I feel sorry for most festival
organizers when it comes to event parking. It’s a no win situation, but it is a
problem that needs to be addressed head-on. And, the problem doesn’t end on
where to park festival visitors. It also involves dealing with local businesses
and residents. These people must be considered, otherwise your festival or
event will be plagued with complaints from angry citizens, and angry citizens
usually translate into uncooperative politicians and bureaucrats. Along with
parking challenges comes traffic control during the event. That’s why forming a
parking and traffic control committee early in the planning process is very
important. I know there are a lot of festival committees out there that feel
that they have plenty of existing parking so why bother planning. I guess
that’s fine if you are only planning a small local festival, but if you are
looking for out-of-town visitors, a having planned parking and traffic control is
a must! Even if it’s just to have directional signage! Careful thought early in
the game will mean fewer problems during your event. It’s not just the BIG
picture that needs to be considered, it’s the small details too. Having the event
committee consider all aspects of parking and traffic control, including
consultation with the community (officials
and businesses), will help eliminate future problems. Having contingency
plans is also important. Real-time challenges WILL come up, so being prepared is always wise!
(To
be continued – Part Two)
No comments:
Post a Comment