Planning an event, be it a wedding reception, a corporate retreat or a fundraiser entails many details. While you might an expert at throwing dinner parties or the club's BBQ, there's a lot more involved once you book a facility and plan an event that includes catering, entertainment, transportation, etc.

The following are few helpful tips to remember when planning your event at the Convention Center at Big Bear Lake.

Event Times:
Have you reserved the appropriate hours for your event? The times you contract for are very important as they indicate the hours that you will have access to the facility. For example, if your event times are from 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. that means the doors of the facility will open at 6:00 p.m. If dinner service is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m., the caterer will most likely need to have access to the facility by 5:00 p.m., at the latest. Or, if the florist will be setting up the table center pieces, they will need to have access well before the guests arrive. Entering the facility early or remaining late will normally result in additional charges. Our staff is scheduled to meet your specific needs for pre-determined specific times.

Load-in/Load-out Hours:
What are Load-in/Load-out hours? Load-in/Load-out hours, or more commonly referred to as Set-Up/Tear-Down hours, are available to you at a discounted rate. These are hours you may book to prepare the facility for your event,i.e., decorating time, registration set-up, vendor set-up, etc. During these hours you will want to make sure to bring any tools, ladders, or items you may need for your event preparation.

What About Decorating?
The Convention Center has a host of decorating and design elements available for rent, including a basic wedding decore package. If you are going to be decorating on your own, please be sure and ask for a copy of the Convention Center decorating policies. You will want to review these policies in detail before making any decoration purchases or plans.

Be sure to plan for plenty of decorating time. For some reason, it always seem to take longer to decorate than originally planned.

What About Catering?
The Convention Center works with several local caterers and can refer you to those caterers as needed, however, you certainly may use your own. There are a few items to remember...

If your caterer is going to use the kitchen facility, you are responsible for the condition of the kitchen following the event. If it is not returned to the condition it was received additional charges will apply. Your caterer is also responsible for bussing the tables throughout the event. This is an industry standard that good catering companies will gladly include in their services. The last thing you want are dirty dishes cluttering your tables throughout the event. Should the caterer not include bussing service, we can arrange for bussing staff during your event.

Do I Need Security and How Many Guards Will I Need?
All events at the Convention Center require appropriate security. Security is onsite to not only look out for the safety of our guests and best interest of the Convention Center, but they also look after your best interest. For insurance purposes we require the use of our contracted security firm. As a rule of thumb, one security officer is required for every one hundred guests. Some events will require more or less depending on the nature of the event.

Special Electrical Needs:
Special electrical needs do not just apply to big spotlights and stage lighting. Special electrical needs can be as simple as having to plug more than two coffee urns at once. Other special electrical needs might arise with your entertainment, caterer or decorations. Generally there is no additional charge for special electrical needs of this nature but we definitely need to discuss your needs while preparing your event floor plan.