Pomp and Circumstance
Last week the School of Government hosted the North Carolina Commission on the Administration of Law & Justice. This Commission was formed by our NC Chief Justice, Mark Martin, and is charged with evaluating the judicial system and make recommendations about how to improve our court system.
This event was much different than other events I typically work on here at the School of Government. I worked hand-in-hand with the Commission's staff to execute all the necessary details. Of course, any event planner's goal is to make everyone that attends an event as welcome as possible. The Commission staff and I did just that.
While I did see some familiar faces that I work with on my other programs, I found that there was an abundance of VIPs in the audience. These guests generated some additional requests from typical events that I plan at the School. This meant that I needed to make everything even easier than I try to do with my other events.
Having so many important people in one place caused me to think about needs that don't typically cross my mind. Things like, special parking requests, table skirting, and combining PowerPoints to make speaker transitions go smoothly. There was definitely some additional service requests I took on outside what is typically required of me, but I welcomed the change of pace.
In working on this event I discovered a new appreciation for the additional pomp and circumstance that came with running a high profile event such as this. I also rediscovered why I love being an event planner. The ease of running an event and composure I maintain no matter what the event is, who the client is, or what the circumstance made me appreciate the work that I do preparing for events on a regular basis. It's not an easy job, and sometimes can be a thankless job, but when everything falls into place, it's worth it!