After days, weeks, or even months of meticulously planning all of the large and small details of a conference or meeting, one might think that would translate into an easy job of event management. Just toss it on autopilot and make sure the logistics plan is followed. Wrong!

Think of meeting planning as training for a marathon. If you put in the training hours ahead of time, you’ve prepared yourself for the big race. However, no one believes actually running those 26.2 miles will be a breeze. Just the opposite….it’s the hardest, yet most rewarding, part.

This same principle applies to meeting execution. During the day(s) of the event, you need to be running on all cylinders. It’s truly a full-body workout.

You’ll need to be:

Watching: Have all the important attendees and presenters arrived? Is everyone comfortable? Are the coffee pots full? Are the presenters staying within their time allotments? Are all A/V peripheral devices still functioning? You’ll find yourself scanning the room like an eagle, detecting and evaluating even the smallest of movements.

Hearing: If you are facilitating the meeting, you are responsible for ensuring the objectives of the event are met. If you sense that the conversation is going off on a tangent, you’ll need to find the right moment to tactfully interject, capture the off-topic issue down on the Parking Lot pad, and course correct.

Listening: Oftentimes you’ll be tasked with providing a minutes report after the meeting is over (more on that in my next post). In addition to making sure the mechanics of the meeting are running smoothly, you’ll simultaneously be notating the highlights of the presentations.

Moving: Circulate throughout the room during breaks. It will give attendees a chance to approach you and ask questions or make requests. Maybe they’ll need your help finding a small room where they’ll need to take an important phone call. Perhaps you’ll overhear a side conversation that is worth discussing with the group.

Speaking: Large conference rooms are typically built for accommodating a large amount of people, not for optimal acoustics. Remember to project your voice and speak with authority when communicating to the group at large. It may feel unnatural speaking so loudly inside of a room, but it’s your best means of effectively communicating your message (and of crowd control, when you need it). You’re not shouting at your guests…..you’re providing leadership and they’ll appreciate you for it.

If you’ve put in the detailed work ahead of time, assessed risks and planned for contingencies, just remember these tips for successful execution. And much like after running a big race, you should be both physically and mentally exhausted, yet also feel a great sense of pride for completing such a large accomplishment.