It’s been decided. You, your school or your company are going to host a car show. You may either do it in the open air or in a large shed or marquee. And so you begin your planning. It’s really easiest if you can find one place that can offer the best equipment hire Melbourne can do. There are also many other ways you can simplify the planning so both you and the car enthusiasts enjoy the final result.
What exactly do you need to plan for such a show?
Decide on the Type of Car Show
You can choose to showcase classic cars, antique cars, vintage cars or even American cars from the 50s if you like. Do a little research to see what types of cars are available in your area. However, if the event is big enough, car owners will come from far and wide to display their pride and joy.
Check a Local Events Calendar for Clashes
You’ll need to see if there are any other car shows around the time you want to do yours. Be sure to plan well in advance, and to notify car associations or organisations of your planned event.
Set a Budget
Factor in all costs:
- Venue
- Marquee
- Equipment
- Portable toilets
- Bouncy castles for kids
- Crowd-control barriers
- Permits
- Booking fees
They all require money.
You’ll need to start finding the money straight away, and to get sponsors, you’ll need to have that budget on hand.
Find a Venue
Your event needs to be in the best place locally where people will travel to easily. A local park, a school, church, or even a business with large parking space will work. Find somewhere with enough parking space for visitors and special cars.
If you don’t have toilets accessible, you’ll need to hire quite a large number. Check with your local council how many are required per 100 people to plan effectively.
Get Necessary Permits and Permissions
Contact local authorities for planning and permissions. You may need to have firemen or First-Aiders on duty. If you do a road rally at any point, you’ll require policemen and road marshals.
You may also want street closures, building and safety inspectors—the list goes on. It’s well worth asking for advice from your local city council.
Set up a Booking Website
Ensure that you have a place where people can book their tickets. There are plenty of booking sites for events that charge a nominal fee. And if your event’s proceeds go towards a charity, there’s often no fee. You don’t have to set up your own website. All the necessary payment options are already part of the host website.
Tip: Set up pre-registration and offer a discounted fee for early booking—this way you can get some money in advance to cover your costs.
Advertise
Advertise far and wide—car magazines and newsletters, newspapers, and social media. It’s important to get the word out to all relevant supporters in the area, but even in other cities and towns.
Find Vendors and Sponsors
It’s important to find people who can sponsor the event. Ask around at car dealers, mechanics, car spares shops, and car clubs. The benefit for them is the opportunity to set up a sponsor booth at the show.
Then you also need to shop around for reputable food vendors. Find people who will cook and sell food without needing input from you. Hotdogs, snacks, and other hot foods of various types are popular at these events. Cool drinks, coffees, sweets or even health foods can be on offer too.
You’ll probably need several vendors. Ask how much they will charge for their products—and taste their wares. Don’t simply go for the cheapest because you want people to enjoy everything about the day.
Obtain Insurance
You’ll need insurance to cover possible theft or damages. The venue will generally require proof of insurance to operate on their property. Most car shows have expensive cars present—it’s best to cover any eventuality.
Find an MC and DJ
If you run an event where you wish to encourage people to buy goods or where there will be prizes, get an MC. Yes, this is an extra cost, but it may be well worth your while to get people excited to join in activities.
Also, a DJ will be able to find music that’s relevant to the crowd that will attend. Supporters often tend to from older generations, so ask the DJ to consider the audience when picking tracks.
Your MC and DJ will need to work in tandem, so make sure they’re team players.
Specifics for the Day
There will be plenty to do in terms of putting up signs and crowd-control barriers. You’ll need to spray paint markers for cars to park, as well as areas for vendors to set up. For spectators, you need seating and shade, too.
[Conclusion]
There’s a lot to plan for car shows, but it’s a fun thing to do. This article has given a very broad outline of what you need to do. If you have a specific question, please share in the comments.
Angela Spearman is a journalist at EzineMark who enjoys writing about the latest trending technology and business news.