We knew it wasn't going to be easy even months before we heard about the storm warnings. The event was an annual incentive program reward for 450 of Washington Mutual's top earners and their spouses. They had visited Hawaii, Cancun, and other popular beach destinations in the past. This year the event was going to be held in Puerto Rico. The island had its charms and it was our job to enhance them to create an experience that each guest would remember.
The experience that we didn't factor in was an unseasonable storm. But even though we had to revise every one of our well-planned contingency plans while on site, the events that we ended up creating were actually more effective at bringing the attendees closer together.
WaterWorld
From the very first event, rain would be an uninvited guest. Originally scheduled to be held poolside, the welcome reception was designed to let arriving guests ease into the program, reconnect, and unwind.
The theme was built around the beautiful waters of Puerto Rico, but we didn't mean rain! When the rain started that day, our team quickly moved the party indoors to the hotel's foyer. The ballroom was not an option as setup had already begun for the awards dinner the next night. The foyer was also planned to be part of the awards dinner, but our décor there could be hidden by well-placed pipe and drape. White wooden rental chairs had been on hold as part of the rain plan and were delivered that afternoon as soon as we committed to that plan. The lighting, décor, and entertainment were quickly dispatched inside.
LandLocked
Two nights later, a full-blown, over-the-top Caribbean Carnival was scheduled at Palomino Island, a private island a short ferry ride from the hotel. All equipment would have to be sent over on multiple trips on barges from the mainland of Puerto Rico. However, when the bad weather showed no signs of letting up, the ferry's captain called off all deliveries at the request of the Coast Guard. With half our equipment on one side of the waterway and the other on the island, we had to make a huge decision. The longer we waited, the more our chances of turning the event around lessened. Finally we made the choice to hold the island party on the hotel's lawn and gardens.
No-Repeat Clause
Unfortunately, that was also the location of the final night event, and no group wants to have two events at the same place. Our client had specifically stipulated that each event must have its own unique and significantly different look. Bearing this in mind, we found that the huge fountain in the middle of the lawn posed a challenge to us to make the site look different on the two consecutive nights. And the fact that our entire plan for the Carnival was based on having trees and structures to physically support other design elements added more challenges. But there was no other choice, and we set about creating a completely new floor plan so every vendor would be on the same page.
To hide the fountain, our designer, Sean de Freitas, created a street market around its large base, completely obliterating it from view. And, because we couldn't retrieve some of the trusses from the island due to continued bad weather, we rented more trusses and staging and created two small stages and one large stage. The stages differed from our original plans as well. The island party was planned as a wild, colorful street festival, with musicians and music coming from side streets and storefronts we were planning to create. But at the actual event we were unable to create those streets, so instead we elevated the entertainment on multiple stages.
That day rain continued to loom, causing continued stress for everyone and ultimately creating the need to make the decision that even though we were willing to risk an outside event this night, we would move the final night's event into the ballroom. The threat of rain also led us to hold off on the fireworks show scheduled for this night. The fireworks were all set up and ready to go when at the last minute the client decided to save them for the last night.
This caused another challenge because the final night was planned as a Puerto Rican Serenade—an evening in the garden. The ballroom still contained elements from the awards dinner—a circular truss and a main stage. Our team turned the trussing into a large garland with hundreds of flowers and greenery that were going to be used outside. Trellis work was erected on the stage and covered in greenery. Basically, we brought the outdoors indoors.
In the end, what could have been a disaster turned out to be a blessing in disguise. In spite of the challenges we were able to accomplish all of our client's objectives, and in the process we were able to test the boundaries of our team's creativity and our ability to perform under pressure.
Andrea Michaels is president of Extraordinary Events, an award-winning event management and production firm that produces events in the U.S. and internationally. Based in Sherman Oaks, CA, Extraordinary Events has offices in Orlando, Las Vegas, New York, San Francisco, and Mexico, and is now expanding to Germany and Japan. She can be reached at (818) 783-6112 or by e-mail amichaels@extra ordinaryevents.net.