The task of organizing a conference in Singapore, launching a new product in Berlin, and conducting a trade show in São Paulo within one quarter sounds glamorous until you face the task yourself.
However, behind every professional event lies a team managing contractors in three time zones, dealing with vendors in different languages, and keeping many software programs coordinated no matter where anyone logs in. In this paper, we will analyze how experienced teams perform the above tasks effectively – from hiring local staff to protecting the systems they use.
People Factor
All international events depend on proper staffing, and the first mistake made by organizing teams is to assume they can fly in everyone they need. Such a solution is viable only in the case of a small core of people.
Instead of using such a strategy, experienced teams create a small traveling crew who are familiar with the company standards and local staff who are familiar with the location and the local culture.
Local staff are extremely valuable as far as their experience is concerned. Someone who has been working with events in Tokyo can easily name a loading dock which will work on schedule, a taxi company which will come on time, and even phrases to use with a supplier to make him agree. Such knowledge is not included in any planning document, and it cannot be purchased after the fact.
Working across time zones is another challenge the organizers have to face on a daily basis. Having a production lead in London and a client in Los Angeles means that someone has to work outside regular hours.
Experienced teams make sure that all people have defined overlap hours – a few hours when they can contact each other and communicate. Outside of such hours, they rely on written reports, as it is faster to receive a short written update than to wait for an email answered during the night.
Finding and Managing the Vendors You Have Not Worked With Before
Working with caterers, AV companies, and furniture rental firms in a city you have never visited is an issue of trust which should be backed up by good management.
Teams avoiding disasters conduct thorough research of potential suppliers beforehand. They ask them for references from other international clients they have worked with, as the supplier who has dealt with foreign organizers understands the additional communication needed.
A contract is another aspect requiring special attention from the organizer, as the terms of payment, cancellation, equipment failure, and others may vary from country to country.
A deposit policy which looks normal in one market can be a signal of disaster in another one. Make sure that everything is in writing, translate it if needed, and double-check the details.
Building a list of trusted vendors in different regions is also recommended. Teams conducting events in some cities annually manage to establish connections, and having a supplier who knows your standards is very helpful, as they will require far less coordination next time.
In case it is not possible to use the same supplier, the local fixer or production partner can check the candidates for you and warn about dubious suppliers.
If it is possible, make sure that someone from your team will do the site visits. As photos and video calls are not the same as walking a venue, it is better to do it personally to notice some details, like the size of a freight lift or whether the power supply is enough. If a site visit is not an option, it is better to assign one of your trusted contacts in the location to make it for you.
Keeping Shared Systems Connected and Secure
It is at this stage when a lot of teams get caught off guard. Staff members connect to the Wi-Fi in the venue, and now the project files, client data, and other shared tools are traveling over a network not controlled or monitored by the organizers.
The venue and hotel networks are used by hundreds of people, and they are one of the major locations for data interception. For a team coordinating payments, making contracts, and gathering attendee data, this is not a theoretical risk.
The solution used by experienced teams is a virtual private network. It encrypts all data sent over a network, thus making it invisible to anyone looking at the venue Wi-Fi. Additionally, it provides your whole team with a consistent and secure way to connect with shared systems from anywhere in the world.
In the case of a MacBook, setting up this service is relatively simple and better to do before traveling to avoid stress. The basic steps look like this:
Choose a reputable provider, install a trusted VPN client for Mac on each staff MacBook, and log in with an individual account.
Turn on automatic connect and kill switch to activate a tunnel automatically and to block all Internet traffic if the connection is lost.
After this is done, a member of your team can plug their laptop into the venue Wi-Fi in Madrid or Bangkok and work with all shared systems without additional effort. The goal is to make security a default choice so that tired team members working long days do not need to make the proper choice.
Money, Contracts, and Paperwork No One Enjoys
There are a number of issues related to cross-border events which surprise inexperienced teams. First of all, there is currency. Paying vendors in local money requires you to take into account the changes in the exchange rate and add some buffer to the budget.
Additionally, there are taxes, work permits for traveling staff, customs procedures for equipment, and insurance which applies to the event location. All of them are not glamorous, and ignoring them may result in the failure of your event.
Having a good relationship with local partners or agencies can help you stay calm in this situation and prepare all the documents needed to avoid any trouble. Also, it makes sense to prepare a checklist of necessary documents for each country rather than try to remember everything during a busy period.
Having a folder with scanned documents for each country will save you time in case some official asks you to show evidence of something immediately. Another issue worth attention is compliance changes, particularly regarding the protection of personal data. You need to know how the rules concerning it work in the specific country, as it may bring you some trouble and penalties.
Communications Keep Everything Together
All of the above is related to communication, and experienced teams manage it as a system rather than an afterthought. They maintain a single source of truth, which usually means one shared platform where the run sheet, contacts, budget, and updates can be found.
Daily check-ins during the build and event days help to catch all the small issues before they become the big ones. Having a short stand-up call once per day (even for 15 minutes) catches the late delivery, sick staff member, or changed schedule of a vendor.
Follow-up after such calls in written form guarantees that all people across time zones have the updated information, which is critical in case half of the team is sleeping while decisions are being made.
Language is another aspect which has to be taken into consideration. Even if everyone speaks the same language, clear wording helps to avoid misreading, and checking understanding out loud is always better than assuming it. Saying “Just to confirm, you will deliver at 2 pm on Thursday to the north entrance” helps to avoid a lot of trouble.
Conclusion
Managing events across borders requires a hundred little habits, not one big secret. Experienced teams combine the traveling core with good local hires, do the research on vendors beforehand, protect the systems and data no matter which network they log in to, prepare all documents in advance, and communicate properly, as it is crucial in all processes.
When these components work together, the distance between cities becomes a minor problem. The successfully finished event is just the tip of an iceberg in this case.
