It might be helpful to think of it as a basic math problem: If you have X amount of trash and recycling that will be generated during an event, it has to go somewhere. By increasing the number of receptacles available during an event, you reduce the number of times the cleaning crew must empty them and also limit the potential for overflowing trashcans to create an unsightly mess. When in doubt, always stage a few more receptacles than you think you will need. The same principle applies to the back of the house. Do you have enough open tops; did you empty your compactor prior to the event; is your trash hauler aware of your event; are they available to make special trips to accommodate your needs; do you have stor-age space for your recyclables until they can be picked up? There are few things more frustrating, not to mention the potential for negative public relations, than not having the ability to prop-erly dispose of the trash generated during an event. For large events, your regular housekeep-ing personnel may not be sufficient to handle the crowd. It behooves you to develop a good rela-tionship with the temporary labor agencies in your area. Temporary help can get you over the hump for large events, and most reputable temporary agencies will work with you to find the type of laborers you need. When dealing with temporary laborers, you should always consider the “no show” factor. For example, once you determine the num-ber of workers you need for the post-event cleaning, you should request more than that number from the temporary agency. Experience suggests that not all tempo-rary help will show up for work. this process, including before and after pho-tos, event checklists, written and oral reports from your staffs and attendee surveys and comments. At times, the evaluation process can be painful, but it is an important tool to help make your next event more successful. By using the tips provided above, you can more successfully manage the cleaning of your next event. CM How Did You Do? It is essential to take the time after each event to evaluate how you did. What worked; what didn’t; what would you do differently next time? There are myriad tools to assist you with Matthew Kastel is a 20-year veteran of working in public venues including Major League Baseball (MLB) stadiums and convention centers. Currently, Kastel is the manager of baseball operations and events for the Maryland Stadium Authority, which manages Oriole Park at Camden Yards. He is also on the Bolte School of Business Advisory Council for Mt. St. Mary’s University. Jordan Kobritz is a professor and chair of the Sport Management Department at SUNY Cortland. As the former owner/operator of two minor league baseball teams, he has been involved in every facet of stadium construction and operations. Kobritz is the author of a weekly sports business column, Sports Beyond the Lines. A Flexible Mindset No matter how well you plan and execute, one of the certainties in the event business is that anything can happen. To successfully host events, the house-keeping team must have a flexible mindset and a can-do attitude. Did the event attract more attendees than anticipated or is it running longer than origi-nally scheduled? If so, don’t stress; it’s all part of dealing with events. Have contingencies in place and make the best adjustments you can on the fly. If you don’t panic, neither will your staff. Few things are more difficult than estimat-ing the right amount of labor for a first time event. When you are not sure what to expect, it may be best to overstaff. If you discover during an event that you are overstaffed, you may be able to send people home early to save on your budget. On the other hand, once the event begins, if you find you are understaffed, you may have limited options. Keeping good records is essential to mak-ing informed staffing decisions, especially if you host an event multiple times. www.ultrachemlabs.com Product Information no. 210 on page 24 www.cmmonline.com 23
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