# Worst event ever.....



## stampin4fun (Jun 24, 2009)

I am an event coordinator for a small conference center on a Seminary campus in Philadelphia. I have been doing this for five years. Previously, I planned events at a different location and worked at a law firm.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to show my skills to the person who actually told me about the position I am in now. She is the reason I am here. She is a very special person to me. It was for her mothers 80th b-day party.

All plans started in August and everything went smoothly. I had a large vendor night for her family so they could select the menu (tasting), linens, invitiations, cake (tasting), dj, photographer and lighting. Contracts were drawn and everything was going smoothly.

Caterer arrives about 1/2 hour late yesterday. Didn't think anything of it. All of our caterers are responsible to set up the tables/chairs via the floor plan that the client has provided. They are responsible to set the tables with linens, china, etc. This particular caterer had six hours to prepare the room. Our event started late, because they were not ready.
This event was a buffet with a set salad on table. This way guests could enjoy the salad while tables were being called. The caterer forgot the salad and did not tell me until 5:40pm. The cocktail hour started at 5pm. Doors were to open at 5:50pm so guests could sit at their assigned tables. At 6:00pm the guest honour and family were to be announced. We were about 40 min behind. 

At 5:30pm the chef mentions to me that the champagne glasses (they borrowed them from our facility) had a white film on them. I told him they would have to clean them. Had he told me earlier I would have taken care of them. They forgot to put the champagne glasses with sparkling cider on the table. I had to ask the Chef, because the person handling this was not in the building (I found out 10 min after that about the salad).

They had a jazz quartet scheduled to play from 5:50pm - 6:0pm. Then they were scheduled to play from 6:20pm - 7:00pm. They played to an empty room. The family did not get to hear them play. Money down the drain. 

Food - the absolute worst. We have two ovens in the kitchen. One does not work properly. Our Food Service Director spoke with the chef and told him this when he arrived. We had 165 guests. This oven not working is unacceptable. All food was cold. Head tables not served salad and had no rolls on table. All the rolls were hard.

Someone actually went up to the guest on honor (I was standing with her) and told her that for her 90th birthday they would give her a party and cater the food for her. I had guests come up to me and say I should be ashamed of myself for this crap food that was being served, this was a disgrace, they would not recommend the facility to the worst enemy. The comments go on. 

I have not spoken to my friend yet. I did speak with her daughter yesterday. She was (and I am sure, still is) very upset. Rightfully so. This is the first time I actually cried at a event. Her daughter kept coming at me, that I cried so hard, I could not breath and speak. I could only yell to get the words out. I did not want this to happen. This was a very special event to me. 

I got home last night at 2am and am back for another event (no food!) at 8am. I got no sleep, I am a wreck. 

On top of this I had to open a small cafe in the Seminary and am working with students that do not know how to handle cash. These are grad students I am working with. I have no experience with this and did this to the best of my ability on short amount of time. They told me three weeks ago, I had to put the menu, pricing, buy a cash register, hire students (not easy on such short notice, all of our students take globialization trips during January), schedule them around the academic calendar, train them and be with them for their shifts (I am here from 6am-9pm). This has taken so much of my time that I have not been able to do my regular work. My mother is visiting and I wanted to get my spare bedroom ready in time and it is not. She is coming today. 

Thanks for listening to me.


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## sophie (Jul 9, 2006)

Aw, I am so sorry that all of this happened. I can only imagine how devastating this must have been for you after putting all of your efforts into planning this event.

I'm not an event's coordinator, but in my job I do plan and put together seminars and out of state conferences for large groups. It always scares me that I have to put so much faith in the vendors we use as I can be a control freak. All we can really do is plan, plan, plan, and in the end we're trusting them to deliver. 

Hope things at work get better. Enjoy your time with your mom!

Linda


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

oh no, so sorry to hear this!!!


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Rita - I don't even know what to say. When I read worst event ever, I thought, Oh she's exaggerating. I think not. OMG, anything that could go wrong went wrong. I'm so sorry. After all the meticulous planning that you did and all the early work that went into it. I'm speechless. What's with that caterer?? The worst ever. I would be working on getting money back and making sure they don't get any work until you're satisfied. I know it won't bring back the moment for the woman whose birthday it is (although I'm hoping she would have mostly loved the huge gathering of people in her honor) but the caterer did so many things that were unacceptable. Had you ever worked with them before? Ugh. Hope word gets around about their unprofessional behavior. And it sounds like your employer has dumped a ton of stuff on you in a very short time. :blink: Unrealistic expectations.

