The unexpected chill of a cold wind swept across the dry plains of Kansas. As the temperature dipped into the 30s, the hardworking ranch hands struggled to contain their tempers. The sudden, unforeseen, and forceful wind blowing across the flatlands of Kansas sent shiver marks across tired bones and the strong pull of the hot bed of fuel made for uncomfortable nights.
The thought of running an event-driven business with an unpredictable and chaotic emotional roller coaster was difficult for many current and retired event handlers. Not to mention the constant stress that the job entailed! I spent thirty-five years working as an event handler for many of the country’s premier shows and I have had the privilege of helping some of the best event entrepreneurs in the business excel at theirs. My goal was to help them focus more on the development and management of their event without getting bogged down in the emotional aspects. In doing so, I became a trainer and expert for these event entrepreneurs on how to develop a powerful event loop that would allow them to keep control of their emotions while maximizing their event profits.
Event Loop The first thing I came up with was an event management system, or better yet an in-person event management system. I first started with an in-person event management training event at the University of San Diego, which is a bit different than the typical event management training. I wanted to get everyone on the same page as far as communication and development were concerned.
I created a two-track event loop system that was integrated with my event management software. This in-person event loop allowed me to quickly see who was helping with which task and when. In this method of communication, there is no question as to who is getting credit for which task – the mouse movement. It is also much faster than emailing each individual employee.
Remote Mouse Movement Remote event-driven programming event handlers and I work very closely together to complete each event. My mouse movement is only for those tasks I have direct access to and can take care of on my own. My team is responsible for the rest. I also recommend not using remote mouse movement in high performance events because the results can be unpredictable. A lot of time is spent adjusting the information displayed by the projector, the sound levels, the lighting and other factors.
Virtual Signage is a method that is often used by event-driven professionals to display graphic images onto a backdrop. Using video and audio, the images are created and automatically placed on the right screen, according to the event notification. Using video, it is possible to create a stunning, moving image that will help attendees understand the direction of the event. Virtual signage is particularly useful for brand events such as trade shows.