Prepare for your summer event

Whether you're hosting a garden party or a big bash, planning a summer event means you'll need to consider how to best keep your guests cool, calm and comfortable.

From backup generators through to portable bathrooms and heating, here's what to consider when you're sorting out your event preparations.

Generators

Generator hire may be the difference between a fantastic event and a flop. No matter how you're powering your party, a generator just might save your bacon if all other sources fail.

Keep one on hand to provide power to your outdoor lights, sound systems and even outdoor cooking facilities. Just make sure you operate the generator outside in a well-ventilated area to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Portable toilets

If you're catering to more guests than you have facilities for, consider hiring a portable toilet or two to reduce queues for onsite bathrooms. Even a raging house party can benefit from the addition of a few extra WCs, and these fully self contained fresh water units are perfect for the task.

If you're trying to figure out how many portable toilets you need, think about the number of expected guests and the duration of your event. Events with alcohol will also likely need more facilities. For events with fewer than 50 attendees, you'll likely only need one toilet for the first four hours of the event. Any longer and you might pay to hire an additional unit.

Heating and cooling

Keeping guests cool during the day and warm at night can be tricky. If your event is indoors, industrial-sized fans and air conditioning units are perfect for bringing temperatures down to allow guests to keep partying.

Outdoor fans can be used for those events that take place outside, and if it's a casual festival-type atmosphere you could even consider turning a sprinkler or water mister on for guests to frolic beneath.

When it comes to staying warm at night, outdoor heaters and fires can be utilised to bring temperatures up and keep guests from shivering. Don't underestimate the power of a hot water bottle or blanket, either. A few snuggly rugs scattered around your venue will likely be snapped up by those guests feeling the cold as the evening progresses.