Seasonality of event planning hurts event planners the most during monsoon. Planning an event during rainy season comes with the most difficult challenge of logistics.
From picking your venue to performances, everything is at the mercy of the weather.
This guide will equip you with the best strategies and tips for planning an event during rainy season.
A. Steps for planning an event during rainy season
Planning an event during rainy season typically follows similar event planning steps with extra measures.
You may be a great event planner already, but don’t forget to tick these boxes:
- Choosing the correct venue: Try and prioritize indoor venues or venues with sheltered areas. This could mean conference rooms, banquet halls, or indoor spaces of any public property
- Waterproofing the property: If you can’t have an outdoor event space, opt for waterproof canopies or tents. Make sure they have a strong frame so that strong winds don’t affect your event
- Correct flooring for rainy days: Rent interlocking plastic dance floors or lay gravel along muddy areas. Try and create dry walking spaces for a pleasant experience for attendees
- Communicate with guests: Keep your guests aware of the kind of weather they can expect. Don’t forget to share all the provisions you’ve made to beat the weather. Maintaining such communication will inform your guests to make informed decisions. This will save you from poor reviews later on
- Backup for entertainment: Things may not go as planned. Your artist may not show up due to traffic or rain. The outdoor venue may get poured upon. In such cases, have backup activities planned in a sheltered area to keep guests entertained
- Work on the environment: Create a cozy environment that complements the weather. Soups, fried fritters, and soft lighting go well with this time of the year
- Plan B: Always discuss with your venue providers all the backup provisions they have in case the weather takes a sour turn. Your plan B can include alternate indoor spaces or additional covered areas
By incorporating these steps in your monsoon event planning, you’ll have a smoother experience.
B. Tips for planning an event during rainy season
1. Indoor catering
Whether or not you end up going for an indoor venue, make sure the food is served in a sheltered area.
This ensures an uninterrupted eating experience.
To keep things simple, you can get catering from in-house cafes or restaurants at the venue. As a last resort, you can also have a pop-up cafe.
2. Waterproofing the entrance
Make your event venue more accessible by paying attention to the entrance. While planning an event during rainy season, look at how guests will reach the venue.
If there’s quite some distance between parking and reaching the venue, then consider waterproofing it.
You can either add a makeshift roof or a tent to the entrance.
Alternatively, you can have a pickup service from parking to the check-in at your event.
3. Keep the venue clean
When it’s raining outside, it is very likely that the attendees will come dripping wet.
Make accommodations for them to store dirty shoes, or clean them instead.
You can also have a space for them to hang their coats or dry their umbrella. Allocate numbered shelves for this to avoid theft.
This is one of the many things you can do to ensure the water and dirt from outside don’t enter your venue.
Alternatively, you can hire extra cleaning staff to ensure your event venue is squeaky clean throughout.
4. Backup for accommodation
In the worst-case scenario, under extreme weather conditions, you should also have accommodation ready.
This accommodation can be for your event planning team, guests, or even entertainers.
Make sure there are hotels or indoor spaces nearby for accommodation temporarily or overnight.
5. Faciliatate transportation
Event planners struggle with attendance while planning an event during rainy season.
Some even recall their event planning nightmare being how the artists or entertainers didn’t show up.
To avoid such instances, consider providing shuttle buses for guests and private transportation for entertainers.
When transportation relies on you, traffic or rain is no longer an excuse to not show up.
Pro Tip: It’s also a great opportunity to have cab or transportation providers as your sponsors.
6. Monitor the weather forecast
Keep an eye out for weather reports. If you feel there are better slots for your event to take place, consider better dates.
This only works for the best-case scenario though. In peak monsoon, you’re going to be planning an event during rainy season every single day.
When you’re expecting rain every day, then it’s best to go for an indoor venue. In such cases, monitoring the weather forecast will only be useful for avoiding calamities and not rain.
7. Find flexible venues
Try and strike deals with venues that allow for date changes for free or at discounted rates.
This will help you in case the weather takes a sudden turn against your event.
8. Avoid muddy grounds
If you’re going to go for outdoor venues despite our advice, we understand!
However, it is at least important that the venue has grass or covered spots. Simple grounds with exposed soil can often turn muddy during rain.
To beat this, you can have non-slip carpets that cover the muddy ground before guests arrive.
In addition, also ensure that the roads in the vicinity are proper and don’t turn into muddy puddles. Inspect this before finalizing your event venue.
9. Digital event check-in
The last thing you want is frustrated guests.
Nobody wants to come all the way during heavy rains and get in line for tickets.
Make sure you’ve streamlined your event check-in.
You can check for digital tickets and scan for entry using your smartphone in seconds.
Try Ticket Generator for speedy event check-ins and affordable custom event tickets.
10. Invest in insurance
As an event planner, you should look after yourself.
