If there is one event that can be a memory for a long time to come, it definitely is an outdoor festival. From film festivals to rock music festivals, these types of events get everyone excited. They bring together people from different cultures and backgrounds under one common reason that they all love.
The great outdoors can present many unique opportunities when it comes to facilitating an event. If the weather is good, you can incorporate many elements in an outdoor event like adding a grilling station, a play area for children, and even organized sports. That being said, outdoor events do come with a whole set of challenges, complications, and logistics.
When planning an outdoor festival, ensure seamless operations with reliable technology. Consider the convenience of managing tasks on the go by opting to rent a Macbook providing you with the power and efficiency needed for a successful event.
If you are planning on an outdoor event, here’s a list of things to keep in mind while you prepare for it.
Set a Budget
Whether you are planning an event that will generate revenue from ticket sales or you will raise the funds through sponsorship, create a strategy wherein all needs of the event are kept in the budget. The event’s financial success is completely dependent upon the foundation of its budgeting. Therefore, creating a thorough and realistic budget will be the key ingredient that will decide if your event is a success or a loss. This is more complex than you think. Mistakes in budgeting can lead you into deep waters with the event. There are always uncertainties around events and these can have a huge impact on the budget too.
A good budget will make sure that the need to properly allocate funds is kept in line. When it comes to allocating funds for what is right for your event, every dollar counts!
Select a Proper Venue
When choosing a venue for your outdoor event, you should take into consideration that it has an option for indoor space as well. This will be helpful in case of unexpected weather conditions. When looking for a venue, decide on how many guests you would like to host in it. If the venue is too big then it will look quite empty. You can create an artificial partition to make the venue smaller so it can accommodate the exact number of people you want it in. Pre-sell tickets or request RSVPs to ensure you have the approximate number of guests confirmed. Take into consideration the tastes and needs of your audience. If you are thinking of holding an outdoor festival for kids, you need to look for a venue in safe zones like school playgrounds. Convenience to get to the venue will bring in an added benefit as your guest will have access to good parking and easy-to-walk proximity.
Your venue will be the most important feature of your event as it will set the tone of your event. So take your time in deciding on one and do your research before finalizing it.
Getting the Appropriate Permits
After you have finalized the venue for the event, the next step is to get the right permits needed. If you run into trouble, the whole event could come to a halt. Make a list of all activities you want present in your event and then tick off the permits needed for them. If you have food vendors, you will need a food permit along with the approval of safety methods that you will adopt to make sure that hygiene is maintained and there are no hazards in the cooking section. If you plan to serve alcohol depending on the location of your event, you might not only need an alcohol permit but also a permit to serve alcohol.
Check with your local authorities about what kind of permits are needed. This will keep you out of trouble with the authorities and also make sure that all rules and regulations regarding safety and security are followed properly.
Figure Out The Logistics In Advance
When you hold an event outdoors, you need to plan and meet the suppliers and vendors in advance to coordinate the logistics. The sooner you plan these details the lesser you will be overwhelmed at the time of the event. When deciding on the food that will be served, take into consideration that all the ingredients are mentioned so no one with food allergies has a problem. Schedule the day so that the attendees know what time they are expected to be there and the timelines are known to all. Prepare emergency kits and speak to the local hospital to assure there is an ambulance at your disposal in case of any unexpected medical event. Get a security team to cover the event so that safety and security are maintained. Arrange a designated spot for people who need to use the toilet facility. Cleaners too should be present in this area so that it is clean and well maintained for your guests to use.
Speak to people who have dealt with a similar event or hire a professional event management team who can assist in taking care of all the aspects of the logistics of the event.
Plan The Festival Activities
Another important thing to consider is the list of activities that will take place throughout the event. You must take care to add as many fun elements as possible so that your guests are not bored. This will also ensure that you have a wider audience to attract to an event. A musical show for the younger crowd, a soft play area for the children, and such other elements can make sure that people from varied groups are having a good time. Try to include the locals in your event and ask them to host some activities. This will make them participate more actively in the event and also spread the word of the event around the location. You can include children from the local school to put together a performance for the event. Ladies can get together for a cake bake-off and the men can have fun sporting events to keep them entertained. Adding a charity theme to the event will also ensure the participation of many people as they will get to enjoy an event and at the same time feel that they are doing something good for the community.
Keep a welcoming committee to let people in through the gates. Also, a group of volunteers who can look after your guests’ needs will add a touch of warmth to your event.
