Whether you are a professional event organiser, planning a work event or just organising a special occasion for your family and friends, bad weather can wreak havoc on all your carefully laid out plans. Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to tackle the unpredictable UK weather and make sure your special occasion runs smoothly, without a hitch.
From hiring a portable heater to having an emergency kit on hand, read on to discover seven ways to prepare for extreme weather at your next event. Plus, you’ll learn how to plan the ultimate outdoor event!
Listen out for weather warnings
In the run-up to your event, you should always listen out for any weather warnings so that you can plan accordingly. Even if there are no forecasts for extreme weather events such as storms or floods, you still need to make sure you keep up to date with the local weather channels so that you can pre-emptively safeguard your event.
Of course, you can’t prevent bad weather from happening, but you can put measures in place to make sure your event can still go ahead and be a success.
If you are likely to forget to check up on the weather with everything else you have to do surrounding your event, then why not set up weather updates on your smartphone?
Have a backup plan
If you are planning an outdoor event, it’s always a good idea to have a plan B in case bad weather hits. Although you don’t want to have to book more than one venue, you may need to bring in different entertainment options in certain weather conditions which provides portable heating.
Furthermore, if your event is partially inside and partly outside, then you need to make sure you have suitable flooring and shelter in place to allow your guests to move between one space and another safely and in relative comfort.
Organise the logistics
When planning any event, especially one that’s outdoors, you need to carefully plan all the logistics. This includes where vendors will be set up and how any equipment will be brought onto the site. In the event of bad weather, this is even more important, as problems often occur when people are rushing to get out of the rain.
Make sure that you set up clear signposting so that all your guests know where they need to go and maps if your outdoor event is a large one with multiple areas.
Provide extra amenities
Although amenities might not seem as important as other aspects of your event, such as the food and entertainment, they quickly become essential when a bout of bad weather hits. Think about what you might need to make your guests feel more comfortable in the event of inclement weather.
For example, portable heaters (like fan heaters, direct gas heaters and oil heaters) are a great idea for times of the year when temperatures drop and they can be easily moved around your venue to provide maximum warmth. You may also want to offer blankets and waterproof ponchos so that your guests can quickly react to bad weather and continue to enjoy themselves.
Focus on food
If awful weather hits and some of your entertainment options have to be put on hold, then food can be your saving grace. Therefore, you need to make sure that you put enough time and effort into your catering choices. Whether you have opted for a sit-down meal or a more relaxed buffet or snack-style menu, there are many ways that you can get creative with the food and drink at your next event.
Food trucks have become increasingly popular at outdoor events as they allow you to offer your guests an eclectic range of different foods and drinks. Make sure that you pick foods and beverages that are suited to the upcoming weather, such as cool cocktails and ice cream in the summer and mulled wine and hot party food in the winter.
Never forget health and safety
As briefly mentioned above, you need to make sure you adhere to health and safety protocols at all your events but particularly when you are organising an event outdoors. Ensure that you have a health and safety strategy in place to prevent hazardous scenarios and always have multiple first aid kits in case of an emergency.
If you have any guests that are more likely to need medical assistance at your event, make sure that they know where to seek help and also where the nearest hospital is.
Take out event insurance
It doesn’t matter if you are holding an indoor or outdoor event; event insurance is a must, as this will make sure you are not out of pocket if the worst does happen.
Specifically, when it comes to outdoor events and poor weather conditions, event insurance can cover any equipment that is damaged by the weather, as well as cancellations due to weather issues in some cases, depending on the policy.
If you are on a tight budget, you will be pleased to hear that you can find event insurance to suit most budgets, and, depending on the size of your event, you should easily be able to afford this additional cost.
How to plan an epic outdoor event
Whatever the weather forecast, there are several tried and tested techniques that promise to make your next outdoor event a huge hit:
- Choose a wow-factor location
- Pick a fun and unique theme
- Invest in lots of decorations
- Source exciting entertainment
- Be clever with your choice of lighting
- Hire cleaners to keep the event space clean
- Provide a separate area for the caterers
- Invest in security for larger events
Want to keep your guests warm or cool at your special event?
Here at Cool Services, we are dedicated to helping our customers stay warm or cool during extreme weather. Check out our extensive range of heaters and air conditioners for hire and make sure that the weather doesn’t put a dampener on your next big event.
Get in touch with your friendly team for more information or a no-obligation quote. We look forward to hearing from you.