Perhaps I didn’t think this through. It is past midnight and we still haven’t wrapped this up. For reasons unknown to me, the management of an event goes on even after two hours of its conclusion. It is just another chance to mess up and be yelled at. Misleading title aside, internships can be pretty demanding.
One thing I learned is that anyone involved in event management cannot fully lay back after his/her part is done. At any point of time, anything can happen. Everything that could go wrong went wrong, from venue goof-ups to guests getting cold feet before the event. Throw in annoying issues like technology failures, and you will swear by never doing event management again.
The event was a talent show, wherein labour workers from Dubai would display their talents in music and dance. It was a six-hour show followed by dinner, and the logistics involved were crazy. We had to make sure all the contestants showed up on time so that the event ran within the scheduled time. There was also the issue of seating. The 600-seater auditorium couldn’t accommodate all the guests, so we had to sort that out. Luckily, none of us were punched in the face, so it’s safe to say we did a decent job.
Dinner very nearly turned out to be a disaster, with the catering staff stuck in traffic and many hungry guests to feed. After a ton of calls and requests (polite ones, mind you), they showed up with no time to spare. Setting up the food was a blur, and we all heaved collective sighs of relief once everyone tucked into their meals. Then, our coordinator asked us to clean up. But that’s a story for another day.
So as I am still stuck in this place doing the last bits of work, I am quite exhausted. The million-dollar question is this – will I do this again? The answer is a resounding yes. Simple reason – the feeling you get after watching an event you helped to organize wrap up successfully is something else. No, I was not yelled at (although I did come close a few times). And yes, I did think this through. Thoroughly.
Pranav Unnikrishnan
(Batch 2021)
