Preparing in advance for an event can be nerve-working for many people. However, you don’t have to stress out over this. Sit back, breathe, and look at this list of helpful tips to ensure you’re ready for your event regardless of the season or the topic.
Hire Food Staff
As the fall and winter approach, many events focus on the holidays, whether it’s Halloween, Thanksgiving, Day of the Dead, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s, and so on. There are always birthday parties and other celebrations to consider. You may be planning weddings, corporate events, and good old-fashioned get-togethers. The above-listed holidays and events differ in their themes and expectations. But these events all have one thing in common. You can expect to feed people and provide drinks!
After all, can you imagine being at an event for a few hours and not at least getting some hors d’oeuvres, a proper cocktail, or a hot beverage? That’s why preparing in advance for an event should involve hiring a catering service so that you can ensure your guests have their bellies full or won’t be starving of thirst and have only good things to say when they’re at the event.
The fun thing about catering for an event, especially things focusing on a holiday or birthday, is the variety of food options you can consider. Christmas events often involve yummy cookies and colors like red, green, silver, and gold, and things are just fun and festive. The same can be said for New Year’s and of course, Halloween involves lots of sweets and fun costumes. Regardless of what you’re planning for, just make sure that you have food choices that can satisfy the pallets of people who are attending. In other words, don’t hire caterers who specialize in BBQ when you’re catering to a bunch of vegans.
Have a Comfortable Environment
Whether your guests are indoors or outdoors, the air quality needs to be on point. The last thing you want is for people to be coughing and wheezing at your event. Can you imagine the guilt and embarrassment if people went home afterward and complained about being sick and they could trace their illness back to being at the same spot? That’s why preparing in advance for an event should include hiring an indoor air quality assessment company. They can come in advance and do a test of the air wherever your event is going to be. If they find traces of poor indoor quality thanks to pollution or mold, you’ll have time to get it fixed. After all, you don’t want your guests having allergic reactions, asthma attacks, or catching COVID because they’re breathing in poor air.
Prepare for Bad Weather
Is your event outside? Preparing in advance for an event means that you’re always going to be ready in case of inclement weather. Even if your event takes place in the middle of June, when the weather is at its finest, make sure that you always have a backup plan in case guests have to go inside or take shelter from rain, heavy winds, or other outdoor problems.
You can start by buying rain insurance that will help give you coverage in case your event gets rained out. You may also want to invest in outdoor tents, so your guests can still stay outside eat, drink, and socialize while it’s raining cats and dogs. They can do so safely under an enclosed canopy while still enjoying the fresh air.
Have Your Vehicles Serviced
Unless you’re preparing for an event at your home, you’ll need proper transportation to get there. Don’t run the risk of your car breaking down on the road and take it into an auto repair shop to get it serviced. Auto repair mechanics can look your car over check the tires, change out the fuel, and make sure the brake pads are secure. If you’re hosting an event where you need vehicles to transport things, make sure all of your work vehicles are also properly serviced. You don’t want them to break down in the middle of the road and not make proper deliveries such as catering or transporting guests to a different location.
Clean the Air
As mentioned, indoor air quality counts. So make sure you have a proper air filtration system installed. Even if your event is outside, you should still make sure the outside air is properly filtered if necessary. Air filtration systems can involve large fans, an AC with a clean filter, or large dehumidifiers. Another thing to note is if you have an outside event, trees clean the air naturally and flowers provide a lovely scent.
Make Things Cozy
With fall and winter coming the temperature will drop before you know it. So if you’re hosting an event during this time of year, whether it’s indoors or outdoors, always make sure your guests stay warm. There are several ways that you can make sure that the environment is nice and cozy so people won’t feel the need to leave because it’s too cold and unwelcoming.
One of the first things you should do is call local propane companies to have an adequate heating source available. If your event is outside, you can also invest in fire pits and outdoor heaters. Let’s not forget about drinks. This time of year is the perfect time to drink mulled wine, hot cocoa, hot tea, hot cider, and a ton of other beverages that’ll hit the spot while keeping people nice and warm. Make things extra comfortable and have great reviews for your event by supplying blankets or coats if you’re hosting an outside event. People will appreciate that you went the extra mile in preparing in advance for an event.
