​During the busy holiday season, we partnered with a national experiential agency producing a multi-market, month long food truck tour for Maker’s Mark.  The tour stopped in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Louisville, Columbus and Cincinnati offering holiday treats to consumers in busy neighborhoods as well as encouraging people to make holiday donations to Share Our Strength.  While assisting our agency client, we secured all the venues and necessary permits required in each market. 
 
Contact Event Permit Experts today to secure permits for your next experiential activation or mobile marketing tour. Our experts will help you with all the logistics of securing event permits so you can focus on having a successful experiential activation.
 
Event permit locations: New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Louisville, Columbus and Cincinnati

1. Why are event permits so important?
Event permit requirements change constantly to meet the ever-evolving world of city and state governments. That is why you need a full understanding of event permits. All that information you provide for an event permit is just so the issuing agency and its individuals cannot be held liable in the case of negligence or accidents. An event permit is a legal document and it gives everyone involved peace of mind. The cost of an event permit is nominal compared to the cost of an event getting shut down by the authorities.

2. What is the biggest headache when it comes to obtaining an event permit?
They are not cheap and often when conceptualizing an event or planning one the client has forgotten to factor in event permit costs. In addition for one single event it is often a myriad of different permits that are required by the city authorities.

3. How soon should you think about trying to get permits for an event?
As soon as the client or brand has approved the event. Depending on the venue and the type of event permits that are required many event permits have strict lead times.

4. What is the most common event permitting mistake?
The biggest mistake would be telling yourself “we will get away with it.” Brands and agencies invest tons of time and hours in experiential events and the last thing you want is an event to get shut down before it even starts.

5. The second most common event permitting mistake?
Not giving enough detail. It is not enough to get an event permit- you need to get one that is specific to your event. The more detail you provide the better and the greater the chance you will have of having a successful event.

Event Permit Experts is comprised of a team of event permit professionals with the single goal of helping agencies and brands obtain event permits for their special event productions.  We have over 20 years of experience working with the decision makers at municipalities across the country. We work hard at building these relationships in order to help our clients execute flawless and legally compliant special events.  The event permitting process can often be a daunting and confusing process for many so we’re here to make it easy and offer a turnkey resource to handle this aspect of event production for our customers.  NEED HELP WITH YOUR EVENT PERMITS?  Click here to get a Free Event Permit Quote today.

With so many rules to follow from municipal, state, and federal bodies, it can be hard to stay on top of details. Event permit rules and regulations vary greatly from location to location, but here are 4 common event permit issues we see occur.

1: A License to Serve Alcohol 
Hiring a  a company to manage the alcohol? Or was the wine donated and your employees are serving it? Are underage students handing out glasses of champagne? Is there a difference between serving hard alcohol versus wine and beer? There are so many variations you need to call the local authorities and check on the event permit rules.

2: "A department of buildings permit for an event? Seriously?!"
The answer: Yes, no and sometimes. It varies by area, city, location and size of the event and the event structures.

3. "This is a tiny event, I'm not going to bother with an event permit."
The biggest mistake would be telling yourself “we will get away with it.” Brands and agencies invest tons of time and hours in experiential events and the last thing you want is an event to get shut down before it even starts because you didn't have the correct event permit.

4. Being too vague
Not giving enough detail. It is not enough to get an event permit- you need to get one that is specific to your event. The more detail you provide the better and the greater the chance you will have of having a successful event.

Keep these points in mind as you plan your event. Because laws change, it’s worth a phone call or two to ensure you’ve covered your bases.

Event Permit Experts is comprised of a team of event permit professionals with the single goal of helping agencies and brands obtain event permits for their special event productions.  We have over 20 years of experience working with the decision makers at municipalities across the country. We work hard at building these relationships in order to help our clients execute flawless and legally compliant special events.  The event permitting process can often be a daunting and confusing process for many so we’re here to make it easy and offer a turnkey resource to handle this aspect of event production for our customers.  NEED HELP WITH YOUR EVENT PERMITS?  Click here to get a Free Event Permit Quote today.

A checklist can be a big help to make sure you get all of the information you’ll need to compare the different venues and locations for your event. 

Facility/Venue/Location:
* Is it easy to locate the venue?
* Is it a high traffic location?
* How many cars will fit in the parking lot? Is there street parking in the area?
* Is there a sound system? Is it adequate for an auction (ask your auctioneer this)? Is there an additional charge to use it? Will someone be on hand the night of the event for any sound issues?
* Is there internet access you can use? Can you access it wirelessly? If not, will they allow you to run an ethernet cable to the place you want to set up check-in?
* What is the availability and location of loading area? 
* Can you control access to the main event space to make sure all guests are registered?
* Is there enough lighting (especially at the registration and check-out areas)? Can you easily control the lighting?
* How many – and what size/style – chairs and tables do they have for you to use?
* If you need more tables can the venue arrange rental?
* Are there storage areas and policies – will you be able to put boxes out of the way during the actual event, and can you leave large items overnight for pick up the next day?
* Does the ambiance fit with any theme you have already selected? (for example, if you’re planning a western theme, how will it work in a Victorian mansion)
* How many restrooms are there? Where are they?
* What are the rules about decorations (taping, stapling, etc.)?
* Are there height restrictions for installations?
* If event is over a couple days can you leave installations in place?
* What kind of security if any is provided (day and night)?
* Do I need to get an event permit? If so what permits will I need?

Food and Beverage:
* If you’re considering a cash bar: bartender cost and minimum hours, cashier charges, drink prices
* Costs of tax, service charge and/or gratuities
* Can you lock in the catering price at the time of contract?
* Food guarantee policies, is a guarantee required, and how many meals/desserts will be prepared beyond the guarantee?
* If you are required to choose from a list of preferred caterers, get that list
* Can you use a caterer not on their list?
* If you are restricted to one catering option get a copy of the menu with prices and ask:
* Is all table service equipment included in the cost?
* Will you able to taste the food before you commit?
* How many bars will be set up?

Other:
* Is the staff friendly and helpful?
* How much time will you have for move-in, set-up, tear-down and move-out – and what is the cost if you need more time?
* Do they have sample floor plans, preferably for a similar size event?
* What are your clean up responsibilities?

Event Permit Experts is comprised of a team of event permit professionals with the single goal of helping agencies and brands obtain event permits for their special event productions.  We have over 20 years of experience working with the decision makers at municipalities across the country. We work hard at building these relationships in order to help our clients execute flawless and legally compliant special events.  The event permitting process can often be a daunting and confusing process for many so we’re here to make it easy and offer a turnkey resource to handle this aspect of event production for our customers.  NEED HELP WITH YOUR EVENT PERMITS?  Click here to get a Free Event Permit Quote today.