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There’s a number of different reasons you may wish to host all or part of your event outside. Whether it’s a team building scavenger hunt by day or a festival themed after party by night, the fresh air can add new elements to your event, in more ways that one. The rewards can be huge but with reward there can also be risk, which we are on hand to help you with.
Audio and acoustics, can everyone hear what needs to be heard?
Announcements, speeches, presentations or just a good party, chances are you’re going to want to convey audio to your guests. Special consideration needs to be given to the size of the coverage area, the type of audio to be reinforced and things such as wind, wildlife, road noise or other environmental factors.
A PA system is the typical “go to” in such situations but it’s important to determine the best type to use, will it need to be point source or a line array and is it necessary to include delays? Are there sound restrictions to consider and if so what are they and how are they measured or enforced? If this is all sounding like gibberish, don’t panic. We’re here to consider all these options for you.
It’s surprising how far sound can travel across open fields to that house you can barely see on the horizon who may not enjoy what you’re listening to as much as you do.
Maybe wireless headphones could be a good, low-cost solution to combat some of the challenges but aren’t always appropriate for the audience.
Lighting, for fun and for safety
For daytime events lighting may not be the first thing you think of but it could still be a consideration. The right lamps in your festoon will be bright enough to still create the right look and feel. From a more practical standpoint suitable stage lighting can help to provide consistency for events that are being filmed or photographed as the sun inevitably dips in and out of cloud cover. You may want to consider additional lighting in shaded areas such as tents, canopies or gazebos.
For events that run into the evening or night time lighting is not only a great way to add colour, height, movement and texture but an essential part of managing safety. Hosting events outside can present a number of hazards at ground level such as uneven or unstable surfaces or liquids, whether it’s from the weather or spilled drinks and so it’s important for your guests to be able to see clear routes and pathways. Signage for information points, toilets, bars or services can be lit actively or passively.
Visual content
Does your event contain or even rely on an element of digital content such as video or presentation? If you have entertainment would they benefit from an animated backdrop or DJ booth? Maybe you’re considering wrapping up a conference with an outdoor movie. If so the type of display used and how it’s able to compete with daylight should be high on the list of priorities. You may need to consider positioning as the sun moves through the sky or how you might use temporary or existing structures to create some shade. Specialist outdoor LED video wall such as our 3.9mm stock will cut through the sunshine with ease and ensure your message is clearly seen.
Special effects and pyrotechnics
You can add impact to your event with a shot of confetti, blast of CO2 or out and out balls of fire. Maybe for something a little different you’d consider our Bubble Smoke machine. Not necessarily relevant to a meeting environment but hey, who says you can’t? Aside from checking the rules of the venue, licensing or local authority there’s also the environmental impact of to consider. Does your confetti need to be biodegradable? How could this affect livestock or wildlife? What risks are involved to be assessed and how can they be mitigated?
Power, how much is needed and where?
There’s not a lot in this modern age that can be achieved without at least a little electricity. It’s best to establish what you need to achieve, how you’re going to achieve it and what power you’re going to need to do so. Aside from the AV considerations mentioned above you may have food vendors, inflatables or other elements that also need power. Once you have a good idea of what you need and where you need it you need to work out where to get it from. If you’re adjacent to an existing building or structure you may be lucky enough to have access to an existing supply that can be run and distributed as required. If not you may need to consider use of a generator, sufficiently specified to meet the demands with some head room for any last minute additions. If the latter, you’re likely to want to position the generator somewhere far enough away that the sound a smell doesn’t pose an issue. In either case the length of cable run required and how power is then distributed is a factor to be carefully considered. The last thing you’d want is a faulty popcorn machine wiping out power to everything else. Trailing cables need to be suitably managed and protected to minimise the risk of damage.
The show must go on, whatever the weather
Plan for the worst and hope for the best. It may seem like a pessimistic view to take but having a plan in place for all scenarios will help to ensure a smooth and consistent event. If you’ve been looking forward to blowing off some steam with your colleagues you’re not going to let a little rain stop you and neither are we. Come rain or shine, breeze or gale we want to be there with you to provide a safe a secure environment to let loose.
Further considerations
Depending on the venue (or field) you’ve selected you may also need to factor in additional services, including but not limited to; security, waste management, water supply, welfare services, toilets, parking etc. Whilst these aren’t a primary function of Beagle Create we have a little black book bursting with relevant contacts, there’s a good chance we know a guy who knows a guy… Always ask the question.
Regardless of the situation, Beagle Create are on hand to help you with all these decisions. If it isn’t something we do we can almost guarantee we know the people that do.
