What to confirm before booking staff, interpreters, equipment and local suppliers.
Event delivery requires decisions across several teams: programme, venue, logistics, participants and communications. Problems often start when each team assumes another has booked the service or confirmed the access requirements.
This checklist is designed for organisers preparing a reception, workshop, pavilion session, conference-side meeting or public event in Antalya during COP31.
1. Build a single event brief
Record the exact date and schedule, venue address, load-in and load-out times, room capacity, planned audience, languages, accessibility needs and on-site lead. Separate confirmed facts from requests still pending.
| Item | Minimum specification to confirm | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Venue | Address, room, access hours, capacity, payment and cancellation terms | Venue lead |
| Staff | Roles, headcount, languages, shift length, breaks, uniform and supervisor | Operations |
| Interpretation | Languages, consecutive or simultaneous, microphones/headsets and technical support | Programme/AV |
| AV | Sound, screen, lighting, video, technician, connectivity and backup | Technical lead |
| Photo/video | Deliverables, usage rights, consent/notice and turnaround | Communications |
| Registration | Guest list, invitation, QR/manual check-in, privacy notice and fallback | Guest lead |
2. Specify staffing by role
“Four English-speaking staff” is not enough for a useful quote. Explain whether you need registration, guest reception, floor coordination, speaker assistance, exhibition support or transport dispatch. Give shift times, briefing time, expected volume, language level and whether staff will handle cash or personal data.
Check who supervises the team, what happens during breaks, and whether replacement cover is possible. Confirm local employment, insurance and invoicing arrangements with the provider.
3. Distinguish interpretation from translation
Written translation, consecutive interpretation and simultaneous interpretation require different planning. For simultaneous interpretation, check booth or remote setup, audio routing, receiver counts, technical rehearsal and speakers’ advance materials. For consecutive interpretation, reserve enough time in the agenda.
Ask interpreters about subject familiarity and language direction. An interpreter who handles everyday English may not be suited to detailed climate-finance negotiations or technical engineering content.
4. Ask what the venue includes
For each quotation, compare what is included: furniture, screen, microphones, operator, security, cleaning, internet and overtime charges. Check loading access, equipment delivery windows and restrictions on branding, filming or external catering.
If the event is in an access-controlled COP31 area, entry rules are a separate requirement. A supplier contract does not create badge access.
A COP31-specific logistics check
For an event involving both conference delegates and outside participants, verify whether the meeting is in the Blue Zone, another conference area or an independent venue. Confirm badge/access requirements for staff and suppliers separately from guest invitations. For equipment shipped to COP31 venues, check the official participant logistics guidance rather than using ordinary hotel-delivery assumptions.
5. Plan participant movement
Describe how a visitor gets from invitation to entrance, check-in, seat, discussion and departure. Give the map pin and exact entrance; a hotel or conference complex may have multiple gates. If guests move between locations, budget for buffers and a clear point of contact.
6. Test the complete event
A short rehearsal should cover slides, audio, language interpretation, name pronunciations, timing, audience interaction and a backup for unavailable internet. Test any QR code on a real phone with mobile data, not only office Wi-Fi.
7. Keep one responsibility sheet
Maintain a contact list with one person authorised to make decisions. Write down: who opens the room, who briefs staff, who accepts deliveries, who checks the guest list, who handles changes, and who confirms final supplier payments.
Final 48-hour checklist
- Venue access and layout reconfirmed
- Staff names, assignments, shifts and briefing confirmed
- Interpreter language pairs and equipment tested
- AV and internet backup checked
- Speakers have arrival instructions
- Registration/consent procedure confirmed
- Supplier payment and cancellation terms recorded
- On-site lead and emergency contacts circulated
Related service — SICI: For selected local requirements, SICI can discuss supplier research and coordination, event staff, interpretation, photography and practical delivery support in Antalya. Availability and pricing depend on the brief. View the current service overview: Services.
Sources: COP31 participant information · UNFCCC COP31. This checklist is practical planning advice, not an official venue specification.