Community event best practices

Many generally accepted industry best practices also shape the delivery and experience of community events. This section explores a selection of common community event planning best practices for organisers. Depending on event location, the best practices explored below may be governed by policies or legislation established by local authorities. Where local regulations do not exist, the practices below prevail in industry as accepted minimum standards of service and responsibility regardless of event scope, size or scale. Event organisers should work with the appropriate local authorities to ensure compliance with these and any other local community event requirements.

Accessibility

Accessibility means giving people of all abilities opportunities to participate fully in everyday life. Incorporating accessibility when planning an event helps everyone feel welcome, can increase attendance, and allows for a more enjoyable experience for all.

Consider the following accessibility elements when planning a community event:

• Are people physically able to move about the space during an event without barriers or limits to their movements?
• Is there enough space to promote collaboration, discussion, and mindfulness of cultural preferences in the way the space is set up?
• Is information presented in a variety of formats including large print, Braille, on audiotape or in electronic format, in American Sign Language?
• Do music and video materials have captioning and have auditory description available?
• Are accommodation service providers available for all parts of the event, both formal and informal activities?
• Have allowances been made for accessible parking, drop-off areas and washroom facilities?
• Do food choices reflect cultural and lifestyle diversity?

(City of Markham, 2020 P. 16).

In Canada, various levels of government (local, provincial, federal) maintain accessibility legislation and guidelines to ensure equal access.

Diversity, equity and inclusion

Throughout history, many community events have worked (formally and informally) to advance the goals of diversity, equity and inclusion. Woodstock 1969 is a great example (History.com Editors, 2018). In recent years, the integration of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) principles into the design and delivery of community events has become more intentional.

The global architecture, design, and planning firm, Gensler, acknowledges that “the words diversity, equity, and inclusion are often used interchangeably, [and that] it’s important to understand their distinct differences” (Portland, 2019). They have published a graphical representation of DEI (Portland, 2019) to improve the common understanding of the three terms:

• Diversity: All the ways in which people differ;
• Equity: Fair treatment, access, opportunity and advancement for all people where one’s identity cannot predict the outcome; and
• Inclusion: A variety of people have power, a voice, and decision-making authority (Portland, 2019).

DEI and community events

As explored in this chapter, a community’s culture, traditions, context, people, history and geography can largely shape the programming and experience of individual community events. Where Canadian communities are typically home to diverse and multicultural populations and are of interest to local and international visitors, ensuring DEI in the goals, objectives, programming and guest experience of community events is important to generating valuable perspectives and experiences.

Many municipalities have formal DEI mandates, organisational Diversity Action Plans, or community Cultural Plans that affirm the values of diversity, equity and inclusion within their corporate strategies, projects they support, and community initiatives they fund. Aligning the programming and community engagement efforts of a local event with the DEI mandates of its host municipality demonstrates the event’s commitment to building an inclusive society.

Implementing meaningful improvements in manageable increments year-over-year is a reasonable approach to enhancing an event’s DEI efforts. This approach can allow event teams to scale their DEI efforts gradually and sustainably, while using new opportunities to educate and have conversations with their community.

Consider the following diversity, equity and inclusion elements when planning a community event:

• Is diversity reflected in the choice of presenters, speakers and performers?
• Is there a variety of activities to appeal to diversity in learning styles?
• Are multiple languages accommodated in oral content and print materials?
• How is gender identity expressed and accommodated at the event? Are there appropriate facilities to accommodate gender conforming and gender non-conforming attendees?
• What accommodations for access and participation have been made? Consider physical ability, age, intellectual ability.
• Have any assumptions been made about attendee faith, religious identity or secular worldview? How can religious diversity be incorporated?
• Does the event date conflict with any seasonal, faith-based or international holidays?
• Does the event provide for attendees of diverse socio-economic situations? Is there access to free or sponsored programming?
• Does the event provide for a wide selection of dietary needs and food choices? Does the event’s food selection appropriately accommodate individuals with food allergies, cultural dietary restrictions, and general food preferences?
• Does the event’s communication and promotional materials embrace diversity, equity and inclusion through the language used, images displayed, and storied told?

(City of Markham, 2020 p. 24).

Demonstrations and rallies

Demonstrations and rallies generally align with special interest causes and occur to raise interest or awareness either in support of or in opposition to specific topics, ideas or issues. Demonstrations and rallies opposing specific issues may also occur as protests. In Canada, these events often align with the rights and freedoms set out in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Constitution such as freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression and the freedom of peaceful assembly(Canadian Heritage, 2020). While the Canadian Constitution protects these and other rights, it does not make specific provision for demonstrations, rallies or protests. As such, the coordination of demonstrations, rallies or protests in various communities may be subject to local permitting processes and regulations (Legislative Assembly of Ontario, 2021).

