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Risk register template

A one-page risk register for any event: the risk, how likely, how bad, who owns it, what you do now and what you do if it happens.

Planner pointing along an exit route past a fire extinguisher cabinet

A risk register is a table you fill in once, review weekly in the final month, and hand to every lead on the day. It turns worry into named owners and decisions made in advance.

How to fill it in

  1. List every risk you can think of with your team, venue and key vendors: weather, power, a no-show performer, a medical incident, an over-capacity room, a late caterer, a speaker who runs long, a drunk guest, a lost child, a cancelled shuttle.
  2. Score likelihood and impact from 1 to 3 each. Multiply them. Anything scoring 6 or 9 needs a written plan and a named owner before the contract stage ends.
  3. Write the mitigation (what you do now to make it less likely) and the response (what happens if it occurs, step by step, and who decides).
  4. Review it weekly in the last month and at the 30-minute briefing on the day.

The template

Crew raising a tent beside ceremony chairs as rain clouds roll over the lake
Risk Likelihood (1–3) Impact (1–3) Score Owner Mitigation now Response if it happens
Rain on an outdoor ceremony 2 3 6 Planner Tent on hold, indoor room confirmed in the contract Decision at 10 a.m. on the day; signage and ushers redirect guests
Headline performer ill 1 3 3 Entertainment lead Substitution clause in the contract Agency supplies the replacement; MC script updated
Power trip during the band 2 2 4 AV lead Separate circuits for sound and catering; venue electrician on call Reset sequence posted at the panel; DJ backup playlist on battery
Over-capacity room 1 3 3 Planner RSVP cap below the posted occupant load Door count; overflow lounge opened
Medical incident 2 3 6 Security lead First-aid responders booked; location of the defibrillator known Call 911, clear a route, meet the paramedics at the door
Intoxicated guest 2 2 4 Bar captain Smart Serve staff, food out all night, last call announced Stop service, water, safe ride home, incident noted

Related

Pair this with the day-of emergency kit, the run of show and the encyclopedia entries on egress, crowd density and fire watch. Print this page from your browser to use it on paper.

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