In cases of damage due to rain and extreme weather, event insurance will come in handy.
Event insurance compensates you if there’s direct physical loss at an event. It can be due to fire, earthquake, burglary, theft, or other unforeseen calamities.
You might even get some of your money back in case the event is cancelled due to the weather.
Your insurance premium can start from as low as INR 599 [source: Bajaj Finserv]
11. Communicate with attendees
Whether it rains or shines outside, make sure you communicate it all to your attendees.
In case of unfavorable weather forecasts, send your attendees emails or messages about it.
Keep the tone reassuring and highlight all the provisions you have to handle rain.
This will prevent your attendees from speculating rain and not showing up.
Pro Tip: Have an email template ready to go for weather updates and advice even if you’re not expecting rain. This will help prevent some last-minute hassle when you’re busy running errands.
12. Keep guests informed during the event
It’s a great practice to continue this communication (in case of bad weather) during the event.
Consider displaying messages on large digital boards regarding free tea or plastic umbrellas.
Such meaningful interactions and gestures will surely impress your guests.
13. What to wear
You may be planning an event during rainy season but your guests are also planning to come.
Help them make the right outfit decisions for your event.
Give them a heads-up so they don’t ruin their perfect pair of sneakers or bag.
If there are no such weather restrictions at your event venue, you can skip this!
14. Store amenities
A good event planner always plans for the worst-case scenario. This is especially true when you’re planning an event during rainy season.
In case traffic is blocked due to the weather or guests are stuck, make sure you stock up on supplies.
For example, during rain, it’s hard to go for quick errands such as getting ice or extra water bottles. Make sure you already have an inventory of such supplies.
15. “Warm” welcome
With rain comes strong winds and chilly weather. So, a warm welcome with tea/coffee or scented candles at the venue is a great choice.
You can pick your “warm” welcome gifts or environment based on the seasonal goods in your area.
16. Indoor activities for rainy days
In case you can’t utilize your actual venue for the event, consider having backup games and activities.
This can include board games or socialization games such as ‘two truths and a lie’. Giant Jenga, connect four, and Kubb can also be played.
17. Be proactive
You need to be cautious during the event as well!
Bad weather can strike even on the most unsuspecting days.
Observe any weather updates or even the sky to make sure you have enough time for Plan B.
18. Always have a Plan B while planning an event during rainy season
Weather can be a big challenge when planning an event during rainy season.
You can do everything right and still have no way left in the end.
If the risks associated with organizing the event surpass any profits you may make, then it’s time to take a call.
You can assess such risks by getting your key suppliers to run a risk assessment on their goods.
As a last resort, consider rescheduling your event.
C. Event technology for planning an event during rainy season
Trust us, the weather may not be on your side but technology definitely is.
You need the right gear for planning an event during rainy season.
Here are some of the event technology event planners are using during monsoon:
- Marquees or tipis: For small sheltered areas in your outdoor venue, you can opt for these
- Outdoor sockets: These sockets ensure that water doesn’t reach electronics and cause fire
- Tarpaulin tents: Use these for quickly covering food, equipment, or even venues from getting wet. Consider using these to waterproof the entrance at least
- Interlocking plastic dance floor: This waterproof flooring solution can prevent your venue from turning into a muddy bog
- Walkie-talkies: Rain may not ruin your event but miscommunication definitely will. Phone towers and networks may get interrupted during rain, so it’s best to invest in walkie-talkies
- Patio heaters: These can get guests warm and comfortable even in rain
- Event check-in apps: Event check-in apps such as Ticket Generator can help you authorize entries of legitimate guests in seconds. This reduces the exposure of your team and guests to the rain outside
D. FAQ
1. How to plan a festival in the rain?
For planning an event during rainy season, you need to be prepared not scared. Try and go for venues that are indoors or have covered areas and stages.
You can consider outdoor venues suitable to withstand rain with trusted tent suppliers.
Lastly, ensure you communicate to all event attendees about the weather. Reassure them that you have appropriate measures in place. Further, you can guide them with the best practices to make it to your event.
2. What to do it if it rains during your event?
To address rain during your event, you need to have contingency plans in place. Think of all the things that can possibly go wrong. Examples may include transportation delays, outdoor setup changes, or schedule modifications.
Anticipate the worst-case scenario and make provisions for them as backup. For example, a generator to handle power outages or a private cab to speed up transportation.
You can also have a goods inventory for needs like water bottles. For more tips for planning an event during rainy season, read the sections above.
E. Our advice for planning an event during rainy season
Remember that this season is a test of your adaptability and instincts.
Your pre-planning and contingency planning is not just a test of your skills but also endurance.
With a positive attitude and a calm demeanor, you’ll be able to address challenges much better.
That being said, we need to ultimately accept that we can’t control the weather.
Even if all doesn’t go according to plan, you’ll at least make the best out of it with our tips mentioned above.
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