Own Your Arrival

Do you attend events regularly? Or do you plan on going to an event in future? Then this blog post is for you. I have organised many events and I have also been a guest at many events. This double role means that I understand not only what goes into planning an event, but also how important it is to be mindful of that as a guest.When arriving at the venue of a meticulously planned event, you’ll find that everything is in its place. As a guest, you may not stop to think about what really went into the planning: the hours and hours of thinking about every detail, from thoughtfully placing certain people with others (to create good cohesion and networking opportunities) to carefully working out the day’s itinerary in a way that maximises everyone’s enjoyment of the event. These sorts of things are taken for granted by guests – and naturally so.Often, however, the typical thought process of an attendee is: ‘I don’t want to be the first one to arrive; they wont notice if I’m 15 minutes late.’ To the contrary – an event is planned according to a flow and agenda, and being able to achieve this is all dependant on what time we start the event.I recently had my book launch for 250 people, 25 of whom were high-level influencers. A great concern for me was whether they were all going to arrive on time, as the event’s success relied on everyone being there. Thankfully, they kept their commitment, arrived on time, and we had a fabulous event.In the event world, it is inevitable that there are things beyond our control: the flowers aren’t exactly what we wanted, the weather changes, a powerful speaker comes down with laryngitis … But we learn to adapt and make a plan. As a guest, you have the choice to honour the organiser by not contributing to something they can’t control.Making the effort to arrive on time not only ensures a less stressful event for the organiser and thereby a more meaningful event for you, but also builds your personal brand. If you don’t respect someone’s time, it reflects badly on you. If you do, however, you show that you are someone reliable and trustworthy – and someone who will definitely be invited to the next event.I must note that the respect you show by arriving on time can be applied to any service-orientated business. When I arrive for a hair appointment, I have already worked out how long I’ll be there and I have my day planned around my booked time and when I’ll be leaving. But when the person before me arrives 15 minutes late, guess what happens? A huge domino effect that puts the stylist’s schedule out for the duration of the day. The stylist has to appease angry clients and is forced to rush through his/her day, while other clients, such as myself in this example, are made late for other appointments. Always remember, our brand is built by what others say about us, not what we say about ourselves. The effect your tardiness has on others is huge and should not be underestimated.So consider the organiser or the service provider when you make the commitment to arrive somewhere at a specific time. It will go leaps and bounds to establishing your personal brand and how you show up in others people’s minds.Here’s to owning your arrival!Best wishes,Lori