Although keeping tabs on every aspect of a special event can be daunting, event producer Clare Sullivan Jackson, CSEP, has a simple solution: create a master checklist. Jackson, president of Houston-based Sullivan Group, led more than 140 participants in the workshop “Check It Off!-The Design and Implementation of a Master Checklist” at The Special Event in Orlando, Fla.

“In the workshop, we were trying to come up with a master list that could be used by everybody in the business to provide an understanding of every event element,” Jackson says. “Combining different aspects of the profession brought things to light that I never would have thought of.”

Jackson created and distributed a checklist outline for the participants to flesh out. Each group (e.g., tent rentals MA, lighting rentals MA, chair rentals MA, dishware rentals MA) was assigned a team leader for guidance. “Then we came together to share our lists and give the whole room an opportunity to add to them,” she says. “The real value of it was getting input from more than 140 event rental professionals from various disciplines.

“Going into an event with this type of checklist leaves very little to chance,” Jackson says. “If more people would manage their businesses this way, we could raise the level of professionalism in our industry.”

Below is the checklist outline Jackson provided in her workshop.

General Event Categories:

A. Facility-Indoor

1. Usable square footage

2. Location of loading dock and hours

3. Lighting controls/power availability/supplemental power

B. Facility-Outdoor

1. Water source

2. Power supply

3. Type of tents (Frame Tents ME, Tension Tents ME, Sailcloth Tents ME) and sizes of tents

C. Security

1. Type of security
2. Armed/unarmed
3. Plainclothes/uniformed
4. Number of security checkpoints/roaming
5. Consumption of alcoholic beverages

D. Parking

1. Define parking for staff, rigs, and trailers

2. Define parking for guests

3. Define traffic pattern

E. Transportation

1. Type and number of vehicles

2. Driver instructions/exact routes

3. Signage

F. Restroom Facilities

1. Permanent or convenience

2. Location and number of units

3. Supplies

G. Lighting for Load In/Load Out

1. Existing or temporary

2. Location

3. Power needed

H. Emergency Risk Management

1. First aid/EMS/fire marshal on-site

2. Fire extinguishers, type and quantity; chain-of-command

3. Flame-resistant materials only

I. Permits and Licenses

1. Off-premise beverage license

2. Sound permits/special effects permits

3. Parking permits

J. Insurance

1. Proof of liability insurance

2. Proof of workers’ compensation

3. Proof of liquor liability

K. Overall Power Requirements

1. Functional lighting/decorative lighting

2. Caterer requirements-oven, coffeemaker, etc.

3. Entertainment

L. Equipment List-Rentals and Purchases

1. Table Rentals / Chair Rentals

2. Stage-type, size, height

3. Tenting-type (Frame Tent Rentals MA, Tension Tent Rentals MA, Sailcloth Tent Rentals MA), size, color

4. Miscellaneous

M. Decor

1. Entrance

2. Ceiling

3. Stage

N. Site Plan

1. Conceptual

2. CAD drawing of tables, staging, etc.

3. CAD drawing of lighting and technical plan

O. Audiovisual

1. Sound requirements

2. Screens-type of projection, size, quantities

3. Lighting-functional/ambient

P. Entertainment

1. Dressing rooms for talent

2. Performance schedule

3. Hair/makeup/costuming requirements

Q. Food and Beverage

1. Guest ratio for buffets and bars

2. Walk-up bars or cocktail service

3. Define traffic flow

R. Staff

1. Hosts/hostesses

2. Directions

3. Registration

S. Signage

1. Alpha signs for registration

2. No smoking

3. Restrooms

T. Special Services

1. Special trash pickup

2. Lift operators

3. Disabled needs

U. Contingency Plan

1. Rain/flooding

2. Loss of power

3. Speaker/emcee/entertainer cancels?

By Keri O’Brien

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