I kind of feel the way Linda does. I'm also a control freak/perfectionist in my work (at least I think just in my work :blush In producing I have so many logistical things that I have to get just perfectly (the clock is ticking on the budget as well) and have to trust camera people, etc. I go thru sleepless nights worrying the shoots will go perfectly. I'll never forget a shoot I set up in LA that I had to get a field producer to do because I was shooting here. Turns out the next day, i find out from where they're shooting that the field producer whom the cameraman hired for me brought his two dogs to the shoot -- totally unprofessional and not two little Malts -- two standard Poodles :w00t: that he was going to lock in his car during a summer day for 8 hours. :w00t::w00t: (The place where they were shooting took them in) AND the cameraman himself didn't show. He sent someone in his place because I guess he got a higher price gig. I hired him because of his skill. I was fuming and embarrassed. :exploding: Obviously I will never hire or recommend him again. :angry:
I hope you can think of something that might help make some of it up to the people who hired your facility. But also, it too shall pass. Sending (((HUGS)))


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## yeagerbum (Apr 20, 2010)

Oh no Rita, I'm so sorry to hear this! I felt the dread as I read through the message and things just kept going against the plans...I can't believe these caterers were so unprofessional, the whole time i just wanted to say wtf?!  don't be too hard on yourself, what's done is done...and like Sue said, it'll pass. :grouphug: I hope your friend will be understanding.


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## stampin4fun (Jun 24, 2009)

Thank you Linda. I understand exactly what you mean. It is even harder to coordinate seminars and out of state conferences. I know your pain. I use to schedule recuiting events for our partners/associates with law school students. All over the US.


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## stampin4fun (Jun 24, 2009)

Thanks Sue. I forgot to mention that we had to call 911 because one of the servers was having a signs of a heart attack. 

This is the first time I have worked with this caterer. One of my wedding coordinators recommended them to me. They did a few promotional events for us. They went well. We only have exclusive caterers at our facility. Guests can't bring in their own. The reason I have this policy in place is so this kind of thing does not happen.

I am sorry your LA job did not go as planned. What was this person thinking. Leaving two dogs in the car?!? I just don't understand people. Did you ever get in touch with that camera man?


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## stampin4fun (Jun 24, 2009)

bellaratamaltese said:


> oh no, so sorry to hear this!!!


Thanks Stacy. Writing about this has helped.


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## stampin4fun (Jun 24, 2009)

yeagerbum said:


> Oh no Rita, I'm so sorry to hear this! I felt the dread as I read through the message and things just kept going against the plans...I can't believe these caterers were so unprofessional, the whole time i just wanted to say wtf?!  don't be too hard on yourself, what's done is done...and like Sue said, it'll pass. :grouphug: I hope your friend will be understanding.


Thanks Sarah. Maybe in time she will be understanding. I know if this was my event that I had planned for my mother and I recieved this type of service, I would be besides myself.


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

stampin4fun said:


> Thanks Sue. I forgot to mention that we had to call 911 because one of the servers was having a signs of a heart attack.
> 
> This is the first time I have worked with this caterer. One of my wedding coordinators recommended them to me. They did a few promotional events for us. They went well. We only have exclusive caterers at our facility. Guests can't bring in their own. The reason I have this policy in place is so this kind of thing does not happen.
> 
> I am sorry your LA job did not go as planned. What was this person thinking. Leaving two dogs in the car?!? I just don't understand people. Did you ever get in touch with that camera man?


