Event Planning – Eventunity

Why is Event Planning Important

October 2, 2023July 21, 2023 by Mark Norman

Having been involved in the events industry for over 25 years, I know good planning is crucial in the organization and execution of successful events.

One of the primary reasons event planning is important is because it helps reduce stress for organizers. The planning process allows them to tackle tasks systematically, from securing venues and vendors to creating engaging event content and marketing strategies.

Furthermore, event planning enhances a company’s reputation, as well-organized events contribute positively to their brand image and attract potential clients and partners.

Essentials of Event Planning

Event Type

It is crucial to first understand the objective of the event, as every event type should have a primary purpose, event goals, and objectives, which give measurements of success. If the event professional understands the purpose of the event, it will lead to better event planning and proper allocation of time and money.

Event Date

Selecting the appropriate event date is vital for maximizing attendance and ensuring all necessary preparations are completed. Consider factors like holidays, other industry events, and venue availability when choosing a date. Giving ample notice and considering the needs of your target audience will contribute to the event’s success.

Budget

Establishing a budget is a critical aspect of event planning, as it affects decisions such as the venue, food, entertainment, and marketing. Effective budget management helps avoid overspending and ensures that resources are allocated where they are most needed. Be realistic with the budget and keep track of expenses to ensure the event runs smoothly without financial strain.

Sample Budget Breakdown:

Expense Category	Percentage of Budget
Venue	30%
Food & Beverage	25%
Marketing	20%
Entertainment	10%
Miscellaneous	15%

Meeting

Regular meetings are a vital part of the event planning process, as they facilitate communication and coordination among teams and vendors. Schedule meetings at different stages of planning to monitor progress, address any concerns or challenges, and ensure all aspects of the event are on track. Effective meetings promote collaboration, helping to create a successful event. For example:

Initial meeting: Define event goals, vision, and expectations.
Progress meetings: Discuss updates on tasks, such as venue selection and marketing efforts.
Final meeting: Review all preparation details, verify that all tasks are complete, and confirm the event schedule.

Event Management and Organization

Event management is crucial for the successful execution of any event, whether it’s a small gathering or a large-scale convention. It involves the organization, planning, and management of various aspects of an event, including logistics, communication, and coordination¹. This section will explain the importance of event management and cover key areas of the planning process.

Planning Process

The planning process is the foundation of successful event management. It involves creating a detailed timeline, outlining the goals and objectives of the event, and identifying the necessary resources and staff. This process helps event managers to allocate resources, develop an event plan, and set priorities to ensure that the event runs smoothly and achieves its desired outcomes.

Logistics

Managing logistics is a significant aspect of event management. It includes tasks such as selecting a suitable venue², arranging transportation, providing necessary facilities and amenities, managing security measures, and coordinating various services like catering, AV equipment, and other technical elements. Proper organization of logistics is essential for creating a seamless event experience for the attendees.

Communication

Effective communication is vital for successful event management. Event managers need to establish clear communication channels with various stakeholders, including vendors, sponsors, staff, and attendees³. Timely and accurate information dissemination ensures that everyone involved is well-informed of the event objectives, schedule, and guidelines, leading to better coordination and a successful event outcome.

Coordination

Coordination is the process of bringing all event elements together in a harmonious manner. Event managers need to have strong coordination skills to align the efforts of various teams, vendors, and service providers involved in the event⁴. The coordination process ensures that all tasks are efficiently executed, and potential challenges are addressed promptly, resulting in a well-organized and successful event.

In conclusion, event management is crucial for organizing and managing various aspects of an event, including the planning process, logistics, communication, and coordination. It ensures that the event runs smoothly and achieves its goals, ultimately leading to a positive experience for all attendees and stakeholders.

Key Components for Successful Events

Marketing and Promotion

A well-planned marketing strategy is crucial for a successful event. The foundation of this strategy includes creating an informative and engaging event website. This site should provide event details, registration information, and any necessary updates. To maximize the online presence and reach of your event, utilize social media platforms for targeted marketing and advertising campaigns. Engaging with the audience through various channels helps create a buzz around your event, ultimately increasing its chances of success.

Technology

Event technology plays a vital role in streamlining event planning and execution. It ensures seamless registration, ticketing, and communication with attendees. Furthermore, incorporating modern technological solutions such as mobile applications, virtual reality, and live streaming enhances the participant’s experience and adds a unique aspect to your event, making it stand out.

Entertainment

The entertainment component of an event contributes significantly to its overall success. This is achieved by selecting performers or speakers who align well with the event theme and audience preferences. By offering a variety of high-quality entertainment options, you keep attendees engaged and provide them with a memorable experience. It is essential, however, to strike a balance between entertainment and the event’s primary purpose.

Feedback

Gathering feedback from attendees is a crucial aspect of successful event planning. This information helps you gauge the effectiveness of your marketing, entertainment, and technology strategies. By analyzing participant feedback, you can make necessary adjustments for future events and ensure continuous improvement. Utilize feedback forms, surveys, and engagement on social media channels to gather valuable insights and measure the event’s success.

Types of Events

Conferences and Conventions

Conferences and conventions bring people together to discuss a specific topic or theme. They often offer networking opportunities, industry-related discussions, and the chance to learn from experts in the field. Professionals in various industries attend these events to exchange ideas, grow their networks, and stay updated on current trends. Types of conferences include corporate events, which are goal-driven and often revolve around a business topic, and conventions, which focus on specific sectors such as technology, education, or entertainment.

Corporate and Social Events

Corporate events are organized to achieve specific event goals for an organization. They can range from product launches, award ceremonies, and team-building events to seminars, workshops, and training sessions. These events facilitate the sharing of information and collaboration among employees, clients, or industry peers while promoting a company’s brand and value.

Social events, on the other hand, focus on bringing people together for celebrations, personal milestones, or just a social gathering. From birthdays, weddings, and reunions to informal get-togethers, these events often showcase the personal interests and preferences of the attendees.

Hybrid and Virtual Events

With advancements in technology and the recent shift towards remote work, hybrid and virtual events now play a significant role in the industry. Hybrid events blend both in-person and virtual components, allowing a broader audience to participate. These events can include webinars, conferences, or corporate events that combine live presentations or workshops with remote access options for attendees who cannot be physically present.

Virtual events take place entirely online, using various tools and platforms to engage remote participants. Digital formats such as webinars, live streams, and virtual expos allow attendees to connect from anywhere in the world and interact with the content and one another. Both hybrid and virtual events offer organizations the opportunity to reach a wider audience, reduce costs, and adapt to the ever-changing landscape of communication in today’s world.

Role of Event Planners

Event planners play a crucial role in the successful execution and management of various types of events. Their key responsibilities include providing expertise, managing details, budgeting, and negotiating with vendors and suppliers. This section will discuss these sub-sections in more detail.

Expertise

Event planners and managers possess the knowledge and experience necessary to create memorable and well-organized events. They are well-versed in coordinating various aspects of an event, from selecting the venue to arranging accommodations for guests, ensuring that each element comes together seamlessly. Their expertise enables them to provide guidance and advice to clients and seamlessly execute both small gatherings and large-scale conferences.

Managing Details

One of the primary roles of an event planner is to oversee and manage the numerous details involved in organizing an event. This involves coordinating logistics, timelines, and various event components. They work closely with clients to understand their specific requirements and ensure that every aspect of the event is meticulously planned. Their attention to detail and ability to stay organized is crucial in reducing stress and preventing potential issues from arising during the event.

Budgeting

Event planners are skilled in managing budgets to ensure that all aspects of an event are covered without overspending. They are responsible for monitoring and tracking expenses, ensuring that the event stays within the predetermined budget. Their expertise in budgeting helps them to allocate funds effectively and maximize the value of each dollar spent on the event.

Negotiating

Lastly, event planners are often responsible for negotiating contracts and deals with vendors and suppliers. They use their industry knowledge and connections to secure the best pricing and terms, contributing to a successful event while maintaining budgetary constraints. Their negotiation skills are essential in finding the right partners for each event and building lasting relationships with reputable suppliers.

In conclusion, event planners play an integral role in ensuring the success of various types of events. Their expertise in logistics, budgeting, and negotiation contributes to the seamless execution of each event, creating memorable experiences for attendees and leaving a lasting impression.

Event Production Elements

Audio-Visual Equipment

Audio-visual equipment plays a significant role in event production, as it helps create the desired atmosphere and enhances the overall experience for attendees. High-quality audio and visual systems are essential for presentations, performances, and guest engagement. Event planners must carefully consider the specific requirements of their event, such as the size of the venue, the type of content being presented, and the target audience when selecting and arranging audio-visual equipment.

Printed Materials

In the digital age, printed materials still hold importance in event production. They not only contribute to the event’s branding but also provide essential information for attendees. Programs, agendas, name badges, and promotional materials such as posters and banners help build a cohesive theme and ensure smooth navigation throughout the event. Event planners should work with designers and printing services to create visually appealing and informative materials tailored to their event’s unique needs.

Event Sponsors

Event sponsors are crucial for many events, as they can provide financial support, resources, and credibility. Securing the right sponsors can significantly impact the event’s success and attract more attendees. Event planners should carefully research potential sponsors, identifying organizations that align with the event’s goals and values. A well-crafted sponsorship proposal showcasing the benefits of being associated with the event can help secure valuable partnerships.

Keynote Speakers

Keynote speakers can set the tone for an event, providing valuable insights and inspiring attendees. Selecting the right speakers is vital, as they can significantly elevate an event’s reputation and draw larger audiences. Event planners must consider the event’s theme and goals, as well as the target demographic, when selecting keynote speakers. In addition to their expertise and speaking abilities, it’s essential to ensure that the chosen speakers can spark thought-provoking discussions and engage with the audience.

Factors Impacting Event Planning

Weather

Weather is a crucial factor when it comes to event planning, especially if the event is outdoors. A clear understanding of the expected weather conditions is important in order to prepare and adapt event plans accordingly. For instance, if rain is predicted, planners should consider having tents or other shelters available to protect guests from the elements. In the case of extreme weather conditions like storms or heatwaves, it may be necessary to reschedule the event or find an indoor alternative to ensure the safety and comfort of all attendees.

Other Events

Another key factor impacting event planning is the presence of other events happening around the same time and location. Competing events can lead to scheduling conflicts, making it challenging to find appropriate venues, accommodations, and resources for your event. To avoid such issues, it’s crucial for event planners to research the local events calendar and ensure their chosen date doesn’t coincide with any major festivals, conventions, or other significant happenings.

Accommodation

Having a variety of accommodation options in close proximity to the event location is essential for both the attendees and the event staff. Event planners must consider factors such as availability, room rates, and distance from the event venue while selecting accommodation providers. Partnering with local hotels or lodging facilities may help planners secure discounted rates or reserved room blocks to ensure attendees have access to convenient, affordable lodging options.

Accessibility

Accessibility is a vital aspect of event planning, as all attendees should feel welcome and able to fully participate in the activities. Planners should assess the event venue for wheelchair access, availability of handicap parking, and the presence of assistance devices such as ramps or elevators. An accessible event not only ensures that people with disabilities can enjoy the event but also demonstrates the planner’s commitment to inclusive experiences for all attendees.

Evaluating Event Success

Reputation

Evaluating event success is crucial for maintaining and enhancing an organization’s reputation. A well-executed event can strengthen brand image and create positive associations in the minds of attendees. Likewise, a poorly executed event can have a negative impact on an organization’s reputation. Carefully analyzing and measuring engagement, attendee satisfaction, and overall event experience can help shape future events that align with the desired brand image and message. It’s essential to gather and analyze feedback from attendees to identify areas of improvement and learn from any mistakes that may have occurred during the event planning process.

Return on Investment

Another critical aspect of evaluating event success is understanding the return on investment (ROI) generated by the event. Measuring ROI involves tracking the event’s costs and comparing them to the revenue generated, whether through ticket sales, sponsorship deals, or other sources of income. Accurate assessment of ROI allows event planners to determine if the event had a positive financial impact as well as helping to make decisions about allocating resources for future events more effectively. Events with a high ROI indicate successful planning and execution, whereas a low ROI points to areas that require improvement.

Themes

Evaluating the success of event themes is essential in order to ensure that the chosen theme resonated with the audience and effectively conveyed the desired message. Additionally, understanding the success of a theme can provide insights into tailoring future event themes to the specific audience. Obtaining feedback from attendees, gathering data on social media engagement, and analyzing the overall atmosphere of the event during the theme’s implementation are some ways in which event planners can gauge the success of event themes.

