For one event production exec, an auctioneer who went off-script at a charity dinner caused a major blunder. A large airline had donated a flight for the auction, and the auctioneer made a disparaging comment about the company—while its representative was in the audience.
“We really went down on our knees for that,” the event producer says. “We instantly addressed the situation, saying it was unacceptable, unexpected, and that we were mortified. We had to write a lot of letters of apology and offered whatever we could to make it better. Luckily, the airline rep was very gracious, and our apology from the organization’s top brass was accepted. We also made an effort to write up the airline’s trip donation in the organization’s newsletter. I have not solicited the airline recently, but I have no qualms about doing so. This was an isolated incident, and it was handled professionally.”
Bottom line: Make sure your speaker is scripted— and stays on script. This isn’t the time for a Last Comic Standing try-out. Don’t allow disparaging jokes about anybody—whether they’re immediately involved in sponsoring your event or not. That person or company could write a check for your next event.
—Erika Rasmusson Janes
“We really went down on our knees for that,” the event producer says. “We instantly addressed the situation, saying it was unacceptable, unexpected, and that we were mortified. We had to write a lot of letters of apology and offered whatever we could to make it better. Luckily, the airline rep was very gracious, and our apology from the organization’s top brass was accepted. We also made an effort to write up the airline’s trip donation in the organization’s newsletter. I have not solicited the airline recently, but I have no qualms about doing so. This was an isolated incident, and it was handled professionally.”
Bottom line: Make sure your speaker is scripted— and stays on script. This isn’t the time for a Last Comic Standing try-out. Don’t allow disparaging jokes about anybody—whether they’re immediately involved in sponsoring your event or not. That person or company could write a check for your next event.
—Erika Rasmusson Janes
