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“I just wanted to send a note and say thank you! Your staff was amazing to us over the Canada Day weekend. Our team cannot say enough positive comments about the experience. It was such a relief to have such professional, polite and hard-working individuals assist us with all of the rentals.
If you could please pass this along to the team who assisted us, as well as their supervisor, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you and I look forward to working together on our next event!
Take care.”
Nicole B.
Senior Recreation Programmer - Festivals & Events
Client Type: Municipal Government
Location: Burlington
Festival Rental Supplier Ontario| Affair Tent & Event Rentals
Searching for Festival Planning tips in Toronto, or elsewhere in Ontario? Look no further. Welcome to our Event Planning Handbook!
Festival Planning Made Easy
This Festival Planning tip sheet is intended to provide some helpful tips and how-to info for anyone looking for help putting together a festival of any size.
If you would prefer to have live assistance, please contact us and one of our professional, courteous and highly experienced event consultants will assist you in putting all of the pieces together.
Tips To Get Started
So you are planning a Festival and want to ensure the event is successful? Some of the key items to keep in mind are as follows:
- Define the Festival Theme
What is the purpose of the festival? Are you trying to drum up tourism to your rural community? Are you celebrating the cultural heritage of your area or an ethnic group that resides there? Determining what the subject matter of the festival will be will inform all other decisions in the planning process. Be sure it appeals to a wide group of people and set realistic goals to build the festival into a successful annual event.
- Select your location
Common locations for Festivals include public parks, conservation areas, historic properties, municipal event venues, agricultural fairgrounds, parking lots and more. Weigh the pros and cons for the location options in your area and determine what works best for the event theme and the targeted attendee count. Example: large agricultural fairground properties are much more in line with environmentally themed festivals expecting high turnout than a small downtown parking lot.
Not sure where to start? Contact us and we’ll be happy to discuss your available options.
- Is there plenty of parking? Access to public transit?
All too often these questions are an afterthought to many festivals and can lead to huge problems if not planned for well in advance. If there is very little parking, or none at all, and public transit is not nearby, how will the attendees get there? Private busing may have to be arranged to shuttle people from designated parking areas some distance from the event venue.
- What is the rain plan? If you build it, they will come!
Festival attendance drops sharply when rain is an issue and attendees have little or no cover to get out of the elements. Determine what percentage of the area will need to be covered (e.g. beer gardens, main stage area, VIP areas, vendor booths, etc.) and source quotes for tent rentals , flooring, stage, bleachers, etc. that are required.
Not sure how much coverage will be needed? Contact us and one of our experienced reps will make recommendations based on the specific needs of your event.
- Sponsorship & Volunteers
An essential element to any successful festival is partnering with enthusiastic sponsors and volunteers to assist with covering and reducing the costs for the event. Festivals are a fantastic way to bring tourism into an area and/or to bring awareness to a subject/cause. Choose your partners wisely and remember to respect their role in the event. A good festival partner is worth far more than just a dollar value.
- Security
Fencing, both for LCBO and crowd control purposes is simply not enough in today’s social climate. Local law enforcement and private security should be brought on board to ensure attendee safety is paramount. Simple bag checks upon entry and crowd monitoring are prudent steps that should not be overlooked when dealing with large crowds of attendees.
Remember: A safe event is a successful event.
Final Festival Planning Tips
- Social Media is your friend
Driving social awareness of the event is integral to a successful outcome. Social media is now an essential partner to traditional advertising and when done correctly can generate tremendous interest in an event from a grass roots level.
Ensure you have a website and Twitter account at a minimum. A well moderated Facebook page can also be of great benefit, particularly as your event develops its own social network interested in sharing photos and info on a common platform.
Take advantage of any new social media options that you can. It helps to keep the event aligned with current trends and can dramatically reduce costs if done right.
- Don’t let the cold weather stop you!
Temporary structures and outdoor event venues can be heated in the winter months, regardless of the prevailing weather conditions. Flooring systems to get guests off of the wet/frozen ground can be combined with a tent and heating to produce ideal conditions for your Festival attendees. Contact us for details on how to make your winter event a reality.
Common Rental Items Found at Festivals:
- Frame Tents
- High Peaked Tension Tents
- Clear Span Tents
- Flooring Systems
- Tables
- Chairs
- Generators
- Fencing
- Portable Washrooms