Coachella is the envy of many event organizers, attracting 40-plus activations and welcoming some quarter-million attendees annually. The music festival is also a case study to event planners—rookie or veteran—about paying attention to the basics.
For all the talk of big-name acts, multimillion-dollar brand spend and guest appearances, Coachella 2025 also received attention for on-site traffic jams, lack of bathrooms and audio problems—three cardinal sins at an event, regardless if it’s a multiday festival or business conference.
Here, Vendelux dives into three fundamental—and often fatal—flaws in event design, and how to solve the problem before it manifests itself:
Sound Bouncing Off the Walls
Talks at a recent travel-based summit in suburban Atlanta, the Southeast Tourism Society Media Marketplace, quickly turned to how loud attendees had to speak to overcome a hotel ballroom’s echoing acoustics. When one-on-one meetings are the main event of a meeting, that sort of noise pollution is a real no-no, says veteran planner Angie Ahrens, the new director of global events at Intuit Mailchimp.
“It’s all about sound travel and stopping it in its tracks,” says Ahrens. “Think of temporary walls or partitions, furniture in a variety of areas.”
Ahrens’ advice for traditional, indoor meetings include:
- Create smaller spaces within a large space, ala a breakout room;
- Use heavy curtains to divide up the room to help absorb noise before it bounces;
- If available, add in acoustic panels to hang from the ceiling.
Failing the Smell Test
Having hoarse attendees is rough enough, but planners don’t want delegates holding their breath either.
Veteran corporate event planner Joanna Lean, who is now a freelance event marketer, recalls offering cheese trays for appetizers at an evening function. While not an offense on its own, the fact it was blue cheese added an unwelcome odor. “It dominated the room,” she laments.
Cheese is hardly the only cuisine that can be off putting. Fish and particular international cuisines, among others, can be problematic depending on the audience.
Lean’s advice is to play it safe: Avoid strong-smelling foods in enclosed or poorly ventilated rooms.
Traffic Jams
Getting lost or running late can be disheartening to that attendee—and disruptive to a group awaiting them. Yet it’s a recurring theme for many attendees of festivals, conferences and other events.
Lean sticks with the basics here, as adding complications would likely make matters worse…
- Use clear, visible signage
- Assign volunteers to guide traffic flow during transitions
- Have an event app with an agenda that states where rooms are located, especially if your event covers multiple floors.
