Meetings Blog Aug 06, 2019
Set in the early 1900s England, in the fictional Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey, this British historical period drama became the darling of television for over 5 years. This year, the cast is coming back to our screens but this time it will be on cinema screens. Though we may not have seen the cast members of late, how could you forget the delightful bluntness of Violet Crawly played by Maggie Smith or butler Charles Carson played by Jim Carter and the housekeeper Mrs. Hughes?
The latter two are part of the staff that runs and maintain the upkeep of the great house and happens to be the ones that oversee the activity of the other staff to ensure that no detail goes left unnoticed.
Have you ever thought about the details of an organized house behind the scenes?
Taking responsibility
Just as they can be found at front of house, controlling the kitchen or overseeing the whole affair, a leader is essential at all stages of an event, ensuring that everything is running smoothly, and efficiently.
As with the butler or housekeeper, it is likely that you or a designated person will be there to welcome the VIPs and guests to the venue, ensuring that they are being welcomed in the correct fashion and directing them to the welcoming space of the venue as they wait for everyone to arrive.
It is these figures that are accountable for the proceedings and should be available for any doubts or questions that other team members and even attendees might have. This means that you or the designated ‘butler’ must be in charge of the program of the day, must know who is arriving and when, co-ordinate the timings vs. attendees and have all the answers if possible.
Protocol in practice
Though it’s not something you want to happen on the big day, it is essential that there is a defined protocol in place that all team members are aware. This includes the client and their own teams to ensure that there is no confusion at the time of emergency. Fans of Downton Abbey will know that this is something at the core of the staff that works in a great house.
Who oversees the whole procedure?
Are the alarm systems operative?
Where are the emergency exits?
Is there a designated assembly point?
Who is in charge of overseeing everyone?
And these are just a couple of the questions that need to be taken into account when considering protocol of an evacuation or health and safety plan.
But not all protocols need to be regarding an emergency. Perhaps yours is for the arrival of certain VIPs or even one that is in place to ensure that the mood of your event stays on track.
Whatever your protocol is for, you need to make sure it is in place and that everyone on the team is familiar with it.
Change of room – change of mood
Don’t you agree that the energy of an event can be kept at the right pitch with the proper manipulation of ebb and flow in the venue space?
From the welcoming hall to the main venue, then on to the refreshments and later followed by a space to converse and feel at ease, it’s important to have a well-constructed idea of what the different rooms or areas of your venue of choice can be used for.
Just like in a manor house, guests will be ushered from one room to another in accordance with the stages of a dinner party, again to keep the ebb and flow of the event just right. However, we are not encouraging any sort of split between gender or ‘rank’ when doing so.
If your event includes various guest speakers with information-heavy speeches, you will want to include the correct number of breaks for attendees to move away from the main space, take a pause and come back refreshed ready to learn and share.
Count on Downton Abbey
So, Downton Abbey fan or not, there is no denying that there are similarities in the way the world of MICE works. Still don’t agree? Well, why don´t you look towards the iconic show as a means of inspiration for one of your upcoming events and extract elements that could be given a twist, whether they are venue, dress-code or entertainment related.
Want to see what we can do for you? Then let’s talk and see how we can work together.
