The holiday season has arrived, and while our holiday company parties may be over Zoom and our holiday cards are e-cards (as everyone’s working remote), some holiday traditions were built for pandemic life: snuggling in themed pajamas drinking cocoa on the couch and watching holiday movies. My favorite? Home Alone. And maybe I’m just missing event life a little more than usual this year, but as I watched it this weekend with my two daughters, I couldn’t help thinking that Kevin McCallister probably grew up to be an event professional.
Before we dive into his qualifications, let’s discuss the opening of the film through an #eventlife lens. The movie opens on a chaotic scene of a household packing for a trip early the next morning. Is it just me, or could you feel the pre-event stress? Between knowing what to pack, preparing for travel, and trying to keep track of your participants children, I could feel the frenetic energy I used to feel before hitting the road for one of our dozens of P2P events. And then…to top it all off, the alarm doesn’t go off? Talk about my own personal stress dream. As the family dashed through the airport to the sound of “Run Rudolph Run,” I found myself actually missing O’Hare airport, TSA lines and all.
But back to my main argument: Kevin McCallister, left (spoiler alert!) home alone, displays so many of the traits that make a great event staffer, he’d almost certainly have grown up to be one of us. Those traits?
Resourcefulness: In the world of events, even the best laid plans are often met with tweaks and changes by the time we arrive on site, and our event staff knows when you’re on-event, you gotta make it work. Upon waking to an empty house, Kevin immediately takes it upon himself to locate funds (thanks Buzz!), stock up on groceries, indulge in self-care (hello, giant sundae), and even treat himself to a whole cheese pizza, just for himself. Bottom line? He didn’t panic, he figured out what had to be done, and he got to work.
Site Mapping: The plot thickens when Kevin uncovers the Wet Bandits’ plans to burgle his family’s home, and that’s when we see our 8-year-old protagonist really shine. He devises a plan to thwart their evil plot and demonstrates his event preparedness skills with a beautiful site map, worthy of a Visio rendering. Using tools and supplies he has on hand, he safeguards every point of entry on his map with a painful trap. Basement door? Try getting past the slippery steps, falling iron, and tar and nail combination on the stairs. Front door? Defended by a red-hot handle and blowtorch for good measure! Unattended window? Guarded by my personal favorite: pointy ornaments for the intruders to step on with their bare feet.
Operations Planning: I know, it’s just a funny holiday movie, but the planning for each trap, the order in which the obstacles were placed, and the use of everyday objects show smart operations planning. Not only did he make the plan, but we’re also treated to a classic movie montage where he tests his traps (you know we love quality assurance). Kevin exudes creativity, designing his obstacles (ahem, event elements) for maximum impact. We love an impactful experience! Overall, it really made me miss being live and in person with my smart, creative events team (I’ve been off the road too long, ya’ll).
Kevin McCallister may not be a real person, but if he were, he’d be a great addition to our Event 360 team. We only have a few more blog posts left for 2020, and I hope if you’re reading this, you’ll enjoy your annual viewing of Home Alone with a little extra this year. May 2021 bring us all beautiful site maps, creative and impactful events, and passionate, resourceful teams.
Jillian has worn many hats at Event 360 in the past 14 years – from fundraising coach to project manager, to event IT support. She knows our work and our team inside and out. In her current role as Director of Business Development, she can perfectly partner our clients with the services they need and ensure our team delivers flawless event experiences that yield happy participants and stellar results.
Photo Credit: Home Alone production design sketch