Permits

Acquiring the necessary permits for an event is vital for ensuring it proceeds without any legal issues. As part of the evaluation process, event planners should assess if all permits were obtained in a timely manner, whether they were sufficient for the event requirements, and if any issues arose due to permitting. This assessment helps event planners learn from past experiences to prevent potential complications related to permits in future events and streamline the process.

By evaluating event success in terms of reputation, ROI, themes, and permits, event planners can continuously improve their planning and management processes. This leads to better events that will ultimately benefit the organization and its audience.

Event Management Tools and Resources

Management Software

Event management tools and resources play a crucial role in organizing successful events. One of the most useful solutions is event management software, which helps planners streamline their processes, save time, and achieve better results. Examples of such software include Asana, Cvent, and Wrike. These platforms offer features such as:

Task management and scheduling
Collaborative workspaces for team communication
Integration with CRM systems like Salesforce and Hubspot
Resource planning and allocation
Budget management and financial tracking

By utilizing event management software, event planners can optimize their workflow, avoid potential pitfalls, and focus on creating memorable experiences for their attendees.

Free Consultation

In addition to software solutions, event planners can benefit from free consultations offered by experienced professionals. These consultations can provide valuable insights into best practices, industry trends, and successful strategies for event planning and management. Many event management software providers also offer free consultations, as well as educational resources like webinars, blog posts, and articles, to help their users get the most out of their tools.

Event managers can access free consultations by reaching out to industry experts, attending trade conferences or workshops, or engaging with software providers to request their advice and guidance. By doing so, they can stay informed about emerging technologies and learn from the successes and mistakes of others in the industry.

In conclusion, a combination of event management software and free consultation services can greatly enhance the event planning process. By harnessing the power of these tools and resources, planners can deliver well-organized, engaging, and memorable events that meet the needs of their clients and attendees.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does event planning affect marketing efforts?

Event planning plays a crucial role in marketing efforts, as it helps create a positive brand image and generate buzz around an organization or product. A well-planned event can attract a targeted audience, boost brand recognition, and increase overall engagement.

In what ways does event planning contribute to entertainment value?

Event planning contributes to entertainment value by ensuring that all event elements are designed to engage and entertain attendees. This includes selecting appropriate venues, curating suitable entertainment, and planning interactive activities. A successful event provides a memorable and enjoyable experience for participants.

How does proper event planning help with budget management?

Proper event planning involves creating and adhering to a well-defined budget. This process includes allocating funds to essential event components, tracking expenses, and making informed decisions about vendor pricing and contract negotiations. Effective budget management helps ensure that an event is financially sustainable and successful.

Why is risk management essential in event planning?

Risk management is an important aspect of event planning, as it helps identify and mitigate potential hazards or issues that may arise during an event. This can include preparing for weather-related disruptions, anticipating technical difficulties, and implementing safety measures for attendees. Effective risk management can minimize the impact of unforeseen circumstances and ensure a smooth event experience.

How does event planning relate to marketing communications?

Event planning is closely related to marketing communications, as the planning process involves creating and disseminating information about the event to potential attendees. This can include designing promotional materials, crafting press releases, and utilizing social media and other marketing channels to generate awareness and excitement around the event.

What role does software play in effective event planning?

Software is pivotal in effective event planning, as it helps streamline and automate various tasks and processes. This can include managing guest registration and ticketing, monitoring budgets, assigning tasks to event staff, and organizing attendee communications. Utilizing software solutions can improve efficiency, reduce human error, and contribute to the overall success of an event.

References

Event Debrief Template (Download for Free)

October 2, 2023July 4, 2023 by Mark Norman

Debriefing after an event is important for several reasons. Firstly, it allows for a comprehensive evaluation of the event’s success in achieving its objectives and goals. By assessing the outcomes, strengths, and weaknesses, event organizers can gain valuable insights into what worked well and what needs improvement.

Secondly, debriefing enables the collection and analysis of feedback from participants, stakeholders, and attendees. This feedback provides valuable perspectives on the event, highlighting areas of satisfaction and areas that may require attention. Understanding the experiences and opinions of those involved helps in making informed decisions for future events.

Thirdly, debriefing helps identify and address any challenges or issues that arose during the event. By openly discussing problems, organizers can identify their root causes and develop strategies to mitigate or prevent them in the future. This process ensures continuous improvement and enhances the overall effectiveness of future events.

Things to think about:

Evaluation: A debrief provides an opportunity to evaluate the event’s success in achieving its objectives and goals. It allows you to assess whether the event met the desired outcomes and identify areas of improvement for future events.
Lessons Learned: A debrief helps uncover valuable lessons learned from the event. By reflecting on what worked well and what could have been done differently, you can gather insights that can be applied to future events to enhance their effectiveness and efficiency.
Feedback Analysis: Collecting feedback from participants, stakeholders, and attendees is crucial for understanding their experiences and perspectives. A debrief session allows you to analyze this feedback, identify common themes or suggestions, and gain a better understanding of the event’s impact on the target audience.
Problem Identification: Debriefing provides an opportunity to identify any challenges, issues, or shortcomings that occurred during the event. By openly discussing problems, you can gain a deeper understanding of their root causes and develop strategies to prevent or address them in the future.
Continuous Improvement: Debriefing fosters a culture of continuous improvement. It allows you to implement changes, refine processes, and enhance future events based on the insights gained. By identifying areas for improvement, you can ensure that each subsequent event is more successful than the last.
Team Building and Collaboration: Debriefing brings together event organizers, staff, and other stakeholders to discuss the event’s outcomes. It encourages open communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing among team members. By involving everyone in the debrief, you can strengthen relationships, boost morale, and foster a sense of unity and shared purpose.
Accountability and Action Planning: A debrief session helps establish accountability by assigning responsibilities and deadlines for implementing improvements or changes. It ensures that the insights gained are translated into action and that the necessary resources and support are allocated to drive positive change.

Overall, debriefing after an event is a critical process that allows you to reflect, learn, and grow. It enables you to build on successes, address challenges, and continuously improve the quality and impact of future events.

Use the following as a starter for your own debrief template for events

Access as a Google doc here

Download as a Word doc here

Free Event Debrief Template:

[Event Name]

Date: [Enter date of the debrief session]
Facilitator: [Enter the name of the person facilitating the debrief]
Participants: [List the names of participants attending the debrief session]

1. Introduction

Begin the debrief session by welcoming everyone and providing a brief overview of the purpose of the debrief.
Discuss the importance of the debrief in evaluating the event’s success and identifying areas for improvement.

2. Event Overview

Review the event’s objectives and goals.
Summarize the event’s timeline and key activities.
Discuss any major challenges or issues encountered during the event.

3. Successes and Achievements

Identify and celebrate the successes and achievements of the event.
Discuss any positive feedback or compliments received from attendees, stakeholders, or participants.

3. Areas for Improvement

Identify and discuss areas where improvements can be made for future events.
Analyze any challenges, issues, or shortcomings experienced during the event.
Brainstorm possible solutions or strategies to address these areas for improvement.

4. Logistics and Operations

Evaluate the effectiveness of the event’s logistics and operations.
Discuss the venue, setup, equipment, and overall flow of the event.
Identify any logistical issues or improvements that could enhance future events.

5. Communications and Marketing

Assess the effectiveness of the event’s marketing and communication strategies.
Discuss the promotional efforts, including social media, advertising, and media coverage.
Identify any areas where the event’s communication could be improved.

6. Participant Feedback

Discuss the feedback received from event participants, such as surveys or evaluations.
Analyze the feedback and identify any common themes or suggestions.
Determine any necessary actions or changes based on participant feedback.

7. Lessons Learned

Share and discuss any lessons learned from organizing and executing the event.
Reflect on what worked well and what could have been done differently.
Consider how these lessons can be applied to future events.

8. Action Plan

Develop an action plan based on the insights gained from the debrief.
Assign responsibilities and deadlines for implementing improvements or changes.
Determine the necessary resources and support required for the action plan.

9. Conclusion

Summarize the key points discussed during the debrief.
Thank all participants for their valuable contributions.
Encourage ongoing communication and collaboration for future events.

Note: This debrief template is a starting point and should be customized based on the specific requirements of the event and the organization. Feel free to add or modify sections to suit your needs.

What is Event Design?

January 9, 2023November 16, 2021 by Mark Norman

The concept of event design is often confused with just being about the event decoration, but it goes much beyond that.

With over 20 years of experience in events, I understand how important this is in event planning from start to finish to give attendees the best experience.

Successful event design uses a deep understanding of attendees to design event experiences that engage with the senses, creating memorable and emotional responses that satisfy or exceed expectations. It is a key component of modern-day event planning.

While decorations may form part of delivering this experience, it is only one part of it. There is increased demand from all stakeholders associated with events. There are also growing pressures from corporate social responsibility and technology, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic events must now factor in.

What is meant by event design?

Event design is how we consider the entire experience of an event attendee. In academic literature, these are also referred to as touchpoints. Event design considers all of these touchpoints in the attendee journey, from first discovering the event through its delivery and final evaluations.

Why is event design important?

“If we don’t design, we leave the experience to chance; if we do design, we increase the predictability of the event outcome.”

(Berridge, 2012).

The working environment for event managers is ever-changing, so there is a need to understand event design and the new challenges they face. Crowther (2014) suggests that there are four key areas in a shifting landscape that make event design important:

1. Heightened Attendee Expections

These reflect the changing world we live in. Younger generations are driven more by deeper immersive and individualized experiences. This trend is spurred on by the increasing pace of technology where we don’t have to be in a physical space to experience the event! Capturing this trend is a crucial part of setting realistic objectives through event design.

2. A Competitive Event Marketing Plan

has flourished off the back of our increasing desire for these more immersive experiences. The industry continues to thrive, and attendees show a strong appetite for engaging in real and virtual worlds. Because of this, events need to find new ways to stand out and be different; thus, the design of events becomes critical.

3. Instrumental in getting event investment

Investment in events is vital, and pressure from event funders is ever-increasing, so the need to demonstrate a return on investment is paramount to ensuring the viability of events in the future. With this in mind, the event’s design needs to reflect how the backers of an event perceive its success.

4. Responsibility for wider impact.

Responsibility for wider impact. There are increasing layers of impacts beyond where the event simply takes place. Events can no longer just consider economic sustainability. They also need to consider their environmental and social impact as attendees are increasingly aware of these impacts. Therefore, the event design needs to consider the different facets of potential effects that surround each event.

I highly recommend the book these ideas come from if you’re interested in reading more, I use it all the time to teach our event management degree course. You can buy it here at Amazon.

Strategic Event Creation

(2014)

Buy on Amazon

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What are the elements of event design?

There are two main aspects of event design, strategic design and operation design.

Strategic Design

Strategic event design is a process for creating events that are aligned with an organization’s goals and objectives. It involves a systematic approach to planning and executing events that are intended to achieve specific outcomes.

This can include events such as conferences, meetings, trade shows, product launches, and other types of corporate or social events. In strategic event design, the focus is on creating an event that is not only enjoyable and engaging for attendees, but also serves a larger purpose in advancing the organization’s mission and goals.

In my personal experience of event planning, this aspect considers the objectives, outcomes, purpose, or theme of the event. Setting realistic objectives at the start of any project allows the client to say yes and the successful delivery of the event through the operational design.

Operational Design

The operational design considers how the physical elements of the event are delivered. This would include things like the decor, food and entertainment. This ultimately provides the experience to event attendees.

How do I create an event design?

There are a couple of initial steps to follow in creating a successful event design:

Set clear objectives and outcomes

The first step is to establish why you are running the event and how you plan to measure it’s a success. Without setting good objectives, you can never know this. The objectives you select need to be SMART, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound.

Answer the 5Ws – Why, what, when, who, where

The 5W’s help you to understand the critical strategic elements of an event and so design an event more strategically. To get started, ask yourself the following questions:

Why are you holding the event? Why can mean asking fundamental questions about the purpose of the event? This includes things such as what is its overall goals or why attendees chose your event over another.
What do attendees want to get out of the event? Think about what the attendees are looking for as a key takeaway from the event. Some things can be planned very far in advance, while some need to be arranged closer to the event date. This question also considers the event’s main programme and how to offer actual value to the attendees.
When will the event take place? Lots of factors play into this, such as venue availability, attendee readiness. You should also consider how often the event will occur, perhaps every year, two years etc.
Who are the attendees? Here you need to think about buying personas. If you haven’t already done so, you should be segmenting your customer base and deciding who the target audience is. This alone can make or break the success of your event.
Where is the event being held? Consider the venue, the host city, how this impacts travel decisions for your attendees. Is there sufficient hotels of the required standard near to the event?

