During the event planning process, site inspections are extremely important for vendors and caterers to create a strategic plan and ensure that everyone is on the same page. It provides the whole team with an opportunity to ensure their needs are met within the event floorplan.
Site inspections are an excellent way to get familiar with the space before the event day. It allows you to understand everything from the types of wiring and power allotment for entertainment companies to the logistics of unloading for rental companies.
For caterers, in particular, site inspections help to understand the venue layout and the event’s floorplan as it relates to your needs for setup and kitchen access. You can better visualize the placement of guest tables, buffet stations, and other elements of the floorplan with enough room for catering staff to get through safely and efficiently between the kitchen and the service area.
With that said, site inspections take time and require extra coordination on behalf of the venue and the vendors involved. Fortunately, the rise in virtual reality technology has simplified the process by eliminating onsite inspections.
Using VR for site inspections
Virtual reality technology allows you to tour an event space and floorplan from any location. With enhanced and accurate visualization, vendors can familiarize themselves with the floorplan in advance of the event with the ability to make adjustments to the final layout.
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The floorplans are tot-scale and elaborate to the point that it feels as if you are actually in the event space. This helps to determine whether tables need to be repositioned or décor needs to be moved, which saves time on the actual day of the event. All of this can be done from one’s home, office, or a coffee shop — avoiding the need to travel to a venue and tour it in person.
Additionally, VR provides easy collaboration and virtual touring of a 3D floorplan with access across multiple platforms. Whether you’re using a laptop, desktop, tablet, or VR headset, it’s very simple and straightforward to tour an event’s floorplan virtually.
Using VR for staff training
With onsite inspections, only select members of a company typically get to tour the venue. This can leave the rest of the team in the dark when it comes to planning around a floorplan.
With virtual reality, on the other hand, everybody involved can have an opportunity to experience the layout. Event staff can tour the layout at their leisure, from wherever they are located and at any time. This ensures that every staff member understands where tables, buffet stations, entertainment areas, and the kitchen are located. The staff can run through procedures and protocols as a team, with the ability to prepare for safety challenges and potential obstacles.
On the day of the event, they will be more prepared as they have already virtually walked the floorplan, automatically improving efficiency, accuracy, and ensuring a seamless event.
Virtual reality is already changing the way caterers do business. It allows for stronger operational efficiency and real-time collaboration throughout the event team. With the ability to play around the various layouts in advance of the event, you will ensure that your clients receive the top-of-the-line services that are expected in today’s market.
