Phase 1 considerations with the event location type (indoor or outdoor) considerations should be decided first, then the secondary considerations should follow.
Depending on the date of your event and your physical location, temperature may be a very important factor for your audience. If your event is in Florida during January, temperature may not be as important (unless extreme); whereas, an event in North Dakota during January may not give you the optimal attendance unless it befits the theme. Events during months that may have cold weather should consider an indoor location, or renting heaters for an enclosed outdoor location, if the mission permits.
The location should be easy for your audience to access. Locations with an address, common landmark, center of campus, or a commonly known name work well. Locations in or near participant residences typically draw a larger attendance.
If held outside, depending on the mission and level, the experience may need to be shielded with a ceiling to the stage, at minimum.
The location must be suitable to handle your estimated attendance and our stage production plus effects. Production + all Effects generally need a high ceiling, so they can reach over the audience, The weight of the production and audience must be supported by the location, including load-in/out and path. The event location must be completely flat. Some Levels only permit a hard surface for ground, no grass.
The location must be suitable to handle all Physical Effects (foam, paint, etc.). This means an appropriate flooring able withstand up to a small puddle of colored water, is needed so it can be easily removed. Here is a general clean-up guide to assist in choosing your location.
A sound/noise permit is recommended for all outdoor Events, and is sometimes needed for indoor events depending on your proximity to public residences. To maintain the auditory experience of OG, most shows have a minimum decibel of 110db at 40ft center mix.
The floor plan must be arranged in such away that the audience can enter and exit in the shortest distance. Many times, an emergency exit is used as the main entrance/exit to the event, as they tend to be closer to the immediate outdoors.
All lighting must be able to be turned off. No security lights, not to be confused with emergency lights (exit signs, lights that turn on if the power goes off, fire alarm lighting).
To use the XL Foam Cannon indoors, special electricity is needed with the proper plug. If a generator is included, the weather is satisfactory for generator operation, and the distance from upstage to the outdoor generator is less than 70ft, we can provide this special plug and power.
In most cases, a larger room than the arranged protection size is provided, thus the room will be downsized to fit any indoor protection purchased.
The protection size covers the Audience Area and part of the Production Area, not the pathways of entry and exit, unless specifically purchased. In most cases, we have a little extra protection to create a pathway to the nearest doorway.
If a loading dock with loading bridge is possible and is the closest point of entry to the indoor location, please let us know.
We will need a place to park, if the load-in/out location does not permit our stay throughout.
It is Host’s decision when and where to host the experience, not Operation Glow’s. Operation Glow has no authority over the time or location—this is your event. Without providing proper event protection and doing everything you can to safeguard the event with its electronic production and human attendance, you risk a non-event with full balance due. All work is or will be performed:
However, if you’ve followed this guide and contract, we typically have a few options at our disposal, if weather becomes or may become an issue.
We understand when you have a really good location in mind or are very limited on locations and/or budget. We are very easy going, are extremely flexible and understanding, and will make sure we can perform our service to the best of our ability despite the weather. We want to perform!!! We’ve even performed when a whole small city lost power in a distant tornado (the event was moved indoors prior to the tornado and prior to our arrival, and we had a 20kW generator luckily sitting in our truck).
Here are somethings that you can have prepped if mother nature is not on your side for your event:
All of this will be well defined on the contract under Backup Plan, and expanded within Appendix A -> Procedures -> Weather
Host should ensure they protect electronic production to ensure a successful run of show. Should an indoor event not be possible or desired, we recommend, in order of preference, the following outdoor venue types:
A tent with walls, unless the temperature is over 80 degrees at night – then no walls, encompassing the production and audience area is the best outdoor event option. Not only is the event protected from weather but it can be temperature controlled too, if heaters are provided. A tent also gives you a method of crowd control, allows for high-powered laser use, and keeps the event contents within, like haze. Don’t worry, the tent is cleaned and UV inspected by us after the event! A tent cannot be used for any powder physical effect.
A mobile stage with wind-walls or a band shell, both with a solid non-porous ceiling, is the second best outdoor event option, as it gives the production a ceiling to the stage. So even in if it rains a little, the show can continue, as long as your audience is dedicated and doesn’t care about the rain/snow or temperature.
Lasers are not possible with this unless special arrangement is made.
Similar to a mobile stage, but more susceptible to rain and wind, is a stage canopy. We can provide this directly as an added service. The stage canopy cannot be used in windy and/or heavy rain environments – it will not be set up or it will be brought down with the material removed, to ensure safety.
Lasers are not possible with this unless special arrangement is made.
For the most part, production/experiences at Level 4 and above require a covered stage, at minimum. The amount of production rendered by this Level is not possible to protect, set up, or strike if any weather is imminent. Our professional recommendation is to always protect your event; otherwise, you risk a non-event by hosting it outdoors with the electronic production unprotected.
Nevertheless, we understand that some locations have no choice due capacity limitations and/or budget. However, you can arrange a backup plan discussed in Outdoor Weather Plan.
Lasers are not possible with this unless special arrangement is made.
We will need access to the location at the specified times. Setup and Strike are extensive, sometimes taking days, all depending on the time(s) you need us, we can provide audio and lighting for other events that day, and the level of production. In some cases we require a limited and logged access, meaning no one is permitted in our area during a certain time, especially if setup to strike extends over multiple days.
Especially for large events, crowd control measures should be looked into. OG requests a single entrance and a single exit. This makes it easy for you to know who’s coming in/out, and allows OG’s signage (if present) and merchandise to be viewed by all. Emergency exits can be made in indoor protection or in crowd control solutions.
To use Class IV laser projectors, we need a clearance of at least 3-meters over the audience, no windows, reflective objects, or people can be on the terminating end of the beams because of the high-powered radiation. Lasers cannot be used outdoors unless inside an approved tent. Lasers require haze for use. Our lasers are controlled by the FDA and a certified laser operator will be on-site with our government variance.
When outdoor, you must have an evacuation plan made, furnished to us, and agreed upon, as per contract.
You are recommended to provide your own security to handle situations that may arise. If you would like an announcement on the microphone, please inform us who is allowed to speak. All on-site microphone requests will be denied unless specified by the planners on the contract. or its themselves.
ALL LOCATION LIGHTING MUST BE OFF INCLUDING SECURITY LIGHTS, STREET LIGHTS, ETC. Emergency lighting such as illuminated exit signs are permitted because they do not omit a high lux. Be aware of doorways the open and windows that may omit white light. UV operates in the high spectrum, so can be easily drowned from white light.
We will need a place to dispose of used materials, such as a garbage can at the stage. For indoor events, along with a can, a dumpster must be very nearby to dispose of the protections. Unused liquid effects may also need a disposal site.
A load-in/out path, from truck to stage, must be short, without obstruction, be the proper size for equipment to get through, and contain no stairs, cracks, etc. If an elevator is necessary, it must be the proper size and weight to move production equipment.
Ambassadors may be required to help disperse effects or equipment.
For indoor events with our protection, we offer a lower price to campuses that provide a team of strong individuals, who remove the indoor protections from the event location to the disposal site, as instructed by us. However, we do recommend our full service indoor protection and clean up to make your life easier.
