7 Things That Stress Wine Event Pros (And They Will Never Tell You)

The wine industry loves events.
 
When the event is good, it can be memory-making stuff, but while you may leave with an expanded network, a full tasting book and new ideas, spare a thought for the event professionals who made the magic happen.
 
Much like the annual harvest, there is only one opportunity to get an event right. And plenty can go wrong.
 
Besides the weeks and months of planning, the actual event execution is the biggest stress point for event pros. Here are seven truths they won't tell you, which are causing stress and anxiety behind the scenes:
 
1. Things cost more, and take longer
Event pros pride themselves on creating truly special experiences. That's why you hire them. But like all supply chain issues, sourcing that perfect backdrop or unique gift bag item takes longer and invariably costs more than it did a year ago. Venue options have shrunk, costs have risen, and everywhere is booked out months in advance. Contingency planning is part of any event pro's budget, but messenger services for waylaid cases of wine is not a cheap or quick problem to solve.
 
2. Securing the crowd
The goldilocks of events is securing the right number of people, with the right mix of personalities, and the right level of hospitality to create a memorable experience. But the reality of getting people to open an email invite, confirm their interest, or show up is the kind of stress that causes grey hairs to spring from event organizer scalps. The higher profile the guest, the more reminders, follow-ups, and cajoling that may be required. And when they arrive, it's a roulette of how their experience will unfold.
 
3. Spotting guest anxiety
Guests show up at events with their workday, transit, and personal issues, and stepping into a crowd of new people can be anxiety-inducing. It can be made easier with a glass of wine in hand, but for some, calming frayed nerves with refills and top-ups can be a slippery slope to overconsumption. Event pros are trained to spot awkward guests, but spending time helping guests feeling settled is time that you have to make, but often don't have.
 
4. Watching for intoxication
Managing guests and their drinking is a liability and legal responsibility that pros take seriously. Bar teams, servers, sommeliers and hosts are trained to look for the tell-tale signs of potential intoxication, keeping a close eye on guests who may be impaired. Handling these situations with discretion, kindness and firm boundaries is stressful and can be the difference between a quiet solution and an unruly guest exit.
 
5. Managing client expectations
Weeks, months, and hours of planning can all be over in a few hours. Events can be expensive, and managing client or leadership expectations of what makes a "successful event" is stress-inducing, especially when the tools for measuring sentiment or "memorable time" are not easy to establish, and open to a client's interpretation. 

6. The physical demands
Events are physically demanding. The physical stress of an event, from lifting and carrying cases of wine, to breaking down pallets, to staging and walking the actual event (often in heels), can take its toll. But no matter how sweaty, sticky, or exhausted you get from setting the event, when showtime comes, it's a calm demeanor and a welcoming smile that must greet the guest.
 
7. What goes up must come down
Event pros feed on the energy of a great event. But when the house lights come up, what was 100 people in a swanky setting is now your service team, a bunch of empty glassware, and a half-eaten hors d'oeuvre stuffed in a crumpled cocktail napkin. Once the adrenaline rush of executing an event has evaporated, finding an outlet for stress relief is not easy.
 
As any event professional will tell you, (myself included), we love that you don't see all the sticky, dirty, sweaty work that happens to make a wine event look flawless. Everything you didn’t see is likely something we thought of, created, or took away so you would not even think about it.
 
But we do love appreciation.
 
So at the next event you attend, show the organizers some love. Say thank you. Offer a warm smile. If you know them well, maybe a hug. Be a good guest and leave before the lights come up. We don't need you to see us slipping into our flat shoes to start packing boxes...
 
And that's the magic right there.
 
Happy event-ing,
Beck