Can You Survive an Event Move-Out When the Only Elevator Breaks?
Can You Survive an Event Move-Out When the Only Elevator Breaks?
You’ve done the site walk-through, staffed the crew, and run every scenario you could think of. Then it’s midnight. The show is over. You’re in teardown mode. And the only freight elevator — the one you absolutely needed — dies. No warning. No backup. Cue the chaos.
In this episode of Event About It, I sit down with event veteran Marc Ghafoori, Founder of AlphaTooth, to unpack one of the wildest move-outs he’s ever survived. From exhausted crews to rerouted trucks, from load-out pileups to improvisation under pressure — Marc takes us behind the scenes of a logistical meltdown that almost derailed the show.
His story is equal parts pulse-racing and oddly inspiring: when the system fails, your people and your processes become the difference between disaster and delivery. We dig into how he and his team adapted on the fly, the communication shifts that saved the night, and the mental grit needed when everything goes sideways.
If you’ve ever been on the floor of a live event, you know the load-out is the part no one sees — until it all goes wrong. This story is for every event professional who’s ever whispered, “Please, not tonight.”
Themes & Takeaways
1. Identify Your Single Point of Failure
When the freight elevator was the only route out, the whole show was at risk. The lesson? In event logistics, you can’t rely on one path or one system. Backup means two.
🔑 Takeaway: Map every potential failure before you load in — elevators, docks, power feeds, access points — and design a Plan B for each. Build redundancy into your schedule and staffing.
2. Real-Time Communication Wins
When the elevator broke, confusion could have cost hours. Instead, clear communication saved the night. Crews knew who was in charge, who was talking to whom, and how to pivot.
🔑 Takeaway: Establish your chain of command early and reinforce it daily. Use radios, headsets, or group chats to keep information moving quickly — not rumors or panic.
3. People Over Process When Systems Fail
Marc summed it up best: “The equipment broke, but the game was won by mindset and teamwork.” The human factor became the safety net when technology failed.
🔑 Takeaway: Lead with empathy. Empower your crew to problem-solve instead of waiting for orders. The smartest fix usually comes from the people in the thick of it.
4. Innovate Under Pressure
With the elevator out, Marc’s team re-sequenced trucks, shifted zones, and re-assigned labor. Those solutions weren’t on any checklist — they came from fast thinking and collaboration.
🔑 Takeaway: Train for flexibility, not perfection. Run “what if” scenarios during planning so your team is ready to pivot instead of panic.
5. Post-Event Debrief Like a Pro
Once the chaos settled, the team gathered to break down what happened, what worked, and what didn’t. It wasn’t just therapy — it was process improvement in real time.
🔑 Takeaway: Debrief every event. Capture what failed, what fixed it, and how to prevent it next time. Continuous improvement is built on honest post-show conversations.
Final Thought
When the systems fail, the show doesn’t have to. That night, the elevator broke — but what held firm was the team’s leadership, creativity, and calm under pressure.
For event professionals, this isn’t just a wild story; it’s a reminder that flawless events aren’t built on perfection. They’re built on preparation, people, and the ability to pivot when everything’s stuck between floors.