For Event Planners in NYC to host a public event can easily cause a strike of fear. Especially if its being held in an uncontrolled and unfamiliar environment, because so many things can go wrong.
But don’t worry! We are here to rescue those Event Planners in NYC by providing you with an event toolkit that’s full of ideas that will teach you how to get the best out of your public events. Hopefully our ideas will inspire you and help you keep attendees excited!
Public Event Production Tips for Event Planners in NYC
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Confirm Public Safety & Permissions
New York City public spaces may need permits or a license for you to host an event. Event Planners in NYC should work together with the applicable authorities and services to safeguard you are doing everything you’re supposed to according to the city the event is taking place in.
- Public event lead times can take some time. Keep an eye on any additional paperwork you must complete along with deadlines for it.
- Do the streets need to be closed? Does the event require police on location? Who’s covering first aid?
- You may be required to go to safety meetings with the pertinent authorities.
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Communication is Key
Contemplate about the communication amongst your staff on site. Event radios are probably the greatest method of communication when hosting a public event. Make sure all of the radio holders are completely trained on how to operate the device.
- Don’t misplace your radios and keep signing in and out of them to check accessibility.
- Keep your radios charged day and night and make sure to bring extra units.
- Stock your staff with radios especially those who are working in the particularly quiet and noisy areas.
- If it’s a larger event, keep an event control room and have a log that details radio activity.
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Manage Attendance Numbers
Create a plan to manage the safety and crowd concerns you may come across. If your event is a ticketed event with a defined event perimeter then you will have control over the flow and the crowd on site. If overcrowding is a potential issue, then an event risk assessment plan needs to be in place.
- Even with free events, Event Planners in NYC need to consider making ticket registration a requirement in order to control the numbers.
- Use smart event tech tools and apps that can help control audience movement and keep from allowing one section to become too overcrowded.
- Have a system in place that can control a “one in, one out” method in each area that has the potential to become too overcrowded.
Now that we’ve touched on the 3 main points on planning a public event, let’s go over some engaging & inspirational ideas to attract the most people to your event.
Local Art Exhibitions
Design a showcase where aspiring artists can exhibit their work. Create various areas for different art mediums like sculpture, photography, and painting to make the assortment more varied. You can also offer artistic workstations to create a piece to make it a more hands-on event.
Food Festivals
Food festivals are popular during the Spring & Summer seasons in New York City. They’re especially great in major cities where the public is full of foodie types that love a good theme and local produce. Event Planners in NYC can offer various food options at stations from vendors who will distribute taste samples as well as offer specials to attendees who are interested in future catering events. You can lock in variety and gain revenue for your vendors by limiting the stations that are selling food to maximize interest of the product while helping the vendors profit more due to the exclusivity. Don’t forget to consider that different diets exist so when choosing your catering vendors, be sure to include a little something for every type of eater. Even the booths, service and station entertainment can be exciting. The big craze now is for food trucks, double decker buses, bicycle trucks, and camper vans.
Pop-Up Shops
Keep the community on their toes by having pop-up shops that cater to needs on the fly. A fun idea is an outdoor pizzeria that rolls around once a month to cook stone-baked pizza in the open air. It creates a meeting point and gets everyone chatting!
Local Business Show
Do something simple by inviting local businesses to an outdoor, informal trade show that allows them to offer free products, interact with the public and make an impression. Add participatory activities as well as entertainment and charge attendees for tickets and business owners for a booth stand.
Silent Disco
Want to host a rave but don’t want to upset the neighbors? Host a silent disco where music is playing through attendee headphones which are wireless and adjustable. Take things up a notch by having adjustable channels to choose from for different music genres!
For more inspirational ideas for public events, be sure to attend The Event Planner Expo in New York each year to stay on top of event trends!
