CUSTOMER GUIDE TO SPECIAL EVENTS

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Jemimah Johnston
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1 CUSTOMER GUIDE TO SPECIAL EVENTS

Welcome to the City of Winter Haven Office of Special Events. Special Events help build a sense of belonging and community pride.

All reservations for special events, such as festivals, runs / walks, parades, block parties, and citywide holiday celebrations that occur on public property are initiated with our office.

Our Customers Guide to Special Events is designed to provide you with the necessary information about permitting, planning and producing your event.

2 Welcome to the City of Winter Haven Office of Special Events. Special Events help build a sense of belonging and community pride. The Office of Special Events, as a part of The Parks & Recreation Division, exists to serve the community and to guide event planners through the special event permitting process. All reservations for special events, such as festivals, runs / walks, parades, block parties, and citywide holiday celebrations that occur on public property are initiated with our office. We have created a user-friendly, one-stop process to facilitate a successful event. Our Customers Guide to Special Events is designed to provide you with the necessary information about permitting, planning and producing your event. Our dedicated, professional Special Events Management Team is your resource on all aspects of event production. We recommend that all event organizers contact the Office of Special Events early in the planning process. We will be happy to provide guidance and answer your questions. We strive to deliver outstanding customer service to ensure your event s success. Sincerely yours, City of Winter Haven Office of Special Events 2

3 Table of Contents Introduction...2 Table of Contents.3 What is a Special Event?...4 Getting Started 5-10 Application process...5 Site Layout 6 Scheduling your event 7 Where to hold your event.7 Street Closures..8 Waste Management/Recycling 8 Electrical Services 8 What is your itinerary?...9 Will you be serving food?...9 Will you be serving alcohol?...9 Will there be Music?...10 Will there be fireworks/pyrotechnics?..10 Event Security/Winter Haven Police...10 How Much will it cost?..11 Denial or Rejection of an Application.11 Event Cancellation or Postponement 12 Marketing Events..12 Central Avenue Banner Program..13 Park Capacities..13 Closing thoughts

4 What is a Special Event? A special event is defined as a pre-planned event, whether publicly and/or privately sponsored, which is proposed to be held on public property, including, but not limited to city buildings, parks, streets and/or sidewalks, and any city facilities. All special events are required to go through the Special Event Application process as set forth by the City of Winter Haven. Special Events include, but are not limited to: Procession/Parade Procession means a public or private march, run, walk, autocade, parade of any kind, or other gathering of persons that occurs upon public right-of-way, park or both that is used for vehicular and/or pedestrian traffic. Public Assembly Public Assembly means any public gathering, demonstration, picket, rally, gala, ceremony, celebration, or other gathering of persons upon right-of-way, city owned property, or both that does not occur upon areas of the right-of-way used for vehicular and/or pedestrian traffic. Organized Competitive Event Organized Competitive Event means any planned race, walk, derby, or event, whether human powered or otherwise, that involves a contest of skill(s) and/or strength and takes place upon public right-of-way, city owned property, or waterway. Road Festival Road Festival means an organized neighborhood or public gathering on a public right-of-way (street, sidewalk, or alley) on a specified date at a specific time and confined to a designated area that requires an admission fee to enter and participate. Block Party Block Party means an organized neighborhood or public gathering on a public right-of-way (street, sidewalk, or alley) on a specified date at a specified time and place between the hours permitted by the City of Winter Haven. 4

5 Getting Started.. Special Event planning is handled by the Special Event Coordinator located at the Chain O Lakes Complex at 210 Cypress Gardens Blvd., Winter Haven, FL, or at Schedule an appointment to discuss the Special Event Application process or you can find the application on the City of Winter Haven s webpage. Click here for the Special Event Application or visit Based on the nature of your event, a variety of different elements may be required. This manual will help you to identify the specific elements, permits, and approvals you will need and a timeline that should be followed in order to obtain them. Application Process In order to hold any event on public property in The City of Winter Haven, you must first fill out a special event application located at Please make sure to include a detailed site layout (more information on page 6) of your event space with the application. Submission and acceptance of the Special Event Application is not to be construed as an approval of the event. The application will go before a review committee and be either approved or denied based on the information submitted in the application and any additional information requested by The Office of Special Events. If the application does not comply with timeframes, deadlines, and requirements, the application may be denied. The Special Event approval issued by The City of Winter Haven is valid only for the venue area(s) and event activities, including set-up and dismantle, depicted on your site layout as described in the Special Event Application and any attachment and/or amendments made to the application during the review process. The City of Winter Haven may place conditions or not approve all venue areas and/or activities requested in the Special Event Application. Failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the event approval, additional requirements of The City of Winter Haven, or requirements established in the Customer Guide to Special Events may result in the immediate cancellation of the event, denial of future special event applications, forfeiture of deposit or the requirement of cash deposit. 5

