Do you know what it takes to plan, manage, and execute a safety event? Some of you may already be familiar with the process and its details as you manage your events. But how do you manage when nothing seems to go your way and keep your attendees from noticing? That’s the age-old question for event planners and managers. The Damage Prevention Council of Texas hosts between eight and ten excavation safety events annually, so there’s bound to be issues that arise that make your eyes twitch.
We usually wouldn’t share what goes on behind the scenes, but it’s essential for the DPC of Texas for you to know how important the safety of you and your team is to us and what lengths we will go to provide you with the necessary training to keep you all safe in the field. We’ve all been to events where the sound system malfunctioned, the presentation clicker didn’t advance slides, or a speaker canceled at the last minute, leaving an open slot in the agenda.
The DPC of Texas experienced significant malfunctions at a recent event. In June, the DPC of Texas hosted an Excavation Safety Summit in Lubbock, TX. This was a full-day training opportunity for the South Plains Chapter and its surrounding areas. There were nearly 350 stakeholders in attendance. The week before the event, multiple tornadoes struck the Lubbock area. These storms knocked out power and left a trail of damage along the way. These storms also left the Memorial Civic Center scrambling to get up and running again for our event. The power outages uniquely affected the Civic Center. Parts of the building were left without power while other parts were working. The part of the building where the Excavation Safety Summit – Lubbock was being held didn’t have power restored until the day before move-in of the exhibit hall and general session room. The breakout rooms that the DPC of Texas was assigned initially had power but no air conditioning, and we all know how important air conditioning is. So, room assignments had to be changed.
But wait, there’s more. The Civic Center was going to provide the use of their projectors for the breakout rooms, but an electricity failure rendered the projectors unusable. Off to the store we went to find projectors to use in the breakout sessions. These new projectors only worked with the included remote, but since there were no batteries, we had to go back to Walmart to hunt down replacements. Finally, the projectors were up and running after a quick setup. Event volunteers are crucial, and being able to entrust someone to handle it and trust they will do so is key to any successful event. The DPC has no shortage of such volunteers, and with their help, we got the breakout sessions up and running.
Typically, we would provide attendees with a printed agenda that included room locations. However, due to the unpredictability of electricity and room availability, there were no printed agendas, and event staff had to improvise to direct people from room to room by making announcements in the general session room. Flexibility and adaptability were the themes of the day. Flexibility and adaptability are essential in this industry, particularly in event management, where providing training opportunities to stakeholders is crucial.
Don’t get me wrong, there were many successes associated with this event, too. Our staff and volunteers came together and did what was necessary to host the event successfully. We had nearly 350 attendees for the day. Our speakers were dynamic and engaging, handling their presentations with expertise. We cannot thank all the sponsors and volunteers enough for their continued support of the DPC and our events. We are grateful to our event sponsors and want to thank them not only for their financial support but also for sending their staff to attend and to volunteer. Thank you to Atmos Energy, Yellowhouse, Fibertex, Vermeer, Deerwood Construction, and SMC Utility for supporting the Excavation Safety Summit – Lubbock. Your support helps us meet our mission.
Despite the issues we encountered as a planning team, Excavation Safety Summit – Lubbock was a successful event. There were many lessons learned, and the DPC of Texas will take the experience and improve future events.