The Event-Day Handover: Give Every Team a Clear Start
An event plan can be beautifully organised on paper and still become confusing when the first volunteers arrive. Someone has an old timetable, a supplier is looking for a contact and three people are answering the same question differently.
A short handover gives the team a shared starting point. It does not replace the event’s formal plans or specialist briefings; it makes the practical information people need easier to find and use.
Decide who is handing over to whom
Name the person responsible for the briefing and identify the leads for each part of the event. Volunteers should know who can answer a visitor question, who handles a supplier and who makes decisions about changes.
Keep the everyday contact list short enough to use. Share private phone numbers only with the people who need them, and use the event’s agreed communication channels. A public information sheet should not become a directory of personal details.
Start with the changes
People who helped with planning may assume they already know the arrangements. Begin by saying what has changed since the last version: an entrance, a running-order time, a delivery point or the location of the information desk.
Put a version or update time on the working document. Ask team leads to remove superseded copies from use so the same old schedule is not repeatedly rediscovered during the day.
Walk through the visitor’s first few minutes
Explain how a visitor arrives, where they ask questions and which team is responsible for admissions. Check that signs and the spoken explanation use the same place names.
Ask someone unfamiliar with the plan to repeat the route back. Their questions may reveal a missing sign or a vague phrase such as “over by the usual gate”. Include the arrangements for accessible routes and where staff should direct specific access enquiries.
Give each role a clear boundary
A useful role note says what a person does, where they work, when they have a break and who takes over. It should also say which questions they pass to someone else. Volunteers do not need to improvise answers outside their responsibilities.
Share the event’s established incident and safeguarding reporting arrangements through the appropriate lead. This general handover is not a substitute for those procedures or for training a role requires.
Use a five-point closing check
- Does everyone have the current running order?
- Do they know their named contact and reporting route?
- Have changes to entrances, timings and locations been explained?
- Are breaks, cover and the end-of-shift handover clear?
- Has everyone had a chance to ask a question?
Make space for a quiet question afterwards as well. People do not always want to ask in front of a group, particularly when they are new.
Leave the next shift a useful note
At a shift change, record what is still outstanding, what has changed and who is dealing with it. Facts such as “supplier has called; team lead is meeting them” are more useful than an unexplained instruction to chase something.
After the event, collect the recurring questions. They are a practical starting point for improving next year’s signs and briefing. For help with your own plans, explore our event planning information or contact DMevents.