How To Throw An Outdoor Public Event In The Summer

Outdoor events start to creep up in popularity as the warmer weather comes around. That means plenty of businesses will have already been well under way with their plans for a summer calendar of outdoor events.

Whether you’re a small business with big dreams or you’re looking to ramp up your current outdoor events with something extra, there’s always room for improvement to be made.

With that being said, if you’re looking at throwing an outdoor public event in the summer, here’s how to do it.

Choose the right venue

First and foremost, the venue is a key part of making sure that the public event is a smash hit. The venue is much like that of a wedding venue, where it has to be the right location both in appearance, where it is for guests to find accessible, and for your budget.

Therefore, it’s good to go out early and start hunting for an outdoor venue as early on in the planning process as possible. Certain venues or outdoor spaces are likely to get snapped up earlier, which is why you want to ensure you’ve secured the venue you need and want for the event.

Every event is different from the next, even if it follows a similar theme or concept. However, you want to approach each one with a fresh pair of eyes, as well as a proactive attitude to get things booked in early to avoid disappointment.

Make sure you have contingency plans for the weather

While some areas of the world don’t usually need to worry about the weather, if where you live tends to be hit and miss, you better have a backup plan for the weather.

The problem with outdoor events is that they can quickly turn into a bummer of an event if it’s raining heavily and no one has any shelter to hide under.

Contingency plans for the weather are useful because they help provide your teams with a backup plan to put into force, should the weather turn really bad. For example, if you’re holding a music event, you might want to have some sheltered seating or viewing areas where attendees can still see the music being played but with a dry head.

In some cases, the weather isn’t going to change and so you might need to find ways in which to offer alternative sheltering sources such as umbrellas or outfits that your clients or guests can wear to help keep them dry or covered from the elements.

Consider what permit and legal hoops you’ll need to acquire and jump through

With outdoor events, there will be certain legal hoops you might need to jump through. This really depends on what type of event you’re looking to hold and what it includes. Some things might not need legal advice or guidance but when you’re throwing an outdoor event, sometimes it’s good to have a solicitor on standby, just in case.

Some places might require certain permits, depending on where you are in the world. Therefore, it’s worthwhile looking at what permits you need and how you might want to navigate those permits.

You might need to put in the application for a permit earlier on in the process, in order to get certain approvals in time. This is why it’s well worth putting everything you need into a timeline; that way, nothing gets forgotten.

Put safety paramount

Safety is key when it comes to throwing an event, whether it’s for the general public’s enjoyment or for clients or customers.

Regardless of how many people you’re inviting, it’s key that you’ve got a focus on people’s safety and you’re not going to risk compromising this at the expense of saving a bit of money, for example.

Bringing in the right individuals who have professional and qualified knowledge of keeping attendees safe is useful. That way, you know you’re covering every angle with the help of a professional to keep your attendees safe from any harm.

Security is a big one for outdoor events and it’s now more important than ever to be vigilant when it comes to alleged threats or general security problems that can occur during such events like the one you’re throwing.

Provide plenty of comfort and amenities for guests

For any outdoor event, it’s important to ensure all of your guests feel comfortable and have the various amenities needed to make themselves feel good.

For example, if you’re looking to throw an event that lasts for the majority of the day, then you’ll want something for your attendees to sit on so that they can still enjoy the event and rest their legs for a brief period of time.

Think about the event space itself and how you might want to provide that comfort in the form of sitting areas or benches, for example. Making sure temporary amenities like toilets are set up for maximum comfort is also something to consider carefully.

You can very easily set up an outdoor event to fail if you don’t have the best amenities in place for the comfort of your guests.

Brand your event

Branding is crucial, especially when it comes to an outdoor event. Depending on what volume of guests you’re having on the day, you’ve got a lot of eyes watching the event, which is why you want to focus on delivering exceptional branding to every aspect of the space.

From crowd barrier advertising to digital screens, there are a lot of ways in which you can advertise your brand and business at the event itself. Not only that, but you might have sponsorships for the events, which means you’ll want to have clear branding in place for them, too.

Think about what is typical to have in an outdoor space when it comes to branding and try to offer as much as possible for the benefit of your business and anyone that has contributed to the event in exchange for advertisement.

Work with the right suppliers for sound and lighting

When you’re throwing an outdoor event, suppliers are going to be something that you want to work with extensively. There are a number of vendors you’ll need to scope out, two of which are lighting and sound.

If you’re throwing a music event, sound and lighting are going to be two very important elements to the event. At the same time, you also want to make sure any event is covered with the best lighting and sound equipment possible, not to mention the people who are responsible for operating it.

Look at what suppliers you’ve worked with in the past, plus what’s come recommended from people you know and get them booked in.

Provide a wealth of food and beverage options

Food and beverages are another important part of throwing an outdoor event. For public events, food and beverage stalls or options in general should be thought out because they can often take up a lot of the profit that the event makes overall.

If your guests are having a good time, then they may stay for longer. Depending on what food and drink options are available will likely determine who stays and who goes home earlier than perhaps planned.

Try to make sure that you’ve got food and beverage options in place so that you’re catering to your guests at all points throughout the event.

Communicate to attendees about the event prior

Communication is definitely something you want to get right when it comes to informing your attendees about what’s happening, where, and when.

When your attendees know what’s happening, they’ll be more inclined to engage with your business further. You want to make sure that they know everything there is to know about the event, whether there’s a dress code, what to bring and not what to bring, etc.

The more clarity you can offer to your guests, the better. There’s nothing worse after all than being left in the lurch, not really knowing what’s going on or what to expect. Be sure to provide as much transparency as possible for the benefit of your guests.

Don’t forget to continue promotion during and after the event

Promotion is something you want to continue when it comes to throwing any event. The promotion of the event doesn’t end once you get to the actual day of the event itself. You should be making content throughout the day or week, depending on how long the event goes on.

You should also consider what type of content you can create after the event has finished so you’re able to continue the promotion beyond the event. This level of content and promotion can do wonders for businesses that are just starting out.

Throwing an outdoor public event is fun, so with that being said, use these tips to make sure your outdoor event goes off in the best way possible. Hopefully, you’ll see the fruits of your labor as your event thrives and becomes the talk of the town.