What Keeps Us Up the Night Before an Event or Meeting?

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on something I think many in the event industry — or even our customers — will relate to. It comes from a recent coaching moment with one of our event coordinators. She’s been doing well, but like any true professional, she cares deeply about her work, sometimes maybe too deeply.

We were talking about the nature of our business. HUONE is in the venue business — we don’t control our customers’ content, their presentations, or their agenda. But what we do control is the experience they have at our venue. Our role is to make sure that from the moment they walk in, they feel taken care of. HUONE pre-anticipates what normally could happen at meetings and events, so our customers are worry-free. That’s the value we create.

But here’s the catch — when we take away our customers’ worries, we often end up carrying that burden ourselves.

She told me with a genuine sense of responsibility, that every Friday when she finishes her week, her mind stays busy: What if something goes wrong on Monday or Tuesday?

• Will the A/V act up unexpectedly?
• Will the sun be too strong and affect the room temperature too much?
• Will customers arrive too early before we’re ready?
• What if there are last-minute changes again?
• What if someone calls in sick, and then who will manage the kitchen? The buffet?

This is not a complaint. In fact, as an employer and as a leader, I genuinely appreciate this level of ownership. It shows commitment. It shows passion. It shows that our people care deeply about our customers and the success of every single event.

But — and it’s an important but — it’s not healthy to carry this invisible weight over the weekend. No one should have to live with that kind of pressure, especially when some of these worries are about things that are not even within our control.

So, I made a simple routine with her. Every Friday, before she finishes work, we have a short chat. I ask her to walk me through the upcoming events:

“What’s happening on Monday and Tuesday? What do you worry could go wrong? Is there anything you’re still concerned about?”

Through this, I noticed something: many of the worries fall into two categories.

1. Things we can control.
2. Things we cannot control.

For the things we cannot control — like if someone falls sick — we started establishing a simple fallback plan. Knowing that there is a Plan B, and even a Plan C, gives peace of mind. After the pandemic, we have been keeping a very lean team, so knowing that someone else knows what is coming up, helps. It creates a bottom line. Even if things go sideways, we know what we’ll do. And often, that alone reduces a lot of the invisible stress.

For the things we can control, we’ve made small but meaningful improvements. For example, we will now send out reminders and checklists to our customers before their events. We confirm details like meal times, arrival times, technical requirements, and even a ‘list of things to bring with you’! It’s a small thing, but these proactive touches help us make sure our customers also don’t have to worry.

These conversations have been helpful — not just for her, but also for me. It’s a reminder of what leadership really is: coaching young professionals as they grow in their careers, helping them carry the weight of responsibility in a healthier way, and always striving for excellence without letting stress take over. Even though, personally I am still learning and growing myself.

Now, I’m curious.

• If you’ve ever organized an event, what keeps you up at night before the big day?
• What are those little things that you quietly worry about?

Because maybe, just maybe, there’s something HUONE can do to take that worry away. I am always up for developing our processes better to help take the stress away from our customers!

I’d love to hear from you. What resonated with you? Do you have suggestions or your own pre-event stories to share? Feel free to drop me a message or connect with me on LinkedIn

Best,
Evon