Protect Your Equipment On-Site at Events - Best practices
Your equipment is one of the most important and valuable investments in your business. During the rush of events, travel, and more, it can be easy to accidentally damage or otherwise compromise the tools that you rely on most. By learning how to employ proper planning and these industry tips, you can minimize your risk as much as possible. In this article, we explore the top six ways to protect your equipment.
1. Plan ahead to avoid last-minute travel
The first step begins before you even arrive on site. Planning ahead and using a check-in and check-out system for equipment can help you to protect your equipment from last-minute rushes and potential damage. These situations can lead to improper packing, management, hurried travel, and more. By using a software system or other method of tracking that offers all team members clear insight about where equipment is at all times and can allow you to adequately plan and prepare for your next event.
2. Handle all maintenance needs quickly and efficiently
There may be times when you are on-site and find that your equipment needs a tune-up. Handling this as quickly as possible can help to prevent further complications and otherwise irreparable damage to your equipment. If this sounds like your worst nightmare, that’s probably because it is — nobody wants broken equipment at an event! Prevention is the key here as well, and regular pre-checks and routine maintenance can help to minimize this risk as much as possible.
3. Keep track of the equipment at all times
During busy or large-scale events, it’s easy to experience overwhelm and have your equipment get lost between ballrooms or en route to your next stop. Because of this, one of the most important things that you can do is to keep track of your equipment at all times. There are many different ways to do this, one of the most effective being QR code tags. Platforms and software solutions such as Itefy can create custom codes for each piece of equipment that you use, and scan it directly into the app to give you a live-time location of that specific item. If you’re working with associate musicians or performers, this can also be helpful to ensure that the right equipment goes home with the right team.
4. Use defensive protection wherever possible
The best offense against equipment damage is defense. When possible, consider creating or purchasing gear shields or cases that can be used on-site or during the performance. This protects from any scuffs or other forms of compromise that can come from those long days (and even longer nights!) Investing in protective gear, or springing for something custom-made can help to keep your most valuable assets safe. After all — a single investment is far less expensive over time than repeated equipment purchases to address permanent damage!
5. Have procedures and training in place when on-site
Often, equipment damage can be accidental. To avoid preventable damage and risk, it’s vital to have a team member training system in place, whether that’s SOP-driven while on-site or verbal training and demonstration. Creating a framework for training that resonates across all learning types can be especially helpful and effective at protecting your equipment. Beyond simply training your team members, you should also create a system and process that addresses what to do in the event that equipment is damaged on-site to minimize further damage.
6. Keep manuals on-site to ensure proper use
Unfortunately, much of the damage that can happen to your equipment can simply come from user error. Prior to each event, consider designating a team leader, as well as several team members who are knowledgeable about how to use each piece of equipment while on-site. Have them keep the user manuals and other resources accessible on-site to encourage proper use and mitigate the risk of damage as a result of user error.
Streamline your asset protection with Itefy: Your Premier Software Solution
Events are complex, and equipment management is an especially high-stakes element of event production. You deserve the peace of mind that comes from a solid system that helps to minimize damage risk and keeps your equipment utilization as efficient a level as possible. Itefy was created with performers and technicians like you in mind, offering a user-friendly interface in both the site and the mobile app.
Itefy is equipped with use and activity dashboards, displaying vital information to every member of your team. This also helps to significantly streamline event prep, as you’ll have the location of every piece of equipment you own in real-time.
The software offers so much more than simple dashboard reporting. You can also log and manage maintenance requests, print out and search trackable QR codes for easy equipment management, and tailor your notifications to get the information you need at just the right time.