You’re a month away from your event, the dates are set, your partners are ready: everything is in place. But on the eve of the big day, a crisis erupts, no one answers your call and you’re left alone with your customer. What do you do?

This is a real nightmare for event professionals. Fortunately, this almost never happens. Yet it’s our job to have backup plans and to know how to bounce back. At tokimeki, in the 3 years we’ve been in business, we’ve had our share of unforeseen events. Today, we’d like to share our experience with you and give you a few tips for organizing your event in Japan.

Even if things should go according to plan, it’s important to plan ahead. It may sound paradoxical, but it’s one of the truths of the events business. To pull off the impossible, you’ll need back-up plans, but you’ll also need flexible partners who can adapt to potential problems. The success of your operation begins as soon as you choose who to partner with.

If there could be unforeseen circumstances, talk to your customers. If you’re planning to travel by bus in Tokyo, let them know about traffic jams, possible parking complications or driver availability. By setting up this communication, you involve your customers and they’ll feel less stressed, less bewildered, in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

You need to ensure that this communication links all the players involved in your operation. As far as possible, the service providers you work with should be able to meet your customers to ensure that the event runs smoothly on D-day. To do this, don’t hesitate to make site checks accompanied by as many people as possible from the various teams.

Finally, at tokimeki, we believe that if you commit yourself to a project, you absolutely have to make it a success. You need to know your limits. If you feel that your customer’s expectations are too high, or that the dates don’t coincide perfectly with your schedule, think twice before jumping in.

Some jobs will come at the wrong time, and that’s perfectly normal. As professionals, it’s up to us to take responsibility and recognize when we’re failing to meet expectations. In our industry, a problem with a customer can lead to big complications for your business, so don’t be intrepid.

But if you’re a regular reader of our blog, there’s no reason why you should find yourself in trouble!