6 Getting Started.. Site Layout The site layout is a visual representation of all the operational event elements that you describe throughout the Special Event Application. To properly assess the event, the site layout must be submitted along with the Special Event Application and include the following elements: 1 North, indicated by a directional arrow symbol 2 Name of the area (Neighborhood, Park, etc.) you intend to use including surrounding streets with one-way streets indicated. 3 The overall event area including any requested street closures, plus the location and number of parking spaces to be reserved, highlighted. 4 The location and dimensions of all physical equipment being placed, including, but not limited to, any stage(s), vendors, booths, sponsors, tents, signs, barricades, portolets, vehicles, shelters, and shelter numbers, fireworks shoot site, First Aid location, and location of event management/control area, etc. 5 Location of temporary alcohol sales where both sales and consumption occur, plus dimensions and type of containment equipment to be used. 6 Include electrical plans for vendors and stages, specifying how much each site requires, in terms of amps and volts. 7 Please indicate any water supply needs you may need on site and where they will be located. 8 Any other details you think are helpful in the physical description of your event. 6

7 Getting Started.. Scheduling Your Event When do you want to hold your event? Is your chosen event venue available? Does your event span multiple days? What other events are planned on the chosen date of your event? Will other scheduled events reduce attendance at your event or inhibit the ability of the City to provide necessary staffing? Is the weather conducive to holding your type of event during the scheduled timeframe? Each of these points must be considered during the planning process. Where to hold your event Where do you want to hold your event? Is an inside venue best based on the nature of the event, or is a park or outside location more appropriate? Perhaps a tent or other temporary structure will best serve your needs. Several aspects of your event will help determine this, and if any special permits are going to be required. For instance, certain tents and other temporary structures require special permitting. Any tent bigger than 400 sqft. (20x20) must obtain a tent permit through the City of Winter Haven s Building and Permitting Division at , before your event takes place. City Parks: If you are considering holding your event in a City of Winter Haven Park, does your event have any special requirements? Do you need access to a sound system, bathrooms, cooking area, electricity, or some other type of specialty equipment? The size of your event may dictate which of the City s parks are best suited to your event. The Special Events Coordinator can assist you in finding and reserving the best park to make your event successful. If you decide to have your event in a City park, City parks are open to the public and reservation of these facilities may not give you exclusive access. All park rules, regulations, and policies must be adhered to. Other Locations and Structures: In addition to one of the City s parks, there are numerous public-access locations that may be suitable for your event. As with City parks, however, there are several issues such as occupancy, fire code, insurance, and building code compliance requirements that must be taken into consideration. The Special Events Coordinator can help you determine which venue may be the most appropriate, and which permits you may need to hold the event. 7

8 Getting Started.. Street Closures Do you want to close streets or parking areas as part of your event? Please take a moment to consider whether or not your requested road closure blocks or impedes access to emergency medical access routes, churches, schools, businesses, or residences. Closing streets, even for a block or two, can affect traffic for miles around as traffic is re-routed or turned away. Though local roadways can be closed with the approval of the review committee, approval to close State Roadways must come from the Department of Transportation. We ll need to know which streets you wish to close and the duration of the requested closure. Events requiring the temporary closure of a City street(s), highway, portion of a highway, sidewalk, or any other traffic management issues must be approved by the City of Winter Haven or the Florida Department of Transportation. The Office of Special Events will coordinate on behalf of the applicant with relevant government authorities, including but not limited to: Winter Haven Commission, Florida Department of Transportation, the Winter Haven Police Department, and the Winter Haven Fire Department. Waste Management/Recycling Event coordinators are encouraged to incorporate recycling at their events. City of Winter Haven s Parks & Grounds unit will be scheduled at events to make sure trash is kept up with and emptied post event at the Office of Special Event s discretion. If an event is required to have Parks & Grounds employees on site for the whole or part of their event, a fee of $25/worker/hour will be included in the event s fee schedule. Electrical Services The existing electrical service at a park, in a City right-of-way or in a City facility may be inadequate for certain special events. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that there is adequate electrical capacity to hold the event and to obtain additional electrical supply if necessary. Bounce Houses will be required to bring their own generator. 8

