The sun is shining
The weather is sweet
When the weather is sweet in Dubai it means the weather cooled down. Hot 50+ degrees summer made room for a cool 20-25 degrees winter. During winter time everybody is enjoying the terraces and the outdoors. In the events it means…. time for some outdoor activities!
Here are some tips for outdoor events:
- Find a good venue
Our most recent outdoor event was in The Mushrif Central Park in Abu Dhabi. Beautiful park, good amenities and great staff. The location was perfect and big enough to host our 1000 invitees.
Try to visit your venue a few times. Check out the space during other events or on the same day you planned your event for. Consider logistics for your suppliers and parking lots for your guests.
- Weather
Although the weather is much better than in summer, there are still a few risks for outdoor events. No, we don’t have that many rainy days, but the sand storms can really mess up your event. The best months to plan an outdoor event are November, December, March and April.
Get the right permits. Check with Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and Department of Economic Development (DED) for the required permits and documentations in Dubai.
- Other equipment
For outdoor events you need a littttttle bit more extension cords and ducktape. And a generator would come in handy.
- Keep it clean
Get more staff to do the cleaning DURING the event. Garbage bins simply don’t do all the work. With the wind blowing and kids running around the venue it gets messier then indoor events. And you wantit to look like a garbage dump.
Think twice before arranging a popcorn stand for kids in a park. Kids love popcorn and we love to see them happy, but the cleaners that have to clean up the popcorn from the grass fields are not that amused.
- Happy guests
If your guests vary in age and ethnicity consider having more options to offer them. Sit
ting on a relaxed beanbag is a comfy feeling for most of us, but people with physical problems might prefer proper chairs and tables. Make sure you have both on your event. Pay attention to the food. A bbq with steaks and beef burgers will end up in the garbage bin if majority of your guests are Hindu. Chicken and vegetarian meals are safer options.
- Lighting
Colourful lightning and lantern can change the ambience after getting dark but is also for guests’ safety. Don’t use real candles, battery operated candles are a better option.
- Activities and entertainment
As an events management agency and workshop organiser this is the part we enjoy most. We provide traditional fun games and workshops/activities tailored to our client’s needs. Key points for games and activities: keep it fun, age brackets for every game, there must be a game for every age group, make sure you have plenty of reserve equipment (somehow everything gets lost or breaks during the event), test your own games/activities (time, safety, etc), prizes for the winners and have some fun active game coordinators.
Yallah let’s go out!
Lotus