Best event design courses

Many university undergraduate degree courses in event management will likely cover event design. I know because the university I work at delivers this.

However, for someone already working in the industry, you probably have two options. The first is seeking out a University Master’s course such as this one at Sheffield Hallam University or taking an online training course.

With most university degrees, you will likely find that event design is only one part of the course. Undertaking a Masters degree can also be expensive and takes numerous years when studying part-time.

For some, this length of course may be a great option, but for others they may find online training courses offer a more flexible way to learn the skills around event design.

One such example of an online training course comes from Event Design Collective. Their online training course is based around the event design canvas, a freely available adaption of traditional business models but for event design. what are they deliver training in person, you can also choose to study online you can find out more at their website

References

Here are the sources used in this article; if you are interested in reading more about this topic, I suggest the Strategic Event Creation book as a good starting point.

Events Design and Experience (2006)

Strategic Event Creation (2014)

How to organise a street food festival

October 16, 2023September 23, 2020 by Mark Norman

Street food festivals are a great way to bring a host of people together with one common shared passion, food and drink. Street food festivals have become even more popular over the recent years with people’s ever-growing love of new, tasty, good food served in alternative urban environments.

To organise a street food festival, first plan all of your logistics (particularly road closures), set your budget, find your traders, plan the marketing and ensure you have all of the relevant paperwork in place.

So, what is the difference between a food festival and a street food festival? Although in principle they are exactly the same, it comes down to location and style of food. Street food suggests being served on a street (but not always) and the style of food tends to be takeaway style and more artisan.

Due to the nature of the event often being outdoors in public space e.g. roads, pedestrian walkways etc., there are a host of differences when it comes to planning, managing, and organising a street food festival to ensure it can go ahead safely.

You will find another article here that I have written on how to organise a food festival. This will be more generic for when you are looking to host a food festival at a more conventional venue.

Although I have touched on marketing, budgets, and general organisational tips this other article will give you a greater depth of information. This blog post will focus more so on the key logistics in getting a street food festival up and running on roads which are typically used daily by vehicles and pedestrians.

Step 1: Planning and logistics for a Street Food Festival

Typically, street food festivals are held in public venues/spaces and in some cases roads. Although they are unique and often have high footfall passing the location, the organisation becomes a little more complex.

When starting to plan, have a think about the following key things to help you:

Will you need to close roads and or divert traffic to activate your event?
Traffic management plan
- How will you protect participants from live traffic and other dangers for the whole of your event?
Will your event interrupt any public transport e.g. buses, trams, trains etc.?
- If so, you will need to contact these services
Do you need the Police to provide traffic management e.g. stopping traffic?
- If so, do you have funding to cover this?
Contact emergency services for support on the event day(s)
Event insurance (Public liability)

Have you spoken to residents/businesses to gauge their opinion/how they could benefit?

Find your location

I have seen some amazing street food festivals set off quieter streets (that typically have little traffic) or even in pedestrian areas in city centres.

These are great locations in terms of footfall and add a little quirky edge to your location – not your run of the mill place!

There are some things that prevent you from obtaining permission to use roads/public space that needs to be closed these include:

If it’s a main commuter route
If it’s already being used as a diversion route due to other events and/or work
If it would prevent emergency services from gaining access to stations, depots, other key roads or local businesses.

Make contact with the local authorities

Once you have decided on a location, it would be advantageous to start contacting local bodies (council, emergency services etc.) to even see if you can get permission for your event to go ahead.

You will need to give details similar to the information included below in your traffic regulation order. Once you have done this you may get further questions, or just an acknowledgement, to show they have received and agree to your event taking place.

Top tip: You will need to leave plenty of time to contact the council and emergency services with your plans (at least 3 months) as not only does it take time to put plans in place, but details will need to be published in newspapers and transport links will need to plan if they are going to be affected.

To obtain permission you will also need to submit a temporary traffic regulation order to the local councils traffic management team if you plan to close the road for any period of time. This should include the following:

Organiser name and contact details
Event details, programme of the event, the expected number of attendees, size of site needed
Proposed location/venue (helpful to attach a map to prevent any confusion)
Event date(s)
Road(s) that will be affected and for how long
Plan for road closure signing and implementing
A description of alternative routes
Insurance details (public liability)
Risk and method statements that covers the below (plus anything else you feel relevant to your specific event)
- Crowd control
- Application and removal of traffic management controls
- Erection and dismantling of any structures/stands
- Emergency vehicle access
- Disabled access
- First aid
- Fire safety (due to the nature of cooking food)

Top tip: You will need to provide all the necessary signs, cones and barriers in order to close the road to traffic and/or pedestrians. The traffic team will be able to help advise on what you need and there are numerous specialist contractors that will be able to help you with this.

Will I need emergency services on site?

As mentioned above you need to give the emergency services a heads up. They will attend your event if there is an emergency however, if you would like police officers on-site to help manage traffic, this will come at a cost.

If you don’t have a trained and confident first aider, it is worth paying to have an external first-aid organisation like St. John’s Ambulance representative at your event to step in if there are any medical emergencies. You can work out how much first you will need using our first-aid calculator.

Step 2: Budget; so what will I need to pay for?

You will need to allocate money for the following:

Charge for hire of land/space
Temporary event notice cost
Traffic management specialist
Waste management
First aid provider (if you don’t have qualified first aiders on site)
Charge for preparation and advertisement of any temporary traffic closures or changes/suspensions.
Any additional Police Officers that you want to help with road closures or crowd management
Insurance

Each council’s costs will differ when it comes to using space e.g. roads. Previous experience has put site space anywhere between £500 and £2,500 depending on scale, number of road closures needed and popularity of location.

This then will obviously go up depending on how many days you plan for your street food festival to take place.

What facilities will I need?

Toilets

Due to the nature of the venue being on a road or public space, this often lends itself to needing toilets installed. The number of these can be relative to the number expected to attend and/or the distance to any public toilets.

Although the number of toilets vs people isn’t a requirement, there is nothing worse than long queues for a toilet at an event so the more you can accommodate the better.

As a rule of thumb, I have added the below table to give you a rough guide when planning:

	Events less than 6 hrs	Events more than 6 hrs
Females	1 toilet per 120	1 toilet per 100
Males	1 toilet per 600 + 1 urinal	1 toilet per 500 + 1 urinal
Disabilities	1 disabled toilet	2 disabled toilets

Power

You will have one of two options when it comes to supplying power for the site. Your local council will be able to guide you through/work with you on this one. Your first option is to use a power source from the surrounding area and run extension cables to your site.

This is on the basis the council have a power source close to your site and isn’t so far away that you have to have lots of unsightly and potentially dangerous cables. Your second option is to use generators. These then can be positioned within your site in a chosen safe place.

You will need permission from the local council to use them and will need to be safely cornered off as well as monitored regularly throughout the event.

Water

When serving certain food and drinks hand washing facilities or cleaning facilities will need to be made available. Again, you will have two options which the council should be able to advise you on.

You will either be able to hook up to a mains water source (depending on the location of your chosen site) or get water tanks with fresh water in to connect to street food traders.

Sometimes your traders will come equipped with water tanks for their specific needs, so definitely make this a topic of conversation when booking in your street food traders

One thing to note is both water and power will come at a cost. Don’t be afraid to pass on some of that cost to your street food traders (write this into a contract) as they will typically be the ones who are consuming these resources the most.

Security

Being an open event (in public space) it makes it a lot harder to secure off your event site especially when you are loading in and out the various stallholders, toilets, any seating etc.

Not only does this add an extra layer of risk to any passers-by but also is a security risk if anyone were to pass and either damage or steal anything from you and/or your vendors. This is mind, from experience, it’s advisable that you have some simple tape and/or post and rope in order to corner off areas.

Accompanying this it’s good to have some security guards. Not only can they protect the site but also direct people away from danger. Security is something you then may want to keep on, instead of using police etc. to ensure the site is safe. They are also typically cheaper than the police too!

Step 3: Find your traders

Finding traders isn’t actually as hard as you think. Most of the good traders will have a good web presence and on social media, allowing you to easily contact them. If you run repeat events you will usually find that they approach you.

The key is finding the right balance of traders for the event you want to hold. You should give some serious thought to the type of people who will attend your street food festival, what traders can you put in that will offer a wow factor.

Start your search at http://www.streetfood.org.uk/

Remember, people love unique experiences.

Step 4: Plan your Marketing

The marketing tools you use predominantly will need to be tailored to your target audience and how they best consume advertising and find out information. Below I have highlighted a few key ways to help market your event.

Social media is such a valuable and cost-effective resource when marketing an event. The power of Facebook and other social channels can help reach volume both by consumer shares and paid for adverts.

Partnerships are a great way to get marketing out there. For example, partnering with a well-established company will help give you further marketing reach and further event credibility helping to entice more people in.

PR – have an event stand out element. This could be as simple as trying to set a small world record and inviting the local newspapers down to getting a minor celebrity on board to be a special guest.

Budget

Starting your planning with a budget is paramount. Setting out your outgoings, income and projected profit will give you a clear oversight from the start as to what you can and can’t afford. This also will help to highlight where you could most use sponsorships, partnerships, or donations.

When budgeting don’t forget there are a few ways to generate income. These include some of the following:

Stallholder fee
Ticket/entry fee
Partnerships & Sponsors
% cut of stallholder’s profit

You then have the option to either charge an entry fee or let people come and go for free. Although a paid-for ticket definitely has its place boosting income and helping to predict attendee numbers, from experience, due to the nature of street food festivals often being in open roads/public spaces, it makes it very difficult to fence off/police a ticketed system.

Step 5: Paperwork to consider

Alongside your temporary traffic regulation order, that you will need to submit to gain permissions before even planning the event, you will also legally need the following to ensure your street food festival is as safe as possible.

Pre-event paperwork

Risk assessments and safety are a major consideration especially when you are opening up to the public. Correctly identifying, assessing, and mitigating or reducing any potential risks is key both when setting up the event but also during and after.

Safety and risk assessments can seem a daunting thing. However, there is plenty of guidance and ways to educate yourself on this to equip you. A great starting place or even a refresher is here. *please note this is for UK event safety and not necessarily correct worldwide.

Public Liability (PLI) is an essential cover that you will need. Think of it as an insurance policy for your event if damage or injury were to take place on-site. Your stallholders will have cover of their own (it’s good practice to ask for a copy of this).

In regards to cover for the event as a whole, this will either need to come from you (the event organiser) or the venue where the event is taking place, depending on who owns it.

Food Safety is an essential check. All stallholders by law have to hold health and safety, food hygiene and licensing documentation from the Food Standards Agency. It is good practice to obtain a copy of this when confirming their place at your event. Every food business in the UK should have a star rating from 0 to 5.

There are also a series of food safety rules and regulations that your stallholders need to abide by. They should know these already as they are regularly selling food, however, it’s good to know these to ensure that they are following these rules.

A good place to find these is on the Food Standards Agency website.

Post-event steps

Finally, always do some form of evaluation. Seek 360 feedback from your attendees, your traders, and suppliers. In some cases, it can feel like ripping off the plaster when you gain any bad or constructive criticism after working for months on your event, but it will continue to help you progress and grow as an event and professional.

Feed this feedback into future events!

Summary

To sum up, although planning a street food festival has many similarities to a general food festival, there are some key differences when it comes to securing a location/venue due to the nature of street food typically being held on active roads/pedestrian areas.

Leaving plenty of time to plan will really work in your favour, especially as there are quite a few more stakeholders that will need to be part of the event in order to get it off the ground. Councils, emergency services and traffic management will all be a pivotal part in your event and will need to be included in the planning of your street food festival from the off.

Another significant document you will need to include is your temporary traffic regulation order to ensure you can get access to roads and/or pedestrian areas for your event. Remember, when filling out that document, the more information you can add the more chance you have of getting the site you desire.

A lot of the other planning involved in organising a street food festival is very similar to any other events when it comes to marketing, staffing, budgets etc. so is very transferable.

References and Useful resources (UK only):

The Purple Guide (Health and Safety) https://www.thepurpleguide.co.uk/

Food Standards Agency https://www.food.gov.uk/food-safety

The Nationwide Caterers Association http://www.streetfood.org.uk/

How to organize a gin-tasting event

December 29, 2022July 29, 2020 by Mark Norman

Hosting a gin-tasting can be an enjoyable and easy event to organize for your friends or colleagues. All it takes is some delicious gins, the perfect glassware, flavorful garnishes – mixed with a sprinkle of knowledge about each drink – for you to create an evening that’ll tantalize their tastebuds!

