Explanation:

1. Prepare a detailed plan

Plan well. To do so, you need to have experts on board. Get a team of reliable volunteers and specialists.

Some of the items you need to address in this stage include:

The goal of the event

Its feasibility

Laws regulating such events

Length of time (e.g. one day, a few days, a week, and so on)

A rough estimate of the budget

Estimated number of participants

Identify potential sponsors if you need some

Tip: For inspiration, take a look at this “Sports Events Checklist” from Kent Sports.

2. Set the date, time, and place

This is more crucial than most people realise. There are a myriad of factors to consider.

How will the weather be? Are all participants available? Do you have enough time to get everything in order? Are there major sports events in the neighbourhood that could overshadow your event?

Take your time with this. (No pun intended.)

Sports event time

Get the timing right.

Next, approach the management of your preferred venues and enquire about their availability.

Before sealing the deal, confirm that the venue has all the necessary facilities for the sports event. Make sure the management allows you to use them. You don’t want to hire a venue without a swimming pool when swimming is one of your main activities.

Check if they have separate changing rooms for ladies and men. Or if you can temporarily convert what’s available to cater for this.

Tip: For advice on picking the right event date, take a look at this guide.

3. Refine the original plan

To this point, we have been operating with the rough ideas generated in the initial meeting with experts and volunteers.

With the date set and venue booked, it’s time to get the plan more refined. This involves setting the specific details such as the types of tournaments to be played.

Let’s use football as an example. Will it be a knockout tournament? Full scale matches or modified? How many teams will play?

Apply this to all sports activities that will take place. Focusing on details will help you get a clearer picture of the supplies and services you need.

To be more efficient, make a list of the needed supplies and their prices. This way, it will be harder for you to overlook anything.

4. Convince those sponsors

You now have an elaborate plan and budget. Now you are in a good position to approach the sponsors you identified. Tell them about the event, the objectives, why they would be the ideal sponsor, and what you need from them.

There is no room for error. Things like your communication style, approach, reliability, and punctuality count. Make sure you are clear about what you need from them. Be ready to justify your request.

There is always the chance that the prospective sponsor will turn you down, forcing you to approach others. In such instances, just dust yourself and move on to your next prospect.

Tip: To learn more about getting sponsors for an event, read our detailed guide.

5. Create the day’s program

It’s time to create a detailed program for the day. Scheduling is going to be a tough task, especially if the event has multiple activities.

First, consider the attendants. Sports events are often family oriented. They attract a sizeable number of families with children, some coming from far away. For their sake, try to make sure that key activities wrap up before dusk.

Different activities and participants might also share equipment and officials. Take note of such details. Avoid scheduling them at the same time and causing conflicts.

Ideally, you need to acknowledge the sponsors in the program. Negotiate with them and agree on the promotional information to use.

Tip: To make your work slightly easier, use a free online tool to help design your program.

6. Arrange for supplies and officials

Get all the supplies you need for the event in good time. The supplies may differ from one event to another. Generally, you need things like:

Scoreboards

Whistles

Rackets

Nets

Balls

First aid kits

Posters

Trophies

Certificates

Limited funding is one of the main challenges facing event planners today. Save some money by renting some of the durable items.

How to Plan and Organise a Safe Sports Event in 7 Steps

1. Get organised

The first thing you need to do is write down all the details of the event.

• What is the event for?

• What practical elements will you need?

• Which type of space will you require?

• What is the budget for the event?

• What is the purpose of the event?

• What social distancing measures do you have to consider?

To help you with the latter, the government have announced guidance (England only) on organising sporting events here.

Having everything down on paper will help you consider all the event’s requirements from the very start and give you a clear direction on how to proceed.

Tip: Using a handy online project management tool, such as Trello, can help you plan your event from start to finish.

2. Select dates

Choosing the right date is vital. You want to make sure that they don’t clash with other local events in your area. You'll also need to ensure you have enough time to pull your resources together to make the event a success.

The more time you leave yourself to plan your sports event, the more time there is to promote and gain traction for it.

Note: Selecting a date is of course dependent on whether we're in lockdown or not. Be sure to check the government's latest guidelines on planning sports events.

3. Choose a venue

Your venue should have enough capacity for your needs, should be secure and should be convenient for your attendees to get to, whether it be indoor or outdoor.

Note: The venue should also be able to adhere to the necessary social distancing measures.

Luckily for event organisers, TicketSource has released a new social distancing seating plan feature which helps event organisers deliver safer events.

Consider if traffic and parking could be an issue beforehand, especially if you have participants and spectators travelling to attend your event. It’s also important to make sure that you have all of the necessary permissions to hold an event.

Always check which services the venue can provide to you that fall within your budget, to potentially take some of the added planning responsibility away from you.

4. Determine sport event style

Now is the time to decide on the type of sports event you want to host.

• Will it be a one-off match, a tournament, a league?

• How many individuals or teams will you need?

• Will you include multiple sports or a single sport?

• What will the format be?

Plan a layout for what your day will look like and how you can make that happen.

5. Plan supplies

Make a list of any supplies that will be required for your event. This should include equipment and items - so think about things like:

• Scorecards

• Certificates

• Posters

• Whistles

• Medals

• Awards

You should also consider safety items to protect your staff and attendees, such as:

• Face-masks which should be available to purchase, or give away for free

• Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for staff

• Hand wash/sanitiser, regularly topped up

• Cleaning products

6. Get insurance

It’s always worth getting valid public liability insurance for your event. This will cover sports event organisers and help you by paying damages, claimants costs and expenses which may arise as a result of and in connection with the event relating to accidental bodily injury or accidental damage to a third party or their property.

Failure to get the appropriate insurance could see you having to pay out a hefty sum should an accident occur!

Always ensure you read the terms of the insurance carefully before purchasing to make sure that it covers your needs, and make sure the policy is accounted for in your budget.

Note: Also ensure that you're covered by any Covid-19 related injuries or illnesses.

7. Health and Safety

Whether we're in lockdown or not, you should be even more responsible for the health and safety of your workers, event attendees and any contractors you have working and all the other members of the public in attendance.

The Health and Safety Executive website has a comprehensive guide on health and safety for event organisers, so be sure to do your research and understand the steps you can take to ensure the health and safety of all attendees at

Tip: Make sure you understand and follow the required health and safety measures announced by the government to protect everyone in attendance of your sports event.