Photo owned by: http://www.pinoysport.com The basketball aficionados in the Philippines are glued to the just concluded All Filipino PBA Cup Championship. The championship match between San Miguel Beermen and Alaska Aces has all the elements of human drama, and when the smoke cleared, the San Miguel Beermen emerged as the miracle winner. Indeed, the San Miguel Beermen is a miracle winner because no teams even in the whole wide sporting world have ever come back from a 0-3 deficit. Now that the San Miguel Beermen has accomplished it, they are now legends in the annals of the sporting history. But so much for the basketball aspect of this rich story, event managers like me can learn a lot from this historical feat. Looking from the fence to where I seat, here are the reasons why event managers must emulate the minted San Miguel Beer Team. Grace Under Pressure Even in the face of insurmountable odds, the 0-3 deficit, the San Miguel Beermen showed poise. They never crumble in this very difficult situation. They always maintain their calm demeanor. This led to their impossible accomplishment. Event Managers must have this character of never cracking under pressure. In the face of insurmountable odds we must always have that demeanor akin to the cool wind that refreshes and changes the darkest of the night into the brightest day ever. Self Confidence Any person or team with a low self-esteem placed under the searing heat of pressure will never recover. A team with a poor image of themselves can never stand-up and overturn the 0-3 deficit. But if you will observe the San Miguel Beermen not in any situation can you see that their self-confidence wane. In fact, they always believe that they can come back and make the impossible possible. Event Managers handling events must always have high self-confidence. Big or critical events can overwhelm an event manager with low self-esteem. In the face of different, unexpected situations or unplanned happenings in events, event managers must have the ability to face it bravely and maintain his high image of himself, because self-confidence will help the event manager to calmly solve problems and create better solutions. Defined Roles Coach Tim Cone observed that the reason why Coach Leo Austria is successful in leading San Miguel Beer to the Promised Land is that Coach Austria was able to define the role of each player and the players respect and perform the assigned roles given to them. Event Managers must take this example in making and running a successful event management team. Defined roles provide each and every member of the team accountabilities. Accountability is what makes each member exert more efforts because they will feel they are needed and that their contribution are valuable to the success of the project or event. Strategic Discipline The San Miguel Beermen stuck to their a game plan and they executed it to perfection. There was no hesitation or doubt to the plan that they prepared to overcome the Alaska Aces. This is what strategic discipline is, the ability to stick with the strategic direction the team or organization crafted even if in the early goings Bumps or hiccups are encountered. The event manager must always conduct technical meetings and dry runs, in this process, the strategy and course of action is laid and agreed upon by the team. After this stage, the execution comes next. Events depend on the discipline of the team to stick to the game plan or agreed course of action or sequence. If the event manager and the team have the discipline to execute faithfully to the plan, there is no doubt success is always the end result. Heart of Champions Rudy Tomjanovich, coach of the champion Houston Rockets, once said, "Don't ever underestimate the heart of a champion". In Game 7, Alaska Aces in several occasions made a furious run to be able to snatch the lead to the San Miguel Beermen. But San Miguel Beermen answered each furious run with timely offensive and defensive plays. They matched the intensity of the Alaska Aces and never allowed them to grab the flow of the game. In doing so, they displayed the Heart of the Champions – they know how to deal with the challenges and win. Event Managers must have a Heart of the Champions. This will ensure that clients can have a peace of mind, no matter what dynamics come into play during the actual event, an event manager that is a champion can deal and adjust with these changes. Events are like the game of Basketball – it is exciting and challenging, now that you already know the reasons for the San Miguel Beermen’s success, the success you desire is within reach, and like the Beermen, you will eventually hoist the championship trophy and allow the celebratory balloons to drop – a heavenly feeling for each successful event that you managed or created.

• The audience is invited because they have common elements in their profile. 
• They experience the event as a group, simultaneously.
• The event, which is much more about the content than the gag, continues to influence over time.
• Typically an important component of the event is press coverage which provides reach.
• Increasingly, individual audience members share their experiences with peers, partners and prospects further extending the reach of the event.

• Each person has an individual experience
• Because the experience only exists in the moment, it must be continuously        recreated.
• The memory of the experience is amplified by sharing with like-minded individuals.