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Event Contractors - Book Early to Avoid Disappointment.

Andy Robertson

As events look set to start up again in 2021 many organisers are into their planning process right now (October 2020). With the coronavirus taking its toll on the events industry in 2020 many event organisers have gone into a state of hibernation whilst at the same time suppliers to the industry have faced financially difficult times with many not likely to survive.        


Event organisers for some of the largest music festivals and similarly large live events have started their planning now for 2021. This has highlighted the potential dilemma organisers are going to face as they start booking event suppliers and contractors for power supply, audio and lighting equipment, portable toilet facilities and medical services for example. It has come to light that there may not be enough contractors to go around for all the potential events planned.

The smart event organisers are already planning for next year pulling staff back from being furloughed to work full time on the planning process now. Those organisers still in hibernation mode are potentially creating further potential problems for themselves by playing a wait and see game and putting off any planning, scheduling or booking of contractors. Of course, there are risks involved in committing to dates for 2021 but as long as sufficient contingencies are in place there is no real excuse to not at least start the planning process now.

For those that put off reactivating their event planning process the dangers of a lack of potential contractors could result in added expense and hassle. If, for example, the number of power generator contractors available is reduced organisers could be faced with trying to source a reliable power generator supplier possibly from overseas.

The event supplier/contractor sector has been decimated by the current pandemic so the threat to the live events market is very real. If event organisers are struggling to find good reliable suppliers in late 2020 imagine how much more difficult is the situation going to be by early 2021. However, there may be hope on the horizon as many suppliers will be going through a period of consolidation but this is still going to leave many in the events supply sector in a state of disarray. Equipment may be spread over different sites and skilled experienced engineers and technicians may have left the industry altogether leading to a personnel shortage.

The events industry supply sector will survive to service most large scale events but as 2021 approaches the logistics for those event organisers late in their planning are going to experience disruptive logistics and probably face increased costs. 

Using an events software management platform like
FestivalPro live event organisers get all the functionality they need to manage their contractors and planning logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The FestivalPro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features for managing every aspect of contractor booking and logistics process. The contractor module allows for the recording of detailed documentation for technical specs and the dynamic calendars provide flexibility for delivery and set up planning. 

Photo by Life Of Pix from Pexels

Andy Robertson
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