Preparing to compete in a sports event can be tough enough, but actually planning one of these occasions yourself takes things to a whole new level. Whether you’re coordinating the gathering for charity, to promote your organisation or for any other reason, you’ll need to give yourself plenty of time and make sure you know what you’re doing. To help you along the way, here’s your essential guide to arranging a sports event.

Set a budget

Firstly, set yourself a spending limit. This will help you to determine how large the event can be, where it can take place and precisely what it will involve. To boost your budget, you may decide to charge participants or spectators, but bear in mind that you will have to spend your own money to begin with before you recoup anything. To make your resources stretch further, it is worth seeking sponsorship. As well as money, this could be the in form of prizes and resources such as competitors’ packs and refreshments.

Choose a location and set a date

Once you know how much money you have to work with, you can decide on a location for your event. As well as being the right size and offering the necessary facilities, it must be convenient for participants and spectators to get to. If possible, there should be plenty of parking nearby and good access to public transport links. As soon as you’ve found the perfect place, set a date and make your booking.

Take safety seriously

There is an element of risk associated with all events, particularly ones that involve sport. After all, people may injure themselves or suffer other first aid emergencies while they are competing. With this in mind, you’ll need to conduct a thorough risk assessment and make sure you safeguard against the relevant dangers. For example, you may find you need to enlist the help of medical service providers. Healthcare specialists like Manone Medical can provide doctors, paramedics and first responders for sports events. Making sure you have skilled health professionals on site during your event can give you added peace of mind that should an emergency unfold,  people will get fast and effective care.

Get insurance and licences

You’ll also need to think about insurance. For example, you may benefit from having public liability cover to protect you in case anyone claims damages for injury or damage to property. You might also need permission from your local authority to stage your gathering, and if you plan to use live or recorded music at your event, it’s important to check if you require licences for this. Not getting any relevant insurance and licences could result in you experiencing financial and legal problems further down the line, so it’s not worth taking the risk.

Spread the word

No matter how well planned your event is, it won’t be a success if you don’t get enough people to show up. This means that as soon as you’ve decided on a venue and date, you should start spreading the word. Social media channels like Twitter and Facebook are among the easiest and cheapest promotional channels, so make sure you take full advantage of them. Keep reminding people as the date draws nearer too.

A lot can go wrong when you’re planning sports events, but as long as you give yourself plenty of time and you use some common sense, you can be confident that you’ll achieve the results you’re after.