Setup, rain plan, transport, van packing, inventory and checklist.

The invisible part of a mobile event is logistics: the truck, the rain, the missing box and the cable left at the store. None appears on the invoice, but it determines whether setup starts calmly or in a rush in front of the client.

This guide covers Setup, Teardown, Rain plan, Transport, Van packing, Inventory and Checklist: the system making an operation repeatable when its location changes every weekend.

Orderly setup and teardown

Setup always follows the same sequence: arrival and site inspection—entrance, power and pedestrian routes—marking positions, cabling first, equipment afterwards and tests last. Cabling before placing boxes avoids moving connected equipment and reduces total time.

Three decisions are made on arrival rather than later: PA position relative to the dancefloor and tables, the control point for the computer and cable routes crossing staff and guest paths as little as possible.

Teardown reverses the process and adds two things setup does not: counting and cleaning. Work by zones, inspect every connector, coil cables in the same familiar loop and check the space is returned as found. Rushed teardown is the classic cause of the bent connector or scratched speaker appearing at the next event.

The official structural reference is the HSE guide to running an event, emphasising planning, control and evaluation; the technical safety guide covers non-negotiable setup requirements.

Rain plan: decide in advance

The Rain plan is not improvised at the first drop: finalise it 48 hours beforehand with the forecast in hand and the client on the phone. A minimum plan contains:

• Equipment protection: tent, roof or covered area for console, processors and power supplies; waterproof speaker and light covers ready to deploy in five minutes.
• Connection protection: no joins on wet ground, cables raised or channelled and power strips outside water paths.
• Continuity decision: move under cover, reduce the system or stop, with timing and responsibility for communication.
• Lightning and wind protocol: with a nearby storm or strong wind, lower structures and shut down anything that could blow away.

Equipment’s resistance to water is read from its IP protection, defined by IEC 60529. Codes starting with 6 are dust-tight and a second digit of 5 or 6 withstands water jets, but no equipment saves a connection sitting in a puddle.

Transport and van packing

Transport is planned as part of the contract: distance, access time window, loading and unloading, parking and who helps unload. In historic centres and venues with pedestrian access, manual transfer time matters as much as road travel.

Van packing is a system, not a talent. Rules that work:

1. Reverse order of use: what is needed last during setup is loaded first.
2. Heavy items low: batteries, bases, subwoofers and rigid cases on the vehicle floor; delicate equipment and textiles above.
3. Fixed spaces: each equipment family has its place—lighting on one side, structure at the back, cables in consistent boxes.
4. Reference photo: an image of the organised interior helps restore the pattern after every event.

With a well-organised van, setup starts with half the equipment already in the right order.

Inventory and a checklist that gets used

The Inventory is the master list: item, quantity, condition and location. Update it at the end of each day; it lets you answer in ten seconds whether anything is missing or a box needs inspection. Without inventory, consumables—tape, batteries, adapters—always run out just when needed.

The Checklist is operational and divided into three moments: before departure—loaded equipment, updated libraries, charged batteries, contracts and addresses—during setup—position, power, cabling, sound and light tests—and during teardown—count, cleaning and inventory update. A checklist that cannot be completed in one minute is too long and will be abandoned.

The same backup and version discipline used for libraries applies here: the 3-2-1 rule also applies to inventory—a copy on paper or phone, another on the computer and another in the cloud.

Team and task allocation

When not working alone, divide logistics: who drives and keeps time, who cables, who tests sound, who sets up lighting and who liaises with the client or planner. Allocating by area prevents two people waiting for instructions from a third and tasks being left without an owner.

Agree the allocation before departure, in writing, with times for each block. Keep a priority rule: if time is tight, sound and voice first, lighting next and aesthetic details last.

After the event: review and closure

The next day, conduct a short review: which items failed, what was missing, what was unnecessary, actual time for each phase and what you would change. This information makes the next event less costly. Update inventory, charge batteries, document incidents and close with the invoice and equipment ready for the next departure.

Recurring logistics mistakes

Almost every event logistics problem is a variation on the same five. Knowing them saves time in more than one way.

Arriving at the last minute. Calculate margin from doors opening, not event start, and subtract actual access time—pedestrian-zone loading, a small lift, a kilometre of roadworks. Fifteen minutes is not a margin; the day’s first incident consumes it.

Loading without a system. A van organised at the last minute is unloaded the same way the following day. A fixed pattern, interior photo and labelled boxes turn loading into a ten-minute operation and reveal missing items before leaving home.

Loose cables and infinite consumables. Tape, batteries, adapters and extension leads run out when needed if not counted. Check minimum stock in the post-event review and replenish then, rather than the night before.

Changing plans without telling anyone. When the Rain plan activates, communicate the decision in writing to client and planner, with its time; if access or schedule changes, update the shared document. Logistics fails more often through outdated information than missing equipment.

Leaving inventory until tomorrow. A postponed count gets lost. Ten minutes of closing review—items present, condition, batteries to charge—keeps inventory reliable and avoids urgently buying something you already owned.

With these five written down, the operation stops depending on the day’s mood and becomes a sequence anyone on the team can follow, including a first-time teardown helper.

Next step

Once logistics is settled, fit it into the event framework: schedules, venue, noise limits and the client’s Plan B in Timing, venue, curfews and Plan B.