THERE’S NOTHING QUITE LIKE THE ANTICIPATION one feels leading up to attending a big party or an important event. You can hardly believe your luck at receiving an invitation. You secure childcare and hair appointments weeks in advance, secretly pleased at your own forethought. You treat yourself to a new and carefully selected outfit sure to make people stand up and take notice. Dressed, polished and ready to go, you prudently check your GPS for the third time to make sure you have the correct address programmed. And when you finally pull up to your destination, your heart sinks in sudden realization: There’s no parking.
Twenty minutes later—after a long walk through an inevitable rain shower in a neighborhood predictably lacking in proper street lamps and sidewalks—you enter the party, sodden, blinded by the glittering lights and flashing cameras, and discouraged that your carefully planned evening is now a wash (pun intended). And you can’t help but think: I planned so carefully for this night, why didn’t my host?
Whether you’re planning an intimate dinner at home for 10 or a downtown convention for thousands, parking and transportation is one of the most important elements to consider. An elaborate five-course meal prepared by a celebrity chef can hardly be enjoyed by a room full of disgruntled guests with socks cold and wet from walking three blocks in the rain. Potential buyers won’t be impressed with your wares at the convention after spending half their morning looking for the unmarked shuttle that was supposed to deliver them from the hotel to the conference center. They say first impressions are the most important. The real guest experience begins before they’ve reached the front door.
Parking and transportation can be mistakenly perceived as simple and straight-forward subjects to address. In reality, a significant amount of planning and coordination is required to ensure a smooth transition for guest arrival and departure. Five hundred guests arriving at a hotel for lunch at the exact same time requires more than simply knowing that 500 parking spots exist. Parking attendants will ensure a safe flow of vehicle and foot traffic with minimal confusion and wait time. City and county codes may be available or required for certain events or locations, even for very small events in private homes and residential neighborhoods. Seeking guidance from parking and transportation professionals in advance will reduce or eliminate the challenges and liability associated with these concerns.
Budget is often a deciding factor in the quest for parking and transportation solutions. This is especially the case when these details aren’t included in the initial scope of an event and naturally create unanticipated costs. A proper survey of parking and transportation options should be incorporated into every event proposal from the onset of planning. The importance of such should be viewed on par with catering, entertainment and facility costs. Clients may be surprised at the cost, but it’s infinitely better to be well-informed of all logistics from the beginning than to be caught by surprise once plans are under way.
Yes, absorbing your guests’ worry over, and cost of, parking and transportation can be a considerable expense, so you may be tempted to leave it entirely up to them. But hospitality is defined as the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors or strangers. What can be more welcoming than receiving your guests in a comfortable, safe and organized fashion that hints at a pleasing and well-executed event to follow?
When you’re ready to set the stage for your next event, think back to the last time you were welcomed with a warm greeting by a friendly valet attendant. Or contemplate the pleasant surprise of discovering your host has arranged transportation on your behalf, relieving you of that small burden of responsibility for a short time. Treat your guests like honored visitors from the moment they arrive at their destination, and you are bound to experience a successful event, every time.
STUART BUTLER IS PRINCIPAL OF BUTLER SEATTLE. HE IS PAST PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPECIAL EVENTS SOCIETY (ISES) SEATTLE CHAPTER AND SERVES ON THE WOODINVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE’S ECONOMIC ADVISORY BOARD AND MARKETING AND TOURISM COMMITTEE.
