The do’s and don’ts of working with Local Councils in Events.

The do’s and don’ts of working with Local Councils in Events.

 

The Perfect Events Group are not strangers to working with Local Councils for events. And believe us, they are involved in more events than most people think. You need to go through local councils for event permits, road closures, and they set various restrictions and requirements for events in their area. 

We’ve compiled some of our biggest Dos and Don’ts of working with local Councils.

Do:

Know who’s who in the zoo!

Council events have lots of moving parts and various Council staff members will be involved in building this event. It will make the planning and production process significantly easier if you know who you’re meant to be liaising with regarding what.

 

Get your brief right!

Make sure you give the Council a thorough and well-thought-out brief of the event and what you’ll need to ensure it is pulled off well. This allows them to ascertain what permit types you’ll need and they’ll be able to tell you what documentation they’ll need to dot the i’s and cross the t’s.

 

Do the paperwork

Councils = Paperwork. They have to ensure everything is done properly, every dollar is spent appropriately and accounted for, and that various people are reported to. Stay patient with this process and complete the paperwork as thoroughly as possible. If you have any questions, just ask your Council contact as clarifying an element will save a great deal of time.

Lean on them for contact 

Council has great contacts with local emergency services and will be able to put you in contact with the most ideal services and individuals for each event.

 

Don’t:

Assume! 

Every council is different and has different requirements, reporting structures, staff involvement, goals, communities, and permits.

Always ask who the best contact person is, what permits they need, define their goals for the event, and create individualised plans. Cookie-cutter events don’t work for local councils.

 

Don’t rely on them for supplier referrals.

Councils can’t be seen as being preferential or favouring certain suppliers over others. Always do your own vendor research and make sure to use local suppliers where possible.

 

Don’t forget to check what else is going on in the area.

There are normally multiple events happening in an area at any given time. It is always beneficial to know what else is happening around the time of your event. And don’t assume that the council staff you’re liaising with know of every event in that period. This could impact your bump-in/bump-out, traffic flow and management, event attendance and more.

 

Don’t forget to notify the local residents about events that you’re hosting.

It is essential that you notify the residents in the area surrounding your event that it is happening. This is two-fold. Firstly, it lets them know the event is coming and invites them to attend. Secondly, it’s vital to issue this notice for noise, traffic, and road closures as it can impact their day-to-day activities. Being considerate of the locals will go a long way in ensuring the Council and its constituents are pleased with the event operations.

 

There you have it! Keep these top tips in mind when you’re looking to throw your next event or are working with local councils to create an event.

The Perfect Events Group can’t wait to work with more local councils to produce fantastic events. Book a 20-minute free brainstorming session to discuss how we can make your next Council event amazing!