Guide for event planning

Before planning an event

You need to carry out a thorough risk assessment as a first step, and you'll need public liability insurance

Useful links

Be sure to consult the useful links section for information and advice from:

These sources provide comprehensive, up-to-date information as well as useful resources to help you organise your event.

Risk assessment

All events must comply with relevant safety law. Therefore, a risk assessment should be carried out before your event. If your event is large, it may be necessary to employ a consultant to carry out this process for you.

You should also carry out a medical risk assessment, considering:

  • the activities of your event
  • attendance levels, profile, and age group
  • site layout eg structures and access

In addition, include contingency and emergency planning in your risk assessment.

The Health and Safety Executive provides comprehensive information on the key principles and considerations to produce a robust risk assessment.

Insurance

You must have public liability insurance with a minimum cover of £5 million.