you have it, hopefully these 5 tips will help you when sh*t starts hitting the fan!

Sharing Is Caring!

When was the last time sh*t hit the fan for you? What did you do when everything seemed to go awry? Please feel free to share!

©2014 by Tillman Davis Enterprises. All Rights Reserved. Garrysa Caffey, MBA | Event Planner, Speaker and Author for Nov8ive Events & Designs. Learn the trade secrets that event planners use to create successful events. Join us today and get our free eBook “The 7 Costly $ins that Can Ruin Any Event”. Visit www.nov8iveevents.com and fill out the form.

July is the time for vacations, family & class reunions and other joyous occasions when we meet with family and friends. Normally when there are outdoor gatherings, we reminisce on days gone by and enjoy the summer weather. However, have you ever gone to a picnic or an outdoor function and something was wrong with the food or heard the phrase “Don’t eat that”? This week’s blog focuses on food safety tips as we head into the Fourth of July holidays. These food safety tips are from the FDA regarding how to pack, store, cook and serve your food while outdoors.

1. Keep Cold Food Cold – cold food should be stored at 40°F or below to prevent bacterial growth
2. Keep Warm Food Warm – temperature fluctuations between hot food getting cold then reheating it can make you very sick. If the food is out for more than 1 hour in 90°F then don’t eat it because of the food borne illnesses and bacterial growth can be multiplied due to the summer weather
3. Organize Cooler Contents- keep beverages in a separate cooler from your perishable items (such as meat or vegetables)
4. Keep Coolers Closed – try not to go into the cooler repeatedly and also try to store the coolers out of direct sunlight.
5. Don’t Cross-Contaminate- Don’t have your meat and vegetables stored together and try to have them in separate containers so that the liquids won’t cross contaminate. Also don’t use the same utensils for your meat as your vegetables without properly sanitizing them (or just use a different set).
6. Clean your produce before packing it in your cooler
7. Cook Food Immediately After Partial Cooking – if you like to boil or bake your meat then place it on the grill, do so immediately- don’t let it cool down then place on the grill to complete the cooking process
8. Don’t Recycle Utensils and Marinade- if you had raw food on platters or touched it with utensils, do not use those same utensils for your cooked food. Also, don’t reuse the same marinade, throw it away and make a fresh batch for each
9. Cook Food Thoroughly- make sure that your meats are cooked to the appropriate temperature before service
10. Check for Foreign Objects in Food – we don’t want any extra protein (i.e. bugs, bristles from your grill brush, etc.) in the food

When cooking outdoors, I always use the mantra, cook as if you are cooking indoors, but with a little extra care. Use your common sense along with your other senses to ensure that your guests don’t get sick. Remember to look and smell the food and if your Aunt’s Potato Salad doesn’t seem right, don’t eat it. One other valuable tip for cooking outdoors, bring plenty of sanitation wipes and also jugs of water with soap in the event that you don’t have running water. That way you have a means of disinfecting your kitchen wares before you leave. For more information about other food safety tips, visit http://www.fda.gov/food/resourcesforyou/consumers/ucm109899.htm to learn how to keep your food safe for consumption during these summer months.

Sharing Is Caring!

Do you have any other food safety tips that you would like to share? If so, please feel free to share!

©2014 by Tillman Davis Enterprises. All Rights Reserved. Garrysa Caffey, MBA | Event Planner, Speaker and Author for Nov8ive Events & Designs. Learn the trade secrets that event planners use to create successful events. Join us today and get our free eBook “The 7 Costly $ins that Can Ruin Any Event”. Visit www.nov8iveevents.com and fill out the form.