Dress for the slide.

For a long time, a goal of mine has been to get my private pilot license. Not for any one particular reason other than I think flying is interesting, I enjoy learning about airplanes, and I thought it sounded like a challenge that I’d enjoy figuring out. Earlier this year I decided, “why not now?” I met with a flight school, decided on a program that fit with my day job and everything else going on in my day-to-day life, and started! I’m still a newbie, but so far, it’s been very rewarding.

During a lesson recently, in reference to being prepared for whatever may come our way, my flight instructor said, “Dress for the slide, not the ride.” I hadn’t heard the phrase before. He said, “you know when it’s 100 degrees outside and you see motorcyclists on their bikes still fully kitted out in full leather? They’re dressed for the slide.” They’re prepared for the worst-case scenario. They’ll do anything to avoid the slide, but if it happens, they’re prepared.

In flying, that could mean bringing a snack in the cockpit, a flashlight, or a change of clothes in case you end up stranded at an airport where you didn’t intend to spend the night. Of course, there are more serious “slides” in aviation that we’d all like to avoid, but we can keep things light. Dressing for the slide can mean so many different things to different people and in so many situations.

In the events world, there are all sorts of slides that we should think about and prepare for. Maybe the hotel you’re working with sells some space out from under you that you had hoped you could keep in your back pocket just in case. Weather always seems to a factor, whether it’s too hot, too cold, expected rain during an outdoor event, or a blizzard keeping attendees from arriving, or worse, one of your keynote speakers! Maybe a keynote drops out or can only present virtually, but they’ve only given you a day or two notice. I know we’ve all seen variations of all of these scenarios, probably more than we’d like, but all of these event nightmares can be less intimidating if we plan for them beforehand.

One of the most practical ways to dress for the slide in event planning is to build redundancy into every critical element of your show. If something absolutely has to work (power, internet, audio, show flow) assume it won’t at some point and plan accordingly. That might mean having files backed up locally instead of relying solely on a live connection, duplicate microphones ready to go, or a secondary run-of-show that can flex if timing shifts. It’s not about expecting failure, it’s about removing panic when something inevitably doesn’t go to plan. When the team knows there’s a backup (and a backup to the backup), decisions get made faster and confidence stays high.

Equally important is preparing your people. Clear communication protocols, defined roles, and a team that knows how to pivot are often more valuable than any piece of equipment. Talk through “what if” scenarios ahead of time; what if a speaker is late, what if a session runs long, what if a room is suddenly unavailable; and empower your team to act without waiting for permission in those moments. The more you can normalize adaptability during planning, the more composed and solution-focused everyone will be when something unexpected happens. In the end, being prepared isn’t about controlling every outcome. It’s about creating a team and a plan that can absorb surprises without missing a beat.

At the end of the day, no amount of planning will eliminate every surprise, but the right mindset and the right partners can make all the difference in how those moments play out. At Innovent, we’re well versed in adapting on the fly and pride ourselves on acting as a true extension of your event planning team. We aim to anticipate challenges, stay flexible in the moment, and work alongside you to ensure that no matter what comes your way, the experience for your audience remains seamless, because the best way to stay ready is to dress for the slide.

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