Be Accommodating

As our community becomes more diverse, so do our events and often this is an area of entertaining that get’s overlooked. Be prepared to welcome guests with disabilities and ensure that you are following proper fire code requirements with aisles and sight lines to emergency exits. More consideration should be given for guests with dietary restrictions and allergies such as gluten-sensitivities, diabetics and vegetarian or vegan guests.

The event world is always changing and planners are it has become more and more important to be ahead of planning when it comes to accommodating your guests needs. Don’t wait for the problem to arise but put plans and systems in place to catch these early. A few tips and ideas:

• Include a specific area for dietary restriction notes on registration forms
• Always give yourself extra space around stages and the perimeter of the room when planning layouts and diagrams
• Be sure to work with reputable Audio Visual service providers to avoid safety hazards and wherever possible, do a site visit with them ahead of time
• Always stay positive. Things will always come up that are unexpected and the best way to approach these situations is with a friendly smile while you work on finding a solution.