--- title: "When Things Go Wrong, Keep Calm" id: "18136" type: "post" slug: "when-things-go-wrong-keep-calm" published_at: "2013-06-27T22:25:06+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T19:03:20+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/06/27/when-things-go-wrong-keep-calm/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/06/27/when-things-go-wrong-keep-calm.md" excerpt: "When things don’t go according to plan, remain calm, think fast, and improvise. Also: Let your speakers consider using a teleprompter." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "event planning" - "Logistics" - "Meetings" - "Risk Management" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » When Things Go Wrong, Keep Calm You never know what will happen next, so be prepared for anything that comes your way. Learn how to respond when things go awry at your event, and more, in today’s Social Media Roundup. ### Roll With The Punches > HELP! 4 simple steps to avoid disaster on your project [http://t.co/MG78iQy2nz (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/MG78iQy2nz) > [#EventProfs (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/EventProfs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#EventProfsUK (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/EventProfsUK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > by our Ben Hawkins via @GPJ_EMEA > > — Kevin Jackson (@kevinlfj) [June 27, 2013 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/kevinlfj/status/350249136924278784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Keep calm and react to the best of your abilities.**Things might go wrong at your event, but don’t let it throw you. Instead, react creatively. Ben Hawkins, executive producer at George P. Johnson Experience Marketing, recalls a time when he was expecting delivery of equipment for setup at a conference and an empty truck arrived. Creative thinking saved the day. “We were set back by three hours waiting for the driver to return with the correct lorry. In this time we calmly discussed the load in process, taped out the positions for every item being delivered, and using the powers of the imagination rehearsed the installation,” [Hawkins wrote on the company’s blog (opens in a new tab)](http://www.gpjemeablog.co.uk/blog/545/) . By remaining calm and thinking on his feet, Hawkins was able to kick off the event on time. Don’t let the unexpected stop the show. *(ht @kevinlfj)* ### Speakers and Teleprompters https://twitter.com/BrandtKrueger/status/350257514622889985 **A balanced presentation.**When your speaker is delivering a presentation to a large audience, a teleprompter can help create balance between content and engagement. [Event professional Brandt Krueger (opens in a new tab)](http://brandtkrueger.wordpress.com/2013/06/27/on-teleprompters-what-are-they-and-when-should-you-use-them/) explains why: “In general, prompters make the speaker look better as they allow them to connect with the audience, whether live or prerecorded, through eye contact, and studies have shown that eye contact can be a major factor in whether or not we trust someone.” Krueger notes they devices are not without downsides—cost and possibly bulk, depending on the size of the room. But if your speaker has a lot of information to convey, as well as a hazy memory, then a teleprompter could be the way to go. *(ht @BrandtKrueger)* Have you used a teleprompter for your presentations? Let us know in the comments. [Jasmine McGee](https://associationsnow.com/author/jasmine-mcgee/) Jasmine McGee is a contributor to Associations Now. 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