Booking Event Management for a Festival in England: A Practical Checklist

Matthew Hampshire
Aug 5
6 min read

MCF 2025 With Skinny Living playing outside Wakefield Cathedral

Booking an event management company for a festival in England starts with defining the support you need, preparing an initial event brief and confirming which licences, safety plans and suppliers will be required.

Some organisers need help coordinating contractors. Others require one company to take responsibility for the complete festival, including planning, event safety, technical production, site infrastructure and delivery.

This practical checklist explains what to prepare, what to ask potential event management companies and what should be included within their proposal.

1. Define the Scope of Event Management

The term “event management” can describe anything from basic supplier coordination to the complete planning and delivery of a festival.

Before contacting an event management company, prepare a short brief covering:

Festival type and format
Proposed date and operating times
Indoor or outdoor location
Private, public or council owned land
Expected attendance and site capacity
Entertainment and activities
Alcohol, catering and traders
Your available budget
Services you want the company to manage

Festival event management can include:

Event planning and project management
Event safety management
Licensing support
Site design and infrastructure
Crowd management
Traffic and parking management
Security, stewarding and medical provision
Technical production
Power distribution
Supplier and trader coordination
Event control
On site delivery

Clearly defining the scope allows event management companies to provide a detailed proposal instead of an unclear price for general “management”.

2. Start Festival Safety Planning Early

Safety planning should begin while the festival concept and site layout are still being developed.

The Health and Safety Executive advises event organisers to plan, manage and review event safety. Its guidance covers areas including venue design, crowd management, barriers and transport. It also highlights the importance of identifying hazards, assessing crowd safety risks, establishing clear responsibilities and planning for incidents and emergencies. HSE event safety guidance

Your festival event management company should be able to produce or coordinate documents such as:

Event Management Plan
Event Safety Plan
Risk assessments
Fire risk assessment
Crowd Management Plan
Emergency and evacuation plan
Traffic Management Plan
Medical plan
Security and stewarding plan
Adverse weather plan
Lost child and safeguarding procedures
Noise Management Plan
Contractor and supplier information
Incident reporting procedures

These documents must relate specifically to the festival, site and audience. Copying generic plans from another event is unlikely to address the actual risks involved.

Festival safety should influence the site design, supplier selection and operating plan from the beginning.

3. Establish the Licensing Route

The permissions required for a festival in England depend on the location, attendance and activities taking place.

Potential requirements include:

Premises licence
Temporary Event Notice
Street trading consent
Landowner permission
Road closure orders
Music licensing
Alcohol licensing
Planning permission
Local authority consent

A Temporary Event Notice can cover certain licensable activities at an unlicensed premises, including selling alcohol, providing some forms of entertainment and serving hot food or drink between 11pm and 5am. However, a TEN can only be used where fewer than 500 people, including staff, will be present at any time. A standard TEN must normally be submitted at least 10 clear working days before the event. GOV.UK Temporary Event Notice guidance

Larger festivals or events with more complex requirements may need a premises licence instead.

If traders will be selling from streets or public areas, contact the relevant local authority to establish whether street trading consent is required. Requirements and application times vary between councils. GOV.UK street trading guidance

Do not wait until the final weeks to investigate licensing. The chosen licensing route can affect the festival programme, site capacity, management structure and delivery timeline.

4. Prepare a Festival Event Management Brief

A useful brief should give potential event management companies enough information to understand the size and complexity of the project.

Include:

Festival objectives
Dates and opening hours
Build and removal dates
Site address and landowner
Estimated attendance
Target audience
Draft site plan
Proposed programme
Alcohol and catering arrangements
Traders and attractions
Technical production requirements
Existing suppliers
Available budget
Responsibilities you want the company to take on

If some details are still unknown, identify them as decisions that need to be developed with the appointed event management team.

5. Check the Company’s Experience and Capabilities

The lowest quote may not offer the level of management your festival requires.

Ask shortlisted event management companies for evidence of:

Experience delivering comparable events
Public liability insurance
Professional indemnity insurance where appropriate
Health and safety competence
Suitable risk assessment procedures
Contractor management processes
Relevant event case studies
A clear staffing structure
Access to trusted suppliers
Experience liaising with councils and other authorities

You should also establish whether the company provides services directly or intends to subcontract most of the delivery.

A company that can manage both event operations and technical production may reduce the number of separate suppliers involved. This can improve communication between the stage, site, power, lighting, audio and event management teams.

6. Request a Proposal Based on Deliverables

Ask each company to describe exactly what its fee includes.

Useful deliverables might include:

Project management meetings
Event Management Plan
Safety documentation
Site plans
Licensing support
Contractor coordination
Production schedules
Supplier procurement
Event control procedures
Site inspections
Staff briefings
On site management
Post event reporting

The proposal should also state what is excluded, which services require separate suppliers and what information the organiser must provide.

7. Agree Responsibilities and Approval Points

Every important task should have a named person responsible for completing it.

Confirm:

Who acts as Event Director
Who manages event safety
Who produces each safety document
Who communicates with the local authority
Who appoints contractors
Who checks supplier documentation
Who approves the final site plan
Who commissions temporary structures and barriers
Who leads event control
Who can delay, change or cancel the event

Clear responsibilities reduce the risk of important tasks being assumed rather than completed.

8. Build a Practical Festival Planning Timeline

The time required will depend on the festival’s size, location and licensing route. A useful sequence is:

Initial planning

Confirm the concept, site, proposed dates, budget and attendance.

Supplier appointment

Appoint the event management team and other key contractors.

Detailed development

Produce the site design, safety plans, production requirements and staffing assumptions.

Applications and consultation

Submit licence applications and begin any required discussions with the local authority, landowner or Safety Advisory Group.

Final planning

Confirm suppliers, staffing, event control procedures, emergency arrangements and public information.

Event delivery

Complete the site build, inspections, contractor briefings and final readiness checks before opening.

What Should a Festival Event Management Company Handle?

A full service festival event management company should be able to coordinate the planning, safety, suppliers, site operations and live delivery of the event.

At Phantom Production Design, we can support festivals with:

Complete event planning and management
Event safety documentation
Licensing and local authority liaison
Site and infrastructure planning
Traffic and parking management
Supplier and contractor coordination
Audio, lighting and video production
Staging and rigging
Temporary power
Marquees, fencing, furniture and signage
Event control and on site management

Our combined event management and production service gives organisers one experienced team overseeing both the operational and technical delivery of their festival.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far in advance should I book festival event management?

For a public festival, you should ideally appoint your event management company during the early planning stage. Larger festivals, public land events and events requiring licence applications can require several months of preparation.

Can an event management company arrange festival licences?

An event management company can identify likely requirements, prepare supporting information and liaise with the relevant authorities. Some applications must still be made or formally authorised by the organiser, premises user or another named individual.

How much does festival event management cost?

The cost depends on the attendance, duration, location, programme and level of responsibility involved. A detailed brief allows the event management company to price specific planning and delivery services.

Do I need event management for a small festival?

Even a small festival requires someone to take responsibility for planning, safety, suppliers and delivery. An external company may manage the entire event or support the organiser with specific areas such as safety, licensing, production or site infrastructure.

Planning a Festival in England?