Planning for Outdoor Events

In the summer, most events you find in your local area are usually outside. If yours is a product you know can go out, you'll need to plan ahead, and plan well.

Use the following as a checklist for your next outdoor event.

- Bring a tent or canopy
An absolute must for keeping your products out of the sun so they won't fade or be damaged by extreme heat. You'll also keep yourself more comfortable staying out of the sun.

- Bring weights for tent
A very minor detail, but if it's even slightly windy you could have problems. You don't have to invest a whole lot into your tent, especially if you can use weights with it. The easier it is to put up and take down, the better. Using weights give your cheap tent added sturdiness.

- Wear light clothing
If its summer, it's going to be hot. Be sure to wear light colored clothes and something that will keep you cool. Nice tank tops, short sleeves, etc are fine just as long as they look nice.

- Wear sun screen
Even if your products are in the shade, you might not be. At our last event, my main concern was keeping the candles out of the sun and adjusting our table as need be as the sun moved. Unfortunately, I paid no attention to my back faced to the sun and was burnt pretty badly. Remember to take care of yourself as well as your products!

- Bring water
You’ll want to make sure you have plenty of water or other liquids to keep yourself hydrated. Being in the heat for too long can easily dehydrate your body without you even noticing.

In addition to making sure you have the supplies above, you'll also need to be ready for any type of weather. It could be hot and sunny, or it could be cool and raining. If it's just sprinkling, the event could be going as normal. With a sturdy tent you should be alright, but make sure it will hold up in just about any condition that wouldn't cancel an event.

You should also plan to pack up quickly should the weather turn from bad to worse. Check your local weather the day of the event so you'll have an idea of what to expect. If storms are a possibility, have your boxes under the table and only pull out items which can be put away quickly. You don't want to miss the event completely, but you also don't want to put all your stock at risk.

While none of us can fully predict what the weather will be, we can at least plan for the worst and hope for the best. Outdoor events can be a pain sometimes and even a loss, but when the conditions are right they can be extremely profitable!