TOP 5 Tips: Receptions in the ‘Great Outdoors’

TOP 5 Tips: Receptions in the ‘Great Outdoors’

Written by: Desmond Lomas

An outdoor reception is an effective way to change things up for meeting attendees. The size and scale of the event will dictate some of the things you should focus your attention on for a successful event.

Here are a few things to consider:

1. What is the weather like typically this time of year at your event location? Is it worth the risk to hold the event outdoors? Ensure you have an indoor contingency plan booked in advance. For the outdoor event, find out where the sun sets and where the prevailing wind comes from. This will determine if the sun is in the guests’ eyes and whether smoke from BBQs billows towards attendees.
2. Speaking of weather, communicate with attendees right up to the day of the event about the type of clothing they should wear. If possible, designate the event as casual or business casual ahead of time. It makes things easier for attendees to be prepared for various possibilities of temperatures. Casual attire makes jackets, sweaters, sunglasses and flat shoes easier to incorporate.
3. What will the caterer do to ensure food is kept at the appropriate safe food handling temperatures? If insects are a problem at the time of the year, is it going to affect the quality of the event? You want your event to be memorable for the right reasons and not because the potato salad was baking in the heat and your event was overrun by flies.
4. Is there enough access to washrooms at your location? Consider portable toilets with handwashing stations. Test everything in advance and ensure portables are placed downwind. Lock them before use to avoid them from being used by non-attendees ahead of the event.
5. If bus transportation is needed where are they going to park? How long will it take them to get pick up passengers in a hurry due to unexpected weather?

Take the time to plan every detail of your outdoor event. Have fun and a great event.