The Tasman District is a vibrant region that hosts a wide range of festivals and events. Tasman District Council acknowledges the contribution these events make to the communities social and economic development.
Below we provide some guidelines to help you to plan and manage your event in the Tasman District. Depending on the event, you may be required to apply for consents, permits, licenses, insurance and booking council venues and parks. You may also need to provide the Council with an event safety plan and this will be dependent on the risks associated with the event.
An event plan that identifies tasks and when they need to be completed should be prepared no matter the scale of the event. This makes it easier to control the numerous tasks involved, reduces the risk of tasks being forgotten, allows monitoring of progress and allocates responsibility accordingly.
The event plan should contain the following information, as applicable:
What are you trying to achieve with this event? Some of the examples may be ‘to fundraise for a local community library’, ‘to celebrate a new cycleway’, ‘to educate the community about the importance of sustainable living’. It is important to identify the purpose of the event to be able to communicate it to your partners, funders and to the community.
Choose an event name that reflects the event and/or audience, and prepare a statement which summaries the event and gives potential partners an understanding of your (event) vision.
Who are your target audience for the event? It can be as broad as the community of Richmond, or as specific as females from 12 to 24 years old, living in Motueka. If you know your target audience, it may be easier to forecast expected numbers for catering and budgeting purposes. If the target audience is specific or the expected number is small, you may like to ask people to RSVP.
If you welcome everyone at your event, make sure to be inclusive. If you want this event to appeal to a broader audience, consider things like, bilingual signs, disability access and use simple language without jargon.
Planning and running events may be very challenging for a single person. It is always more fun to work with your friends or invite other community or business partners. You can use our local FOUND database or simply contact Tasman District Council staff at [email protected]
Check that no other local events are scheduled to clash with your event. You can check to see what events are happening on the Its On website www.itson.co.nz. Consider back-up dates or an indoor location for wet weather options. Ensure there is sufficient time to plan and prepare for the event. Please note: all event listings will be through EventFinda from 9 December 2024.
The right venue can have a big impact on the success of an event. The facilities need to be adequate for the size of the crowd expected. Consider hazards, parking, traffic flow, impact on local environment, proximity to/access of emergency services, entry and exit, disabled access, access to services such as water, toilets and power. Environmental conditions need to be considered when staging outdoor events, such as sheltered areas to account for prevailing wind, rain, sun, and cold conditions.
Neighbouring residents and businesses should be considered and need to be kept well informed. Work collaboratively through any issues that may arise. Authorities such as Police and Council should also be informed early and kept updated.
Make a detailed drawing of how your event is going to be laid out. When drawn to scale it allows you to methodically work through your event to make sure it logistically fits together, and is an essential event briefing document for contractors and event staff.
The success of an event has much to do with the event programme and the entertainment provided. The entertainment and activities planned for the event will depend on the budget, theme and type of event, target audience, importance of entertainment and availability of entertainers.
An array of promotional media are available to communicate your event to your intended audience, including social media, events listing websites like www.itson.co.nz, posters, billboards, radio broadcast, and direct marketing strategies.
We may be able to put your event on the notice board at the Sundial Square, advertise it in Newsline, promote on the Tasman District Council and Youth Council Facebook pages.
You will need to plan for event pack down duties, which involves cleaning up the venue/site and returning it to its original condition. This includes removing all rubbish and waste, taking down signage, dismantling infrastructure and returning hired equipment.
Once the dust settles, it is good practice to carry out a debrief session with event personnel to identify what worked well and improvements for next time. It is also recommended to acknowledge the input of all involved. A thank you letter to key stakeholders, sponsors, contractors and event volunteers is advisable.
Administration duties include paying any outstanding invoices and completing reporting criteria which is often attached to funding grants.
If you are holding a big event in a Tasman District Council park or a reserve, you must book it first. Please apply at least 60 days prior to the event. Read more about booking a park and complete the online booking form.
Things we recommend to consider when choosing your location:
Site plan
You may use Google maps to draw a site plan with a detailed legend; this will help you to position equipment and temporary infrastructure in appropriate locations.
Signage
Clear, visible and informative event signage ensures event goers can navigate easily to and around the venue. Signs with rules relating to entry conditions should be located so that patrons see them before entering the event.
Affected parties
Consider neighbours and businesses in the proximity of your location. Consult with them and keep them well informed to work collaboratively through any issues that may arise. You may also need to inform Police, St John and Council.
