The Perfect Game

This past Thursday, Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox pitched a perfect game. Everybody that the Tampa Bay Rays sent to the plate to face the big lefthander was sent back to the dugout without reaching 1st base. It was only the 18th perfect game in Major League Baseball history, a history that spans over 100 years. An amazing accomplishment, to be sure, and one that set me to thinking what the “pitching a perfect game” equivalent would be in the event industry.

I think it would have to start out with an unassuming client that wouldn’t seem, at first glance, to be particularly special or helpful towards attaining the goal. As baseball is a sport where one side is pitted against the other and the goal of any good event producer is to work with the other side (i.e. the client) to achieve a common goal, this is an imperfect comparison, but interesting nonetheless. I say that the client should be unassuming because the Rays came into the contest near the top of their league in offensive output. When you’re on top of your game, as Buehrle was, the opponent matters very little.

One thing that stood out about the perfect game was that, while Buehrle had a few strikeouts, most of the putouts were executed by his teammates, cleanly picking up grounders and catching fly balls. There was even a spectacular, home-run-robbing catch in the last inning that, had it not been made, would have not only broken up the perfect game, but also the shutout, making the previous eight innings of perfection ordinary. This catch highlighted the examples of the efforts of the team backing Mark Buerhle up. Even at the height of excellence, one needs to rely on teammates to ensure a strong effort.

Of course, a perfect event would have to be planned well, accounting for all of the possibilities leading up to and during the event production. The client-planner relationship, like that of the pitcher and catcher, would have to remain on the same page, with slight adjustments to ensure consistency as the planning went along. Constant communication is key. This extends to the crew that is producing the event as well, with good communication and leadership from the planner making certain the team has the right game plan and tools at their disposal.

Lastly, luck comes into play. Any number of factors can derail the perfectly planned event. A gust of wind that knocks down that high line drive to deep left center, keeping it within the reach of the racing outfielder or a helpful banquet captain that turns the room over in half an hour can make all the difference in the world. Things have to fall just right to get everything to go off as planned. And even then, it always helps to have Lady Luck on your side. Sharply batted balls that go directly to infielders or an absence of traffic on Massachusetts Avenue when you’re trying to get to the Convention Center can be the difference between perfection and simply pulling it off.

While we strive for perfection at every event, it is difficult to attain. So many factors have a hand in the outcome of any game or event. This is why we limit the opportunities for mistakes with our team-oriented approach with double and triple checks along the way. It’s also why we have trusted people that work for us who know the ropes and know what position they’re supposed to be in to make the game-saving play. We’re capable of pitching that perfect game each time we plan an event. That’s what keeps our fans coming back.

Congratulations, Mark Buehrle. Thanks for the inspiration.

by Noah Steurer, Director of Operations