You Lose the Venue Six Days Out

A burst main has flooded your main hall. The venue says it cannot host you. Eight hundred people are booked, ticketed and flying in on Thursday.

Setting: Paid industry summit, 800 attendees, city conference centre, six days before doors. Category: Event Operations. Pressure level: Critical.

This page is the individual, citable address for this one situation: https://gatheringarchitecture.com/crisis-sim/scenario/venue-lost

The situation

The venue director calls at 08:15: standing water in the main hall, electrical inspection pending, no guarantee for next week. Your speakers are booked, 800 tickets are sold, and half your attendees are flying internationally.

First moves and what each one costs

• Run three tracks at once: hunt alternative venues, get the contractual position in writing, and prepare an attendee message for tonight — By 16:00 you have two viable venues, a written position from the centre, and a message ready. Nothing is decided yet, but nothing is lost.
• Wait for the venue's inspection result before doing anything — The result comes Thursday. You have burned four of your six days and the good alternative rooms are now booked.
• Cancel the summit and start refunds — Decisive and premature. You had two options you never priced, and refunds without a relocation attempt will be remembered.

Preparation notes for this situation

• Read the force majeure and relocation clauses before you need them, and know who pays for what
• Tell attendees before they hear it from the venue, an airline, or a rumour
• Decide fast between three options: relocate, reschedule, or reshape — every day of indecision costs you one option
• Protect the two things attendees actually bought: the people and the programme, not the room

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