Storytelling

We have heard many times the word event. For over a few years, everyone is organising events, inviting you to events, meeting people in them, looking and letting themselves to be seen in them.

Parties, dinners, cocktails, galas, opening ceremonies, presentations, shows, prize ceremonies, conferences, talks, competitions, meetings… those belong to the past. Everything has been sent into exile for the event! Long life the event!

Before continuing, let me introduce myself: my name is Sonia Andreu. I studied Business Administration and specialised in marketing and management. I have had the opportunity of working on this field for many years, before even knowing that what I was doing was an event. I have taken part in the design, plan and production of many of them: cultural, social, sports, institutional, private, commercial, big and small, local and international, own events and third parties events, from the beginning until the end and just in an area of the event. It could be said that I have specialised in what is called event management.

I have done some research to write this post on the word that we are analysing, event. It has a Latin origin and is formed by an prefix “e” (exterior) and “ventus”, from the verb “venire” (to come). Therefore an event is something “that comes from outside”. These roots are common with other words such as invent, adventure and souvenir.

For me, working in a new project is like reading a book. You have already read some books, you might have a rough idea of how the story will go on, but you know that you will find novelties or small details that will make it unique.

In the beginning you should have to get used to with the story and the characters: the main ones and the supporting ones (also heroes and villains should be taken into account). You will also become a character of the story! Everything is new, you don’t know anyone, no one knows you but soon you will start establishing links and relations, roles will be shared out and creativity will start to shine.

Once this initial moments have passed we enter the main part of the story. Everything is set up, tied up and linked. You pull from one side, thinking you will solve a problem, but then 3 more will appear. It is kind of a choral moment, where many parallel sub-stories take part at the same time. You should prioritize, have a global vision and ration your energies. Do not lose yourself on paths that do not take you to your destiny!

In an ideal scenario, what you would like is having a “wool ball”, really well rolled and organised, but that won’t never be the case. You know that it won’t really ever be the case because, even if everything fits in your papers, the “mud” is the real deal. You will have to roll and unroll your wool ball thousands of times, there will appear new knots, there will be changes or you will have to adapt to realities you weren’t aware until that moment. Some things will have to be precipitated by yourself with persistence and others will just happen with no control, you will have to manage your time, choose your team and the “battles” you will fight on.

Now we are entering the ending part. It’s time for action: the event itself. Everything you have imagined takes form. Firstly, the accreditations, you realise you are not a relevant character of the play if you are not wearing a lanyard. Everything speeds up, rhythms accelerate. A day in “event mode” is equivalent to 10 days in a normal human life. Forget meal times, sleeping hours, or even going to the toilet… it is the same feeling as when you are trapped, reading the frenetic ending of a good book.

The plots are being resolved, some of them as you wanted to, others not so good. For your relief, you should think that the majority of people do not know how the story was planned in the original manuscript and what they have lived is what should had happened in the first time. Very few of them will get to know that they have experienced a plan B, C, Z or just pure improvisation.

Now it is the time when your character becomes an executor in the shadows. In this moment is when you should show the last intellectual, physical and emotional effort. The adrenaline that has been with you through the whole event will be your best ally. It is up to you and your team that the characters of the story end up with an “unforgettable kiss” or like the most cruel episode of “Game of Thrones”. Thankfully, I have never lived an ending in Winterfell so far… If you have paid attention to the whole book, the end should always be good.

On the last page of the book, endorphins are set free. Everyone starts to relax and to feel happy. The accumulated tension goes away, leaving a feeling of satisfaction, due to the effort and the sense of good work done. You have built strong relationships with the characters and they have formed part of your universe, in some very intense moments. Receiving good reviews and greetings will increase your satisfaction, everything makes sense now. Maybe you won’t read anything more of some of the characters of your book, but maybe, with others, its just the beginning of a long friendship.

I can’t imagine a best “happy ending” for this story!

The end.