Your no-corner-cutting contingency and compliance checklist
You’re an old hand at organising amazing events. So, we’re not going to tell you how to suck eggs.
But we figure you’d appreciate this handy checklist to help you dodge those costly contingency and compliance bullets when you’re under the pump or delegating to someone less experienced. We all know that it’s easy to overlook the odd detail, and it will inevitably turn out to be the one that causes problems and makes your event memorable for all the wrong reasons.
So, here goes!
The contingency and compliance checklist
You may have been organising events for years, but if you don’t already have one, a contingency plan designed to mitigate risks and ensure safety compliance is worth its weight in bright, shiny gold.
It helps you maintain that hard-won personal and business reputation for excellence, reliability, and keeping a calm head - even when things go wrong. Yes, contingency planning does involve some upfront costs, but it can ultimately save you money. Without a plan in place, you may incur significant costs in the event of a crisis or disruption.
1. Reduce on-the-day risk: Scope and mitigate any potential risks and uncertainties (well) beforehand where possible.
✓ Weather looking good? Continually scan the long and short-term weather forecast. Ensure you have a Plan B tailored to your location in case of predicted weather extremes. For example, backup awnings, raised walkways, courtesy umbrellas, or an alternative covered area in case of rain or a heat wave. Do you have a rain cancellation policy in case of storms or flooding or if travel is unadvisable?
✓ Any political or social disruption on the cards? Check with your local council to see if there are any planned protest marches, community parades, visiting rock stars, or any other events which may block access to your event. These should all be registered with your local council (well, perhaps not the rock stars’ unruly fan club). If you don’t want to choose an alternative date for your event to work around these, provide a suggested route to attendees so they can avoid potential traffic holdups and still turn up on time!
✓ Go slow roadworks? Your local council website will have a list of planned roadworks and the impacted dates and places. Again, if unavoidable, provide an alternative route plan for attendees, suggest the best parking options, or send out a notification recommending they allow for a longer commute time.
✓ Allowed for on-the-day emergencies? Even the most extraordinary event organiser can’t anticipate the totally unexpected! Who knew there would be rolling brown-outs across the region or a major technical issue (because you didn’t use CCT Productions)? But you can have a failsafe way to advise attendees of changes to plans at the ready – be it SMS, email, or social media.
✓ Do you have a Plan B at the ready? Allow budget in case of an unexpected change of plans or needing to pay after-hours or urgent rates to smooth over technical, human, or operational issues.
2. Get your legal and compliance ducks in a row. Depending on the nature of your event and your jurisdiction, you may have legal and compliance obligations to consider. If you’re working with a professional event organiser, they should be completely across all of these! If not, draw up a list of the ones you need and apply for them sooner rather than later – you don’t want to be caught short!
✓ Covered for your insurance requirements? Some events may require insurance coverage, and insurers often expect to see a well-thought-out contingency plan. Having one at the ready can smooth the insurance process and potentially reduce premiums.
✓ Have you taken note of your legal responsibilities? When planning an event, are you aware if all the laws and regulations around labour, environment, data protection, and consumer laws are being adhered to? Having a compliance plan in place ensures all regulations and laws are followed.
✓ Got to grips with your need for event licenses or health and safety permits? If you’re running your event at an existing venue, you can usually rest easy. As a registered business, their venue is already required to ensure the events they host comply with local regulations, don’t interfere with public order, and that all commercial activities conducted during the event are legal. If you’re not using an established venue, and your event is open to the public and in a public space, you’ll most likely need to organise your own permit via your local government or municipal authority. If your event involves temporary structures, such as a stage or tents, you may need a permit to ensure they meet safety standards. And if it requires a street to close, you’ll most definitely need a permit!
✓ Have you allowed for alcohol? If you are going to serve or sell alcohol during your event (and it’s not at a licensed venue), obtaining an alcohol license is mandatory. This ensures you comply with local alcohol consumption laws and prevents any potential legal issues. Note: The type of license you need may vary depending on whether alcohol is sold or provided free of charge.
Love your contingency plan (it will save your bacon)
There’s something about having a well-prepared contingency plan that just makes you – and all the other stakeholders involved - sleep easy. If you’re dedicated to delivering a successful event, it’s hard to go past being prepared and professional.
And the better prepared you are – the less risk to your reputation, the less on-the-day stress, and the less money needed to ‘fix it, and fast!’ if the unexpected happens.
If things (a technical term) do go wrong near or on the day, your contingency plan should include enough budget to cover the cost of your Plan B. From organising shuttle buses to overcome parking issues, hiring and erecting emergency awnings at the entranceway when it’s bucketing down true Aussie style, to re-editing your speaker’s presentation late at night to get rid of the dog barking loudly in the background… with a Plan B, you’ve got this.
At CCT, we’re big on contingency and compliance planning. We’ve seen rookie mistakes, oversights, and decisions that have destroyed what should have been great events, and we wouldn’t wish that on anyone.