9 What is your itinerary? Will you be serving food? Are you planning to serve food at the event? If you are, which food vendors will you be using? Are they licensed? Do they need to be licensed? All food vendors that are in a food truck or a business that sells food must have a license present on event day. Will you be selling/serving alcohol? A temporary approval must be obtained from the City of Winter Haven for authorization to consume or possess alcoholic beverages in City parks, public streets, alleys, sidewalks, public parking areas, and other public property. The approval from the City is conditioned upon the organization obtaining a temporary permit for the sale of alcoholic beverages. This can be obtained through the State Department of Business & Professional Regulation, Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco. To obtain the temporary permits, the form and instructions can be found at the following web address: Please note that the above referenced form in Section 3 requires approval by the Department of Revenue for the sales tax collections and Section 4 requires approval by the City of Winter Haven Building and Permitting Division. To review: 1. Write a formal letter to the City of Winter Haven s Community Services Director requesting permission to sell or have alcohol on site at your event. You may submit the letter to SpecialEvents@mywinterhaven.com or fax it to Please also submit your application for the temporary permit for the sale of alcoholic beverages with your letter. If approved, staff will forward your application to the Planning Division so that they can sign off on Section You will then need to have the temporary permit application notarized. 3. You will also need to take the application to the Department of Revenue in Lakeland to finalize Section 3. The Florida Department of Revenue is located at: 230 S. Florida Ave. Lakeland, FL Anytime alcohol is present at an event, you must hire security from the Winter Haven Police Department. (See Event Security and Winter Haven Police section on page 10) 9

10 What is your itinerary? Will there be music? If you are planning on having a band or amplified music/sound as part of the event, there are a number of things that you must take into consideration: 1. Is there a stage available at your proposed location or will you need to obtain one? 2. Is there sufficient electricity to supply the band s equipment? 3. Will a tent or other shelter be required? 4. What hours will the band, music, or sound be playing? Please keep in mind, depending on where your event is taking place, noise ordinances may limit the hours you are able to amplify sound. The Office of Special Events will work with you to determine what these areas are and give you the details on what regulations must be followed. Will there be Fireworks or Pyrotechnics? If your event has a planned fireworks, pyrotechnics, or open flame display, it must be facilitated by a licensed fireworks technician. A permit must be obtained from the Winter Haven Fire Marshal s Office no less than 30 days prior to the event taking place. Please contact the Winter Haven Fire Department at for further details on the application process. Event Security and Winter Haven Police For the overall safety of your event, security measures should be considered essential. The Winter Haven Police Department (WHPD) provides a supplementary service to special events through uniformed extra duty officers. WHPD will determine if and how many extra duty officers are needed based on a number of planning variables including: the estimated number of attendees, the availability of alcoholic beverages, event location, weather conditions, time of day during which the special event is conducted, the need for street closures or re-routing of vehicular or pedestrian traffic, and prior history/past experience. Events including alcohol and some that require road closures are required to hire extra duty officers for the safety of the attendees. If extra duty officers are required, the applicant must secure and confirm with WHPD s Extra Duty Detail Coordinator at

11 What is your itinerary? What will it cost? A cost estimate or fee schedule for City services in relation to your event will be prepared by the Office of Special Events based on information submitted in the Special Events Application. Upon the applicant s agreement to pay all associated event costs, the event coordination process will begin. A non-refundable application fee of $35 will be collected upon approval of your application. Total fees for an event will vary based on the type of event, location of event, city staff needs, and rental requests. Based on the type of event and location of event, a security/damage deposit may be required. The deposit will be refunded upon verification by city staff that the rental area has been returned to a condition similar to that prior to use. All event related fees must be paid 14 days prior to the event date. The City reserves the right to deny any event application or cancel an event if fees are not paid in a timely manner. Denial or Rejection of a Special Event Application The Office of Special Events may reject or deny a permit application based on one or more of the following: 1. Failure to submit an application within the specified time outline. 2. The application is not executed properly or is incomplete. 3. The application contains material that is fraudulent or a misrepresentation of the event. 4. The applicant owes the City money from a past event, services provided, or damages. 5. The Office of Special Events has already granted approval for another event on the same date or in the same space. 6. If the use or the event would conflict with previously planned programs organized and conducted by the City or non-governmental agencies previously scheduled for the same date or space. 7. The applicant does not comply with all applicable City ordinances, traffic rules, park rules, and regulations, state health laws, fire codes, and liquor licensing regulations. 8. The use or event proposed would present an unreasonable danger to health or safety of the public or applicant. 9. If the use is prohibited by law. 11

Event Cancellation or Postponement If the Host Organization cancels or postpones a schedule event prior to the commencement, they will be entitled to a complete refund excluding the application fee.

