NAVIGATING EVENT SAFETY: ADAPTING TO NEW FIRE MARSHAL RULES AND VENUE CHANGES
Every event planner knows that safety is a priority when organizing any event. At Decibel, we’re well aware of the ever-changing municipal regulations around event safety, which can often feel like navigating through a complex maze of paperwork and procedures. However, no matter how tedious it can seem, we know that this meticulousness is vital to the planning and production of events and ensuring life safety.
Collaboration is key when it comes to safety. We regularly work hand-in-hand with various building venues, adhering to their rules and restrictions, and collaborating closely with Fire Marshals around the country. While the basic safety standards for events and venues are often similar, it’s important to remember that every event and venue has unique rules and hyper-specific elements. These rules are usually based on their past experiences and, being aware of these can save time, effort, and prevent unexpected surprises.
One key step in ensuring event safety is conducting detailed site visits. This helps us understand the physical environment better and ensures that our plans align with the reality of the venue. The importance of such visits was recently highlighted during an event at the Washington Convention Center. The venue had undergone changes during the COVID shutdown, including the addition of storage areas and new walls. This change was not reflected on the CAD diagrams available at the time, and had our Technical Director not conducted a walkthrough, verifying measurements, we could have incurred serious changes, overtime, and extra costs.
Moreover, staying updated with the latest policies from Fire Marshals and venues is a crucial part of our process. For example, our DC office recently shared updated notes from the Fire Marshal outlining new and updated items to be aware of.
To give you a glimpse into the safety standards and guidelines, here are some policies from Javits Center and Moscone Center:
And here are some notable updates from WCC Fire Marshall:
- Optimal time for plan submission is 30 days.
- Event plans submitted within 7 days of the event are charged double ($300) for expedited service.
- No additional fee for revisions.
- Any event with 100 people or more requires a plan.
- Layouts and exits are the primary concern of Fire Marshals.
To ensure a seamless and safe event planning process in DC, we suggest you include the following in your plans:
- Name of Event
- Date of Event
- Estimated number of attendees at any one time
- Set up date and onsite point of contact
Also, remember to apply for Public Assembly Permits for trade shows or any event with more than 100 people in attendance.
Ensuring safety at your events can feel overwhelming, but with meticulous planning, collaboration, and a firm understanding of venue policies and fire safety rules, you can smoothly navigate this process. At Decibel, we’re committed to understanding these ins and outs and making safety a priority in every event we plan.
Remember, while the process may seem unglamorous, it is essential. Safety is not just a checklist – it’s a commitment to every attendee who walks through the doors of your event.
For more detailed information on event safety planning in DC, read through this. Your safety is our priority and we believe in sharing knowledge that empowers you to conduct successful and secure events.
Stay tuned for more updates and insights into the world of event planning and safety.
Event Trends for 2022
COVID-19 has been hella disruptive for a number of industries, including the event management sector. Concerts, conferences, expos, weddings, sports tournaments, award galas, bar mitzvahs all were put on hold while the world socially distanced itself in an attempt to curb the spread. And while the COVID battle is not yet over, with a good percentage of the population now vaccinated we are starting to see a slow return to the concerts and the conferences and the bar mitzvahs. Here we take a look at some of the key trends that event industry experts are forecasting for 2022 and beyond.
Virtual Will Continue to Have a Place in the Events Realm
Event goers have had a big ol taste of webinars, online trade shows, and virtual conferences this past 20 months. And while many are chomping at the bit to get back to the face-to-face gathering of yore, there are just as many who have become accustomed to the online experience, the flexibility it offers, the vehicle-less commute to their home office, the dress shirt on top, pajamas on bottom work-from-home wardrobe coziness. And for these folks, hybrid events will reign supreme.
Pajamas on bottom coziness aside, there are several compelling reasons to consider incorporating hybrid events into your programming calendar:
- Distance and travel are no longer barriers to attendance attendees can join from anywhere in the world which gives opportunities for tremendous reach.
- Unique opportunities for wannabe sponsors 80{04d9822e7d95da125d508d8e1efbcf2edc79acd8aec1f0bbdcbd6a6f684f9bb3} of corporate sponsors have expressed interest in virtual and hybrid event sponsorship.
- All the data who doesn t love data? Virtual and hybrid events give insights galore into your attendee preferences and engagement, insights that can then be used to inform future decision-making.
