In part one on our series on planning a festival or outdoor event where we looked at how location is a crucial point when planning a festival. In part two we are going to look at the infrastructure you will need to install in to the event. A big difference between indoor and outdoor events is that things such as power, toilets, refuge collection all need to be accounted for, and its up to the festival organiser or production company to deal with this.
Festival Electricity
One thing you need to think about is the power you are supplying at the festival. The more facilities you have at the festival the more power you will need. Sound and lighting systems consume a huge amount of power. The fridges at the bar also draw heavily from the generators as well as a number of other facilities. Generators and distribution (getting power sockets from the generator to the correct places) are usually dealt with by one company but will need to know how much power you need. When dealing with your sound and lighting hire company, its a good idea to get an estimate on how much power they will need when compiling quotes, this way you can approach your power company with estimates of power consumption.
A great generator power calculation tool can be found here. When you know how many amperes (‘amps’) the sound and lighting company will need, you can calculate the Kva required ( Which is what the generator company will need to know). The distance beween your facilities also matters when you consider the cable runs your electricians will need to do. Having a stage separated by a public area from the bar for instance means you will need two generators as you can’t have cables running in public areas. Where as, if the two are connected, you may get away with one, depending on the size of the event. These decisions can substantially effect your costs. Its a good idea to get a rough site plan before approaching companies for solid quotes.
Toilets
For multi day festivals, the first thing you need to think about is the toilet cleaning facilities being able to gain access to the toilets during the festival. For private events such as weddings, there are a whole array of options open to you for ‘posh loo’s’. A quick search on Google and you will find portable toilets with better facilities than your home bathroom! For me personally, a well maintained festival toilet is the sign of good management!
Water
One thing thats really easy to over look is that at any public event your guests need access to free, drinking water on tap. A huge amount of water will need to be supplied for your guests, so don’t over look this cost. Some sites will also require you to take used water off site as well, again, this will add substantial costs to your event and something that needs to be factored in to your budget.
Refuge Collection
Another part of your infastructure budget will have to go on waste disposal. Look for a company with green credentials. There are lots of companies that will dispose of your waste in a green way. Recycling almost all of the waste you generate.
Thats all on utilities for now. Part three will be up soon where we will be looking at sound and lighting options for your event.
