{Wondering if I should maintain a quiff. This post ought to get an expression out of you.}
I attended a dessert pop up recently, one that I was looking forward to as I’d get to meet a number of old friends. Surprisingly, I wasn’t the first one there and that cheered me up as the way usual plans go, I’m always the one holding down a table for a group. We expected a crowd, as the restaurant hosting the pop up was not relatively large for the event. Ofcourse I had a very different vision on what a desert pop up would be and I don’t want to be mean, but it was a huge let down. I’m all up for eating anything sweet. Apart from the slight disappointment that it wasn’t what I expected it to be, I had an appetite to eat a few offerings. We had time to spare as we were still waiting for the entire party to arrive. ‘Spare’, don’t think I use that word often enough.
Attending the event wasn’t so bad after all as I just learnt from all the bad. If you happen to be hosting an event, I think following 5 core rules should cover you. Make sure there’s space. Space for everyone to move about, no stepping on toes or knocking over stands. There were a few desserts that caught our eye, however eating them seemed to be the issue. We didn’t care if we had to stand and eat but there was no space. You get the picture, I’m not going to stress on the importance of space. That’s a job for NASA. No? Not even a laugh you muffled as a cough? Moving on.
The number of people there was overwhelming. I had my feet stepped on, at one point I lost sight of my average (Short) in height friend. She thought I was kidding. I wasn’t. Limit the number of people attending the event, it cuts down on the noise, the over powering perfumes and is just more appealing.
The layout was a maze, and since this wasn’t a fun fair, it wasn’t appealing. Making our way through the crowd and arriving at a stall with nothing but a few cake pops was a huge letdown. Plan the layout of the event in advance. Make whatever it is you’re trying to sell accessible. If it’s a stall, place it in an area that can be approached without creating any chaos. Place signs and directions if needed.
Another important factor is ventilation. Anything that can provides fresh air be it fans or air conditioners. It’s humid in the city, being the monsoon season and I can understand one sweating. I can understand, as I am usually that person. Humidity doesn’t agree with me. Obviously I wouldn’t want to hug anyone if I’m all sweaty. I wouldn’t want to hug anyone who is sweaty. So having my arm painted in sweat from just bumping onto a strangers back due to the crowded space, worse than what you’re imagining.
Spice up the hub, wherever you’re hosting the event, pick a suitable theme and stick to it. I’ve dined at this particular restaurant before and had the same issue with lighting. I could barely spot my food or even the person next to me (my friend). It wasn’t anything like a candle light dinner as there were no candles, just extremely dim lights placed far apart. It just gave off a gloomy vibe, topped with everything else that was wrong with the event, seemed messed up. It was really hard to pick up the good in the event, I really tried to look for something good tossing aside the bar of expectations and found a lack of enthusiasm. If I stayed there any longer, I’d have had worse to say, which is why we decided to leave.
There is a lot more that goes into hosting an event, and as a scout would say, ‘Be Prepared’. Anything can turn sour, which is why it’s better to conceptualize, plan and execute with a focused mind. Do something that you’re outrageously passionate about, not for the sake of doing it. Some of the best events I’ve attended, the most scrumptious meals I’ve had the honour of savouring have been presented by people with a love for what they do. If you have pursued a passion of your own, you’d understand the mix of emotions, the horror of something not working out, the vulnerability of having your work critiqued, the hours put into something people might just scroll over and the lack of trust in other people doing your work without screwing up.
This post hit an iceberg and is now sinking. I don’t know. I have a lot of goals to achieve, dreams to turn into realities and I love meeting people who share the same aspirations. I’m just really disappointed in the event that I definitely would not call a ‘Dessert pop up’. It all turned out well, details of which will be up in the next post.
P.S. – Don’t take the above too seriously.
What Nemo does... 