Sportssheet Sport, Leisure & Olympics Service, Kent County Council

Sports Events
Checklist
Sports events are organised for a variety of • For major events, it may be sensible to establish specialist
sub-committees with individual knowledge about
reasons, including fundraising, recruitment particular aspects of the work involved. This should
of members, enhancing public awareness and include an Event Safety Management Team to liaise
with emergency services, local authorities, existing venue
celebration. A successful event, whether of managers, stewarding and security contractors, staging
national, regional, county or local significance, and electrical contractors and health & safety
requires thorough and detailed planning well in co-ordinators.

advance of the day. • Clear communication lines should be established and

maintained throughout the planning stage and during
This ‘SPORTSsheet’ provides a checklist of issues which the event.
sports clubs, governing bodies or associations should • All bookings, decisions and transactions prior to the
consider in the planning of events. Although similar event should be put in writing to ensure clarity and to
checklists have been produced by other organisations, provide a record.
this attempts to provide greater comprehensiveness, and
is written to assist sports event organisers in Kent. • Targets and deadlines for the period leading up to the
event should be set to ensure that key stages are
This ‘SPORTSsheet’ does not provide information on how to not missed.
plan an event, nor on fundraising for events, but the Unit
• Make sure that helpers know their roles on the day, and
may be able to provide advice on these issues for events of
that there are enough ‘free hands’ on the day to react as
County significance.
required. Ensure that helpers are adequately trained and
However, the following few ‘ground rules’ for event equipped where necessary to undertake the duties
organisers should be considered: required of them.
• Plan for contingencies – consider bad weather
arrangements, emergency procedures, health and safety
Event ‘Ground Rules’ implications, insurance policies etc.
• The whole organisation and the co-ordinating committee • Throughout the event planning process, you should
should understand the purpose and objectives of continually address the key questions of ‘who’, ‘what’,
the event. ‘when’, ‘why’ and ‘how’.
• The venue should have a site suitability assessment
undertaken to include (where necessary) ground
conditions, traffic and pedestrian routes, topography,
location of available services, i.e. water, electricity,
audience capacity, etc.
• There should be an event manager appointed, who will
be the ‘contact’ in pre-planning, and on the day. Duties,
roles and responsibilities should be allocated as early as
possible in the planning stages, and authority should
be delegated.
Greening Your Event The Sports Events Checklist
It is important to remember that events can harm our The following checklist is provided to enable sports event
environment. By making the correct choices we could organisers to consider a range of issues which should be
reduce our impact considerably. Below are some pointers to considered in planning an event. The earlier it is used in the
reduce the impact of your event. event planning process, the better. It is appropriate to use
the checklist for both small and large events.
• All events should aim to use the minimum amount of
energy required. When using the checklist in your event planning, you should
ensure that you consider each issue as it relates to the
• Minimise lighting needed by making use of natural light phases of Pre-Event, Event, Post-Event. For example, with
wherever possible. the issue of VIPs, one should consider planning for
• Water usage should be kept to a minimum. the following:
• Tap water should be supplied to eliminate mileage and Pre-Event
waste arising from bottled water. • who to invite
• invitations to be printed
• Recycling facilities are made available on site to match • time-scale to invite
the types of wastes likely to be produced. • supporting literature to accompany invitations
• Order only what you will need and what you will use for Event
the foreseeable future. • arrival arrangements
• Aim to re-use where possible. This could include food • meeting VIPs and tour of event
such as fruit kept for later consumption and printed • seating / accommodation arrangements
materials that could be used again. Post-Event
• If they are needed, provide reusable name badges and • departure times
collect them at the end of the event. • ‘thank you’ and follow up correspondence
• Influence your suppliers eg caterers should be asked to Because a checklist cannot purport to be entirely
minimise waste caused by excess packaging and non comprehensive, it should not be necessarily the only
recyclable containers. Ensure over catering is minimised. reference document used by event organisers.
• Aim to use recycled paper (min 80% recycled content)
and print or copy double sided where needed. A
• Select suppliers who have an environmental Accommodation – for guests, officials, participants
and spectators
improvement programme in place eg ISO 14001
Accounts
or EMAS. Accoustics
• Make specific requests for certain facilities to be made Accreditation / reception
available, such as recycling. Acknowledgements
Administration
• Provide freebies made from recycled materials – avoid Admission
plastic bags. Advertising
Aims and objectives of event
Additional information is available from GOSE Greener Announcements – by whom, how, when and where?
Events Checklist – Arrival and departure arrangements – for people and cars
Artwork
http://www.oursouthwest.com/SusBus/greener-events.pdf Audio-visual displays

