We would like to wish everyone a happy holiday season and thank event professionals especially for bringing such joy and cheer to people throughout the year through your events.

With that said, here is our holiday poem for event planners, with all apologizes to Clement Clarke Moore, author of “Twas the Night
Before Christmas”.

Twas the Day Before the Big Event

Twas the day before the Big Event, with no time to grouse,
Every creature was stirring, even the office mouse.
Every detail had been handled, with grace and care,
The anticipation mounting, impossible to bear.

The vendors were in place, the agreements put to bed,
Trusting that tomorrow everyone would be right in the head.
My team bore heavy eyes, in need of a long nap,
and I was panicked about an error on the master event map.

When out in the lobby there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my desk to see what was the matter.
Papers flew in the air as I rose like a flash,
and I thought “What now?” and “Whose head I must bash?”

I was quickly dealt an astonishing blow,
when I discovered our keynote speaker would be a no-show.
Injury was the reason he could not appear,
A shocking accident with an electric lawn reindeer.

So me with my smartphone, so lively and quick,
I called our backup speaker, praying she too wasn’t sick.
She picked up promptly and she said she was game,
So I quickly emailed attendees, a new speaker to proclaim.

Then our entertainer called, a gold-throated vixen.
She demanded more money, and I wondered “Is the fix in?”
I reminded her of her contract as I stared at the wall,
With thoughts of the Bahamas, of leaving this all.

But I knew I must resist the temptation to fly,
People were counting on me, and the event day was nigh.
So over to the venue in my SUV I flew,
With a carload of signage, and plastic name tags too.

And then, during testing, the PA system went “poof”.
Luckily my AV guy had a solution that was bulletproof.
As I took a deep breath, and was turning around,
Down the hallway my assistant came with a bound.

She wore a furrowed brow and said something was afoot
With the rentals bill, and required my input.
Always striving to keep my budget in the black,
We found the error, kept everything on track.

And a bit of good news made me feel almost merry!
Tomorrow’s weather would be bright, warm and airy!
That’s one thing you can’t expect tied up in a bow,
Sometimes you get sunshine, sometimes you get snow.

Next I phoned my caterer, clenching my teeth,
Speculating on what other issues fate would bequeath.
She assured me our guests would have full, content bellies,
Everything would be perfect, right down to the jellies!

I chortled and grinned like a happy little elf,
happy with my team, my vendors, myself!
After going over everything again in my head,
I knew we were covered and had nothing to dread.

You see, a great, lively event is all in the work
That you do in advance … success is no quirk.
“Every detail matters” so the old saying goes
as any dedicated event planner knows.

So back at the office, I gave my team a whistle,
And they all flew toward me like the down of a thistle.
I assured them tomorrow’s event will be out-of-sight,
“Go home,” I told them, “and have a great night!”