Confessions Of A Professional MC
Who are one of the most stressed out professionals in Ghana? It's got to be event planners. Why? Check this out. They put together a function, set a time for the event to start and then what happens? 80% of the invited guests turn up late. Leaving Mr or Mrs Event Planner to make frantic calls confirming the date, time and venue of the function to the latecomers. Caterers are way behind schedule, musicians are nowhere to be found and on top of all this, punctual but irritated guests threaten to leave the show even before it's begun. What's an event planner to do?
I remember a dinner I hosted earlier this month. The program was as follows:
6pm -- Guests arrive
7pm -- Event starts
9pm -- Event ends
At 7 when we began the show, only 50 out of the expected 150 people were seated. By 9 just as we were wrapping up, in strolled an immaculately dressed couple obviously calculating that the function would be delayed in the usual Ghanaian fashion. Wrong move. I watched as the gentleman and lady sat at a deserted table for 20 minutes before heading towards the buffet table to tackle the miserable remains of what had been a magnificent feast. Serves you right, I said in my head, next time come early. Your plates will have a wider selection of eatables. And more importantly you'll help reduce the stress levels of event planners, one event at a time.
Not again! So will GMT ever remain Greenwich Mean Time and not Ghana Man's Time? It's so frustrating to go through this.
ReplyDeleteI understand how you feel. But a few people are bucking the trend. I've been to a few functions which started on time whether or not the room was full.
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