Folks who hold special events in the City of Asheville now have a fresh, easier-to-navigate guide to help plan their events. The City has just launched its new 2018-2019 Outdoor Special Event Guide!
Instead of a text-heavy guide, the City’s Special Events Office now has a better design with color-coded sections and a revised table of contents that groups information together for easier readability.
“The guide is broken into sections to help people find the information they are looking for,” said Jon Fillman, Outdoor Event Manager for the City’s Community & Economic Development Department. “Another change is the use of bulleted lists and descriptive photos rather than long narrative blocks of text.”
The guide contains new information on OSHA guidelines, accessibility, advertising and signage, public safety, and site plan requirements.
In the past decade, the number of special events conducted within Asheville’s outdoor public spaces have nearly doubled, from just under 200 in 2007 to almost 400 in 2017. The City’s policies and procedures have also become more defined and detailed. The City’s guide in 2007 was a relatively easy read at 13 pages long. By 2017 the guide had grown to 34 pages. “We hope this updated guide helps applicants navigate special event permitting with less confusion,” said Fillman.
Coming next, the guide will be in a video accessible format with translation to other languages. Soon there will be a companion multimedia presentation.
The goal is to help event organizers, small businesses, vendors and sponsors better understand how to develop, execute and participate at outdoor special events that meet the City’s policies, ordinances and requirements.
To view the guide, visit this link.
For more information, visit the City’s Special Event Permitting webpage. Or contact City Outdoor Event Manager Jon Fillman at jfillman@ashevillenc.gov or 828-259-5738.