Anonymous Answer

I was managing a week-long event in Utah. I spoke with the Facilities manager shortly before flying out and identified the layout and supplies we would need for our venue. She informed me that everything would be set up the Friday before my flight. I arrived on Sunday, the day before the event, to prep what I could in advance to find that a number of tables were missing. We had no chairs and no power strips. When reaching out to our Facilities Manager, I would get a voicemail and no response. I left a voicemail and set up the supplies I could get in advance. When returning the next morning, we were still missing these items. I called the Facilities Manager one more time and was able to get ahold of her; it turned out she was in the mountains with no cellphone reception that weekend and her support team did not follow through on our request. As she planned on driving to our site, I worked fast and identified security who could open up a closet that would have chairs and sped to make arrangements. As some attendees slowly arrived, I informed them that we were still setting up and invited them to enjoy breakfast at an open table or downstairs. Eventually, we could get the layout and supplies we needed, and I debriefed with the Facilities manager to identify the shortcomings and additional alternative contacts if needed. After this, the event went smoothly, and the Facilities manager and I were better able to collaborate on future events.