12 Event Cancellation or Postponement If the Host Organization cancels or postpones a schedule event prior to the commencement, they will be entitled to a complete refund excluding the application fee. Deposits will be refunded in full if notice of cancellation is provided a minimum 14 days before the first scheduled day (including move in) of the event. Refunds will be issued within the 14 day period prior to the event if the event is cancelled by the City of Winter Haven due to a declaration of a state emergency, issuance of a tropical storm, hurricane warning, or warning of severe inclement weather by the County. The City of Winter Haven may cancel or postpone an event without prior notice for any condition affecting the public health or safety of the City or any condition that would place facilities, grounds, or other natural resources at risk of damage or destruction if the event were permitted to take place. Full credit will be given for events re-scheduled within 12 months of City s notice of cancellation. The City of Winter Haven will not confirm a future date until both application fee and deposit (if necessary) are paid in full. Marketing & Public Relations Conditional approval of a Special Event Application is given up receipt of an applicant s application fee, deposit (if necessary), and fee schedule balance. The event may then be marketed at the applicant s own risk. However, if approval is not granted and the event is therefore cancelled, the applicant may not hold the City responsible or liable for any of the costs incurred from marketing. Acceptance of a Special Event Application does not guarantee the date and location or an automatic approval of your event. The Office of Special Events maintains the City of Winter Haven Community Calendar that details community events within Winter Haven. Information contained in your permit may be used in developing the Community Calendar upon your request. The calendar is not intended as a promotional vehicle for private events or events held on private property. The City of Winter Haven reserves the right to determine the events and content included in the Community Calendar. 12

13 Central Avenue Banner Program The Central Avenue Banner Program provides a unique opportunity to promote special events taking place in Winter Haven. Host Organizations are able to reserve the banner space for 1-2 weeks prior to their event (pending space availability). There is a one time $70 fee to reserve and install the banner which will be included in your fee schedule. Below are the requirements for a Central Avenue Banner: 1. Banner must be 25 L x 3 H 2. Banner must have grommets placed along the top and bottom, including all four corners. 3. Banner may be displayed for a maximum of two weeks prior to and including your event date. 4. Banners will be placed by City of Winter Haven staff. 5. Banners must have wind slits cut into them before dropping off for installation. 6. Banner must have information printed on both sides. 7. No banner may be placed which purports to be, imitates, or in any way resembles any official traffic control device. 8. Banners displaying slogans, logos, or symbols related to or associated with political parties are prohibited. 9. All banners are subject to City review for language and content prior to installation. Please attach a drawing or official proof of the banner prior to production of the banner for City approval. 10. Banners MUST be received at the Parks & Recreation office, 210 Cypress Gardens Blvd. Winter Haven, FL 33880, no later than NOON on the Thursday before the first day your banner is scheduled to be installed. 11. Non-compliance with these requirements will render your banner permit null and void. Park & Rental Capacities All park & rental facilities and properties have maximum capacities set by the City of Winter Haven Parks & Recreation Division and the Winter Haven Fire Marshal based on safety code regulations, seating capacities, parking provisions, and intended park or facility use. The City of Winter Haven reserves the right to deny any application if the expected attendance will exceed the safe capacity of the facility or property. 13

14 The City of Winter Haven wants your event to be safe, enjoyable and successful for everyone involved! This guide is meant to give you all the information you need to get started and help you along your way in the planning process for your event. If you have any questions or need any assistance with planning your Special Event, please don t hesitate to contact the Special Events Coordinator by telephone at or by at SpecialEvents@mywinterhaven.com. Best of luck with your upcoming event and we look forward to working with you! City of Winter Haven Parks & Recreation Office of Special Events 210 Cypress Gardens Blvd. Winter Haven, FL (863)

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