Organizing a gin event requires the following components; Introduction, Education, Tasting & Mixing, Make You Own followed by Questions

There is a vast range of gins and ways to drink, enjoy and learn about this spirit. Cocktails, on the rocks or with a mixer, are all great ways to showcase the drink and allow people to understand, taste, and identify different gins and what makes them unique.

In the last few years, gin has seen a massive spike in popularity with record volume sold in the UK with sales surpassing £2bn in 2019. Gin has left behind the ‘old fashioned’ image and has become one of the trendiest drinks to sip. The popularity of this drink does not show any signs of slowing down anytime soon, with it being declared as ‘a nation’s firm favourite’ in the drinks industry.

This makes the humble gin a great focal point for an event, whether it be for just amongst family and friends or whether it’s a larger scale ticketed event. Like gin, no two events are the same.

Make sure your next gin-tasting event is spectacular with these creative tips and tricks! From organizational pointers to helpful hints about making it a truly unforgettable occasion, we’ve got you covered. So raise those glasses – the perfect G&T awaits!

What happens at a gin tasting event? When it comes to the exact plan and running of a gin tasting event, it can vary depending on your preference and ideas. There is no right or wrong way to run, plan a execute a gin tasting event. However, I have set out a rough template and some key things you could include when mapping out the running order for your event.

1 – INTRODUCTION

Start by giving your guests an introduction to your event and gin as a whole:

What is the schedule for the night?
What gin(s) you are presenting and why

2 – EDUCATION:

Although you don’t want to bore your attendees, some short, punchy facts and figures always go down well, helping to add credibility to what you are saying and doing at the event:

History of gin
Recent popularity
Distilling process
Botanicals
Overview on flavours
Mixers and garnishes

3 – TASTING & MIXING

It’s a good idea to taste both gins and mixers separately showcasing how they work both alone and with each other (the craft gin club have lots of tips to help you with this).

Show your customer a range of gins, e.g. pink gin, fruit flavoured, floral, fruity etc.
Let them sample, smell and taste them.
Do the same then with mixers, e.g. tonic, soda, juice etc.

4 – MAKE YOUR OWN

It’s nice to taste and learn about the spirit but even sweeter if you get to have a go yourself.

Let your attendee choose their favourite gin(s)
Allow them to create either a cocktail or spirit with mixer and garnish.
To add an extra element of fun you, as the host could judge these and pick a winner (perhaps win a bottle of gin).

5 – QUESTIONS

Swot up on critical facts or get an expert in to cover any detailed questions on the spirit.

Other ideas

You also have the option to choose to disguise the spirits and do a blind tasting to prevent people from making their mind up based on a brand, description, or aesthetic.

Simply decanting each gin into a jug or carafe can help keep the gin looking classy but removing any other information. (Just make sure you label them well so you can quickly identify which gin is which!).

As with any event, a gin tasting event is very much up for individual interpretation so, although the above offers a rough guide, don’t feel you are limited to this.

How do you start a gin tasting event?

An excellent place to start is to have a think about what kind of gin tasting event you plan to run.

To start a gin event, you need to consider the target audience, the venue, the pricing, marketing and licensing and which gins to showcase.

Is it for a special event, e.g. hen do, birthday etc.?
Is it just for family?
Is it to make money, e.g. for charity or as a business?

Once you have this streamlined, it will help you to focus on the tone of the event and level of professionalism you will need, as this will vary depending on whether it’s for family, friends or paying customers.

Target Audience

A great starting point is identifying your target audience. Who is it that you are planning this tasting for? This is an essential factor, especially as different people’s preferences will vary. For example:

Family and friends (more casual and low key)
Charity event (professional and seamless event needed)
Hen-do/private gin tasting (higher expectations and standards)

Venue

It’s a good idea to get your venue booked in from the start. Not only is it a critical piece of information ticket holders will want, but also gives you a focus and a starting point. You can pretty much hold a gin tasting event wherever you desire (within reason when you have alcohol present) as the event requires little specialist equipment.

Pricing

Buying alcohol isn’t cheap, so you will need to consider that. Saying that though, most consumers would expect to pay more for an event where you are sampling alcohol.

You need to consider your out costs and from then work out a ticket price to ensure you breakeven and more so make a profit.

Example out costs:

Spirits, mixers and garnish
Venue
Staff
Glassware and equipment. You can hire these at a low cost if you don’t want to invest.

Say your overhead costs come to £700 and you aim to have 40 people attend, if you charge £40 per ticket that’s a total revenue of £1,600. Remove your out costs and your net profit is £900.

*Please note this is an example only and not a pricing guide.

Although you always need to break event, be sure you have a look at other similar events and what they are charging. You don’t want to overprice yourself and not sell tickets. See our guide to pricing event tickets.

Marketing

Getting the word out about your event depends on who you are targeting and why you are running the event.

For example:

If you are running a gin tasting event to raise money for charity, a great way to market is to utilise the charity’s connections, social and media channels.
On the other hand, if you are marketing your event for the broader public in order to make money and run a business, simple and cost-effective techniques including word of mouth and targeted Facebook adverts (based on location, age, demographic etc.) can be really useful.
Another great way to market your gin tasting event is to look into a partnership. Teaming up with a local distiller or event glassware provider can help widen exposure when it comes to spreading the word and selling tickets.

Licencing

If you are doing this in your own or a family member’s home for an informal tasting, you don’t need any form of licensing.
You will need a licence to cover the serving of alcohol for paid-for events.
This depends on where you hold the event. E.g. if it’s at a venue with a premises/licensed bar you will be covered under that.
If you are going to a non-licensed premises, you will require a licence for serving alcohol.

Which gins to showcase?

Identifying and writing down the best gins is very subjective. What you might like and see as the best gin, another may hate!

One piece of advice here is variety! Make sure you have a range of gins on hand to help suit all taste pallets and preferences across the event.

Broadly, gins typically fall under the below categories. Depending on budget and availability, it would be advantageous to have at least one gin from each of these.

Classic dry gin
Citrusy gin
Floral gin
Spiced gin
Savoury gin
Fynbos gin

Although many of these gins can be purchased simply and easily at most supermarkets, this leaves little guidance for you when picking them out. Heading to an independent bottle shop or store selling spirits will mean that you can tap into and utilise an expert’s knowledge. This also will help you swot up on crucial information to present at your tasting event.

What’s more, using an independent or standalone bottle shop often then means you can buy the gin on a sale or return basis. This will mean that if you go a little overboard on the gin order, and are left with a lot of stock, you can get your money back and not lose out.

It’s not just the gin spirit itself you should consider when planning. Below I have set out a few things that really help make a gin tasting event fly.

Using the right glassware and pours

Serving the spirit neat lends itself well to a tumbler. However, if you plan to use the same glassware to subsequently add in garnish and mixer, a gin glass, stemless wine glass or brandy balloon glass works best. (This is because it means you can get your nose in to smell the gin!).
It’s advantageous to use the same style of glass across the evening as changing the glass can improve the flavour and then the experience for your guests.
How much you want to serve someone in ml is up to you. However, on the whole, 25-30ml per serve is a good size.
Make sure you use a drinks measure to ensure everyone is getting the same (you don’t want squabbles over who got more!).

Garnish and presentation

Like the gins itself, variety is also essential when it comes to garnishes as these can enhance and change the gin when drinking,
It’s often a good idea to try the gin without a mixer or garnish first to see what flavour notes you can taste before adding.
Think outside the box. Don’t just stick to a slice of citrus, herbs and spices also work really well in a gin-based drink.
As a rule of thumb, you are usually trying to enhance or compliment the botanicals used in the gin. E.g. a citrus gin add some lemon rind.
Finally, don’t forget your ice! You always see drinks filled with ice, and there is an excellent reason for this! The bigger the ice cubes and the more of them, the more effectively they will work to cool the drink, melting slowly so as not to dilute the gin.

A few tips:

The zest of a fruit will lift any drink with tonic, but having a slice can sometimes make the drink a bit too bitter.
When using herbs (like when making cocktails or cooking) make sure you manipulate/bash them a little (not so much that they fall apart) so they release their aroma and oils. This will help enhance the flavour and smell when drinking.
Spices work perfectly in a savoury gin but, by nature can be quite overpowering so use sparingly.

How do you host a gin tasting event?

When it comes down to hosting a gin event, you have two principal options. Either you recruit the guidance and expertise of an event manager to plan, manage and organise the whole event for you or you take it into your own hands, and design it yourself.

If recruiting someone to plan it for you, there are a few things to have in mind to help them make the event everything that you desired. These include:

Number of attendees
Time of day/year
Preferred setting/venue
Budget

The event manager will then guide you throughout the process, touching base regularly to ensure that they are providing and planning what you want and need.

Hosting an event yourself can seem daunting but is relatively straight forward. If you decide to host your own gin tasting event, there are a series of critical steps you should consider and follow to make your event successful. I have broken these down below into rough sub-headings to help you plan out your event efficiently and effectively.

Do your research!

There is nothing worse (especially if you have paying customers) than someone running and or hosting an event with little to no knowledge. Not only does this look very unprofessional, but it will leave you feeling embarrassed, and the event experience being lowered significantly.

You don’t have to be a trained expert to know all the essential facts. You also don’t have to know everything! If someone has a question on the night, you can’t answer, tell them you will follow up after seeking advice or researching.

You have one of two options. An easy option is to get an expert in (contact a local distillery who, for a fee, might come along and spread their knowledge). Alternatively, do it yourself. No two gins are the same, so tasting, researching, and learning about gins can be a fun way for you to expand your knowledge and prepare for an event.

Top tip: Ginventory is a useful app you can get up on your phone, which has over 5000 gins inputted with recommended garnishes and mixers. Saves lots of time and have been tried and tested by gin experts! It’s also free – extra bonus!

Glassware, mixers and spirits

It’s easy to underestimate the number of glasses you will need for a tasting.
As a rule of thumb if you are serving six samples work on six glasses per person. To cut down glassware, you could do 3 per person as 6 requires a lot of space. This means doing the tasting in 2 rounds and thoroughly washing the glassware in between.
Make sure you use a ml measure (we have all been tempted to free pour!). This will mean you can work out, depending on the number of attendees, how much gin you will need in advance. You don’t want to be running out at the event.

Tasting – the main event!

In the drinks industry, there is actually a right and wrong way to taste gin (who knew!?). It will add an extra layer of professionalism if you guide your attendees through how to correctly taste the gin.

Serve up a shot of gin over ice and encourage your attendees to swirl the spirt around the glass (this allows the initial notes of alcohol to evaporate and is easier on the nose!)
Next suggest a gentle sniff and a small sip, encouraging them to swirl it in their mouth before swallowing (this helps them get a good taste of the botanicals in the gin).
Next, you can get them to add a tonic or mixer and taste again.
Finally, add in the garnish to top it off and taste again. This will then allow your attendees to see how the flavour profile of the gin changes as you add in the extras.

Final Tips:

Providing a jug (to spit in if they really hate it) is advantageous.
Having water on hand to help people cleanse their pallet is also a good thing to have.
Having some plain water biscuits also helps clear the pallet between gins.
Having paper and pens for people to write down notes is a great addition, especially as alcohol is involved and memories might start to blur!

Hopefully the above has given you an insight into what goes into a gin tasting event and has helped you with a good starting point to organise your own!

How to organise a quiz evening in FOUR easy steps

January 25, 2023July 27, 2020 by Mark Norman

Welcome to the complete guide to organising a quiz night. Organising a quiz night is a popular event and can be a great way to engage with friends and family or to help a service business or charity. Pubs and bars host quizzes as a means of entertainment on a quiet night to boost trade. They are great at building community events and cohesion; everybody can enjoy a little bit of competitive spirit when playing a quiz.

There are four key steps to organising a quiz night:

Select the right quiz venue
Promote the quiz
Choose a good format and topics for a quiz
Run the quiz

I have lots of experience with quizzes. I previously developed a weekly quiz that took place from 6 pm every Friday in my venue. The reason for choosing this time was because the venue was generally quiet before the evening rush.

Still, we noticed they were an increasing number of professional offices nearby, and we saw an opportunity to attract an audience going for a drink after work. It turned out to be a huge success, so I’d like to share some of the knowledge I gained from that experience.

Quizzes are great for quiet nights in a venue or can work really well as part of charity fundraisers.

How does a quiz night work?

Before we get into the four steps, let’s start at the beginning, with some general points.