Okay Rita -- that was just the icing on the cake with the BTW about calling 911. :w00t::HistericalSmiley: Sorry - at that point I just cracked up. I'm assuming the server was fine...probably just indigestion from eating their food. :angry:
Yes I did call the camera man. He got all defensive (talk about chutzpah/nerve) saying that he got me a sub...shouldn't I be so thankful for that??? Uh, NO not if you weren't going to tell me...this was a few days later so indeed he wasn't going to bring it up if I didn't find out. I don't mind if someone's sick and tells me and says they're getting someone in their place. But this wasn't sickness at all, just a more lucrative client and a "secret.":angry: And about the dogs... the guy said he had no where else to leave them. i read him the riot act about "Plan B" and always having one. I was the mom of a baby/toddler, etc all these years and always had a Plan B if my son's sitter situation fell thru and I had to be at a job. So my feeling is have plan B (doggie daycare, someone to come in and walk them) at your fingertips. Someone on Friday asked me for a good cameraman in LA - I normally would have sung the cameraman's praises but instead now I said, "No I don't have anyone and be sure not to hire ____." I'm not above badmouthing unacceptable behavior to others


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## stampin4fun (Jun 24, 2009)

That was so insensitive of me not to mention that earlier. I do hope she is ok. I was so focused on the event and the problems, this one didn't phase me that much. I know I had no control over that.


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

I have a little cartoon w/a knight in battered armor w/a broken sword which says:

Some Days the Dragon Wins

Hope your tomorrow is better than your yesterday. :wub:


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## Maglily (Feb 3, 2009)

It's such a shame and so disappointing after all your work. I hope things get smoothed over with the family/friends soon.


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## Johita (Jul 10, 2009)

Oh no Rita! Know that we're all here to listen to and support you. You did the best you could and you can't alwasy control what others do.I'm sure your friend will understand with time - she knows all the great work you do and must recognize that this is out of the ordinary. Hugs.


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## casa verde maltese (Apr 7, 2007)

OH MY !! I am so sorry Rita, this sound so incredibly nerve wracking. I run a field station and do seminars and other small events (legislative sessions), etc. (on top of science). This is like my worse nightmare coming true. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. YOU as you know are not at fault and caterer should be responsible for giving a majority of the money back and paying for the band! who forgets the SALAD, seriously, what caterer forgets the food. I am a major control freak and thank goodness we don't do events over about 60 people, I'd go nuts. I think they would of been calling 911 for me. 
I am so sorry and I hope things get straightened out and money is returned. When people know you do something well - they tack on more work (hence your new cafe gig!).. 
wow! you need a spa day after that. BUT your mom will totally understand, that's what mom's do.


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

Holy Cow! What a nightmare!!!!! :w00t: Your friend has to know that this wasn't your fault!! OMG....I'm sorry.....with so many things going wrong, it almost could be a sitcom!! except it's not funny.

I really hope a year from now you and your friend will be telling the story and laughing together. I mean, my god, it wasn't your fault!!! 

Honestly I'm not trying to make light of it, you must truly be devistated and I feel so bad for you. You've been working way too much and need a break.


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## stampin4fun (Jun 24, 2009)

Thank you all for responses! I feel much better after starting this thread. I am able to talk about this with out getting emotional. I emailed my CFO last night and he replied and we are meeting tomorrow morning. I dread calling my friend tomorrow.


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## socalyte (Nov 15, 2010)

Oh Rita you must feel so betrayed by those you hired and expected to do a professional job. What a nightmare. I am so sorry and I can feel your grief and pain. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers for your meeting tomorrow. And hopefully your friend will understand that there are things that are unforeseeable in an event like this. 

Again, I'm so sorry.


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## heartmadeforyou (May 16, 2009)

I hope your meeting goes well and you are able to have a good conversation with your friend. I can't imagine living through an event like that. Definately hold the caterer to the whatever terms of the contract that give you recourse for such bad service. Hugs.


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## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

Rita -- one of my biggest responsibilities at work, is event planning and 99.9% of the time all goes well. But when that .1% doesn't go well, it goes REALLY BAD. And it seems to almost always be on the 1 event that you really need/want to be PERFECT.

Believe me -- I feel your frustration. Hugs


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## stampin4fun (Jun 24, 2009)

Met with my CFO today. I told him exactly what happened. We are now meeting with the client and caterer tomorrow morning. Lets see how far I can fit under the bus.


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## heartmadeforyou (May 16, 2009)

Hope the client/caterer meeting goes well tomorrow. It's a great idea for you all to meet and discuss the event.


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## socalyte (Nov 15, 2010)

Hopefully the caterer will own up to his mistakes. Keep us updated on how that goes.


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