DECISION MAKING
It never stops to amaze me how humans adapt to certain stimulus and situations. Managing a (dance) event isn't any different. During the event lifetime you come across many phases all of which are important but the only one of them, judging by my experience, brings you unparalleled amount of stress and pushes your brain & body to testing limits.
NO. MORE. TIME.
Yes, it is the the time just before the event. Depending on the event size - it can be a few days time (for really small events) to one month or sveral months time (for medium or large events). At that time, you simply know if you have done your homework or not. Your mind can tell if you have prepared for it or you are up for a last mile finish from a hell - meaning no sleep, lots of multitasking, telephone calls, chasing artists, print partners, volunteers, begging for more time.
Yes, so what? Intelligence can drive you just so far. The hours missing can be compensated with a brilliant mind but just to certain extent. Will it be enough for your event, you will be the judge of that. Or, maybe not.
DECISION MAKING
That is the time I like to call a time of decision making. You need to make them - you need to finish the job. People have booked all the flights, accommodation, have bought the tickets, maybe even lied to their boss (or their husbands/wives) so they can get some vacation and time off. And you need to deliver. Decisions WILL be made, you just need to make sure they are the good ones. And here is the catch. If you have not done your homework, naturally, your mind will at one point, over the night, sound an alarm. Depending on your readiness it will be a calm nervous feeling of excitement if you have devoted your time to the event, if you have invested your energy and done all the steps necessary to deliver. You are ready. Now, the opposite. If you are far away from the schedule, meaning not nearly as ready as you should be, that alarm will shake your body, literally. With each day passing, your mind will try to catch up with all the missing things, you will want to compensate and in shortest period of time do what cannot be done and you will start to make mistakes that might (very) negatively affect the performance of your event. Meaning - people might not be happy - meaning - you have not succeeded as you should have to.
I. AM. INTELLIGENT.
Yes, so what? Intelligence can drive you just so far. The hours missing can be compensated with a brilliant mind but just certain extent. Will it be enough for your event, you will be the judge of that. Or, maybe not.
Obviously this post has been written at the time which is few weeks from our events happening. Almost a countless number of hours have been spent by the best team I can imagine working with. Dedicated people with passion and one goal - to make the Croatian Summer Salsa Festival and Summer Sensual Days the best possible experience for all people attending. We will deliver our stuff that is for sure and we have a strong faith that once again unique dance events that we organise are going to burst with energy and laughter for whole 13 days ;)
PIECE. OF. ADVICE
Do your homework.