If this is to be a regular quiz, you need to be consistent. Make sure that people have a fantastic experience, that the questions aren’t too difficult or easy, and that you’ve got a real incentive for them to play and you’ll be sure to get people coming back regularly.

Organising your first quiz is not as hard as you might think and is something anyone can do. Quizzes usually involve attendees paying an entry fee then answering a series of questions. You will also want to divide your quiz into rounds so between 10 and 15 questions in each.

This allows for breaks where players can refresh their drinks or use the toilet.

If you plan to hold quizzes regularly, then try to keep the format consistent, same day of the week and time, same entry price, team arrangements and question structure. Doing this will help to build a loyal and steady following.

A quiz night will need a host, often the same person who also writes the questions, but this isn’t essential. The key thing to maintain is a pleasant atmosphere and correctly paced questions, and the host plays a significant role in this.

FOUR steps to running a quiz night

So, let’s look at the detail of the four key steps to go through when organising a quiz evening. This post will focus on quizzes that take place in person.

1 Selecting the right quiz venue

Perhaps you are the owner or manager of a venue with aspirations to put on a quiz night. If this is the case, skip forward to section 2. If you are looking to find a venue and run a quiz, then consider thinking about the following qualities when looking for your venue:

Is the venue the right size? Consider how many people you might expect to attract to the event. Having a large space with only a few participants in will have a negative influence on the atmosphere. While a bustling and busy venue might seem to be a good thing, people still need to be able to sit down at a quiz. It is important to strike a balance.

Does the venue have a sound system suitable for your event? Alongside a good host, having a good sound system is vital. You need one which enables the host to be heard clearly. Try to avoid any technical issues such as feedback or distorting through the microphone as this can be quite off-putting to customers.

Is there a complicated venue layout that might hinder people hearing questions? Some older bar and pubs may have complicated layouts where people may not always be in the line of sight of the host. Unless the sound system broadcasts around the whole venue, the host may need to repeat some of the questions.

Is there adequate seating and tables for the amount of people you hoped to attract? No one likes to stand; you should make sure there are enough tables and chairs for people to use.

Can people easily access the venue on the night? For example, is there enough parking or public transport? Again, consider who your target audience is and how they will travel to and from your venue.

Does the venue have the appropriate licenses? In the UK a premises licence is required for serving alcohol and hosting public entertainment, make sure you check your venue is covered, get professional advice if unsure.

What equipment does the venue have? Remember that you should provide all of the equipment needed to run the quiz except any microphone and audio system that may already be in the venue. The latter is very important, and you should check that people can hear the host’s voice clearly and at a level that is appropriate for the venue. Too quiet, and people won’t be able to hear the questions but too loud, and people will feel annoyed. More on technical equipment later.

TOP TIP: Work through the above list when visiting venues to narrow down to a shortlist. If you already have a venue, consider each of the points and if you need to improve anything.

2. Promoting the quiz

As with any event, you need to plan a marketing campaign that is focused on an established target market. Doing it this way means you can spend the least amount of money but reach the most amount of people who will be interested in your event.

Who is the target audience for your quiz?

You need to consider who your target audience is. In the example I gave earlier, my quiz was very clearly aimed at professionals working in the nearby offices.

The offer was tied into the usual post-Friday work drinks habit; we also knew that they would require food halfway through the quiz, so the quiz structured around this. Knowing your target audience like this can really help to structure their experience.

Figuring out your target audience in this way is technically known as segmentation and uses demographic, geographic, psychographic and behavioural data.

These elements are structured into customer personas that represent all of the features of your ideal target audience. There is further information on the different elements of segmentation in the video below.

TOP TIP: Write down the persona of a person from your ideal target audience. It’s ok to have more than one by the way. For a quiz, I’d maybe limit this to three to avoid overcomplicating the advertising.

Choose the right advertising channels.

Choosing the right advertising channels for your marketing plan is about understanding the above target audience and then using the advertising channels that reach them the best. As with any event having a good website and social media presence can help boost your attendance.

The most popular social network is still Facebook but give some thought to who your target audience is and if any other social media networks may be appropriate.

For example, if you have identified your target audience is between the age of 25 and 34 you might want to consider using Instagram to advertise your quiz as according to Statista this is the largest group using the platform.

Try to promote any Facebook groups or pages that you have for your quiz during the quiz itself. Think about including a QR code on your quiz sheet that people can scan that encourages people to like and share your quiz page on Facebook.

Ask other local pubs with quizzes to promote your event and offer to do the same in return (as long as they don’t fall on the same day).

Below is some example of online and offline advertising channels with some example of how they might be used to promote a quiz. Clearly, you need to do some more in-depth research about your target audience before using any of these to ensure they will be effective.

These will hopefully give you some inspiration!

NOTE: A general tip for social media, you should work to engage your users with fun content rather than just repeated posts about when the quiz will take place.

Online Advertising Channels	Offline Advertising Channels
Create a Facebook group for your quiz, then post engaging questions during the week before the quiz to get people interested.	Place Flyers in the venue during the weeks before the quiz. With permission, you could also put some in other bars, cafes and venue in the local area (always ask first!)
Instagram account to post interesting picture questions like Dingbats to encourage engagement.	Posters with a QR code link to a mini-quiz. Encourage engagement with your posters by placing a scannable code to a mini quiz they can do on their phones. Offer a prize that can only be used AT your quiz like a round of drinks.
Build an email list. Like now! (see below) you won’t regret it.	Make sure that posters are displayed in advance, and they are updated regularly to include information such as price pots and themes so that regulars see them and are attracted to attend.
Website, a useful resource to direct people to from any offline channels through QR codes. Make sure you have some nice mobile-friendly pages for them to land on.	Collect email addresses via your quiz sheets, then add them to your email list.
Facebook ads. If you have some budget for advertising, you might get a better return from these than the cost of printing flyers.	Reach out to local sports teams or workplaces to encourage them to enter a team. A little friendly competition is always good!
Use Facebook events, make sure you personalise the quiz each week.	Press releases. These can work if your quiz is a one-off, for charity or If you have some amazing prizes.

TOP TIP: For each of the target audiences you created above, write down THREE of the top online channels you can reach them on.

TOP TIP: Consider THREE of the top offline channels where you can reach them.

Build an email list

Building an email list of your regular quiz attendees is possibly the most important thing you can do. While social networks have a part in advertising your event, you are still at the mercy of how companies like Facebook operate.

In recent years they have moved their algorithm (the programming that decides who sees what) to favour paid adverts over organic traffic. Bottom line: not everyone in your Facebook group sees the posts you put on.

The great thing about having an email list is that YOU own it. It’s never going to be subject to another business changing the rules about how they operate.

There are email marketing providers that help to design simple but effective emails that you can send out and even automate in some cases. Most are very easy to use and include drop and drag design.

We have several recommendations for email marketing providers on our resources page, many of them offer a free tier for lists below 2,000 people. Using a reputable email service also helps you adhere to data protection laws such as GDPR in the European Union.

A great way to start building your email is to create a mini-quiz on your website, then link to it via a QR code on your poster, include a leader board to encourage competition. You could use something as simple as Google Forms for this, which is completely free.

Another excellent method to build your email list is via the quiz sheets where you can ask for email addresses to join our mailing list.

Starting an email list for any event is one of the best things that you can do, and it reaches directly into someone’s mailbox rather than having to rely on social media algorithms which have become increasingly difficult.

TOP TIP: Set up a free account for an email marketing provider, see our resources page for the current recommendations

TOP TIP: Collect email address at each event, making sure you adhere to the relevant data protection rules in your locations (GDPR in the UK). Quiz answer sheets with disclaimers are an excellent way to do this.

3 Choosing a good format and topics for a quiz?

What format for a quiz?

Again, it pays to be consistent in this area. You should try to have the same number of rounds and questions each week to ensure that regulars become familiar with the format of the evening. This could include certain themes or different types of rounds, such as picture rounds.

If you write the quiz yourself, be sure to do your research, the last thing that you want is to ask a question and give the wrong answer, chances are someone in the audience will call you out, and this will devalue the entire evening!

TOP TIP: There are plenty of options online to purchase ready-made quiz packs. We’ve included some of the best on our resources page.

Most quizzes are team-based with up to 8 in a team, although you may want to stipulate a maximum number in your rules.

A quiz can take two forms, self-paced or paced. Self-paced is where you supply a quiz sheet with all of the questions printed on it already, players then fill out the answers in a time you stipulate. While this is easier to run, it doesn’t encourage as much competition and entertainment between teams.

Paced quizzes are most common and require a quiz master to host and read all of the questions out. These types of quizzes are best at getting some friendly competition going between teams. Sometimes you can include self-paced questions within rounds of paced quiz, particularly during a break.

TOP TIP: If your event is a one-off, then you should consider themes and a format that is easy to follow as everyone will be doing it for the first time.

How many rounds in the quiz?

The number of rounds and questions will depend on how long you have to do the quiz. A standard weekly quiz might be anything from 20 to 60 questions. Any more than this and it may take too long, and people will lose interest.

TOP TIP: Try to avoid making quiz rounds too long, a good rule of thumb is around ten questions. This structure allows you to have short breaks in-between and for people to buy food or drink and have any comfort breaks they need.

With any quiz, try to vary the subject of the rounds so there is some variety and people with different interests stay engaged with the questions. Popular quiz rounds include music, general knowledge, food, sport or history.

One way to make the questions interesting is to connect them to the target audience. Perhaps some questions on the history of the place they live, for example?

If writing the questions seems like a challenge, there are plenty of books and kits available on Amazon which have ready-made questions or is possible to buy and download quiz question packs from the internet. Both will help to remove the pressure of thinking up questions, particularly if you’re doing it every week. We’ve listed a few of our favourites on our resources pages.

Special Rounds

In addition to regular rounds, you may want to consider including special rounds. This introduces some variety to the quiz and allows for a longer break in reading out the regular questions rounds. Some common examples of special rounds are:

Picture round	Teams are given a handout with pictures and questions (about them). They self-complete the handout. Example: Name the actor/actress
Dingbats round	Teams have to identify common phrases from visual clues.
Name the song round	Teams are given some lyrics from a song and must guess the song.
Anagram round	Team must work out the correct word or phrase from an anagram. This can be done using a handout, as it will reduce teams asking for the spelling of the anagram.
Name the album cover	Handouts with just artwork on. Be sure to hide or mask any text on the image!

4 Running the quiz event

Setting up the venue

Make sure that you arrive at the venue in good time so that you don’t feel rushed trying to set the event up. It can often make the difference if you circulate the venue reminding people there is a quiz on or you could distribute information leaflets to the tables informing people what the quiz will involve.

What equipment will I need?

A lot of the equipment you need will depend on the venue size and shape. Venues like bars tend to have their own equipment installed, which is great if you can use that. If not, then you might want to consider a portable speaker system.

You will also need a microphone of some kind. You can either go for a wireless microphone that will allow you a little more freedom to roam around the venue or a wired microphone.

You can buy a budget wireless microphone, but generally they are more expensive than a wired microphone.

Finally, you should consider a music source. It’s probably best to have some background music for the start and in-between rounds. Something like a phone with a Spotify playlist will do the trick. Depending on your location, you may need to check if the venue has the correct license in place to play recorded music. In the UK check The Music License website for more information.

TOP TIP: Check out our resources page for our key recommendations on equipment needed.

How to host a quiz?

One of the key elements of running a quiz night will be the host. The host becomes the face of your quiz; they control the pace of the evening and the all-important atmosphere. If you are confident using a microphone, then you can fulfil this role yourself. If not, you should consider someone else who is good at public speaking and who can respond and interact with the audience.

Here are tips for hosting a quiz evening

Be clear about the rules of the quiz. You will not want to leave any ambiguity in the rules, and the host’s decision should be final. Make sure you phrase questions with a source, for example, “According to Google, what is the tallest building in the UK”.

Avoid conflict at all times; be fair to every team. It is JUST a quiz after all.

When it comes to starting the quiz, make sure that you give your audience plenty of time before the first question. Take your time reading the questions and read them twice, possibly offer the audience a chance to repeat once more if they didn’t hear.

How long should a quiz be?

One of the things that you’ll need to establish with your target audience is the most suitable time to start your event. Bear in mind some audiences such as parents may be time-constrained, so bear this in mind with your start and finish time.

You should also consider how fast a pace you need for the quiz. The pace should relate to the number of rounds and questions that you have. The last thing that you want is for the event to start feeling like it is dragging, and people are clockwatching wondering when the questions will end.

Vice versa to this too short, and people will feel that they haven’t got value for money.

