Every failed event would have succeeded if its team avoided known mistakes. The following list is a decade of learning in the Saudi market.
Mistakes 1–4
1) Starting without a written brief — leads to endless revisions. Fix: a signed brief document before any work.
2) Skipping Plan B for every critical element (rain, power outage, late speaker). Fix: a list of fallback scenarios.
3) Delaying protocol to the last minute. Fix: approve it at least two weeks ahead.
4) Budget without a 10-15% reserve for emergencies. Every major event faces unexpected costs.
Mistakes 5–7
5) Long scenario without breaks. Audiences lose focus after 25 minutes. Fix: punctuate with visual or musical interludes.
6) No single operations lead on event day. Decisions stall when 'everyone' is in charge.
7) Ignoring the closing report. This is the biggest marketing mistake — the report is what sells your next event.
The Golden Rule
Every mistake above traces back to one root: missing detailed planning. A successful event is executed on paper before it's executed on site.
At AOSS Media we allocate 70% of project hours to planning and 30% to execution — the inverted ratio of failing agencies.
Planning a major event soon? Share a quick brief with us and we'll flag the risks before you even start.