Music Festival Logistics Checks.

Any large scale multi day festival will have a complex planning schedule created perhaps a year in advance of the festival dates. Tasks are typically assigned to responsible staff with schedules and critical paths being constantly monitored to ensure on time delivery, however, what can organisers do to minimise the impact of something going wrong at the last minute.

It makes sense for organisers to build in a serious of checks for every element of the festival logistics, it’s not acceptable to just confirm delivery of equipment and installation of security fencing for example. Confirmation of a task against a plan is only part of the process because everything needs to be checked and signed off to avoid possible problems. A member of staff should be assigned with final sign off against an agreed checklist for every part of the festival logistics. 

Security Fencing. 
Delivery and installation of festival site security fencing is one of the earliest tasks that will be completed. Before signing off approval the fencing and security arrangements need to be thoroughly checked to ensure they meet security requirements. The inspection and sign off could take a day or more depending on the size of the site.

Power and Backline Equipment. 
Once the delivery and set up of the power generation and stage backline equipment has been confirmed it all needs to be inspected and checked to ensure it performs as expected and that no faulty equipment has been delivered. Experienced technical engineers need to complete these checks and sign off approval that everything meets the technical specifications ordered and that all necessary health and safety measures are being complied with.

Vendors and Sponsors. 
Once vendors start arriving and setting up their pitches it makes sense to ensure that each one is happy with the arrangements and that they meet booking requirements for pitch size along with electricity and water supplies. Each vendor should be asked to sign off approval that reality matches their booking. Equally sponsors who have booked pitch spaces and site branding will need to sign off their approval that it matches their sponsorship deal. 

The same checks and sign off approval principles can be applied to just about any aspect of the festival logistics and organisation. Having these processes in place ensures that everything will work and operate as expected and it prevents complaints during or post event as any issues can be resolved at the time that an inspection and sign off approval has been conducted. There will some investment of time and resources to implement these approval procedures but it is a worthwhile exercise because if avoids delays and saves money by handling any issues proactively rather having to react at a later stage which could mean diverting valuable resources. 

For festival organisers planning their events using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

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