What it's really like running a red carpet event
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This Friday night sees one of the biggest events in the Irish showbiz calendar take place, The 20th Annual VIP Style Awards. I won’t be in attendance because we’ll be at our friends’ wedding but I am so excited to follow along on social media like everyone else, and watch my great friends, former colleagues and fabulous guests absolutely nail it as they always do. (You can still vote here!)
In my former role as Managing Director of VIP Publishing, part of my remit was to organise and run our calendar of events. Because I clearly loved it, I added to our roster in those 3.5 years - not content with hosting Ireland’s biggest showbiz night, I also decided to put on the STELLAR InstaSTAR Awards and the VIP Publishing Power of Women Awards. Because there are never enough awards! Never!
But what’s it like to actually manage a major event like this? Is it the most stressful job on planet earth? Is it ever fun? Well, let me tell you.
Of course it’s stressful, but not in an awful way
And perhaps for not the reasons you may think. I actually love a table plan, a guest list, last minute seat-filling and working with sponsors, who are for the most part absolute dotes that are thrilled to be involved.
It’s more managing all of the moving parts and any potential crossed wires that’s nerve-jangling. With the Style Awards having been around for so long, there are high expectations and things that have just always been done a certain way. With the two newer awards, they were freshly birthed babies where I got to make the rules (I like making the rules hehe).
I knew that once I really enjoyed organising my own wedding (and didn’t get the stress people talk about at all) that I’d be good at doing events. The best part is when all the scheduled stuff is over, you can celebrate with your team and just let loose and have fun! I’m not someone who just works and then… goes home. No siree.
It’s very glam, if you want it to be
Some event organisers run around in runners and a walkie talkie and stay firmly in the background. As the face of the company, I had to be glam and present, kissing cheeks and making speeches. So for me, it was an excuse to get dolled up. But I didn’t overthink it, and needed to be comfy. The dress above was €30 and was nice and stretchy with no buttons or zips, LOL.
Still, I was always very aware it wasn’t about me. I wasn’t a bride, this wasn’t my moment. I still had to run around and check if the winner was at the table and not in the jacks when their awards was being announced, only I had to do it in heels. I was the one who rehearsed with the sound and lighting people and the presenter while everyone else was getting ready. I think for last year’s awards I got ready in 40 minutes. I generally do my own glam because it’s impossible to schedule appointments, but I called in the big guns for hair (thanks Jake!)
Guests are lovely and grateful
I have never personally experienced a diva strop. People generally sit where you tell them to, are happy to be there, and will take the photos you need them to take. Ireland is small and has no time for people who want to cause a scene or make a nuisance of themselves, so if that behaviour does happen, they likely won’t be invited again. Sorry to disappoint. Sometimes you hear some *feedback* afterwards but I’ve always just been so relieved the event is done and went well, it never really bothered me.
Goodie bags are the worst part
Anyone who’s ever packed a faux conveyor belt of gift bags will tell you it’s the most hideous job. Ripping open cardboard, dispensing with superfluous packaging, making sure you have enough items and that everything has gone in - it’s a lot. Especially if you’ve already had your nails done! But guests and sponsors being thrilled with them makes it all worthwhile. Almost. I ALWAYS forget mine.
It’s all in the details, and it takes a brilliant team of people
For my time in VIP, all of my events were conducted with the help of those pictured above (and many more), especially my close friends Rebecca and Patrick. The events simply wouldn’t have happened without their commercial savvy and amazing attitudes.
We had to be involved with every little thing, but knew it was best to divide and conquer. I looked after the logistics of the actual ceremonies - the show itself - from writing the presenter’s script, to printing out the nominees and winners names and stuffing them in envelopes, then keeping them to myself until the very last moment. I wrote the copy for the menus, oversaw the design of every logo and graphic, ordered and arranged trophies, made sure the dimensions of every printed material were correct. Others were focused on sponsor activations, glam suites, step and repeats (the industry term for the backdrop with logos people pose in front of) and making sure everyone was happy.
No event would be anything without brilliant, enthusiastic teams who were on hand to do whatever was asked of them, from early morning room set up to backstage reporting, placing the dreaded goodie bags and corralling people around a red carpet. Celebs love to chat on a carpet but it causes a bottleneck!
It is A LOT, but the devil is in the details and you want everything to appear seamless. I even made the playlists for each event, which truly set the tone when you don’t have the budget or space for a DJ. Which leads me to…
Every event has a totally different vibe
I ran two InstaSTARs, two Power of Women and one Style Awards and they were all SO DIFFERENT, despite a lot of crossover on the guest list. The Style Awards is sophisticated and has gravitas, but people still let loose once the ceremony is under way. With InstaSTAR, there was a party vibe from the second the doors opened - it was lit to the tit from the get go. Power of Women is a luncheon, and it’s elegant and refined. But those gals still love to celebrate, let me tell ya!
There’s nothing like watching people have a great time at something you ran
Being able to provide an impressive, fun scenario for people to let loose in, to be honoured and feel glam, well, it’s amazing. I know these awards ceremonies mean a lot more to people than you may initially think. For one thing, they’re an amazing networking and branding opportunity, and I know of several friendships and collabs that have happened off the back of them. They can be inspiring and motivating and rejuvenating.
At the end of the day, events should be FUN. That’s what keeps people coming back, year on year. And they should also fulfil a purpose - brand awareness, celebrations, business deals, column inches, promoting Irish fashion and entrepreneurship, growing audiences, getting the word out about fabulous people, places and things. I so admire the way the Style Awards has evolved from boom time craic to something the nominees take really seriously, and even has a sustainable style category.
In today’s consulting work, I’m still organising events but so far, it’s on a much more intimate scale. And I LOVE it! It’s so amazing seeing a vision come to life; just recentlyI helped my great friend Kimmy launch her beautiful new brand Brow Aid, and it was everything I hoped it would be and more. I’m very much hoping Penguin lets me organise my own book launch party next year - imagine the leopard print ya girl will deck the place out in!
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