Once you've figured out the costs of your event, it is time to plan how are you going to cover them. There are three elements to funding an event: community funding, sponsorship and event revenue.
Community Funding
Apply to community contestable funding grants, for example, Tasman District Council's Community Grants, Tasman Creative Communities, Community Trusts, and Rata Foundation. Check out Grant Guru to see what else is available.
Crowd Funding
Crowdfunding can be used as alternative funding or it can be complementary to funding grants. It is particularly useful for new events to test community interest and support. An example is Pledge Me.
Sponsorship
Local businesses may be interested in covering some costs of your event or helping out with resources and equipment.
Event Revenue
Although event ticketing can assist with funding an event, we recommend carefully considering the financial capability of your target audience first. You can sell tickets prior (pre-sales) to an event, which can provide an income boost and allows the organisers to predict numbers, or at the event. Event revenue income can also be generated via charging stallholder fees for trading.
Workforce
If you need to fill any roles on the day of the event, Volunteer Nelson may have some volunteers that can help. Contact them in advance to advertise for volunteer roles available at your event.
We ask all event organisers to reduce the overall amount of generated waste. We suggest that event attendees bring their own reusable cups, cutlery and crockery, water bottles and bags. To encourage people to bring their own, you can dowload Zero Waste BYO Reusables logo and use it in your promotional materials.
Zero waste event BYO reusables logo
Zero waste event BYO reusables logo white text
Zero waste event BYO reusables logo (jpg version)
We also encourage you to organise recycling and composting where possible. Below you can find helpful information on how to manage waste at events organised in the Tasman District.
Reusable Options at Events.pdf (pdf 228 KB)
Staff and Volunteers Guide.pdf (pdf 38 KB)
Rethink Waste event BYO cups plates cutlery poster.pdf (pdf 81 KB)
Rethink Waste BYO cups poster.pdf (pdf 65 KB)
Rethink Waste reusables welcome poster.pdf (pdf 57 KB)
Tasman District Council staff help event organisers to create a waste management plan and achieve the most appropriate way of minimising waste at events. Please contact Tasman District Council staff to assist with your Waste Minimisation Plan [email protected]
We have Waste Minimisation Grants available to help event organisers to reduce the amount of waste at an event, using a wide range of waste minimisation initiatives.
The aim is to also raise awareness of recycling, recovery, and composting in the community for those attending the events.
Grants of up to $500 are available. Applications are open all year round but you must use the funding within six months of receiving it.
Risk management is a key responsibility of the event organiser. Effective risk management identifies the risks and then considers the options to eliminate/reduce the risk. Do not overlook this process or shortcut it, effective risk management minimises potential negative outcomes, costs and liabilities and leads to a safer, more successful and enjoyable event. When you plan an event, you are responsible for the safety of everyone at the event.
You need to develop a clear action plan to ensure the safety of staff, volunteers and the public. Provision of first aid/emergency medical services is crucial at any event where there is potential risk to patrons or performers. First aid services are included in the communication system allowing them to communicate efficiently with the security staff, event manager, health and safety crew, police and other emergency services.
The template below will provide you with an idea of how your Health & Safety plan may look like.
Traffic management is a costly process, so try to plan events off the roads where possible. However if the purpose or the specifics of your event require to use a road or may cause high traffic volumes and congestion, you must apply for a road closure at least 60 days in advance. All road closures must be advertised to the public.
Some streets may qualify for Play Street events (low-risk events in quiet neighbourhoods) where no traffic management plan is required. To check if your street is eligible for Play Streets contact Yulia Panfylova at [email protected]
As an event organiser, you need to ensure that all participating food vendors at your event have a health registration certificate.
If you are selling food for fundraising, a health registration is not required if they sell food less than 19 times a year.
Collect and submit all vendors’ registration information at least 60 days prior to your event.
Read more information on food business licences.
If you want to sell alcohol at your event, you'll need to obtain a special alochol licence.
You'll need to submit your application at least 20 working days before your event.
Permits are generally needed for all fireworks and for outdoor fires.
Read more information on fire permits on the Fire and Emergency website.
The Tasman District Council has a bylaw that controls certain activities that may take place in a public place.
The types of activities covered by the bylaw that may require a licence or a permit are:
Applying for resource consent is required for activities that have an effect on the environment.
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