My Week in Event Purgatory

            This week has been a blur. A stressful, surreal blur, much like Cady Herron’s first day of high school. Why? Because I have been in event purgatory.

An accurate representation of my feelings this week.        

           “What is event purgatory?” you ask?            

            Event purgatory is a very scientific term that I just made up. This week, Gloss PR has two of their biggest events, the first being the Spring Festival Preview Party, the second being the actual Spring Festival. The week in between is what I deemed "event purgatory."

            The Spring Festival basically involves a bunch of Rittenhouse Row businesses setting up tents on Walnut Street. Businesses typically offer food or merchandise at their tents. The street is closed down so that pedestrians and vendors can fill the area. This is what Rittenhouse Row’s website has to say about the event (which I’m 99% positive my boss wrote):

            Each year more than 50,000 people converge on Walnut Street from Broad to 19th Streets, for Philadelphia’s most upscale festival. The event features food, entertainment, shopping and family fun. This is the only event where Walnut Street is closed to automotive traffic. Pedestrians stroll Walnut and 18th Streets and explore 120 booths.

            The Festival is a huge deal for Gloss. Before the actual festival, which is this Saturday, is the Spring Festival Preview Party. While the Festival is open to the public, the Preview Party is much more exclusive. The invite-only event features food and drinks from some of the higher-end festival participants. There is also a silent auction, which includes items from festival participants as well. Some of the items are very valuable, such as gift card packages to Stephen Starr restaurants and Roberto Cavalli sunglasses.

            The Preview Party was this past Monday. Even though the event took place from 6-9 p.m., my day started at 8 a.m. After struggling to get out of bed and put myself together, I arrived in Philadelphia around 9:45 a.m. I was nonstop moving from then until the end of the night. All day, I was running around the city collecting items for the silent auction. Most businesses had the item ready and I was in, out, and on to the next one. However, a few places had no idea what I was talking about. This made me have to wait around while they contacted their managers. Despite these few blips, I picked up all of the items I was assigned.

            During the actual event, I worked registration. Besides not having the guest list printed out until 15 minutes before the event started, a lot of alleged guests not being on the list, and being hit on by the security guy, it went relatively smoothly.

            I then had to check out the guests who won items at the silent auction using the credit card processing system called Intuit. Even though the system was a little spotty, I figured it out. After the event was over and we cleaned up, I finally headed home at 10 p.m. Needless to say, after 12 hours I was exhausted.

            Even though I worked all day on Monday, I still had to go into the office Tuesday and Wednesday, which are my normal hours. To say these days were crazy would be an understatement. I had to help wrap things up from The Preview Party AND get things ready for The Spring Festival. For example, I had to call people that won things at the silent auction but did not claim their winnings. This entailed getting their payment information and address. If the item they one was a package, I had to hand deliver it. This meant driving all over Philadelphia, which is not something I like doing. It’s not that I don’t love being in the city, it’s that I hate finding a place to park and navigating my way through the one-way streets.

            By the time Wednesday rolled around, I was mentally done. I felt I had put so many hours into work this week (for no money) and that I was being asked to do a lot. While I did do what I was asked, I was overwhelmed. There was a lot to be done at the office this week, and I felt a lot of the slack was dumped on me. As the day was ending on Wednesday and I overheard talks of what had to be done, I couldn’t help but think, not my problem.

            But then, my boss realized how much they needed some extra hands around the office. She offered to pay me if I came in for an extra day on Thursday. As much as I felt exhausted and overworked, I wanted to be an outstanding intern and I wanted to help my boss in her time of need. I agreed and went into the office the next day. After a crazy week and only one emotional breakdown (which started with me getting lost and stuck in traffic for an hour and a half after an already rough day and ended with me hysterically crying on the highway) I somehow made it through.

            Today was a much-needed day off. However, tomorrow is the Festival and I have to be in the city at 8 a.m. I am probably facing a 10-hour-or-more-day, but I am okay with that because:

1. It is my job.
2. It’s going to be an awesome event.
3. I will gain valuable experience.
4. After, my week in event purgatory will be over.

The poster for the Spring Festival, which I distributed all over the city.