By the time participants arrive at your event, everything looks great. Tents are constructed and filled, signage is hung and shiny, the route is set and ready. Of course, none of this happens on its own. Aside from the months of planning that have already happened, the site itself must be built, and that happens through a magical process called load-in.
Depending on the size of the event, load-in could take anywhere from half a day to a week or more. Regardless, it is essential that your team heads into load-in with a clear plan.
Get Cozy With the Vendor Orders: Similar to studying for a test, familiarizing yourself ahead of time with the material you’ll be working with at your site will make a huge difference when load-in gets going. Take time to go over the vendor orders in detail before any of those big trucks roll up. Being dialed in to how many tents, tables, chairs, garbage cans, sandbags, microphones, porta-potties, etc. the vendors are providing — as well as what time everyone is expected to show up — will help you keep tabs on what’s coming off the trucks and identify discrepancies early enough to correct them.
Preview the Site: If possible, key team members, like the Event Manager and Site Manager, should scope out the site before load-in begins. Visiting the site one day in advance is ideal, but even an hour or two before vendors show up can make a difference. Walk the area, check for problems (like holes in the grass, slanted terrain, or the always-fun surprise construction zones) and adjust the site layout if needed. Cone off parking spaces for vendors and if you can, mark out where tents will go with flags or chalk so the tent company can get right to work when they arrive.
Know Your Roles: It’s likely that each of your team members will have a specific role for the event, and everyone should head into load-in knowing what their responsibilities are. Providing role-specific checklists in advance is a great way to make sure everyone knows what’s expected of them, and a quick pre-load-in huddle with the team gets everyone on the same page. Load-in will have a lot of things happening at once, and if every team member knows what they are supposed to be doing, it will substantially reduce people standing around or asking the Event Manager what they should be doing.
Be Flexible: It’s also important that everyone is willing to pivot and help with whatever is needed, even if it doesn’t fall under their predetermined job tasks. Maybe you need someone to make a run to the big box store to pick up supplies. Perhaps the weather is conspiring against your load-in efforts, and all hands are needed to secure items being battered by wind or rain. When circumstances call for it, everyone should be prepared to jump in and get the job done.
Take Care of Basic Needs: While tents, sound equipment, and other event collateral are abundant during load-in, it might be easy to forget the simple necessities that everyone needs. Have bottled water (and sports drinks if temps are especially toasty) on hand for your team. Having some extras is never a bad idea either; a cold water offered to a surly vendor could be a game changer. You should also have sunscreen and salty snacks handy. And of course, where there’s hydration, you need restrooms. If you’re loading in at a venue that doesn’t have on-site facilities and your porta-potties have not arrived yet, things could get…stressful. Have an exit strategy ready — locations of nearby restroom-equipped businesses — in when team members need to answer nature’s call.
Keep the Stakeholders Happy: Making a good impression during load-in can have as much of an impact on relationship-building, for better or worse, as what happens on event day itself. If the client or a site representative will be present during load-in, don’t let them take you by surprise. Make sure all team members are informed that they’ll be there. The Event Manager (or other team member specifically tasked with client management) should connect with your special guests and be available to answer questions and troubleshoot concerns.
Finishing load-in with a site and route that are ready for anything is an awesome feeling and getting there doesn’t have to be stressful. A little preparation can go a long way! We’ve made it really easy for you with our printable checklists. Check them out!
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Erin Piafsky