Before planning a demonstration, rally or protest, organisers should connect with their local municipal special events office (and private event venue contact, if applicable) to discuss the opportunities and limitations applicable to these types of community events. Depending on the nature, scope, size and scale of the demonstration, operational requirements including road closure permits, paid duty police officers and private security officers are typically required to support participant and public safety at these events (Ottawa Police Service, 2021).

Emergency management and public safety

A number of high-profile accidents, incidents, and attacks on community events around the world in recent years has spurred the development of formal and rigorous emergency management and public safety practices among event professionals. Stage collapses, vehicle rammings, crowd surges, bomb threats and explosions have brought to light the of community events.

In response to these occurrences and in recognition of the risks to and posed by community events, a wealth of best practices, industry resources and safety standards now formalise the responsibility event organisers have for keeping event attendees and host communities safe.

Principles of Preparedness

Best practices for event safety generally align with the ‘Preparedness’ principles of emergency management that are prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery (Public Safety Canada, 2020). Preparedness as a practice allows for a better understanding of all event risks by all event stakeholders and can inform the development of common approaches for planning safe, sustainable and resilient events among community event professionals.

The table below offers a simplified review of event safety considerations that should be addressed by event organisers in the event planning process.

Table 8:9: Event safety considerations under the ‘Preparedness’ model

Best practices in ensuring appropriate event emergency management and public safety include:

• Adequately consideration, planning for and mitigating against event emergencies (i.e. lost child/person, site evacuation, inclement weather, fire, etc.);
• Conducting an event risk assessment;
• Ensuring the event has a current Emergency Action Plan or Event Safety Plan in place;
• Ensure that event staff and volunteers are trained in the actions set out under the Emergency Action Plan or Event Safety Plan; and
• Engaging the appropriate public safety experts and personnel to support the event’s safety plan and provide onsite emergency response support.

Event emergency management and public safety resources

Insurance considerations

Event-specific insurance policies cover event organisers and volunteers for liability claims made by another person related to injury, damage or loss sustained because of an event. Event insurance does not cover claims resulting from negligence on behalf of the event organiser or team for failing to appropriately plan for or mitigate an outcome determined to be preventable.

Municipalities in Canada require event organisers to obtain Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance coverage covering the event organiser, the event activity and the municipality. The value of insurance coverage can range per the requirements of the municipality, typically between $1 million and $5 million in total coverage. Additional coverages for specific liabilities may also be applicable in accordance with the risk elements of the event (i.e. alcohol, fireworks, vehicle coverage). Many municipalities require the event’s insurance policy to name the municipality as an Additional Insured and require original or electronic copies of the event’s insurance certificate.

Insurance policy premiums are payable to the insurance company or broker by the event organiser or their parent organisation. Insurance policy premiums vary widely in accordance with the event’s details, experience, risk mitigation efforts and past claims or payouts. Because of the unique nature of community events, some insurance brokers may or may not provide insurance coverage for specific activities. A limited number of insurance brokers in Canada specialise in comprehensive coverage for community events (K&K Insurance, 2021).

In order to protect the event and its team against liability, injury, damage or loss resulting from any other event stakeholders, it is best practice for the event team to ensure all applicable vendors, suppliers, sponsors, partners, performers, and other stakeholders retain their own CGL insurance, naming the event or its parent organisation as an Additional Insured.

Marketing and advertising

Marketing and advertising campaigns are key strategic communications efforts that drive stakeholder understanding for and engagement with community events. Core details typically captured in the marketing campaigns of community events include the ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’, ‘why’, ‘who’, and ‘how’ of the event.

5 W’s of Marketing

• WHAT – What is the event, what are the opportunities, what is available/not available?
• WHERE – Where is the event, location/address, facility details?
• WHEN – When is the event, date/time, single/multi-day schedule?
• WHY – Why is the event taking place (i.e. legacy, celebration, commemoration, etc.)?
• WHO – Who are the stakeholders, participants, attendees?
• HOW – How can stakeholders engage with the event? How will the event occur?

While these details comprise the basic ‘need-to-know’ information of any marketing campaign, the efforts of generating engagement in an excitement for a community event has evolved beyond the traditional 4 P’s of the Marketing Mix (Twin, 2021). The community event landscape is competitive, especially in Canada where the warm-weather months are limited and every weekend may be host to several events appealing for community support and attendance.

Event marketing best practices

Best practices for developing marketing and promotions for a community event include:

• Developing specific and measurable goals and objectives for communicating the event;
• Conducting a stakeholder analysis that segments the audience and determines their characteristics such as education level, location, demographics, motivations and prior knowledge (Ross, 2020);
• Conducting and/or using research to validate the need and inform the direction of the communications strategy (Ross, 2020);
• Developing a communications strategy that clearly speaks to the event’s stakeholder groups, and shares relevant and timely information;
• Leveraging the appropriate communications channels that target your audience; and
• Establishing key measurement and evaluation tactics to prove the success of your efforts and return on communications investment.