When events land on internal teams, seasoned support goes a long way.

What happens when someone with zero formal event planning training is asked to manage a national summit, board retreat, or client-facing gathering?

If you’ve been in that spot, you know it’s rarely about the big picture—most internal teams can define the "why" behind an event.

The real challenge comes down to the "how" of navigating timelines, venues, vendors, and all the little decisions that don’t typically appear on your job description but somehow land on your plate.

One organization found itself in this exact situation. Here's what happened—and what it reveals about the hidden pressures of internal planning.

When the Stakes Are High (and the Staff Is Small)

The Society for Photographic Education (SPE) is a nonprofit that hosts an annual conference for educators, students, and industry professionals.

With only one paid employee and a rotating group of volunteer leaders, their team is passionate, talented, and deeply committed—but none of them are event planners.

This year’s event had strong bones: a great venue, an engaged community, and a thoughtfully crafted program. But even with the right intentions, some inevitable breakdowns included:

Microphones needed to be added or removed last-minute
Panel discussions were scheduled in separate rooms, creating tight transitions for AV and volunteers

And in previous years, some sessions were held in distant rooms, forcing rushed transitions and last-minute adjustments to stay on schedule.

None of these things ruined the event. In fact, attendees raved about their experience.

But what they didn’t see was the backstage scramble required to keep everything on track.

As one of the conference co-chairs later shared:

"There seemed to be no big fires to put out all weekend. That means Iron Peacock Events prevented them from happening—or solved them so smoothly we never saw the sparks. Either way, we’re grateful."

The Reality for Internal Teams

If your team has been asked to “just take care of” an upcoming leadership summit or client appreciation event—as if it’s no big deal—you’re not alone.

Many corporate professionals are asked to step into event planning roles with little context, limited resources, and an already full plate.

It’s a common scenario: a high-performing team member is tapped to lead the charge. Maybe they’ve never planned a large-scale event before, but they’re capable, organized, and trusted. So it seems like a natural fit.

But here’s the thing: even successful people don’t automatically make successful planners.

Without the right experience and support, what looks like a polished event on the surface can come at a steep cost behind the scenes—missed details, reactive decisions, burnout, and a disconnect between effort and actual outcomes.

And when that person is still expected to fulfill their regular role while managing the event? Something has to give.

Common Mistakes Novice Planners Make

When events fall on someone’s desk as a “side job,” a few common missteps tend to surface—not because the person isn’t capable, but because the role demands experience they haven’t had time to build.

Here are a few patterns we see:

Underestimating lead time. Venues, vendors, and even signage often require longer booking windows than expected.
Missing key flow details. Back-to-back sessions may look efficient on a spreadsheet but turn chaotic in practice—especially when AV resets or catering setups aren’t factored in.
Failing to define success. Without a shared definition of what success looks like—from registration to engagement to budget—teams may deliver a polished event that misses the mark or desired goals.

Spotting these early missteps (or having a partner who does) can mean the difference between pulling off an event and actually achieving your goals.

Three Ways to Avoid the Scramble

You may wonder what to do if you find yourself in a similar position. In fact, that’s probably why you’ve discovered and started reading this very post.

The good news is that there are several ways you can turn things around for a positive outcome.

Here are three ways to shift the pressure—and create a better outcome.

1. Protect internal bandwidth.
Your team’s expertise should shine in the room, not get buried in logistics. When they’re managing client relationships, presentations, or partner conversations, they shouldn’t also be tracking vendor calls or room changes.

→ Solution: This is where a planning partner becomes invaluable. By offloading logistics to a third-party agency, you give your team breathing room to do what they do best—lead, connect, and represent your brand with excellence.

2. Plan for handoffs before they’re needed.
Events often outlast the internal leads who start them. Roles shift. Teams get restructured. Without an external throughline, that handoff becomes a hard stop.

→ Solution: A planning agency can serve as that throughline. With documented knowledge, vendor relationships, and process continuity, they ensure momentum doesn’t get lost between team transitions or leadership changes.

3. Normalize outsourcing logistics.

You don’t need a full event department. But you do need a dedicated point person—someone whose role is to anticipate what’s coming, communicate with vendors, and keep the trains running. That way, your internal team stays focused on content, outcomes, and relationships.

→ Solution: A professional agency brings structure, foresight, and flexibility, without taking over the message. They lead behind the scenes, so your team stays front and center.

What Happens When You Build in Backup

In today’s workplace, agility and cross-functional teamwork are essential—but they also stretch teams thin. Event planning demands precision and presence, which is challenging to maintain when your staff is already operating at capacity.

That’s where having dedicated support matters. A partner who understands the moving parts of large-scale events can quietly prevent breakdowns, support internal visibility, and maintain momentum no matter who’s in the lead role.

When SPE partnered with Iron Peacock Events, they didn’t hand over control. They gained the margin to lead well without getting buried in operational chaos. Their team stayed focused on the parts of the event that only they could deliver—while we ran point on the rest.

And that’s the whole point: to make space for your team to show up and shine in the best way possible.

You don’t need to wait until the wheels start to wobble. If your team is already deep in the details—or unsure how to begin—it may be time to explore a better way.