The eventful adventures of Mary Croquette: ‘El día de la marmota’

Hi there, I´m Mary Croquette

Let me tell you about…

GROUNDHOG DAY

Or one of many.

That day when you to have to get back to planning the event of the year. It´s such a big deal, so important, so enthralling, so EVERYTHING…and you have to meet a range of prerequisites than can only be met with the venue from the year before, the same place as last year, the very same one, and it´s as clear as day because basically, plain and simply, they haven´t opened up or renovated anything in the last year that covers all of the characteristics you need.

The CEO comes up to you and says: “I would like you to find a different venue, somewhere new, modern and fresh…” And you remember when you finished your degree and the job specification read: Age 23 – 5-year experience in the sector… Well, we´re off to a good start!

And you reply: “Before this meeting, the agency and our department were carrying out a market study but there is nothing new” and even then he says: “OK, but I want you to find somewhere new”

Hellooooooooo!!! Is anyone listening to me?

And in the end, what happens? After countless meetings and conversations that get us nowhere, we end up using the same venue. That doesn´t mean that you haven´t trekked around half of Madrid, pushed everyone´s buttons in the agency, burnt yourself out, thinking that, maybe he´s actually right. Because one thing about us event managers is that we like to be innovative, we like challenges and we like to please.

Please! Why please? Well we did at least during the first few years as a rookie. Okay, let´s not fool ourselves, we will always like to please because when you hear a customer say “it was awesome, out of this world”, you metaphorically plump your feathers with pride and start to do a happy dance like there is no tomorrow.

In all honesty, it´s worthy of examining like any sign of the zodiac. Linda Goodman should have included something on personalities and job positions in her books, or even written one specifically about it. Shout out to all the event managers.

Event managers are cut from a different cloth, we´re happy, passionate, creative (when they let us be), we´re like kids with candy at the school gate. When we hear: “We have to organise an event”, there´s never enough room for us to dance about and jump up and down with excitement. (Especially taking into account the dry spell of recent years)

But, getting back to Groundhog Day, he is relentless, I know he is already looking forward to next year to ask me the exact same thing. (Would someone please open somewhere new for heaven´s sake?!?!)

I must admit that this year, the PowerPoint presentation in the planning meeting started with a photo of Bill Murray but even then, he asked the exact same question without flinching a muscle.

To cut a long story short: Adopt a groundhog

Now if you´ll excuse me, I have to go and hunt for new venues around the city. Let me know if you find somewhere new.

And despite it all, whenever they ask me professionally or personally to recommend a place to hold a 40th birthday bash, a children´s party, or a golden wedding anniversary party, I pick my brain because I love finding new spaces.

Best wishes

Mary Croquette