Planning a Large-Scale Outdoor Event: What To Know
Coordinating a significant outdoor event is no easy task. It requires a substantial commitment of time and energy, not to mention a sharp eye for detail. Fortunately, we’re here to help with this brief guide on planning such an occasion.
What Is a Large-Scale Event?
It’s best first to understand what constitutes a large-scale outdoor event before delving too deep into what you should know about planning one.
There aren’t many standards that indicate a transition from small, medium, and large-scale shindigs, but typically, an event is classified as “large” when there’s a significantly high number of expected guests (think hundreds if not thousands).
Some examples of large-scale events can include:
- New product launches
- Industry conferences or conventions
- Large-scale music and film festivals
- Professional networking seminars or workshops
Coordinating one of these bad boys isn’t the same as planning a company picnic. Successfully planning an event of this size requires coordinating with multiple venue spaces and vendors. You’ll also need a dynamite team, budget, and game plan to pull everything off.
Have a Game Plan
The first step in planning a large-scale outdoor event is devising the perfect strategy. Remember, this event is much more extensive than your average BBQ at the beach. Thus, it’s crucial to make your game plan as detailed as possible.
Start by determining your overall budget for the shindig. A clearly defined budget will give you a better idea of what you can afford regarding vendors, entertainment, catering, etc. After you set your budget, you should also account for the following components of your event:
- Venue(s)
- Event Dates & Times
- Guest List and Invites
- Entertainment, Activities, and Theme
Having all these items sorted out ahead of time will make the complex process of planning these large-scale affairs simpler and more efficient.
Secure Venues
The next thing on your to-do list is securing a venue for your event. Your event may require more than one venue, depending on its scale. If that’s the case, you should book those places as soon as possible. Of course, it’s imperative to ensure that the bookings line up with the dates you’ve set for your affair.
If there aren’t any such dates available, don’t be afraid to get flexible and go with the next best option on the list. Additionally, because your event will take place outdoors, add setting up a few large outdoor tents for medic and shelter areas to your docket.
Select Your Vendors
Once the venues are secured, it’s time to start looking at the various vendors you want for your event. Vendors could include anything from caterers and valet services to small business stands selling their products and services. The most important thing is to secure vendors that make the most sense for the event you’re hosting.
For instance, if you’re hosting a corporate banquet, you’ll want to secure high-class caterers to serve your guests. On the other hand, if you were to coordinate a more casual affair like an outdoor music festival, you might consider hiring local food trucks and other family-owned eateries.
Coordinating a large outdoor event requires patience, tenacity, and detail-oriented planning. Hopefully, we provided some valuable tips for how you can start the process of planning such an event for yourself.
