What’s the number one time killer for any event? Vendor load-in and setup.
So, to ensure an event that’s smooth sailing, you’re going to have to do some serious planning and keep everything on schedule during this critical time.
You will be working with many different vendors for each event including lighting crew, audio/visual techs, event space staff, florists, caterers – the list goes on. With that in mind, the time they all arrive, how long it will take them to offload their trucks and how long it will take them to set-up must be organized into a logical timetable.
Most vendors will charge you based on equipment rental and labour – that includes how long it takes to get the item delivered, set-up, and tested. In this case time really is money, and if this process isn’t meticulously planned, you’re going to be losing a lot of it.
How can you make this process run smoothly?
Our best tip is “don’t have vendors all come at the same time just because that’s when you have room access.” Click to Tweet This Quote
Schedule them to come based on their job function and use your CAD to know exactly what needs to come in and where it’s going to go. Read more about CADs here.
Think about it this way: when you’re building a house, you don’t want your kitchen counters delivered when the workers have just started framing the house. It’s no different when you’re building an event. What if the florist arrives and the linens aren’t on the tables? The flowers will have to be somewhere, likely in the way of carts and people trying to get everything else ready. Plus, you’ll lose money as the florist waits until you’re ready.
What’s the correct order for Vendor Load-in and Setup? Base your schedule off of this guideline:
- Things that will be hung from the ceiling (sound, lighting, videos, decoration, etc.)
- Staging
- Sound, lighting and other large features that will be on the floor
- Seating (tables and chairs)
- Linens and flowers
- Entertainment setup
- Food and beverage
Bonus tip: Reverse this order when you’re cleaning up at the end of the night for a fast and easy break down.
Scheduling is an essential element in producing an event correctly, efficiently, and within budget. Neglect it at your peril. Read more about handling these event logistics in this article.
Let us know in the comments – Have you ever had a bad experience with loading in an event?
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