Top TIp: A rough suggestion would be no longer than two hours that includes breaks as you go along and includes the time required to go through the answers and award any prizes.

Pens, Pens and more Pens

You can never have enough Pens for a quiz…FACT! The tricky bit is remembering to collect them all at the end!

Entry Fees

Again, the price you charge will come down to the target audience and how much value you think you are providing. In my experience, a quiz-goer has a very low expectation of price. You’re probably talking £1 or £2 maximum to enter.

If you are running the quiz as part of a fundraiser, you could make it clear to the audience and ask for a higher entry fee. The other way around this is to look at how you can add extra van.

Dealing with cheats

At the end of the day, a quiz is just a quiz. They’re intended as a bit of fun or entertainment. You may find that you get participants who become overly competitive or do decide some under the table phone checking for any answers that they don’t know.

Really it comes down to how strict you want to be in policing this; you may find the rest of the audience self-polices themselves.

Top Tip: If you want to have a rule about no one using their phones, then make this clear at the start of the quiz in a light-hearted but firm way.

As mentioned earlier, avoid conflicts at all times as this never ends well for either party.

Marking the answers

When the time comes to mark the quiz, you really have two options (if using traditional pen and paper)

Mark the answers yourself. This method is probably the least favourable option, it’s incredibly time-consuming, and you could open yourself up to a possible mistake. Not good if someone wins by one point!

Teams mark each other’s answers. This method involves teams marking each other’s answers. Best bet here is to provide quiz answer sheets with two columns, so everyone writes the answer twice, they then tear the answer sheet in half down the middle. One is retained while the other one passes on to be marked.

Other top quiz tips

Consider using fun technology to make the experience more engaging, like Kahoot.

Consider offering a bottle (or two) of wine on tables as part of a VIP package. This allows you to charge a premium price for those willing to pay.

Raffle off chances to win donated items or services.

Hold a silent auction using several tables with staggered closing times.

Raise funds with a craft beer tasting or wine tasting between rounds.

Have some fun contests like scavenger hunts for odd items in purses or wallets.

Conduct trivia night prize drawings between rounds.

Offer bake sale goodies for teams or individuals to buy.

Use numbered corks to hold a wine pull raffle of donated bottles.

Do games of chance such as guessing the number of marbles in a jar.

So there you have it, four steps to organising your quiz night!

How Can I Get A Free Venue? Six Top Tips

January 25, 2023July 10, 2020 by Mark Norman

Events can be expensive if you’re on a budget or just starting. You will be shocked to see some of the rental or hire costs of some venues so anything you can do to the venue for free or at a discount is going to massively help you.

There are six steps to follow to try to get a free venue: Ask correctly, approach venues on quieter nights, use an online venue finding service, Use co-working spaces or use some personal space.

To give you some idea of what a venue can cost, I used to run a 1,000-capacity music venue that had a hire fee starting at £1,000. I also once hired a 10,000-capacity arena for a show, and that cost £20,000 a day.

Tip 1: ASK in the correct way

Asking might sound like the obvious answer to the question, but the reality, it’s about HOW you ask. I’ve seen year after year through my event students, a hesitation in picking up the phone and calling a venue.

Be mindful that a ‘cold’ email to a venue asking for free venue hire is unlikely to get you very far. Venue managers are busy people, and when they see an email like that, they find it very easy to ignore. Trust me; I was that person for over ten years!

The key is to do your research, understand the type of event that the venue has hosted in the past, what would they be looking to get out of any hire agreement, would they consider a profit share deal and what work can you offer to do that will help them to reduce the venue cost?

Put all of that together into a proposal that outlines the benefits of the deal and event. Call them or visit the venue to introduce yourself, tell them about your plan and ask if you can email over the proposal. Offer to follow up with them in a few days.

Most importantly, don’t cut and paste that proposal text into a dozen emails to different venues. You need to add a personal touch to build a relationship with the venue.

Tip 2: Approach venues on quieter nights

Depending on the event you want to organise, approaching a local bar, pub or restaurant may be a great idea. If you’re looking to host a social event, these types of venue will be very interested in listening to you.

They may be willing to let you use their venue on a quiet night for free, perhaps on a percentage split basis or minimum spend.

There can be two types of percentage split. Under a ticket percentage split, you agree to share some of the ticket income with them in exchange for free venue hire. If it is your first event, this can be a great way to keep your venue cost down.

The second type of percentage split is on food and drink. Again, the venue hire is waived, and you split the takings or profits from the bar. Be clear about which of those two figures you will be working to as they will be very different.

Takings are the actual money coming in, paid by customers. Profit can be either gross profit (after the cost of the food and drink has come off) or net profit (after all of the venues costs have come off). Ideally taking a % split from takings is your best option, but don’t expect to get 50:50!

In both cases, you need to have a degree of trust with the other party that they will share accurate data on income. Profit splitting should be recorded in a formal agreement or contract between both parties.

In the case of a minimum spend arranged with any venue, there will not be an upfront hire fee for your venue, so it appears free.

However, the people you bring to the venue will be required to spend at least the amount of money specified by the venue. If they don’t, then you will be subject to a venue hire fee. This method puts the risk on the hirer rather than the venue to make the event successful.

Tip 3: Use An Online Venue Finding Service

The internet is full of venue finding services, and they can be a great resource if you’re not familiar with the area where you want to host an event. That said, they tend to favour business events over social as they are dominated by venues such as conference centres, hotels and leisure facilities.

That’s not to say that if you do enough research, you might be able to secure a free venue. One trick to try is to look at which venues have recently opened or been taken over by new management. Check out the Tripadvisor score (if applicable) and see what kind of reputation the venue has.

A poor venue that has recently been taken over by new management will be keen to get events through the door to try and improve any review scores. You could certainly use this to attempt to secure the venue for free, with perhaps a minimum spend or percentage split on food and drink.

You can find good venue finding websites in your region using Google, but here are some of the more interesting ones here in the UK:

My Community Space (UK-based)

My Community Space has more of a community focus to their listings, although there are some commercial office listings included. Many of the listings have prices attached, but it may provide a starting point for you to negotiate!

https://www.venuescanner.com/ (UK-based)

Venue scanner allows you to search across major cities in the UK for different types of venue space. Their filters will enable you to search by the number of people, your budget and type of space. They have some venues listed that have a ‘minimum spend’ rather than a hire fee. This will likely mean you won’t pay an upfront cost but will be required to have your guests spend a certain amount on food or drink.

https://www.venuefinder.com/ (UK-based)

Venuefinder doesn’t carry as much information about prices and search results are mainly restricted to those venues who have paid to be in there, although one-line listings are included for other local venues. The focus is on hotels, business centres and leisure facilities over community spaces, but it might give you some ideas.

Tip 4: Use Community Spaces

Using community spaces is a great way to secure a free venue. Many community spaces will have social objectives (over purely economic ones) that they are required to meet. You should do some research into a venue space to try and see if your event meets those social objectives.

Community spaces include venues like village halls, school buildings, churches, museums or parks. There is a real variety of spaces available out there if you can put in the time for some research.

Community spaces are often run by part-time volunteers so be prepared to wait for a response to any emails. Be nice in responding, understand they are only volunteers!

Tip 5: Use Co-working Spaces

Co-working spaces often have communal areas that they allow people or tenants to use for meetings and events. Approach the space operators to see what they can offer in terms of a deal.

These types of workspace are popping up in towns and cities across the world, so some proper research might be able to help you. Try to pick out spaces that are about to open or have opened recently. They may be more likely to give a discount to get people using the venue in the hope it will attract more regular tenants to the space.

Tip 6: Use some personal space

Finally on this list is using personal space at your own home if you have it. This depends heavily on your personal circumstances, and if the space is suitable for the event, you want to host.

Daytime or early evening meetings with just a handful of people may be possible. If you have a smaller space or a family (particularly young kids!), then this option may not be good for those.

This is not to discount hosting business social events at your house. People (in my opinion) do like to see a personal side and this something that has changed in recent years.

Conclusion

A final thought on this topic: venues have staff and overheads that need to be paid. Be realistic about what you ask for and consider the fact that while the venue may be free, you may have to pay for other costs such as equipment hire and refreshments. Try to make the deal as fair for every party involved; you never know when you might want to use the venue again in the future. Pick up the phone or visit the venue; this shows real interest, emails can be ignored!

What does an event management company do?

January 25, 2023July 1, 2020 by Mark Norman

I’ve been working in events for over 20 years and teaching events management for nearly 10. It’s a common question that I get asked regularly, and while the answer is simple, it also has many different facets depending on the various sectors within the industry.

An event management company oversees the project management of an event, including the planning, budgeting, promotion, delivery and evaluation.

Events can be complicated and take months of planning to deliver. Understanding the concept of their management is not something I learned overnight, but it is something I experienced after many years working in the industry.

What is the concept of event management?

If we understand that every event is a project as a starting point, then this becomes a lot easier to understand. Event management is a form of project management applied to events.

The events industry is wide-ranging and features a variety of different sectors all with their quirks and particular demands. Some of the significant event sectors that event management companies work in are as follows:

Festivals and music events,
Weddings and other personal events,
Exhibitions and trade shows,
Conferences and convections,

As you can imagine, the demand required in each of these sectors can be very different. Event management is a stressful job at times. According to CareerCast.com, In 2019, being an event coordinator was voted the 6th most stressful career in the world. The only careers to outrank it were being a broadcaster, a firefighter, an airline pilot, a police officer or in the military.

That might sound all doom and gloom, but it isn’t! I can testify from personal experience working in events and delivering amazing experiences for people is one of the most rewarding careers you can choose.

Event management companies employ people who have fantastic organisational skills, who work well under pressure and can deliver an outstanding project on time.

The ability to juggle lots of different issues, manage a variety of stakeholders and all within a tight timeframe is needed. Having excellent interpersonal skills is key to an event management company.

What is the role of an event management company?

Event management companies perform project management duties that deliver an event based on an original brief, in some cases that a client may give.

In many cases, event management companies are hired by regular businesses to deliver an event on their behalf, where they have no specialism internally.

And in other cases the brief maybe an internal brief where the company is designing their own event.

Event management companies perform a variety of different roles for an event. Some companies will only specialise in one particular area, such as catering or technical equipment. In this situation, there may be an over-arcing event management company with many subcontracted companies providing specialist services.

Some of these services might include:

Technical and Audio-Visual Equipment
Catering
Artiste and speaker management
Security
Ticketing
Decorations and Theming
Production and staging
Safety Management
Marketing and Promotions

It is unlikely that one company may be able to provide all of the services that one event requires. By their nature events are one-time occurring phenomena and each one is different.

This constant change is part of the appeal to people working in this industry. As a result, there often needs to be multiple collaborations between different event management companies in response to each project.

So what are the tasks that an event management company might undertake? This work will vary depending on the event, but broadly:

Client brief response

Initially, event management companies may have to go through a tender process to win the business from the client. This process will involve suggesting creative ideas, setting realistic expectations of a delivery time frame, the budget all wrapped up in a pitch.

Developing the concept

Once the event management company has been appointed, they will then work with the clients to understand how they can deliver their ideas within the brief.

This process may involve explaining why things are not feasible and suggesting alternatives. At this stage, they should also set some SMART objectives for the event to be able to evaluate successfully later.

Maintaining constant dialogue.

Event management companies will maintain close communication with the client through the project management and planning stages as they develop the final plan for the event. This planning requires a high level of responsiveness to change.

Promotion of the event.

If the event management company has been asked to promote the event, then this will involve the development of suitable branding and an event marketing plan that meets the needs of the client and the target audience..

Safety and Licensing.

The event management company will work with any local authorities to write any required risk assessments and other safety documentation.

They will also be responsible for applying for any licences or permits that the event requires.

Booking Entertainment.

The event management company will have to book and manage any speakers or artists for entertainment reasons. This includes dealing with any forwarding. Forwarding is when the artist provides technical and other requirements for their appearance or performance.

Production.

There may be a significant amount of production required for the event in which case the event management company will liaise with additional subcontractors to deliver elements like staging, lighting and sound. These elements all play a role in providing a fantastic experience for attendees.

Evaluation.

Evaluation is often overlooked as an area, but is so often key. The client may require data and evaluation to justify any funding or future events.

The event management company should, therefore, undertake evaluation based on the original smart objectives to ensure they have been met

What are the benefits of using an event management company?

Saving time and money

While employing an event management company might seem like an initial high cost. it’s worth remembering that the cost is buying the expertise and knowledge of the event management company and their network of trusted suppliers. They may also be able to get better deals the client could source solely on their own.

