In Minnesota, winter is no excuse to not host an outdoor event! With the help of our valet parking service and transportation company, your outdoor winter get-togethers can go off without a hitch. Our team will work hard to ensure your guests stay warm, cozy, and joyous, no matter the occasion.
All we ask from you is a little cooperation with the party planner when it comes to the inherent risks and requirements for this time of year, on account of the sheer cold and the possibly snowy weather. Preparation is key to any successful event!
Unparalleled Parking, your local Minneapolis valet service for events, is here to share what to know about hosting a wintertime event indoors.
What Does Your Event Need to Succeed?
Before you even consider catering and entertainment for your wintertime event, you’ll need to get a handle on a solid valet service. We’ll make it worth your while to choose our local team with five-star reviews!
In frigid weather, valet services become more of a necessity than a luxury. Forcing your guests to trudge through snow and slush from the parking lot to your event site is a safety hazard, as prolonged cold exposure quickly can lead to frostbite. Nothing puts a damper on winter fun quite like a trip to the hospital!
And aside from hiring a valet company like Unparalleled Parking, if you’re hosting an outdoor event in the winter, you’ll want to give guests additional ways to protect themselves from the cold.
Provide a Designated Warming Space
Be it a bonfire, a small warming tent, or an indoor space rented nearby, your guests will have to have a place to stave off the wintertime wetness and chill. If not, at best, they’ll leave early.
At worst, you put their health at risk!
Allow a Casual Dress Code
While it might be perfectly reasonable to expect guests to wear high heels and tuxes for an indoor winter event, your expectations should change slightly when that event is even partially outdoors.
This isn’t to say that you cannot host a fancy outdoor winter wedding or aim for a more formal air at your fundraiser. But you must demonstrate understanding, especially with smaller children, if guests dress appropriately for the weather.
Offer Warm Refreshments
Nobody likes ice-cold wine on a frigid winter day, and a light salad won’t quite fill anyone up enough to keep warm. Consider providing hot drinks for your event instead, like apple cider or mugs of hot chocolate.
For food, opt for heartier fare like French dip sandwiches, or cook up a saucy, protein-based dish.
Let Guests Know About Icy Patches
You want to keep your guests as safe as possible and creating signs where potentially slick or icy spots are can help with this. The signage decreases the risk of injury and can limit any liabilities that can arise from slip and fall accidents.
And while the team at Unparalleled Parking will do their best to assist guests out of their vehicles, adding non-slip surfaces can help reduce the stress and keep your patrons safer.
Pick a Venue With a Plan
Winter conditions are unpredictable, and working with a venue that has a plan in place for emergencies can be helpful. Choosing a company with response procedures, including amenities, transportation, and ways to remove snow in the event of a blizzard, will help make the process easier and give you peace of mind knowing a solution is in place if problems arise.
Choose Durable Equipment
Having the right equipment in place is also crucial. If you’re using a framed tent that can be enclosed on all sides, you want to consider the type of lighting being utilized too.
Lighting can help enhance the mood at outdoor events and assist patrons in being more aware of unsafe or slick surfaces.
Stay On Top of Parking Lot Care
Ice and snow are no joke, especially in the cold Minnesota winters, and too much of a build-up can damage your parking area. If you regularly host events at your facility, stay on top of parking lot care!
Ignoring cracks and damage will only intensify issues, because once water gets into the problem areas and freezes, it can make problems much worse and create a parking nightmare for your guests. Preventing these hazards means regular maintenance and repair to ensure your patrons are safe.
And choosing to work with companies like Unparalleled Parking also provides peace of mind that there will be insurance coverage in place if an accident does arise.
Still Need a Valet Company for Your Winter Event?
We’re a Minneapolis and Saint Paul valet company with loads of experience driving in the worst of the winter weather. For a customer-focused, speedy and efficient valet company, give us a call today at 651-300-1515.