Coming from corporate life, you get in the habit of a traditional work schedule: Monday through Friday, some downtime on the weekends, and back to it at 8am (or earlier) the next Monday. The world of event management turns that schedule on its head and routine goes out the window.
We spent the last week in Punta Gorda, Florida doing a program for a corporate client and their 130+ guests at the beautiful Sunseeker Resort overlooking Port Charlotte harbor. We started our “work week” on Tuesday with a 3am alarm so we could make our 5am flight to Ft Myers. Upon arrival, we got our rental car and made the 40-minute drive north to Punta Gorda, a quiet seaside city in Charlotte County that’s home to just under 20,000 according to the most recent census. The impact of Hurricane Ian in 2022 is still very fresh, compounded by other storms, as evident by the many facilities still closed pending repairs alongside those that have been fortunate enough to rebuild. Talking with some of the locals, the sand came onshore creating a snow-like effect, inches deep, that’s still being cleaned-up.
Getting back to the schedule, arriving in town on Tuesday was our last “official” duty of the day but gave us the opportunity to explore the area and checkout some of the venues being used during the program. And in typical fashion, the laptops came with and allowed us to get caught up on some work and take a Teams call or two, dockside…with a cold beverage. Again, a little different from your typical corporate Tuesday.
The following day found me at the airport meeting some clients upon arrival in baggage followed by a couple errands and some pool time. Not bad work if you can get it, right? Well, yes, but every the “Eventful Life” lends itself to eventual peaks and valleys. The following days started at 5am and spanned till past 11pm until the last guests left the evening gala. Now don’t get me wrong, there are many people who work similar or longer hours in much, much more challenging environments. I made trips between the private FBO terminal to a 4-star resort and a posh, private golf course where the evening concluded under stings of twinkle lights with champagne and crème brûlée. But hey, long days are still longs days, especially for this 50-year old who’s used to being in bed by 9pm (okay, maybe 8:30pm).
The bottom line is that if you’re someone who craves the consistency of a routine, this isn’t the life for you. Our schedule can be hectic and is dictated by the needs of our clients, but the flip side is that the rest of the time is ours to do as we see fit. And speaking of, we have sailboat to board in Naples. More to come on that next week though.
Cheers,
Kelly