Post-event syndrome

At the end of Tuesday’s very successful Fourth Annual Dinner, someone told me, “I hope you don’t get post-event syndrome.” I told him that I never knew such a thing existed, but now I’m thinking there might be something to it.

First, I should start at the beginning. As you may know, my colleagues and I have been working very hard the last couple of months to plan, organize and put on the best SVBC Annual Dinner anyone has ever attended. We booked great speakers, found a great venue, and gathered amazing auction items.

Forward to this week, on Monday, most of us at the office worked 12-15 hours to prepare everything for the following day -- finalizing the seating chart, printing name tags, printing signage, organizing auction items, coordinating with volunteers, and making sure everything else was accounted for and ready for transport to the venue. On Tuesday, some of us started our day at 7:00 am, first making sure every single item was checked off of the supply list. Then, at 10:00 am, we made our way (with a U-Haul) to Palo Alto Hills Golf and Country Club, to pretty up the place. We setup the auction items in the patio; triple checked the audio systems, lighting, staging and table settings; arranged the bike parking area to accommodate those riding to the event; and ran around the venue to ensure everything was perfect.

At 5:00 pm, many of the amazing volunteers arrived to get acquainted with the venue and their huge tasks of assisting with registration, the auction, and greeting. Then, most guests began arriving at 5:30pm and everything else is a blur from then on (this may be one of the symptoms of post-event syndrome). I was told by my colleagues the event went really well; that it was attended by nearly 300 bicycling enthusiasts; and that everyone loved the auction, the speakers, the program, and the food. So, I will take it from them that it was a success.

I would like to thank everyone who attended, all the amazing volunteers that made it all happen, and my colleagues for their hard work (and for summarizing the event to me). Next week, when my mind is back to normal, I will report back with numbers, pictures, and a more intellectual report.