8 event essentials – what’s in the JTPM tolbox?

Events can be unpredictable – things break, people get sick or lost and the weather can change suddenly (something we know well in Melbourne!) With so many moving parts involved, it’s almost impossible to avoid all potential risks or predict what might go wrong.

This makes working in event both exciting and terrifying, but a good event producer will have a toolbox of essential items, a ‘box of tricks’ they can pull out to deal with emergencies of all shapes and sizes. It’s like taking out insurance but more practical, less complicated to implement and often provides better outcomes too!

Some of the common items in the JTPM toolbox include scissors and a box cutter, various rolls of tape, super glue, a stapler and staples, a sewing and first aid kit, a collection of pens, pencils and markers, post it notes and notebooks, batteries of various sizes, pliers and screwdriver, tissues and toilet paper, hand sanitiser and face masks and of course an assortment of chargers.

Additional items are added from time to time, depending on each specific event such as sunscreen, bottles of water, an umbrella, raincoat, hat or cap and a handheld fan for any outdoor events.

Our event toolbox has been a lifesaver on many occasions, so we took a team poll and asked everyone to share their favourite event item, tip or hack. Here’s our top eight:

• Pockets – Angeline, Chloe and Erin are all huge fans of wearing clothing with deep and secure pockets; for carrying and keeping all their event essentials safe and handy. How many times do you put something down and forget where you left it – pockets are like having your own personal and mobile toolkit!
• Cable ties – Alannah can’t live without cable ties for quick fixes and holding broken things together like signage or a shoe, and Lou claims she can fix almost anything with a multitool and cable ties!
• Portable phone charger – with so much being done via mobile phone these days, Erin and Melinda like to make sure they are fully charged before each event, yet make sure to carry portable and spare phone chargers too.
• Snacks and water – Georgia’s tip for warding off hunger and staying energised and alert when working on events is having plenty of quick and tasty snacks on hand, while Victoria reminds us all to stay hydrated and carries her bottle of water everywhere.
• Gum or mints and deodorant – good personal hygiene is important say Olivia and Victoria, especially when working on longer events, and if you enjoy garlic! A toothbrush and toothpaste would be ideal, but a quick fix will often suffice when you can’t get away.
• Change of outfit – we love Victor’s idea of wearing dedicated bump-in clothes and then changing into a ‘showtime outfit’ for the event. It’s a great way to feel refreshed and ready to go if you won’t get a chance to go home and shower, but it’s also handy in case of any accidents.
• Run sheet, MC script and sitemap – no matter how good your memory is, Julia, Opal and Taylah all agree that multiple hard copies of these three essential documents should always be printed and kept handy. You never know when someone might ask for directions and keeping track of things can get tricky when there’s lots going on, particularly if you’re managing presentations for speakers and need to get the timing right.
• Spare laptop and a USB – you never know when technology will fail, so having a backup gives Emily peace of mind. It’s also useful for virtual or hybrid events to dedicate one laptop to streaming and managing the proceedings, while using the other to perform any other tasks. Melinda also like to have a USB stick to download and share presentations or documents – in case of wi-fi connection issues.

Keeping our event toolkit stocked up and ready to go is an important part of the post-event process, but we also make sure to do a quick stocktake before the event and we recommend keeping a checklist of all items to make sure nothing is missing.

As experienced event producers, we come prepared to tackle just about anything – because rain, hail or shine, the event must go on! If you’re looking for a reliable, thoughtful and caring event team give us a call today.