Sometimes a successful event overshadows the good and bad decisions that went into planning it. Like the card game of poker, winning big does not necessarily mean you played great. Here are five poker lessons that can be applied to planning your next event.
1. Manage the Details
In poker, a player plays dozens of hands in the course of the game. The game itself is the event and the event is won by managing each hand as if it is the most important detail above all others. The success of your event comes from managing the hundreds of details and giving each one your complete focus.
2. Anticipate Failure
During a game of poker, a player loses or folds more hands than they win. It is impossible to predict which hands will be the winners and losers. Preparing a contingency plan around your event, communicating it to the key stakeholders and bringing it on site are critical pieces to delivering a successful event. This is show business, there will be bumps along the way and you will need to throw away a few hands to get the big one.
3. Check your Emotions
I’m sure you’ve used the expression “poker face”. The best poker players in the world have a great poker face when they don’t let emotions cloud their judgment. Don’t confuse being passionate for your event with letting your emotions cloud your decisions pre, onsite or post event. Knowing “when to hold ‘em” and “when to fold ‘em” should never be emotional.
4. Experience Counts
Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than smart, but a skilled poker player will always win over a lucky player in the long run. If you are an experienced planner who has run hundreds of events and experienced more obstacles than you can remember, then my advice is to trust your gut. If you are a new or part-time planner and don’t have the experience, then I’d suggest you hire some professional help onsite or at the very least build out your network so you can tap into their skills…because luck will only get you so far.
5. Adapt to Change
The best players adapt as the game changes. Planners are continuously faced with changing information from the smallest detail like onsite dietary restrictions, to union strikes at a venue, and everything in between. Great planners understand the only thing constant is change; they incorporate the changes on-the-fly and seamlessly adapt them into the game plan.
BONUS: Play to Win (self explanatory!)
See you at the next industry poker game!
Steve
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