RIMS Reception: Part One

The weather this past Sunday was so perfect, you just wanted to pour it into a bottle for safekeeping. Then you'd wait for a dreary day to take it out and pour it all over you. The sky was crystal clear, the temperature in the low 70's, low humidity... Perfect.

The RIMS convention, a gathering of risk management professionals, was opening the next day. Today's gig was an insurance company's pre-convention cocktail reception for staff and prized clients.

As a result of the many discussions with the event planner, I recruited 12 performers; 3 Tarot readers, 3 palm readers and 6 caricature artists, to be part of the entertainment for the 400+ people expected to attend.

Recruiting the performers was easy; the gig was on a Sunday evening on a day when few other events were happening. And so my first choice artists and readers were available.

Had the date been even a week later in the month, I would have had to compete against scores of Delaware Valley area Communion parties for the availability of my performers.

Sometimes it is easy to know when a given date will be busy. Certain times of the year are predictable. For example, December with its holiday parties, June with its graduations and other functions are, without fail, periods of high demand.

And sometimes it seems, for no discernible reason, that everyone in town is throwing a party on the same date.

But, the sun was smiling on us.

I arrived an hour-and-a-half early for set up. I didn't need all of that time to physically set up. The event planner had already arranged for the layout and placement of tables, chairs, etc. But it was important to be there to scope out the 'lay of the land,' greet my performers, hand out their checks, show them their stations, and give them last minute instructions. To ask for changes if necessary, and equally as important, to let the event planner and coordinators know I was on-site and prepared.

I had already had a number of discussions with each performer so they understood what was expected of them. Each was a veteran of many years of performing in a special events setting, so, if necessary, she could roll with the punches.

A smooth running event is the result of lots of preparation and organization. That is why many event planners and other events professionals are on the anal side. Small details can trip you up and throw things out of kilter. Lack of sufficient communication will do that, too.

Like the time an agent booked me to draw caricatures at a family event in a restaurant.

I was booked at the very last minute and, in the flurry of activity, no one thought to notify the restaurant.

I broke the news myself when I called the restaurant the morning of the event for driving directions. My late announced arrival called for a hurried revamping of the room's layout to accommodate me.

But that event went well and so did this one.