When it comes to managing outdoor events, safety and communication are huge issues. That's because an outdoor venue is a dynamic environment, and conditions change in an instant. Here are five tips for enhancing communication for outdoor events.
1. Post as much event information beforehand as possible.
- Create a communication chain-of-command of supervisors, managers and leaders. As the event manager, you don't want to handle all the details personally. Make sure that every team member knows who is in charge of each event aspect and who to contact.
- Post policies, procedures, schedules, and updates. If you've ever directed traffic in the parking lot during an event, for example, you know that things get hectic. Make important event documents available to all staff (via a mobile app) so that supervising team members don't get swamped by texts and email inquiries about normal procedures when the attendees arrive.
- Anticipate emergency scenarios. Make a list of worse-case scenarios that can happen at your outdoor event -- a fire, an auto accident, or a medical emergency. Alert both your team and your supervisor on the established event emergency action plan.
2. Use team-building activities during orientation. Establish trust and confidence so that all team members are comfortable communicating with you and their peers. For ideas on specific interactive games that are designed for team-building, check out this list of activities.
3. Make an interactive forum available to team members in the weeks before the event. This way, your team members engage as an online community. They exchange ideas about the event and develop a sense of common purpose.
4. Set an example. Demonstrate the very traits that you want your event staff and volunteers to exhibit. If you want transparency and clear communication, for instance, be transparent and communicative: Before, during and after the event, be accessible to questions and feedback online and offline.
5. Lastly, limit the number of event communication tools your staff uses. Paper is cumbersome during an outdoor event. Carrying pens and pencils when you're rushing around outside is inconvenient, and presents a potential safety hazard. The best solution is to integrate all your event-related communications into one device. After the extensive planning you've done, you want your team members to focus their energy on the event. Don't let them waste it looking for misplaced walkie-talkies or instructional handouts.
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