Outdoor events: Rocky's recommendations

Security reigns supreme

Working outdoors often means erecting temporary structures to suit the needs of the event, which makes for incredible opportunities to do something unique and striking. Whatever these structures may be, the most important thing to take into consideration is the safety and comfort of everyone around. We never plan a project without a safety and security expert on-site, and nothing goes ahead without the appropriate structural engineering sign-offs. Security goes much further than a bouncer at the door – we need to think about every facet of being outdoors, from traffic to lighting to the venue entrance to the impacts of setting up in a public space. Safety and security should never be something that happens on the fly – preplanning and production meetings mean that we plan for every eventuality, taking time to focus on obtaining extensive insurance and compliance authentication. Being a stickler for safety detail can go a long way to ensuring that your event is a success.

Teamwork is imperative

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Your team is key to the day’s success, and their performance can make or break the event. The importance of the trilateral relationships we develop between Worx Group, our partner suppliers, and our client can never be underestimated – concentrating on communication between all parties means that no matter what happens, we manage every outcome as one unified team. At the recent Mining Indaba in Cape Town, our team created a unique set-up that spoke to the challenges of being outdoors. This included temporary hydraulic units, complete with bar areas, hospitality areas, meeting rooms and stretch tents that we set up the night before, and were 100% ready to go live, but at 2am we had to head back to deconstruct the site because of extreme rain and wind. Having a team of suppliers and partners that were willing to work together through the night to save the site and make it safe saved the event, and our clients were able to see the value of the partnerships that we create in our business.

Mother Nature is the boss, but technology is your partner

When we have an outdoor event, and especially if it’s somewhere with changeable weather, we keep a constant eye on the weather report using rain and wind apps, as well as wind meters to make sure we always know what’s coming our way. Even if there are clear, calm, blue skies, we always have contingency plans in place should there be a storm. In Rocky’s words, “You really can’t control Mother Nature – she’s your boss.” Putting our clients at the heart of everything we do also means helping them to make tough calls when Mother Nature takes over. In Cape Town, that meant deconstructing the entire site and pushing the event back by six hours, because we had to put the safety of our delegates first, and we knew that the site might be damaged in the storm. Having a good relationship with our client meant that they trusted that we would make the best decision for them and the event, even though it meant setting up from scratch the following day. Going outdoors is always an incredible opportunity, and in the words of MD Jessica MacRoberts, “Having the right team, a solid plan, and a little respect for the elements will mean happy clients and a seamless event, no matter what surprises come your way. And in Rocky’s hands, you can’t fail.”