Get Your Outdoor Space Ready
Outdoor events continue to become more popular regardless of the time of year. If you’re hosting an outdoor event at a residence or commercial property, you’ll likely want a sturdy deck that can hold everybody comfortably. To ensure you stay within budget for your event, call on a local deck builder to make updates to your existing deck or build a new one from scratch.
The great thing about having a deck is that you can always use it time and time again. Whether the event is at your home or a commercial property, decks bring amazing value to your space. So not only can having a deck help you stay on budget and prevent you from having to rent an outdoor facility, but you’ll also have a great return on your investment in case you decide to sell that property.
If you’re hosting a deck event in Winter or late fall, don’t worry about the cold. A deck builder can have an enclosure around your deck so people will be protected and safe while still enjoying the views and the advantages of fresh air. That’s right, people can stand on your deck while drinking mulled wine and hot cider and watching snowfall in comfort.
If you already have a deck but it’s looking a little worn down, you can stay on budget by revamping it with some staining as well as power washing. Power washing professionals can clean your deck and make it look new again. A good staining or paint job can also refresh your deck. In addition, a good sealant can help protect your deck for years to come which will further increase your initial investment.
What about the furniture on your deck? When was the last time you revamped the seating or table, or have you not added any yet? Some people may not even have furniture on their deck. If you’re one of those people, preparing in advance for an event should include adding comfortable furniture so people won’t have to stand around the whole time during your event. You can add furniture made of wood, or metal, or save money by adding plastic furniture. If your deck is opened or closed could affect the type of outdoor furniture you should add. You can always stay within budget by buying used furniture and revamping it with beautiful cushions and blankets, and further accessorize the area with outdoor rugs.
Create a Green Landscape
Landscaping adds to the curb appeal of any residential or commercial property. So preparing in advance for an event should include making sure that your outdoors such as your landscape is as beautiful as possible. But what if you’re dealing with a commercial space that doesn’t have natural greenery around it? There’s no need for alarm thanks to hydroseeding. Hydroseeding is a process that many commercial facilities use to quickly grow grass in their area. When you hire such professionals, they will spray a slurry of seed mixed with fertilizer and other nutrients on your soil layer. Then within a few weeks, the seedlings will begin to sprout up and before you know it you’ll have fresh grass. Thanks to their professional work, you never would have known that grass wasn’t there all along. You could also use it for a residential property that is struggling to grow a beautiful landscape.
If you have time, preparing in advance for an event should also include adding flower beds or even a small garden. People will be impressed and enjoy being surrounded by beautiful flowers. After all, flowers cater to everyone’s senses on many levels. Flowers come in a range of colors and shapes. These florals also tend to smell good, especially lavender and roses. It’s been psychologically proven that people feel happier when they receive a gift of flowers. Just being out in nature makes people feel better.
Kick things up a notch when you’re preparing in advance for an event and add a gazebo or picnic tables strategically placed benches outside. Even if your main event is indoors people may still gravitate outside to sit, smoke a cigarette, have a private conversation, and just mingle freely. So don’t ignore adding seats and canopies outside as a way to further enhance your landscape.
Prepare Heavy Equipment
Sometimes preparing in advance for an event means investing in heavy equipment repairs. You may need to hire trucks, trailers, tractors, U-Hauls, and other machinery to clean things, or raze a landscape. Check that the people operating your heavy equipment have the right licensing and training to operate those tools so accidents and liability won’t be an issue.
Move Things Around
The last part of preparing for an event may include moving some things around. Whether you’re hosting an event for personal or professional reasons, you may have to clear out an indoor or outdoor area. In other words, you may have to have things loaded up on a truck or trailer. So invest in the right trailer parts in case you need to quickly haul or temporarily store things away until the event is over. Make sure you also get a large enough trailer or truck so you don’t have to have too many vehicles moving around when you can only use one or two to get the job done. If you need to move things around indoors, make sure you have a closet or storage facility that you can safely push things into for the time being. You may need to rent a temporary storage unit.
As you can see, preparing in advance for an event involves many steps and can be time-consuming. However, this does not have to be a stressful process with the right planning and diligence. The above list should help you prepare for your event, whether it’s in winter, fall, or summer. It doesn’t matter if it’s a personal event or corporate event, is for a small group or a large one. Whatever type of event you’re in charge of, these tips can help ensure it goes off without a hitch. Now take these tips and get started on your party planning! Don’t be surprised if everyone is congratulating you on a job well done when it’s all over. After this successful event, you’ll be a pro at your next.
