Today on the blog we have a guest post from Multi-site Venue Manager Steve Shooter. One of the School’s he Venue Manages is Ingleby Manor School. Have a read to find out a day can sometimes look like…
Tuesday at Ingleby Manor School really started on Monday for us. Tuesday brings a conference for a large number of Teesside charities to the school. Venue Supervisor Mick and I agreed to meet the organisers Monday afternoon for a run through of the days events, trouble shooting meeting and final prep.
The requirements for this conference were pretty specific, we needed a large hall for the welcome and various presentations, we needed a screen, projector and microphone setup in the same room, we also needed a large space for setup of market stalls/booths and an area for light refreshments. So far so good, we then also needed a couple of classrooms with A/V capabilities for smaller group sessions. Again, not a problem. Ingleby Manor School has great facilities like that.
We sorted out the logistics, worked out the right microphone, tested all the tech and then the real work began. Mick and I moved around fifty tables, a couple of hundred chairs and then moved them again when we thought of a better option.
Tuesday began when we opened up the school buildings at 7.30am, before the organisers arrived at 8am, and then delegates started arriving shortly after. We find that making an event run smoothly is all in the preparation, because Mick and I had prepped for the event, we were able to really just supervise in the morning as the charities set up their booths. Our preparations meant the organisers could relax and coordinate their people, rather than worrying about moving tables and chairs around.
The day carries on, and Mick checks the toilets, topping up the loo roll and hand towels while I change a couple of bins, popping the rubbish into the right bins, ensuring the recycling protocols of the school are carried out.
I stop for a chat with a few attendees about the facilities at the school, including a Circus Skills group, a couple of ladies who need an indoor football pitch and a couple who attend regular meetings in a local building which isn’t big enough. All about networking…
Lunchtime comes and the local caterer brings in the platters, quite the spread, but we haven’t planned enough space, into the storage we go for a couple of extra shelves, bingo, we have room for the vegan platters.
While the afternoon sessions take place, we again check on the toilets and start the clear up process. Rubbish into bins, tables and chairs back in place, spot of hoovering, floors mopped and leftovers into containers for the local drop in centre.
Once we wrap up, we do the final clean up, empty all the bins, wipe down the tables and spring clean the toilets. This leaves the school ready for use tomorrow. A final sweep of the building, checking all the doors and windows, and Mick and I head for home, and a well deserved brew!
This was a great read and a real insight into hosting events at our schools.
If your interested in seeing more about Ingleby Manor you can take a look here and see what facilities they have available for hire.
For any other enquiries please email us on enquiries@schoolsplus.co.uk or call on 0345 222 2323.