5 Things We Learned When Super Bowl LI Came to HTX
Last month, Super Bowl LI took the city of Houston by storm. The entire town and surrounding areas were buzzing with people, events, and celebrity sightings (Shaq, Chrissy Teigen, John Legend are just a few of the A-list spottings at The Ballroom).
Houston was alive with an exuberant spirit as the city rolled out the best of the best in preparation for the big game. As a new venue (just opening our doors in November of 2016) we were super excited to not only be able to take part the fun but to have the opportunity to host a few NFL sanctioned, private events. We jumped at the chance to position ourselves as a top destination for out-of-towners and Houstonites alike. We started off the week with an event for the Houston Super Bowl Committee who deserved a little celebration for all of their hard work, and then moved into the weekend with Fanatics, Ebony Magazine & HBCU, and finally ended the week with a charitable watch party on Sunday.
In this ever changing industry it is important to take note of the elements of an event that run seamlessly, but we also always want to be aware of the things we can learn from and take away a lesson…or five. After a week of nonstop excitement and chaos, we’ve come up with a list of 5 things we learned after experiencing Super Bowl LI that will help us grow and develop in this constantly evolving industry.
Roll with the punches. You can plan and plan leading up to the event, but that doesn’t mean everything will go off without a hitch. Anticipate human error, delays, and install complications. These things are sometimes inevitable, but if you prepare and lean into moving forward once they occur you are going to be much better off than getting caught up on minor hiccups. When you’re in the midst of an event set up and things are going awry it’s hard to keep that perspective, but if you take a step back you will find that you can always find a suitable solution for any problem that occurs.
Starbucks and Uber Eats are gifts from heaven. When you’re running a tight schedule on very little sleep there are two things that save the day – caffeine and quick delivery. I can’t tell you how many times we realized at dinner time that no one had even eaten lunch yet and delivery of basically anything you want (healthy or not) was always the best solutions to cure any hangry attitudes. And while we don’t necessarily condone a steady stream of caffeine on an everyday basis, during Super Bowl we highly recommend it. Bring on the lattes, chai teas, red bulls, and cold brews! Working through multiple large scale events requires that you be alert and healthy to keep up a certain level of customer service, professionalism, and productivity. We know that, for us, these two things kept us fueled and ready to go!
Lean on your team for support. When you feel like you are drowning in a sea of chaos (which will most certainly happen) be sure to pause, breathe, and realize that you have a team of people their supporting you in the same way that you are there supporting them. There is nothing worse than feeling like you are by yourself carrying all of the responsibility, but lucky that is usually not the case. Ask for help, delegate, and keep moving.
You never know what you’re capable of. Until you have to do something that is outside of your comfort zone, you don’t really learn what you can achieve. When you’re pushed to your limits, you learn that you can push yourself and do of things you never thought you could. You may have started the week a manager or a planner and ended the week a makeshift graphic designer or carpenter. Super Bowl definitely pushed our team to learn about some secret talents hiding just beneath the surface.
Be thankful. Thank your vendors, and then thank them again. These people helped support you and your event needs by working around the clock to accomplish a common goal. When people are busting it on projects you’re requesting, you have to remember to send them love and gratitude for making your life easier. We mentioned leaning on your team, but don’t forget to show them gratitude for the excellent work that they do. Last but not least, let’s be thankful that Super Bowl does NOT come around every year, lol. Even though Super Bowl was an amazing experience and we produced multiple one of a kind events, we’re pretty glad that the Super Bowl only comes around every 8-15 years. It was a whirlwind and a blast but we have to go catch up on our sleep now!
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