Ensuring You’re Event Ready: Part Two 

Welcome back to the final bit of our two-part series for ensuring you’re event ready! At Plato Catering Equipment Hire, we’ve been in the event industry for over two decades, which means we’ve picked up a trick or two along the way. To help you successfully get event ready, we’re sharing this knowledge through this series of blogs. 

In part one, we covered the basics like nailing down your event’s purpose, creating a timeline, selecting the perfect venue, and making sure your power situation is correct. In part two, we’ll be focusing on the final preparations to ensure your event runs smoothly, from day-of coordination to that all important post-event clean-up. 

Finalising event details 

Once your venue is booked and you’ve got the equipment sorted, it’s time to fine-tune the smaller details that will make your event come together. This includes: 

Catering and menu planning 

Food is often a really big (and much anticipated!) part of any event, so it’s important to knock it out of the park. Whether it’s a formal sit-down dinner or a casual buffet, your menu should suit both the style of the event and your guests’ preferences. Don’t forget to consider any dietary restrictions including allergies to ensure all your attendees are catered for. 

Entertainment and audio-visual equipment 

If you’re hiring a band, DJ, or speakers, you’ll need to ensure you have the right audio-visual setup in place. Do you have enough microphones? Is the lighting suitable for a presentation or performance? And we can’t repeat this enough but test everything ahead of time to save yourself any last-minute flustering.  

Don’t forget signage  

It’s easy to overlook this detail, but if you’re holding a larger event or if you’re at a venue that’s a bit more tricky to navigate (we’re looking at you, quirky historical buildings), you’ll want to put up some signs. Good signage helps guests navigate your event with ease, from pointing them to the restrooms to helping them to find their seats. It’s one of those small details that can really make a huge difference to the flow of your event. For larger gatherings, it might even be worth hiring additional staff or volunteers to help guide guests to where they need to be. 

Day-of coordination 

The moment you’ve been waiting for; the big day has arrived! Now it’s all about making sure everything happens as planned. A well-organised approach will help things go smoothly, leaving you more time to enjoy the event yourself. 

Create a detailed schedule 

Having a clear schedule for the event day should be a non-negotiable. Break it down by the hour (or even by the minute, depending on the event’s complexity), noting when vendors arrive, when food is served, and when the event wraps up. Share this schedule with everyone involved too, from the venue manager to your caterers and entertainers, so that everyone knows where they need to be and when. 

Extra tip: Remember to build in some buffer time! Even with lots of pre-planning, delays that are out of your control can happen, whether it’s a slow setup or a speech running over, so having some flexibility will help keep things on track. 

Delegating responsibilities 

It’s tempting to try and handle everything yourself, but delegating tasks will make the day much easier. Whether you have a team, volunteers, or you’ve hired event staff, assign specific roles for things like guest management, overseeing entertainment, or handling equipment. If you are hiring external staff or you have employees, make sure all vendors and team members know who to contact if they have questions or if something needs immediate attention. 

Arriving early for setup 

Always aim to arrive early to ensure everything is set up as planned. This gives you enough time to check the layout, test equipment, and adjust anything that doesn’t look or feel right. By giving yourself that extra time, you’ll feel more in control and able to welcome guests without feeling like you’re rushing around at the very last moment.  

Preparing for the unexpected 

As we noted earlier, even with the very best planning, something unexpected can occur. The trick is to stay calm and have a plan in place to handle any issues that might arise. Here’s a few things you might want to create a plan of action for should things not go the way you wanted: 

• Weather changes: If your event is outdoors, always have a backup option in case of rain or extreme weather – the British weather is notoriously changeable after all! Whether it’s a tent or an alternative indoor space, knowing you have a plan will give you peace of mind. 

• Equipment issues: Things can go wrong, so having spare equipment is a good idea. If the microphone stops working or glasses are dropped, being prepared with backups will prevent these hiccups from affecting the event. 

• Late arrivals: Build some flexibility into the schedule to accommodate any guests or vendors who might be running late. This way, the event can continue smoothly without feeling rushed. 

Clean-up and post-event wrap-up 

It’s easy to get so caught up planning the actual event that you forget you need a plan for when the event is over! Clean-up can often feel like the last hurdle, but with a little organisation, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. 

Start off by assigning clear roles to your team or staff so that everyone knows what needs to be done. Whether it’s gathering decorations, packing up the hire equipment, or handling food disposal, clear instructions will help get everything wrapped up efficiently. 

• Waste disposal: Make sure you’ve organised rubbish and recycling collection. Ask the venue in advance if they have specific waste management policies, and ensure you have enough bins available for guests to use throughout the event. 

• Returning equipment: If you’ve hired equipment, plan ahead for its return. It’s a smart idea to designate someone to handle the packing and return process, ensuring everything is accounted for and ready to be returned in good condition. If too many people get involved with this it can make it overly complicated and lead to items being lost. At Plato Catering Equipment Hire, we take care of the returns process, making it simple and hassle-free for you. 

Final evaluation 

Before you pat yourself on the back for an event well done, don’t forget to evaluate how the event went. Take some time to gather feedback from your client or guests (this can be done in an email after the event) to understand what worked well and where there might be room for improvement. This will be very helpful information for planning future events. 

Remember to finalise any outstanding payments and thank your vendors and team for their hard work too. Building good relationships within the industry will always ensure smoother collaborations for future events. 

Need catering equipment hire to ensure you’re event ready? Talk to our friendly team today. 

When hiring equipment from Plato, you can be safe in the knowledge that any electrical equipment is PAT tested before it’s hired out. Plato is also a member of the SafeHire Certification Scheme, which means we have a proven competence in safety, health, environment, and quality. This ensures you’ll receive the highest possible quality of service and catering equipment hire.