Multiple venues

An event that is spread across multiple venues is typically either a sports event or a kind of arts festival. (The current procedure was originally written for sports.) Some trade shows, conventions and conferences also use multiple venues, especially if they require more accommodation than is available in one place. Obviously each kind of event activity needs to be located at the most appropriate venue.

The distance between venues introduces risks of mistakes. The challenge in multiple venues is to maintain coordination with the rest of the event, especially in:

  1. communication
  2. sharing personnel and equipment
  3. scheduling
  4. transport

First, establish clear lines of authority for the event managers at each site and define the authority delegated to them. They need to know what they should and should not be doing, as they may not have anybody close by to ask if they get stuck.

Second, write job descriptions for all venue managers. Mention that their line manager is the overall event manager.

Third, decide which event managements matters are specific to particular venues and which are overarching and common to all venues.

Fourth, write your overall event plan, which only needs to cover issues common to all venues. It should ensure uniform quality of presentation and performance at all venues, and should also include a plan for managing inter-venue risks.

Fifth, write a separate event management plan for each venue following the EVAN guidelines.

Sixth, develop a strategy for efficient communication between venues. Establish a regular meeting of event managers from each venue. Don't worry too much if this meeting is boring and routine; it is probably a sign that you have no serious problems. You will also need to write a communication procedures manual. It might have a list of names, addresses, phone numbers, radio codes and procedures, and the most suitable forms of communication between venues.

 

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Transport

Transport is often essential to major events. For example, consider the transport role in a major sporting event:

In the case of tours, transport is the event, for example, sightseeing tours, tours for entheusiasts of particular kinds of vehicles (motorcycles, vintage or veteran cars).

 

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Organizational structure

If transport requirements are fairly simple, you might be able to appoint only one person to be in charge of all transport. If it gets more complex, however, you will probably need to split up the planning process and appoint cordinators to head up each section, reponsible to an overall transport officer. For example, you can probably have separate plans and coordination for:

Depending on the event, the transport plan needs to communicate to several different audiences: Overall planners (because transport must integrate with their schedules), transport personnel, budgeters, public relations (who must deal with event attenders), and users of supplies.

Similarly, you will need to liaise with various different people when planning and implementing transport. Internally,these might be other event officials, accommodation providers, team officials and staff. You might also need to work with outside organizations such as traffic police, transport authority (bus, train, etc), and taxi companies.

 

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Planning approach

This planning process is set out as a set of steps:

  1. Make a list of each kind of individual that depends on the event to provide transport of some kind to and from the event and during the event. Next to each one, list their particular needs.
     
  2. Divide arrivals into three lists: coming from within the city, coming from other cities or rural areas, and coming from other countries.
     
  3. Are we also transporting luggage and equipment as well as people? (e.g. sports equipment)
     
  4. Figure out the kinds of vehicles needed for each task (e.g. public transport, contractors, hire vehicles, private vehicle pooling, or transport sponsor pooling).
    1. What different kinds of intracity transport could you use?
    2. What different kinds of transport from other cities or rural areas could you use? (Some nearby cities may best be reached by land transport.) You may need to assist people coming from other cities.
    3. Which kinds of transport do you want to use? Why?
    4. What is the availability and cost of each kind of transport?
       
  5. List origin-points and destinations of each kind of journey
     
  6. Will transport have a "dump" or a "trickle" pattern? Can you spread out the schedule to reduce peak demands?
     
  7. If you have to fit into a shedule, you should find out how much traveling time is available to you.
    1. For each journey, list the earliest possible departure time for each trip.
    2. For each journey, list the deadline by which people must arrive at the destination.
    3. Consider factors that might cause delays, e.g.
      • waiting for late people
      • time of day (e.g. rush hour)
      • traffic issues and road closures
      • weather: rain, snow, very hot, etc.
      • time of year (e.g. school holidays, long weekends, major holidays)
      • peak period for airlines
         
    4. Decide how long you should allow for each journey.
       
  8. Manage risks
    1. What could go wrong? What could you do about each eventuality?
    2. What security procedures will you put in place for vehicles and keys when not in use?
    3. What will you do if the weather turns bad?
       
  9. Do you need to mark parking bays for vehicles? If you have lots of vehicles and not much space, will you need to shedule them?
     
  10. Set a schedule.
     
  11. Decide how many vehicles you need of each kind.
     
  12. What budget factors affect your planning? (e.g. how much the overall budget can allocate, how much the market will bear, cost of vehicles and drivers, any special permits, insurance)
     
  13. Determine how attenders will pay for transport:
    • Cover costs or percentage profit
    • User pays
    • How will you collect fares?
    • Could it be free, or free but limited access?
    • Could there be discounts, e.g. pensioner, special passes?
    • Could you issue a day or event pass?
       
  14. How will you inform passengers of transport services, such as how to make reservations, schedules, where to get on and off, costs? For example:
    • Pre-event: publicity materials, attender registration information would contain information on
    • During event: event program guide or info kit, concierge, footpath wardens, annnouncements.
       
  15. Will people need to make reservations? If so, how will you inform them how to do so?
     
  16. Manage risks
    1. What could go wrong? What could you do about each eventuality?
    2. Put security procedures in place for vehicles and keys when not in use.
    3. Monitor weather conditions (specially for outdoor activities) and have contingency plans.
       
  17. Plan how you will communicate the transport plan to staff and stakeholders
    1. Do you need to have special written versions for each kind of person in transport (e.g. specific schedules, instructions, fee lists)
    2. Give drivers and navigators maps of all event locations and transport routes
    3. What will you say in team briefings?

Many of these steps refer to passenger services, but you can easily adapt it for transporting equipment and supplies.

Transport is more complex if people need transport between multiple venues and accommodation. For example, consider these various transport needs in a sporting event:

 

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People coming from other countries

What are the specific needs of people coming from other countries?

  1. What visa issues are there? Australia has different requirements for different countries.
  2. Some counties may require exit visas.
  3. What related issues are there for getting through an airport. E.g.
    • luggage pickup and inspection,
    • customs and quarantine,
    • lack of English proficiency,
    • getting local currency,
    • contingencies (e.g. give them the name and telephone number of someone who speaks their language)
  4. How will you clearly inform them of the requirements and preparation that they can do in their own country?
  5. Who needs airport pick-up? (This may apply only to VIPs, only to official guests, to all delegates, to delegates with lack of English proficiency, etc.)
  6. What are the airport pick-up arrangements? You need flight numbers and a way to identify them, or them to identify you. Where will you pick people up?
  7. You can ask them to get their own transport (taxis, airport buses, trains) but you will normally have to advise them beforehand (what to get, where to get it, how much to pay)

 

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Writing it up

Write up your transport plan. Besides all of the abover, it might need to cover:

  1. Appointment of person in charge and lines of authority
  2. Communications protocols
  3. Contacting relevant authorities for information and permission
  4. Retrieval, check and return vehicles to sources
  5. Available transport and timetables
  6. Parking
  7. Pick-up and drop-off points
  8. Timetables and routes
  9. Refuelling procedures (where, when, who does it, how paid for)
  10. Back-up transport system (for breakdowns, etc.)
  11. Adequacy of informed taxi service
  12. Special conditions for consideration
  13. Adequate provision for buses
  14. Staff and training
  15. Emergency services
  16. Arrival of attenders - dump or trickle
  17. Provision for disabled people
  18. Access and parking locality for emergency vehicles and suppliers
  19. Traffic problems, especially rush hours

The plan should also cover any other relevant factors discussed above in the planning process. If the event is very complex and transport is divided into sections, the overall transport plan will also comprise a series of sections.

 

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