Delivering The Legacy w w w. k e n t s p o r t . o r g

 Exhibitors / traders
B Exits
Bouquets
Briefings and debriefings – for organisers and helpers F
Budgeting procedures Facilities on site – dimensions, suitability
Franchise arrangements
C Finance
Car parking – area / zoning – for public, officials, guests / Flags and bunting
dignitaries, participants and spectators Fundraising – before and during the event
Cash handling
Catering H
Ceremonies
Health and safety
Changing rooms – for officials and teams
Hire arrangements – of facilities for activities, seating,
Charging policy – and fee levels
equipment and staff
Civic receptions
Hospitality
Circulation and movement around site
Hosting
Cleaning the site before and during the event
Clearing away / dismantling after the event
Cloakroom I
Committees Identification name badges and security passes
Communication – chain for command before and during the Information packs – for distribution to delegates, guests,
event – method e.g. ‘walkie-talkie’? performers and spectators
Competition results – recording and displaying Insurance
Complimentary tickets Interpreters
Concessionaires Invitations
Confirmations – of attendance, speakers, guests and
participants. L
Contingency plans / wet weather arrangements Leaflets
Co-ordinator for the event Legal aspects – contracts, legislation such as Health & Safety
Control points for police and event co-ordinator Acts, Fire Prevention Acts and Data Protection Act
Copyright / data protection Licences – e.g. fire certificate, public entertainments licence,
Creche / child play facilities performing rights and phonographic performance licences
Logo
D Lost property
Date of event (and of other similar or competing events)
Decoration M
Delegates list Maps – to site and off site / facilities
Diplomacy Marketing
Disabled (arrangements for) Media – press (press releases, press packs, press box), television
Documentation e.g. site passes and identification (lighting, camera positions, space for rigging, power sources),
Drug testing area and procedures radio (interview areas)
Medical provision – first aid / St John’s Ambulance Brigade
E Meetings – programme of scheduled meetings leading up to,
Electricity supply during and after event
Emergency procedures – bomb, fire, chemical spillage, Monitoring and evaluating for the next event
drowning, evacuation procedure Muster points e.g. lost person arrangements
Emergency services – fire, police, ambulance
Entertainments – pre-event and interval N
Estimates of income and expenditure Noticeboards

Sports Events
Checklist

Sportssheet
Sports Events
Checklist
Sportssheet

Sponsorship – ‘sponsors spot’, looking after sponsors

O Static Displays
Office accommodation Staff - paid and unpaid
Officials – referees, timekeepers, scorers Stewards
Organisation structure
T
P Target audience (spectators, participants and guests)
Patents / trademarks Technical equipment
Patrons Telephone arrangements
Photography – to display at the event, staged photograph Theme – of event or elements of it
opportunities for the media, allocate photographs after the Tickets
event with further press releases Timekeeping
Police – notification and presence at the event Toilets
Postage / mailings Traffic Control
Posters Training
Practise and warm-up area Transport – to site, throughout site
Printing Trophies, medals and certificates
Prizes
Programme / itinerary for the event U
Programme printed – format, quality, method of distribution Uniforms
Protocol – e.g. meeting guests, seating arrangements, vote
of thanks
V
Publicity Venue / site
Public Address System – commentary, announcements, Videoing
interpreter VIPs
Voluntary helpers and organisations
R
Receptions
W
Recording of decisions made during event planning Water Supply
Refreshments for organisers, guests, spectators and participants Work Schedules for all members of organising committees
Registration
Research For more information and advice on planning events visit
Responsibilities – who does what, when, where and how www.kentsport.org or contact 01622 605 054
S
Sales and souvenirs This publication was produced in an environmentally
Scoreboards friendly way using non-bleached paper from sustainable
forests and up to 50% recycled paper.
Seating arrangements – reserved seats?
Security – of site and VIPs
Signposts – to and throughout the site
Spectator arrangements (including spectator flow and crowd
pressure points)
Special guests, stars and personalities
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