Safety is crucial. How do you keep attendees, speakers, planners, vendors, and venue staff safe? One simple action you can take today is to implement a safety checklist during on-site setup. We developed the list below for our staff to use on show-site. We inform the meeting planner or the venue if we find an issue and then correct it or bring it to the attention of someone who can do that. It is a best practice to ask vendors to go through a Safety Checklist and report back any issues to you so they can be addressed.

Event Setup Safety Checklist

Learn about the Venue

  1. Introduce yourself to venue’s security and get contact information
  2. Review venue’s emergency and evacuation plans
  3. Familiarize yourself with venue’s electrical wiring and circuit loads
  4. Confirm that number of attendees does not exceed room maximum
  5. Confirm that banquet set does not interfere with evacuation path/exits

Communicate and Implement Safety Items

  1. Communicate job safety expectations to crew
  2. Check that lift drivers have current certification to operate machinery
  3. Locate fire alarms
  4. Locate fire extinguishers
  5. Locate First Aid Kits (venue may have it locked)
  6. Unlock exit doors and make sure they are clearly marked
  7. Attach exit signs to drapes covering doors/exits
  8. Sandbag all drape uprights higher than 13’
  9. Sandbag ground-supported truss with correct amount of counterweight
  10. Use ladders when using lighting trees
  11. Remove boxes/cases that are blocking exits, hallways, or stairwells
  12. Tape and mark cabling that crosses doors/walkways with caution tape
  13. Ensure cabling backstage is neat and there are clear walkways