Event Planning: Where’s the Bathroom?

by PORT on Jun 21, 2022 6:09:30 PM

Being the team behind the scenes for events big and small, there is always a long list of questions that need to be answered. Lots of questions between ourselves and the event managers during the planning – timing, location, goals, objectives, attendees, etc. But part of that planning involves anticipating the questions we should expect from attendees, performers, and other contractors and vendors on site.

And yes, “Where’s the bathroom?” is ALWAYS one of them. But it’s not always the easiest question – and sometimes it’s the hardest. Why? Well, at some venues, we have to bring in the “bathrooms,” yet at others – like a convention center – there are so many to account for it ends up requiring a lot of signage. Signage differs depending on where it’s placed and which bathroom it’s pointed to. Or the “signage” that is embedded in short PowerPoint slides on monitors around the venue…

In other words, it’s not as easy as it sounds! There are so many things that factor into planning a successful event, it’s important that you not only be aware of how much preparation must be done, but you also need to work on the correct timeline. Some preparations must be done closer to the event date, while others need to be accomplished months beforehand. If you think event planning is easy, think again! Here are a few things to think about to give you a good idea of how the process works, and some answers to common questions we get asked.

Establish Event Goals

First and foremost you need to figure out what the goal of your event is. Is it a fundraiser? A party? We’re confident that we can handle whatever it is, but it’s important to be clear and detailed when beginning this process so that we are all on the same page. We don’t care if you’re throwing a birthday party for your pet frog Marvin, (maybe I’m speaking from experience, maybe I’m not…) we just want to be prepared so we can give you the best service possible!

Secure the Date

It’s not uncommon to get so wrapped up in your event that you overlook one crucial detail — you’ve planned your event on a major holiday, and now no one can attend! You may think it impossible to cause a blunder so obvious, but you would be surprised. Believe it or not, my sister unwittingly planned her baby shower on Halloween — not the vibe she wanted for baby Carl! Before you get too far into the planning process, double-check you haven’t landed on an important date or holiday.

Develop a Master Plan

Time to get specific! The last thing you want for your event is disorganization. An unorganized event will leave you feeling like a chicken with its head cut off. To ensure all of your guests have the best experience possible, you need to create a master plan of everything your event will include. This includes getting confirmation on any speakers and presenters for the event, getting a proper cost estimate, and many other things.

Find out if there are any specific rules or regulations you must follow at your chosen venue. Are you going to be serving alcohol? Do you need special insurance to do that at your venue? Dive deep and have all your specifics squared away months in advance. Even if you end up having to make changes closer to the event date, it’s much easier to accomplish this if you have a detailed master plan for everything else.

Create a Budget

It’s not easy to budget successfully in your personal life, let alone a major event you’re in charge of. Gosh, I even have trouble cutting Chick-fil-A out of my budget! Go over the top with this step, and account for any costs to consider with your event when creating a budget. Not only will this give you a good idea of how much money you’re working with, but it will encourage you to find deals if possible. It’s all about saving that moolah, baby!

Branding and Publicity

Publicity is important. After all, how are you going to encourage people to attend your event if they’re not excited about it? Start by creating a logo and tagline for your event. Get creative and think about advertisements and how they succeed. We’ve all seen funny Superbowl commercials before. Understand how to grab people’s attention, and create a website that explains and advertises your event.

This process will stretch to the day of the event as you will be creating newsletters, flyers, radio spots, and blog posts to get the word out. When you get within one or two months out from the event date, you’ll want to create reminder notifications for your guests as well.

You will also want to ensure that all of your staff/volunteers are identified to manage specific duties. This includes media relations, signage, VIP coordination, and many other things. Ensuring these things are in place will keep your event precise and organized.

Accessibility

As the event date draws closer, you will want to make sure you have assessed all accessibility requirements at the venue including wheelchair ramps and unisex restrooms. Make sure you communicate all of these requirements to your staff.

Final Touches

The FINAL stretch! You have endured the long and taxing process of the bulk of the planning process and you’re almost home free! Once you arrive at the one-week mark leading up to the event, you will want to accomplish a few last-minute things on your checklist to make sure you have everything ready.

event-planning-checklist The first thing you should do is have a meeting with your committee chairs and go over all the details in your master plan. Is there anything you have missed? Is there anything you want to change before it’s too late? Make sure you have a backup plan for anything that may go wrong at the last minute and ensure you have enough backup volunteers in case you need them.

Set up rehearsals for any speakers you have lined up for the event, with printed scripts and prompts or anything needed. Have you ever seen someone freeze up during a presentation? Nobody needs to endure that at your event. Remember to also finalize a seating plan and prepare any identification your staff will need.

PORT has been around for over three decades and has been a leader in New England providing specialty event lighting, rigging, and audio services for events, arenas, concerts, and even (very lavish) weddings and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. The pandemic hurt the business but also led us into new areas like portable studios, digital studios, and a growing business with architectural lighting. We know planning an event can be a big undertaking, so don’t do it alone! Contact us today to find out how we can help.

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