Utilise specialist creativity, expertise and knowledge

From a clients perspective delivering a WOW factor is essential. Event management companies have experience of providing regularly. They will be able to help deliver a memorable experience for the client.

Professional execution of event

As we saw earlier, running events can be stressful. Without the appropriate experience, potential problems will arise. Event management companies are very good at planning, and having contingencies in place should the unexpected happen. This is where the real value of using an event management company can be felt.

The latest technology

Good event management companies will be on top of what the emerging and leading technology is for events. Event technology is an area which is constantly changing, and it can be difficult for clients to keep up with the latest technology. So the expertise from an event management company in this area can be invaluable but also deliver a fantastic experience for attendees.

Managing Risk

An event management company should have expertise in delivering safe events and advising the clients on risk. The consequences of not sufficiently assessing risk in events can have huge financial and reputational damage to the client. It gives the client peace of mind that professional safety experts have considered all risks associated with any event.

Managing the budget

A client is keen to ensure that the event is delivered within budget. Again from the expertise of an event management company, they may benefit from better deals with suppliers but also can plan and to include any contingencies that may be needed. Without this event risks running over budget.

How to make an event site plan

January 25, 2023June 29, 2020 by Mark Norman

With any event, you need an effective site plan for several reasons. For landowners, local authorities, licensing, staff, your contractors and of course for your customers. You may require different versions of a site plan for each of them.

Event site plans are created using professional design software on a computer to show all of the critical elements on site. Event site plans can 2D or 3D, be drawn to scale and form an integral part of any events operations and safety plan.

This post will focus on outdoor events, as these commonly require detailed site plans for things like licensing, but many of the principles can also apply to indoor events. The advantage of indoor spaces is that they are used regularly, whereas outdoors are usually one-time events.

Good event site design principles

You should first identify what use the site map is for; you can then decide on the most appropriate style of plan needed. Generally, site plans can are presented in 2D or 3D.

Any stakeholder that is involved in the detailed planning of your event such as local authorities or contractors will need a much more detailed plan, drawn to scale in 2D on a computer, also known as Computer-Aided Design (CAD). This type of map will have every small detail attached to it.

Example of a 2D Site Plan for planners
Source: Festivalandeventproduction.com

Customers may benefit from a much simpler visual experience. These types of site plan will not show all of the technical detail, nor will they be drawn to scale. They can often be presented in 3D by an illustrator rather than a CAD technician.

Example of a 3D Site Plan for attendee
Source: T in The Park // The List

Once you understand what type of site plan you need, you can move onto the specific elements that you will need to include.

Conduct a site visit

One of the most important things you can do before designing your event site is to go and visit the site taking notes and pictures. You can learn a great deal from doing this and speed up the time it will take to make the event site plan.

In addition to this, you should consider the audience profile of the event so the site can be designed in a way to maximise safety for everyone attending.

Event site design is a crucial part of crowd management. There have been high-profile disasters where this has gone wrong which should not be repeated, and so this point can not be stressed enough.

There are many highly qualified and experienced event safety experts out there, so if at any point you run into difficulty, you should seek help from one of them. Many work on a freelance basis and may be happy to answer some simple questions without incurring too much cost.

For peace of mind, you might want to consider hiring a safety expert to support you through the process of designing the event site, particularly if you’re just starting or this is your first event.

There are several good guides available to help which have lots of information on this subject. These are listed in the sources at the end of this post.

In summary, you should be considering things like:

What is the available space?
What kind of viewing space is there for a stage?
What is the topography of the site?
What kind of access does the site have for traffic?
What are the ground conditions like (speak to the landowner for insight)?
Are there existing services like power and water on the site?
Are there any services might impact the site design such as overhead power cables, trees or underground services?
Are there any adjacent properties who might be impacted by the event?
Are there animals currently using the site who will need to be relocated.
What is the risk of flooding on the site?

Every event site is different, so you there may be other questions that relate to your event. Once again, it may save you time and money to work with an experienced safety freelancer to make sure you cover everything.

What should be included in an event site map?

Once you have all of the background information about the site you are using, you can start to think about the different components that are needed to deliver the event.

An event site map gives information about where all the different components of an event are located. The layout will clearly be different for each event, so the first job is to make a list of everything that needs to be included on the site map.

If you have run the event before then, use the previous plan as a starting point. If not, you could consider asking another festival operator (preferably one not in competition with you!) to see their site plan for a rough idea.

Let’s look at some of the major components you are likely to come across in event site design and what considerations are needed for each.

Stages

Stages are often large major construction projects, so having their size and position reflected accurately on a site plan is very important. You need to consider the stage dimensions, if it is covered or open and where will the sound system or video screens be located.

Stages also need a sizeable backstage area that isn’t accessible to the general public, where artistes can prepare, and their equipment is stored.

Usually, the suppliers or designers of the stages will supply you with detailed drawings of the stage that you can then include in your site plan.

Other significant structures, like marques

Depending on what your event is, it’s likely you will have other major structures such as marquees, grandstands or custom-built elements. The suppliers of these structures should be able to supply you with the appropriate drawings to add to your site plan.

If you have a custom structure, then you may need to consider employing someone capable of drawing that structure in computer-aided design(CAD).

Concessions (Stalls, Food vans etc.)

When considering your concessions, you need to allocate sizes for them early on in the event planning process to allow you time to sell the space.

Concession stalls will need additional space behind them for storage and preparation so it may be a good idea to back them onto an access road or some kind of backstage area. This space helps them to restock through the event without bringing vehicles through public areas.

Fencing

Fencing is one of the critical elements that you need to include on your site plan. Fencing helps to direct people and is one of the most common forms of crowd management.

There are several different types of fencing, but the four most likely types you will come across are:

Crowd Control Barrier (CCB)
Heras
Steel Wall
Mojo (stage) Barrier

Heras (Mesh) Fencing Panel
Source: Safefence

Steel Wall Fencing
Source Fencehiresouthern.com

Stage (Mojo) Barrier
Source: Crowd-controlbarrier.com

All three of these have their place and use on an event site. In the UK, The Purple Guide recommends that use of fencing is risk assessed. Any use of fencing must not create more risk than those which it is intended to control.

Toilets

Toilets are possibly one of the most important things you’ll need to include on any event site plan, particularly if you are operating a bar.

Depending on the country you operate in, there will be different rules on the number of toilets required so this is worth checking. The Purple Guide has a handy chapter on sanitation that answers many of these questions.

In general, you need to consider your audience. What is the demographic, how many are coming, and what other special needs their may require (e.g. baby changing facilities).

If you need to know how many male and female toilets are needed; this should be based on audience demographics or historical data. If this is not available, use a 50:50 split.

Toilets need to be positioned near to access roads so that maintenance vehicles can access them for emptying and cleaning.

Other considerations for the siting of toilets are space, systems for queuing, location to any camping and to catering vehicles (i.e. not too close!).

Generators

If your event doesn’t have any kind of fixed power already installed, then you will need to consider installing generators to power all of the required equipment.

As with toilets, generators need to be positioned somewhere where they can easily be accessed by maintenance vehicles for refilling, but also away from any noise-sensitive areas like camping as they can produce a lot of noise.

One final consideration is where you will route the large power cables from the generators. Thought needs to be given to how they might cross access roads or footpaths to prevent tripping hazards.

Backstage areas

Nearly all outdoor events will require some kind of private, staff-only area. At music festivals, these are known as backstage areas.

Access to and from these areas is controlled using fencing and other barriers, so consider where people and vehicles can go in and out.

They should be located with good access roads so that kit, performers and staff can come and go without interference to the attendees.

Sites with multiple stages often utilise one backstage area in-between them, with the stages directed away from each other.

Backstage areas should usually be enclosed with steel wall fencing or heras fencing with a covering banner. This affords maximum privacy to staff and artistes.

Queuing systems

While it’s a fairly common joke that we British love a good queue, it’s not something you want to get wrong. With the rise of the influencer on Instagram, your queuing problems can quickly turn into a PR nightmare.

Managing the design of your queueing systems is not only good from a customer satisfaction point of view, but it is a key crowd management tool to ensure you keep everyone safe.

You, therefore, need to consider how many and where all of your entrances are going to be. Several factors such as crowd numbers, arrival time, flow rate, transportation and weather can all play a part in influencing the design of your queueing system.

Since recent terrorist attacks on events (like Manchester Arena in 2018) more attention has been focused on the various checkpoints leading to an event. These points include increased security checks that can often slow down your flow rate into the event.

Ticket checkpoints

Following on from queueing systems, it’s worth mentioning ticket checkpoints. There are a wealth of different ticketing systems available to event organisers that allow tickets to be bought online and then scanned on entry.

Whichever system you choose to use, you should calculate the likely flow rate through each gate. Sometimes the system provider may be able to tell you this. You should then ensure you have enough ticket checkpoints to cope with the number of attendees expected.

Emergency exits

The number of emergency exits will be a critical factor in determining the capacity of your event site, so it is essential to have a professional engineer run these numbers for you. The width of these exits should be on the site plan.

There is a wealth of advice available to help you understand this further; please refer to The Purple Guide, The Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds and (British Standard) BS EN 13200-1:2018 for the specific information.

The location of these exits will depend on the layout of other facilities on-site and will determine where people will go in the event of a full emergency evacuation.

Sterile route for emergency vehicles (blue route)

Sterile routes can be called several different things (I’ve heard blue route, green route amongst others) dependent on where you are. They are the same thing, a route that is for access by emergency vehicles only.

The route should extend from a transport road onto your site. It must be segregated so that it is always available in the event of an emergency.

Emergency services should be given a copy of your site plan in advance, so they understand where this route is.

Medical facilities

You need to show where each of the medical facilities is. The number of these required varies so check our post on understanding the requirements here.

If your event is significant enough to need ambulances on-site, then these should be in a place they can quickly leave the site in an emergency.

Welfare and Information points

As with the medical facilities, these are an essential addition to your event site plan. They should be in a high-profile location that is easily accessible for members of the public.

It is not uncommon for them to be close to the entrance of the event so that people identify them upon arrival.

Cash points

These are becoming less as important as more and more businesses switch to cashless payments, but many events still use cash. As with other facilities these should be located somewhere visible and where they can be accessed by vehicle and refilled.

Lighting

Any event that runs into darkness will need additional lighting towers or other portable lighting systems to ensure footpaths are kept safe. The event site plan will show the number of and location of each of these.

It’s worth noting that sometimes these can be self-contained units with a generator on board, but others require a generator or power providing to them—either way, you need to consider access and maintenance issues.

Trackway

Trackway will help to protect soft or uneven land in areas of heavy footfall or where vehicles need to move through the event site.

Waste Management

Your event site design needs to take into consideration how waste is stored, collected and disposed of. The festival industry is making huge strides into becoming more sustainable and reducing and recycling as much waste a possible is a big part of this.

You will need to consider how waste will be collected from around the event, brought to the designated processing area and then removed from the site.

Other areas to think about

Signage
Lost children point
Event control
Media area
Road closures
Fire safety equipment

How do you draw an event plan?

Now that you have information about the site and the key components that should be on the event site plan, you are ready to start drawing.

There are plenty of software options on the market for drawing an event site plan; it comes down to what the document is for.

Let’s consider some of the options for 2D and 3D event site plans.

Drawing 2D Event Site Plans

When you need a site plan for official purposes, such as applying for licenses or permits, you will need to draw your plans to scale.

In the guidance from UK Premises License, the required scale is 1:100, where 1mm on your event site plan relates to 100 millimetres in real life.

It’s worth noting that these drawings can be substantial when you need to print them!

Generally, programs like AutoCAD from Auto desk can produce high-quality 2d event site CAD plans. These types of programmes are costly and take a long time to master, so you may need to employ professional companies to do it on your behalf.

That being said, Youtube channel, Event Site Design have some useful tutorials on using Autocad for event site planning:

However, another option has recently emerged through a company called Oneplan. Their software is web-based and uses Google Maps as a basis for your plan.

It has some handy features such as calculating area size, how many barriers you will need and ingress and egress flow rates. The pricing is significantly cheaper than a programme like Autocad as well.

Check out their website or see the video below.

Drawing 3D Event site Plans

If you require something a little less formal for your audience, then a 3D site map might be the way to go. 3D maps are something to send via email in advance or include in any welcome bag you may be handing out.

One great example is Icograms Designer which allow you to drop and drag different icons from their library onto a site plan. They have various levels of plans from free upwards and will design custom icons for you from $25. Check out their website here.