- Increased return on investment some serious money can be saved through virtual vs live events and with increased reach and scalability, this can translate into attractive margins.
There May be More Variants to Come
First there was COVID-19. Then there was the Alpha variant, which made its first appearance in Great Britain in November 2020. And then Delta became the predominant variant. And then a year later, Omicron swept the globe. Will Omicron be the final mutation, the one that brings the global community from pandemic to endemic? Please, oh for the love of Pete, let the answer by a resounding yes . However, it s just too early to say. For the time being, event planners need to assume that the virus will continue to be with us as the ultimate unwanted houseguest for some time, and plan accordingly. This means contingency planning in the case of a surge. This means considering how to accept proof of vaccination, and whether subsequent boosters will factor into your attendee requirements. This means finding ways to prioritize health and safety for your event attendees while still providing a fun and compelling experience.
Sustainability Will be the Norm
Eventbrite had identified sustainability as the number one event trend in 2020, and this is still a leading trend two years later. After years fraught with rising sea levels, wildfires, and deadly weather events, climate change action is on the minds of many global citizens, and all organizations have a role to play in adopting greener policies and processes. Reducing paper waste, sourcing eco-friendly swag, encouraging recycling at events, and using biodegradable items are just a handful of the ways in which event planners can be environmentally conscious.
Technology Solutions Will Continue to Evolve
The pandemic fast-tracked a whole new world of event technology solutions as event managers scrambled to transition to fully virtual events. And the tech world did not disappoint in their mad rush to accommodate this sudden and universal need. Whether your event is in-person, virtual, or hybrid, there are several new technological developments designed to improve the event experience all around.
Artificial Intelligence: While we re not quite in Blade Runner territory, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming used more and more in the event management space. Chatbots are increasingly employed to inform and connect with event attendees. AI is used to remove language barriers at international events by instantly translating attendee communications. AI can even be used to provide an enhanced networking experience to attendees by strategically matching those with similar event goals.
Facial Recognition: Facial recognition is a neat-o technology that allows one s face to serve as their form of identification. While there are obvious security benefits to this technology, the potential convenience applications are also rather tremendous. Imagine if you will, a long line-up full of travel-wearied and tired event attendees who neglected to print out their event confirmation specifics. That is a recipe for disaster. Now imagine this same group simply looking into a camera before having their identity and registration confirmed allowing them to seamlessly move through to the event floor. That is a recipe for happy attendee stew.
Mat Technology: Yep, this is a thing. Mat technology involves clever flooring that comes equipped with data tracking capabilities to measure and report on event analytics like what booths get the most foot traffic, what times of day were busiest, where were the low traffic spots. For those who love data as much as we do, it doesn t get much better than this!
Diverse Representation Among Your Event Stakeholders
It s 2022. Still think that diversity and inclusion don t matter? Just ask the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), that group of international journalists who are responsible for the Golden Globes. Once considered to be a primary staple of the Hollywood awards season, a February 2021 Los Angeles Times piece exposed some controversial realities about this group, including the following tidbits:
- Former HFPA President Meher Tatna shared that there hadn t been a Black member in the 90 person group for over twenty years.
- 30 HFPA members were flown to the Emily in Paris set in France in 2019, a show that subsequently received two nominations despite being much less critically acclaimed than other shows featuring actors of color such as I May Destroy You and Insecure.
- HFPA members would allegedly sell their tickets to the Golden Globes for upwards of $40,000.
Given these revelations and the ensuing outcry from the broader entertainment community, NBC opted to pull the plug on the 2022 Golden Globes, stating we continue to believe that the HFPA is committed to meaningful reform. However, change of this magnitude takes time and work, and we feel strongly that the HFPA needs time to do it right.
Diversity and inclusion matter and should be kept top of mind when hiring speakers, sourcing panelists, securing committee volunteers, and in determining programming content. Your attendees should see themselves reflected in the planning and delivery of your event.
Putting These Trends to Work for Your Next Event
What corporate events is your organization looking to pull off in 2022? Whatever it is, Decibel Events can help you to pull it off flawlessly. As a leading event production and management firm with experience in organizing everything from presidential events to massive trade shows to high-end corporate events, Decibel Event is right on top of all event management trends and knows how to best incorporate them into your next event. Let us help you to bring your event to life.