Select The Right Sound System
Whether you are hosting a music festival or a sports outdoor event, you must focus on boosting the sound right by choosing the correct system for clarity. Choosing the right sound system can be a bit tough as you need to look into the venue you want to be covered along with other features which are important. By hiring The Sound & Light Hire Company, you can be assured that the team of technicians and installers know what they are doing. Based in Guildford Surrey, these experts can tick off services you need right from sounds and lights system to adding special effects and even setting up an LED dance floor if you need it. They know how to work safely around installing each unit which is an important element when it comes to such power-consuming systems. A good music ambiance combined with the right kind of lighting can make your event an instant success.
List down the types of activities that will need the sound system so you have a list ready for the same. In the case of a music event, you will need more focus on the mics and speakers so people can enjoy the music from near the stage and at a distance too.
Marketing of The Event
If you are hosting an event for the general public then you must make sure it’s marketed well so people are aware of it. A fully planned event without the right marketing strategies can be a flop and cause a lot of financial losses. Though social media marketing is the easiest way to reach the masses, try to get in a more targeted approach. Be specific with the age groups and other demographics so your event is known to the right audience. Mix your online marketing with offline and traditional methods too. If you are targeting a younger audience, you can distribute flyers outside colleges and universities to get the attention of the student crowd. If you are targeting working professionals, you can advertise on billboards on traffic roads.
Marketing of The EventIf you are hosting an event for the general public then you must make sure it’s marketed well so people are aware of it. A fully planned event without the right marketing strategies can be a flop and cause a lot of financial losses. Though social media marketing is the easiest way to reach the masses, try to get in a more targeted approach. Be specific with the age groups and other demographics so your event is known to the right audience. Mix your online marketing with offline and traditional methods too. If you are targeting a younger audience, you can distribute flyers with the help of a flyer delivery service in UK that develops a customised leaflet distribution campaigns that reaches the right target audience while being cost-effective outside colleges and universities to get the attention of the student crowd. If you are targeting working professionals, you can advertise on billboards on traffic roads. Marketing for outdoor festivals should start at least 2 to 3 months prior to the event. This will give a chance for those who are not in the geographical areas too to plan and come to the event.
Clean Up After The Event
Once your event is over, your work doesn’t end there. It is never a good thing to leave the sore sight of an after-party that has not been cleaned up. Though the event would be over, your job doesn’t end there. Hire a team in advance which can help you take down all the elements that you have put up for the events in an organized manner. Follow it up with a proper and thorough clean up which should include the proper disposal of all the garbage as well as the sanitary area.
By following this final step, you will make sure that the venue owners will be more than happy to welcome you again and let you host your event. It will also promote good publicity for you.
After Event Analysis
You have had a successful event! Hooray for You! Once the place is cleaned up and all the appropriate things which had been rented out are returned to their rightful owners, it is time for you to sit down to evaluate how the festival went. Take into consideration all the bills and expenses which were borne for the event. Then match it against all the revenue that was generated for the event. This will give you an understanding of how your efforts have paid off. If you did not hit the right financial target you were aiming for then look at what went wrong. There you will find some elements which were not needed but did cost a lot of money. Take note of all these things so the next time you plan an event you will already have a strategy of what does and what does not work.
Another after-event activity that you should do is to send a thank-you note to all the attendees and sponsors. This can be through a newsletter or even through your social media account or website. A press release on how the event went will also be a good idea for publicity for your next event.
Planning an outdoor festival is no easy task. Outdoor events bring in even more challenges than indoor ones. Keep a plan B ready for any unexpected event. Be more prepared to face any pitfalls. With careful planning, you can achieve good results from the event. Planning for an event that has a target of an audience bigger than 5000 should definitely start at least 8 to 10 months in advance. This will give you enough time to understand and make changes to the events plan as time goes by. Weather conditions too should be kept in check as this could completely change the pace of the event itself.
One of the biggest mistakes event organizers can make is by taking on too much upon them to cut down costs. Everyone likes to cut down the cost and make more money. However, in this case, by taking up too much on your plate you could end up being overwhelmed and may even overlook some key points that can adversely affect your event. Hiring a team of professionals can make sure your event is smooth and all the relevant features needed are present.
A well-hosted event can ensure that people are happy and satisfied. This will further enhance your chances to hold other events successfully.
