Sensational Site Inspections

Ahhh the art of the site inspection…

A key component of the successful execution of a cirque event!

Photo by Amara Studios

After investing the time and energy into your site visit you should come away with all of the information you require. I have developed a checklist [which is forever growing by the way] that I’d like to share with you to help minimize your “oops I forgot to ask…” moments.

When visiting a site, ensure that your client, the venue manager, the AV point-person and your head rigger are present. Having all parties involved in the conversation will help streamline your communication process.

Have you ever been part of “the group email” where “reply all” is a necessary function of keeping everyone in the loop? This past year A2D2 was involved in an event which took place on the other side of the country. Because a joint site visit was not possible from the onset there must have been hundreds  of emails which flew back and forth between all of the parties listed above.  It was a difficult process to say the least, but in the end our contribution to the event was spectacular. It would have been far better though to have had the site inspection right off the bat.

For the times that site visits are doable, make sure you take advantage of the opportunity and make the most of it! If you are traveling out-of-town to do a site visit, it is ideal to have your contract and deposit in place BEFORE making the trip.

Julie’s Site Checklist:

Upon Arrival:

1. Exchange handshakes and business cards with all parties involved in the meeting [your client, the venue manager, the AV point-person and your head rigger]
2. Bring a camera
3. Bring a note pad & pen
   

Event Set-up:

1. Where are the loading docks located?
2. Are the LDs accessible only certain times of the day?
3. What time can we load in?
4. Will there be staff to assist with load in?
5. Who will be your on-site contact person? [obtain their cell number]
6. How big is the dance floor?
7. How tall is the dance floor?
8. How tall are the ceilings?
9. Rigging Protocol [is the venue a union or non-union house]
10. What kind of beams are in the ceiling? [I-beams, L-beams, etc]
11. What are the ratings on your rigging points?
12. Is there a lift available? [Boom, Geni, Scissor etc]
13. Is there storage area available for excess equipment?
14. Obtain a ceiling plan!
15. Obtain an AV lighting grid plan!
16. Obtain a floor plan!
17. Does cirque equipment need to be swagged away or can it stay as is for the duration of the event?

Event Execution:

1. Obtain a master event time line from the planner!
2. Is there parking on site? If not, where is the closest parking available?
3. Are there parking passes available for artists and crew?
4. Is there a private and secure change room for the performers to use throughout the duration of the event?
5. Does the change room have the following: [1] mirrors, [2] chairs, [3] tables, [4] washroom [5] electrical outlets?
6. Is the change room heated?
7. Is there a warm up area [a quiet room preferable]

Event Strike:

1. What time is tear down?
2. Is the lift accessible at that time?
3. Are the loading docks accessible at that time?
4. Will there be staff to assist with load-out?

Friends, as I said at the beginning of this post, my list is constantly growing.

Do you have anything to add?

I’d love to hear your thoughts

Tagged as: a2d2, business, check list, circus, Events, lift operation, rigging, site inspection, site visit, special events