No matter what your event – whether it charity, community, children’s, music, catering, motoring, sports, displays or just a big, BIG party – you need to do some planning.
There are a lot of things to take into consideration when organising an event that you may not have even considered unless you are a seasoned professional. It’s hard work – it’s tireless commitment – it’s exhausting, but! If you follow some basic pointers, it the hard work will pay off any ensure that your event runs as smoothly as possible.
Budgeting:
For each type of event you will have to build a basic event budget. Once you have your type of event in mind, then you can start to take all the elements into account and start to count up potential costs.
Although it’s important to be as specific as possible, remember that all event budgets should be classed as a working draft – as the extra details come to light, so will new costs and you will find that expenditure will increase very rapidly.
When it comes to sticking to your budget and slimming down your costs as much as possible, you should focus on elements and options that will have the biggest impact on your guests. This way, you can prioritise if you have to make a few financial sacrifices along the way.
Licensing:
You will find that a lot of your activities will not need a license, but it’s worth checking the situation with regards to licensing as soon as possible: licensing and other permissions may take some time to be granted and so make sure it’s all checked – possibly even months – in advance.
Entertainment
– will you be having entertainment at your event? Depending on the nature and the time of performance, you may need a license. The venue in which your event may be taking place may already hold a license for your type of desired event, so check with them before hand.
Lotteries, raffles & bingo
– “Incidental non-commercial lotteries” do NOT require a license. However, running bingo may need permission unless you are playing for a good/charitable cause. This means none of the proceeds from the events are to go towards private gain.
Alcohol
– If the venue has a Premises License, a Club Premises Certificate or if there is a supervisor with a Personal License then you won’t need a license to sell alcohol at your event.
Also, you will not need a license to SELL alcohol for a private event such as a street party.
If you are offering alcohol as a prize in a raffle or tombola, do some research as certain conditions may need to be met.
Safety:
Safety is of course a big concern for many when organising an event. In all cases, you will need to assess what could realistically go wrong, what effect this could have and how you intend to prevent it.
Consider site layout, attendee numbers, slip and trip hazards, erection of large marquees and tents, electrical safety and first aid arrangements. If you are hiring activities such as bouncy castles or fairground rides, you will need to ensure all certification is up to date.
If you want to serve food at your event, you will need to look into the Food Standards Agency regulations and food labelling regulations.
Transport and roads:
If you are organising a street party or a community event you may have to arrange temporary road closure. This is quite common and a lot easier than you may anticipate.
You may need a few weeks’ notice in order to have permission granted in time. The law does not require a fee for road closure.
Insurance:
The law does not require you buy insurance for a voluntary or community event – however, in case something does go wrong, purchasing insurance will provide you with the peace especially if someone makes a claim against you.
If you do decide to purchase insurance, make sure you check the terms very carefully to make sure you know exactly what it does and does not cover and the requirements you have to meet.
If you are renting or hiring a building, you may be covered under their insurance so this is worth checking. Also check with third parties or entertainers to ensure they have their own insurance on the day.