SOURCES

The Purple Guide to Event Safety

HSE event Safety Guide

Guide to premises licenses

How to organise a food festival

January 25, 2023June 18, 2020 by Mark Norman

Food festivals are a great way to bring a host of people together with one common shared passion, food and drink. Despite the recent pandemic, food festivals have gained a pace in popularity lately with people’s ever-growing love for food.

In this post, I will set out a simple outline to help you kick start planning for your food festival.

Introduction

I have planned and executed numerous food festivals and one thing that is always at the forefront of planning is ‘added value’, not just for your attendee but your stallholders. What can my event offer or do that others may not, or how can I offer more?

With the increase in popularity of more specialised food and drink categories and a hike in demand for convenience food there are a range of food festival themes or categories to consider – just a few to inspire you below:

Vegan and meat-free
Free From (Gluten and Dairy)
Artisan and Craft producers
Sustainable food and packaging
Gin bars and cocktails
Cake and bakes
Local producers
Cuisine type (e.g. Thai food, Indian etc.)

The more exposure consumers have to these types of events, the higher their expectations. The challenge is, how can you keep people coming back for more?

Planning and logistics (Pre and during)

A solid starting place is pulling together a top line document setting out the following:

Event name, purpose/aim and mission, type and unique selling point
Where, when and what time
Contact details

This will save you a lot of time down the line as you will need this information to share with suppliers, staff, stallholders, local authorities etc.

Once the parameters of your event are set out, a timeline is always useful. This timeframe does not have to be extra detailed, but I have found it’s a handy way to keep you on track and ensure you are not missing deadlines or vital elements out of organising. There are plenty of templates online that will help with a basic outline and get you started.

So who will come to my event?

Target audience is key to have decided from the off. It can be a costly and time-consuming thing to change later down the line so it is advantageous to nail this first time. There are a few things you should consider when profiling your target audience:

Age group (and sometimes gender)
Behaviour (disposable income/spending habits)
Geographical base (are they close to your venue, if not what’s going to get them there?)
Socio demographics/stage of life (are they groups, couples, families etc.)

Once you have that outlined, you need to work out how they tick? What would make them want to come, and how will you reach them? Below are some examples of how you might tailor your event to your chosen target market:

Age 25 – 50
- Target that age bracket when setting up paid-for adverts online and research where this age group socialise to aim marketing correctly.

Target come as groups, couples or some families.
- Have event open Friday and Saturday for adults then focus more on families on the Sunday.

Has a reasonable level of disposable income to spend at events
- Consider charging for the event or having a few more premium stallholders where your target would have money to spend.

Where are you going to have your event?

Location is a core thing to get secured from the start. Food festivals can be held both inside and outside in which there are pros and cons to both.

Outside:

Often have higher capacity/more space.
Easier to load event equipment in and out as there are fewer building limitations
Can be beautiful in good weather but can deter people if it is wet
Perfect for any stall cooking on needing to extract cooking fumes

Inside:

Perfect for a wet/cold day
More challenging when getting vehicles in and out of the venue to build the event
Need to install ventilation for cooking fumes.
Often power and water and any Wi-Fi needed is already installed.

How do I choose my size of site?
It can be daunting working out what you can fit in the size of a location or venue. Below is a list of things I always consider and work out when looking at a potential venue’s capacity capability:

Number of stalls/site spaces that will fit
- Have a couple of site space sizes in mind, e.g. 3x3m and a 5x5m. As a starter add 30% to calculated total to include required fire spaces and contingency
Cooking demo area
- Again, I’d allow at least 5x5m space add 30% for audience space.
General event services (offices for the event manager, cashier, security, cash collection, vehicle parking areas, toilets, first aid, police, refuse collection area)
- Allow at least 15% of the site depending on how much can be housed off-site.
Access (you will need roads wide enough for emergency services)
Car parking/public access (if this isn’t available onsite look into park and ride)

Weather is one of those completely uncontrollable factors which can change the event experience in a flash. Although in some cases high wind and treacherous weather means the event can’t go ahead a bit of rain won’t stop you!

There are a few things I always have in my back pocket to help enhance the experience when it’s raining:

Make sure you have planned in covered areas for people to congregate. This could be covered tents for food demos or covered seating areas.
Look to offer an incentive to attend your event when it’s raining. This could be as simple as money off something or free/discounted entry.
Look to work with a company that makes umbrellas or ponchos. They can brand these and can be handed out for free or low cost in bad weather (umbrellas work as a perfect sunshade too if its great weather!).
Have some hardstanding matting/tracking you can put down (especially if outdoors) this makes it more pleasant underfoot and safer.

Wind is a harder one to tackle and the one in my career, which has caused me the most grief. There have been times where my events have had to shut early due to strong winds. However, there are some best practice ways to be prepared for this. Whether it’s having sandbags, water weights or extra-strong tents with supports, it will save you a lot of hassle if you have these to hand and ready.

Finally, don’t forget the sun! Working on event sites abroad has taught me the need for shade, so just as you would prepare for rain with a cover you can’t go too wrong with this for sun cover too!

So what about the Stallholders?

They are at the heart of any Food Festival, so it’s vital to get them on board from the start. Once you have decided what type of food festival you want to host, you will need to look to get your stallholder or vendors on board.

From experience, it’s also essential to have a tasty variety and mix of stallholders and offerings. Although you have selected your target audience, it doesn’t mean they all like the same thing.

When reaching out to potential stallholders, its key that you have a clear plan in regards to what the benefit is to both parties. I’d recommend you have in mind the following:

What’s in it for you?
- Will you make a profit on their site fee?
- Will you ask for a certain % of their sales?
- Will they compliment your event and do they fit with how you want people to perceive the event?
What’s in it for them?
- What’s your expected footfall? If it’s a new event, use others of a similar scale as an example as well as consideration of your site size.
- Will the % of sales be fixed or go up or down depending on factors on the day? E.g. poor weather or perfect weather
- Will attending this event look good for their brand, and why?

Marketing

Incentivise and encourage your stallholders. Think of all their social channels and marketing feeds. This can prove very lucrative in regards to footfall, especially if your stallholder popular.

Partnerships are a great way to get marketing out there. For example, partnering with a well-established company will help give you further marketing reach and also further event credibility helping to entice more people in.

PR – have an event stand out element. Good PR could be as simple as trying to set a small world record and getting the local newspapers down to getting on board a minor celebrity to be a special guest.

Event imagery is critical, especially as we judge with our eyes when that’s all we have. Make sure you post regularly on social media, so it shows you are active and again credible. Share some behind the scenes pictures or insights to help keep people interested and engaged.

One final golden rule I have learnt, which makes all the difference is to treat potential attendees well, be responsive and helpful and informative as this goes a long way.

Budget

Starting your planning with a budget is paramount. Setting out your outgoings, income and projected profit will give you a clear oversight from the start as to what you can and can’t afford. Planning also will help to highlight where you could most use sponsorships, partnerships or donations.

Outgoings
It is essential to know my payment terms and how much money is going out before the event. Get deposits upfront from your stallholders and paying only a deposit of % cost to your venue, suppliers etc. will mean better cash flow ensuring you are not running out of cash before you even start the event.

Cost tracking – although not the most fun part of the job, it’s vital. Like anything in life, you can sometimes get an un-expected cost or save along the way. Tracking costs will help you to have a proper oversight of how much money you have rather than having an awful shock post-event!

Income – Free VS ticketed
As an organiser and attendee, I’ve experienced both free and ticketed events; both have their merits. At any event, irrespective of entry fee, you will need to have crowd control measures in place to ensure safety. It’s essential you know the capacity of your venue so you can safely manage the numbers coming in and out of the event (if you don’t have this to hand 6 square feet per person is a good rule of thumb for a standing crowd).

Free events

When creating a new event, offering free entry can be a great way to get a volume of people to come. What is the consumer missing out on if they attend – nothing if it’s free!

The nature of a free event often then means you can either up-price items for sale slightly or simply use this as a tool to wet their appetite for the future where you could look to introduce an entry fee.

Paid for
The advantage of paid-for events is that you then often get people who want to be there. If people have paid, they will often feel inclined to stay longer (and therefore spend more).

With anything in life, however, if you pay for something, you expect something in return. Charging someone an entry fee without giving them anything or showing them value in their purchase doesn’t often go down too well unless the price is very low or gifted to charity.

There are lots of cost-effective ways to add value for your consumer, see a few tried and tested below:

Offer a money off voucher for a future visit (e.g. 15% of tickets for next year)
A goody bag (this could contain event collateral, info booklets, free samples)
Stallholders (are they a well-known and in-demand business? Do they have a unique and popular product)
Voucher to redeem against a food or drink item
Branded cup to use and then take home
Entertainment (is there a celebrity, a live band, comfy seating areas etc.)

Both ticket methods have their places when it comes to entry for attendees. Make sure you also consider:

The geographical location (how much will it cost people to get there, are there transport links etc.)
Prices of events, food and drink can vary throughout the country so ensure that you are in-keeping and do not overprice yourself for the area.

Having stallholders also means you can make an income to help pay for the event and infrastructure. You can choose just to charge them for a site space, but also can request a % of sales they make as well as charge them for power if they require it. Do consider keeping the price lower, especially if it’s the first year the event is running to keep the offer to stallholders appealing.

Having an event partner or some sponsors are a great way not only to create a relationship with another company(s) but to generate an income source. I’ve listed a few ways they can help below:

Cash (giving you money to help fund the event).
Prize (giving you an asset or item to give as a prize to consumers attending).
Venue (offering the site space at a free or discounted rate).
Media (offer free advertisement, prints, collateral etc).

Volunteers can be a great way to staff your event with minimal spend. One idea is to look for volunteering forums or even getting in touch with local colleges and universities. Students are keen to gain experience and exposure so simply will often give up their time for free. Having been a volunteer many times before I know a little goes a long way. Even a simple food voucher or discount tickets for a family member would encourage me to work hard!

So how much does it cost to be a vendor at a festival?

Unfortunately, there is no set answer as the cost is determined on numerous factors. I have organised events with site fees around the £200 mark but also events where a site is in the thousands. Below are a few things to consider and an example of cost.

How popular is your event and expected footfall (the higher this is, the more space costs).
Does the stallholder require power (if they do again usually this is charged out to help you fund generators per kilowatt)?
Site space size required. (the bigger the space needed by the stallholder, the more expensive.
Stall location (is it in a busy area where lots of people will pass and see it? The more exposure, the higher the cost)

Paperwork to consider

Risk assessments and safety are a major consideration, especially when you are opening up to the public. Correctly identifying, assessing, and mitigating or reducing any potential risks is key both when setting up the event but also during and after.

Safety and risk assessments can seem a daunting thing; however, there is plenty of guidance and ways to educate yourself on this to equip you. A great starting place or even a refresher is here. *Please note this is for UK event safety and not necessarily correct worldwide.

Public Liability (PLI) is an essential cover you will need. Think of it as an insurance policy for your event if damage or injury were to take place onsite at your event. Your stallholders should have PLI of their own (it’s good practice to ask for a copy of this). In regards to event insurance, this will either need to come from you (the event organiser).

Food Safety is an essential check. All stallholders by law have to hold health and safety, food hygiene and licensing documentation. It is good practice to obtain a copy of this when confirming their place at your event.

Council permission: Numerous elements outside the event need to be controlled. Traffic, road closures, footfall to the town all will need to be discussed with the location’s local authority.

Police, fire and ambulance: all need to be informed of the event. Having St. John’s Ambulance or some trained first aiders on site is a must. The other departments just need this on their radar in case of an emergency. (Your local authority can help you with questions about this).

Post-event steps

Finally, always do some form of evaluation. Seek feedback from your attendees, your traders, suppliers. In some cases, it can feel like ripping off a plaster when you gain any adverse or constructive criticism after working for months on your event. Still, it will continue to help you progress and grow as an event and professional.

One final tip is making notes, edits or tweaks to your documentation or processes as soon as you have finished the event. Although this can seem a difficult task after putting lots of hard work into your event, I can guarantee your future self will thank you hugely when it comes to re-planning the event.

Summary

Although there is no real right or wrong ways to organise a food festival, the above tips will help save you time and resources by starting with a straightforward foundation.

One thing I have learnt is that a lot of things until you have done them are just down to common sense. With events you will require contractors, local authorities, and other parties to provide services for you so ask them questions! Utilise everyone and keep up regular communication. Remember a problem shared is a problem halved.

Good luck with your food festival!

Useful resources (UK only):

The Purple Guide (Health and Safety) https://www.thepurpleguide.co.uk/

Food Standards Agency https://www.food.gov.uk/food-safety