3 Staging Secrets to Improve Your Sporting Event

 

 

There are two main types of sporting event: one is the big event with lots of different groups involved, the other is a smaller event, such as that run by a local club, with the aim of promoting a sport and attracting new members. Whatever the size of your event, there are some staging aspects you can’t avoid. Here are three staging considerations to think about when you start planning:

Make Barriers and Fences Work Harder

In sporting events, you have two types of active attendees: the athletes and the spectators. Neither stays still for long. You’ll need various types of barriers or fencing to either demarcate sporting areas or to keep spectators off running tracks or roadways.

They’re also useful to cordon off areas, say if you’re holding an outdoor sports event with various side attractions going on. Whenever possible, try to cater for all age groups, maybe having kids’ entertainment going on in a cordoned off area. Ideas include face painting or small competitive sports activities and games. Having barriers around these areas is good for safety, but it also shows people where to queue if the activity is popular.

In road races such as cycling or running, you’ll need crowd control barriers that prevent those watching straying into the path of athletes. Maybe you won’t need them all along the route, but in prime observing locations it may be necessary to erect a secure barrier that people can’t cross. Some kind of barrier system is also a good idea at finish lines as these often attract large crowds.

Seating

If you’re holding a sporting event in a local field, you’ll likely need some tiered seating around the sports activity area so everyone can be comfortable as well as getting a good view of the action. Events held in a sports hall or similar may benefit from bespoke seating arrangements too. Modular tiered seating is available for hire from specialist staging companies.

Some indoor venues may also benefit from this kind of seating, especially in individual sports where there is a show element, such as gymnastics or martial arts.

Another type of seating to consider is dining, grouped around catering vans or pop up kitchens. Cordoning off catering areas creates zones that people can identify with, as well as offering resting places.

Stages

Do you need a stage? Consider how you’ll announce each event, name athletes taking part, celebrate winners and encourage runners up? Spectators will expect some kind of commentary to keep them informed about what’s happening. You may also want to provide music between events, or to accompany certain sports that have a dance element. Decide what kind of stage and PA system you’ll need, from full stage decks to single decks for a speaker.

Along with the stage, you’ll likely need amplification and power, so there are cables to consider and how you’ll ensure these are safe in a public place.

Professional stage systems come in all shapes and sizes to suit all kinds of events, both indoors and out. Considerations include what size stage you need, and how strong it needs to be which will vary depending on what’s happening on the stage. Professional stage providers can help you determine what’s needed, and hire choices include either having it assembled for you on site or assembling and dismantling it yourself. If you’re arranging assembly yourself, make sure you get full instructions and drawings.

And finally, don’t forget to arrange insurances and licences, promote like mad, and capture contact details such as email addresses from those who attend so you can follow up afterwards.