With the summer in full swing, we’ve put together some great tips for planning outdoor events and making them a success.

Follow the steps outlined below to make sure you don’t leave anything to chance.

 

Steps for planning outdoor events

You should start planning well in advance of your proposed event date. How far in advance will depend on the size, type and duration of the event, the crowd profile and demographics, and the logistics required.

 

Step 1: Feasibility

Before going any further with your plans, you should first address the feasibility of organising the event at the planned date and venue.

Dublin City Council recommends that the following issues and considerations are addressed at this stage:

• Determine whether there are competing events planned to take place at the same time/in the same area
• Look into potential sponsorship opportunities
• Marketing strategy
• Public Liability Insurance and Employers’ Liability Insurance (venue owners may also request specific insurances and indemnities)
• An estimate of available funds, income and expenditure (many costs may not be apparent until you begin the detailed planning of your event)
• Suitable venue availability
• Contact with relevant bodies and agencies, e.g. local residents, An Garda Síochána
• Availability of resources, e.g. time, people, equipment and finances

 

 

Step 2: Pre-event planning

According to Dublin City Council, you should plan for the organisation of your event in phases. The specific details within each phase will be dependent on the venue, scale, duration and planned activities.

Potential elements you may need to consider include:

 

Phase 1: Build-up and Load-in

• Venue design
• Selection of competent, experienced and suitably qualified staff, contractors and subcontractors
• Construction of structures
• Safe delivery and installation of equipment and services

 

Phase 2: Operations

Management Strategies for:

• Crowds, Transport, Welfare, First Aid, Contingencies, Fire, Major Incident etc
• Secure site to minimize the risk of assaults or attacks
• Equipment and services

 

Phase 3: Load-out and Breakdown

• Safe removal of equipment and services
• Removal of structures
• Rubbish and waste removal
• Remedial works

 

Step 3: Risk assessment and management

You are legally required to undertake a thorough risk assessment of any hazards that could cause harm to your staff and/or members of the public attending the event.

 

Step 4: Licences and permissions

As the event organiser, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are in possession of any required licences, permissions, or approval on the day of the event.

 

Step 5: Contractors and suppliers

If you hire contractors to undertake construction, installation or maintenance tasks, ensure that they are suitably qualified and insured and that they adhere to the highest standards of health and safety.

 

 

Step 6: Venue Safety

When planning any outdoor event, site choice and preparation are crucial factors for success.

The site needs to be large enough to accommodate the size of the audience expected, as well as the space that will be occupied by structures, the activities and the facilities provided. You must check for any environmental constraints such as the potential for noise disturbance if there are houses or workplaces close to the venue. The suitability of the site will also depend on the ground conditions, access routes, and provision of services.

 

Planning outdoor events with our TerraTrak Plus

When it comes to ground conditions, Ground Protection Ireland has you covered — our TerraTrak Plus range can help take some of the stress out of outdoor event planning. It is the ultimate heavy-duty flooring for protecting natural and synthetic ground before, during and after large-scale events and gatherings.

TerraTrak Plus is ideal for all outdoor events, and here’s why:

• Protects parks, arenas and stadium surfaces
• Allows safe access to vehicles and heavy machinery before, during and after large-scale events
• The slip-resistant surface is also pedestrian-friendly — its distinct overlapping design and locking system provides an uninterrupted and gap-free walkway for workers and patrons alike
• It is environmentally friendly – translucent HDPE plastic panels are permeable to light, water and air, so the grass will continue to grow, even when covered for several consecutive days

 

Compliance With Regulations & Legislation

As an event organiser, you have a common law ‘duty of care’ toward everyone involved in the event – including the audience, performers, suppliers and event staff.

So it’s also very important to be aware of the regulations you have to adhere to, including key pieces of legislation that apply to events, such as:

• The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and associated regulations
• Part XVI Planning and Development Act 2000 and the Planning and Development Regulations 2015
• Fire Services Act 1981 and 2003
• Waste Management Act 1996 and 2001
• Health and Welfare at Work (General Applications) Regulations 2007 to 2016
• Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 291 of 2013)

At Ground Protection Ireland, we understand the compliance implications that event organisers face and can help to ensure that your event complies through our ground protection solutions.

 

Start Planning Outdoor Events Today

If you need to organise any large-scale event — including concerts, festivals, markets, fairs and matches — TerraTrak Plus is the solution for many of the issues you may face.

Get in touch with us today to find out more and take some of the stress out of planning outdoor events this summer.