by Zoe Zorka

There are a few times in the year where an outdoor event is precisely what you want to host. Spring can be hit and miss, but the summer and early autumn can be warm and beautiful. It might be a community event, a business launch, or maybe just something you have wanted to do for a while. Either way, here are some tips that can help you.

Photo by Nick de Partee on Unsplash

Permits

There is a chance that you will need to get a permit or a license depending on where your event is going to be held. Research and apply for those as early in the process as you can. Your event will likely get shut down pretty quickly unless you have the right paperwork. 

Venue

If you have the budget, many venues have outdoor space that can be used - and it comes with some perks usually too. The work you will have to do can be cut in half when you have the right venue on board, as they will typically have the proper paperwork for music, food, insurances, and alcohol licenses too. 

Layout

When you visit the venue, make sure you take plenty of photos of the access points. You don’t want to have access problems for people in wheelchairs or other disabilities on the day. So make sure that you tackle issues straight away. The layout will be a crucial piece of information for caterers, live music setting up, and other suppliers too. 

Sanitation

The more people you have, the more toilets you are going to need. While there might be some inside, you should hedge your bets and research portable potty rental for the outside space too. Inadequate toilet facilities have ruined many events for people. 

Safety

If you don’t personally have a first-aid certificate, you should make sure that you have people on-site that have the right credentials to deal with smaller incidents. Make sure that you have some smaller first aid items handy like band-aids, sanitization spray, and bandages, and scissors. 

Back-up Plan

The back-up plan is what you are going to need if, for some reason, the weather isn’t on your side. Rather than cancel an event, have some gazebos set up too. This means that if the rain arrives, then people can still safely enjoy the event without getting soaked. 

Landscape

If you have an exciting landscape to work with, then try and make the most of it. Use trees and hedges to wrap outdoor fairy lights. If there is a water feature, use a light show to color the water (this makes it more visible and safer too). High walls? Then you can have a screen projector showing a video, a light show, or your brand name. Get creative with the space. 

Clean Up

When you have an event outside, you should respect the surroundings. If you are in fields, then you probably have a lot of wildlife that will suffer from things that are left behind. And, even if the venue offers a cleanup service, it’s the final thing to do at the close of an event - so stick around and pitch in. It’s incredibly satisfying.