Events big or small bring people together for various reasons - to support and cheer on a sports team, fundraising, for celebrations, to change a town's city or image and to promote a company's product or service.
Events have the unique ability to unite people through shared goals and experiences, creating a major buzz!
Regardless of size or event type, events have certain factors in common. They all require planning, a lot of commitment, a wide range of skills, energy and enthusiasm.
Below are some areas that you might want to consider during your event planning, especially when planning the layout of your event.
Choosing your venue
Choosing the right venue for your event is crucial to its success. Here are some key things to consider when searching for a venue:
Location
Parking
Capacity and minimums
Services and amenities
Layout
Ambiance
Accessibility
Acoustics
Cost and flexibility on date
Once you have your venue you want to think about your event layout and flows within your venue...
Work through your event from start to finish and go through where people will move to and from. If you have security requirements for people onsite then this needs to be considered so you don’t have a cross over of people in the wrong areas. Doing this as a team is an effective way to point out any gaps in the flows. Think about:
Pedestrian pathways
Flows of different people in your event, such as staff or entertainment, participants, spectators, etc.
Quick access points AND quick evacuation - Do you want to have a VIP zone that is a quick check in area?
What security will you need onsite to manage this or will you be able to manage it with volunteers?
Media
Staff/volunteers
Artists/athletes/ VIP
Unsecured access or venue vulnerable points
How will you manage crowded spaces? If you have stages, are there popular artists and attendees who could rush the stage? What about when you first open the gates and the initial rush of people? Where do you think your pinch points will be and can you manage any that are unexpected? Are there particular times the vendors/ arenas are busier?
To help manage and spread the crowd at your event, think about:
What are your ratios for?
Facilities/bathrooms
Food outlets
Water-stations
Ticketing booths – multiple entries or just one?
Medical
Security
Consider spreading your crowd with:
Your entry and exit points
Stage locations, finish line locations
Attraction layouts
Barriers and Fencing:
Ask what is the purpose of the barriers and fencing? (know your crowd, event, environment)
Where are they most appropriate?
How strong and reliable do they need to be? Get the right type of fencing/barrier for the right situation
A moshpit at a stage vs athlete transition vs way finding vs directional
When planning your event, make sure you include signage in your planning. You know your venue but others coming in will not:
Wayfinding
Timetables
Male/female
Lost children
Entrance/exit
Catering
Bathrooms
Medical