Win big by sharing your event sourcing insights.
Complete our latest survey on event location selection for the chance to win a cutting-edge VR Headset!
Take the survey.

How to Make a Power Outage (Relatively) Painless for Guests

When the power temporarily went out at its screening of The Blues Brothers movie last summer, Groupon planners quickly had an announcer inform guests that they were working to solve the issue.
When the power temporarily went out at its screening of The Blues Brothers movie last summer, Groupon planners quickly had an announcer inform guests that they were working to solve the issue.
Photo: Sheri Whitko Photography

It was the silence (not) heard 'round the world. The power outage at the 2013 Super Bowl was all too relatable for event pros, whether they've dealt with a power outage at a major event or simply fear that scenario. We asked some industry experts what they did when they lost their power supply at events.

1. Bring on the acoustic sets and candles.
"I was dying last night," says Marina Birch of Chicago's Birch Design Studio Ltd. "We have actually had this happen. Someone pushed the emergency shut-off power on the generator at one of our events." The first thing Birch suggests doing if this happens to you: "Send someone to figure out what the hell went wrong, so you can deal with the guests. If you have a band, which we did, have them perform an acoustic song—or set, if need be, but hopefully not—while you get the power back." Candles also come in handy in case of a power outage. "Always supplement your lighting with real or battery-operated candles," Birch says. "Even if all the lights go off temporarily, there's still a decent amount of ambiance, and it feels like a little adventure, not terrifying or dangerous."

2. Address the elephant in the room–and fast.
Stacy Herpe is an event producer at Groupon. Last summer, the brand hosted an outdoor viewing of The Blues Brothers at Chicago's Wrigley Field. About 45 minutes into the film presentation, the power went out, leaving only backup lights and sound. "We had an announcer quickly address the issue,"  Herpe says. "He said that the power went out and we were working on the problem but to take this time to buy food and drinks or use the bathroom. Luckily, the backup generator at Wrigley Field kicked in, and we were up and running within five minutes. And, the outage happened after a line in the movie where they referenced the lights going out, which played perfectly into the event. But I think the key for us here was that we addressed the problem quickly. When the lights did go back on, we made an announcement before going straight back into the movie."

3. Keep the drinks flowing
Marcy Manley of the Chicago-based WPI Event Partners has had firsthand experience with a sudden power outage—it happened to her during a seated dinner and presentation for 600 guests. When the sound and video went out in the venue, "it took five minutes and 32 seconds to restore the power, but the time felt like five hours and 32 minutes," she says. "We quickly instructed the live musicians to keep playing and immediately instructed waitstaff to begin filling wine glasses pronto." Luckily, guests handled it gamely. "All and all, guests remained calm and did not complain."

4. Don't underestimate an old-fashioned sing-along
When a power surge interrupted the 2011 TBS/TNT upfront presentation in New York, Turner Entertainment president Steve Koonin turned what could have been a disastrous failure into a funny and memorable moment. Quickly taking to the stage, the exec cracked several jokes—teasing media buyers in the audience by telling them to ration their pastries—and leading a group sing-along of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." Koonin even made fun of the glitch the following year.

Page 1 of 170
Next Page