How prepared is your event for bad weather?

When you plan an event all you think about is how to make it perfect. The last thing you consider is preparing it for bad weather. There’s that old saying however, that advises you to prepare for the worse but hope for the best. But how can you foolproof your event against something as unpredictable as the weather?

With all the recent snow we’ve had in the last few weeks, it is likely that the majority of us have experienced some difficulty. This could have been either getting to work, accessing the shops, or something more serious like getting to a doctor or hospital appointment.

So with this in mind, how just prepared is your event for bad weather?

Here are our tips to ensure that even if the worse happens, it’s not the worst that could happen.

1. Keep your options open

Make sure your guests know that there is the chance is the weather is bad that the event will be cancelled and rescheduled. It is a good idea to have a Facebook or Twitter page and to post regular updates if you have experienced a few days of bad weather. This means that less people will be ringing you and that you can let the majority of people know in a post or a tweet.

2. The venue

Most people hire a venue well in advance, with no knowledge of what the weather is going to be like. However, if you are booking in the winter months you should consider whether you can reschedule within a reasonable amount of notice. Ask the venue if have a bad weather rescheduling policy.

3. Event insurance

If you choose a big venue you probably won’t be able to reschedule but find out if there is any kind of event insurance that covers bad weather and get it before you book the venue. Then at least you will be covered for any costs.

4. Safety of your guests

Will the venue ice or salt the entrances and exits if the weather is freezing? The last thing you want is for an elderly guest to slip on some steps that haven’t been de-iced and then not be able to get to hospital because the roads are blocked. If the venue do not accept this as their responsibility then assign someone in your team to do it which will prevent such a situation occuring.

5. Inside the venue

Make sure that floors are kept dry by placing mats down at the entrances and exits. Slippery floors are highly dangerous and you could even designate someone to keep floor dry. Failiure to do this could lead to one of your guests slipping and getting injured and leave you liable.

6. Venue staff

Ask if any staff at the venue has first aid training, then, if someone does have a minor mishap or accident, the venue can help. If not, you will need to have somone else on hand that is first aid trained.

7. Have a plan

If it snows during the event you will need to keep an eye on the weather and the state of the roads. If it looks like the roads are going to be unpassable by the time your event is coming to an end, you might have to end it early. Your guests’ safety is more important than getting to the end of a party.

Remember, prepare as much as you can and hopefully anything the weather throws at you will have already been considered.