Quick answer: Before booking inflatable obstacle courses, confirm the whole site, not only the patch of ground under the product. Map the full operating footprint, overhead conditions, delivery route, queue, exit and ordinary access paths. Then give the plan and current photos to the provider and property contact so each can confirm its own requirements in writing.
A product can appear to fit on a lawn or event floor and still create a problem at the gate, turning point, ceiling, queue or shared walkway. These site decisions are different from choosing an activity format. First identify the candidate item. Then gather the measurements and access details the provider requests, compare them with the venue’s rules, and keep all unanswered points visible. A floor sketch, clear photographs and a written approval record make it easier to catch conflicts before a date is presented as settled.
This guide is a planning aid, not a site assessment or a safety approval. The exact course instructions, setup footprint and operating requirements depend on the selected device and location. Ask the provider and venue to confirm those details. Do not infer clearance, anchoring or electrical requirements from a photograph or a general article.
1. Measure for inflatable obstacle courses
Start with the product listing and proposed date. BC Event Makers’ catalogue includes several inflatable activity formats, and the exact unit matters when discussing a site. Record the current product name and link, the event location and the period when setup and operation are planned. Ask whether the listing describes the same item that would be delivered and what details may vary by configuration.
Do not measure from a cropped product image or assume the listed length describes the whole operating area. Ask the provider for the dimensions and complete footprint relevant to the exact course, including any manufacturer or supplier clearance information it wants you to consider. Request site information in a form you can compare with your own measurements. If the provider uses a diagram, keep the version and date with the quote so later revisions are not confused with the original plan.
Keep the site requirements in a separate planning note. Identify which values came from the product listing, which were supplied in writing by the provider, and which you measured at the venue. This prevents a guessed number from becoming part of the final plan. If a product changes, repeat the site review rather than carrying forward measurements from the previous choice.
2. Draw the full site footprint
Sketch the whole available area from a fixed reference point. Include the building or property boundary, fence line, gates, path, patio, trees, eaves, overhead features, drains, gardens, poles, light fixtures, seating, food service and nearby event stations. Label the dimensions you measured and the source of each measurement. Mark the proposed course location as its own shape, then add the operating area or clearances the provider has specified. Leave unknown values blank until you receive them.
Use a scale if you can do so reliably, but label it clearly and verify the drawing against at least two on-site measurements. A rough sketch with honest dimensions is more useful than a polished diagram that implies accuracy it does not have. If the shape is irregular, show the actual pinch points rather than simplifying the entire space into a rectangle. Mark slopes, surface changes or overhead objects for the provider to review.
Place the planned entry and exit on the drawing only after asking how the exact device is intended to be arranged. Show a queue, spectators, waiting area, alternate activity, food, seating and ordinary routes through the site. The remaining event space should still work for guests who do not use the inflatable. If the course dominates the only access path or forces a line through food service, consider another placement and ask the venue and provider to review the revised plan.
Label each element as proposed, measured, confirmed or pending. For example, “proposed course location” is not the same as “approved location.” A colour key or small legend helps event staff understand what they are looking at. Keep the date of the sketch and update it when the site, product or schedule changes.
3. Measure the delivery route from unloading to setup
Trace the route a delivery crew would use from the agreed unloading point to the proposed setup area. Record gates and doors, narrowest widths, sharp turns, steps, slopes, changes in surface, distance, shared corridors and any time limits on access. Ask the provider which route details it needs for the exact course. Photographs taken from both sides of a gate or turn can show context that one measurement misses.
Include the route beyond the property entrance. There may be a loading zone, a building lobby, an elevator, a shared driveway or a path used by the public. Note any lift or delivery restrictions established by the venue. Ask the property contact whether the crew can use the route at the planned time and whether any approval or booking is required. Do not assume that a public path or park entrance provides permission for delivery or equipment transport.
Do not remove, move or alter a barrier, gate, landscape feature or building fixture to make the route appear workable. Instead, describe the condition and ask whether the provider and property contact can review an alternate route or location. If the site changes after you send the photos, send updated images and ask the relevant people to confirm that the revised route is suitable.
4. Account for overhead and surface conditions
Record overhead conditions from the planned location and the delivery path: branches, eaves, canopies, wires, ceiling fixtures, signs, lighting and temporary structures. Take wide and close photographs, and note where each feature is relative to the proposed course. Ask the provider which measurements or observations it needs and whether the location can be considered for the specific item. Avoid estimating safe clearances yourself.
Describe the surface without assigning it a suitability label. Note whether it is grass, pavement, flooring, a slope or a transition between materials. Photograph visible unevenness, soft areas, drains, curbs, retaining walls or protections that the property contact wants preserved. Ask the provider what surface and anchoring requirements apply to the exact equipment and ask the venue what is permitted on the property. Do not improvise anchors or make changes to a surface without authorization.
For an indoor space, give the provider the route from the vehicle to the room and the details it requests about doors, corridors, ceilings and floor. Ask the venue about room capacity, access hours, floor protection, fire routes and any rules for equipment. For an outdoor location, ask the provider and property contact about weather terms, surface conditions, nearby uses and the plan if the site is no longer appropriate. A photograph can support a conversation; it cannot approve a location by itself.
5. Design the queue layout, exit and shared paths
Show where people wait, enter and leave, and where spectators can stand without blocking a path. Ask the provider how the selected course is intended to be arranged and what movement pattern to plan around. The queue layout should not cross an entrance, food line, accessible route, vehicle approach or another activity station. Mark the route back into the event so participants do not funnel into the next waiting group.
Think about the busy period, not only the quiet moment when you take a site photograph. People may gather at the start, finish, shade or a nearby food table. Keep the event lead’s view and communication route visible on the sketch. If the site has a regular public or building use, show how those visitors continue to move through it. Ask the venue whether the proposed layout preserves the access it requires.
Include an alternate activity and waiting area that do not depend on the course operating. This provides a useful option if people choose not to participate or if the programme needs to change. It also helps you evaluate whether the course leaves enough usable space for the rest of the gathering. Do not promise a queue system, simultaneous use or participant count until the provider has confirmed the relevant instructions.
6. Separate provider suitability from site approval
The provider can review product and setup information for its equipment. The property owner, venue or public authority controls permission to use its site and may have separate rules for access, equipment, documents, hours and public movement. Ask each party to confirm its part in writing. The site approval must come from the property owner, venue or authority; a provider quote does not establish it. Venue permission also does not establish that the equipment meets the provider’s requirements.
For a school, ask the responsible administrator who can approve equipment, event placement and visitor access. For a company venue, contact facilities or the property manager. For a community centre, ask the centre about room or field rules and provider documentation. For a public park, contact the municipality about whether the event, location and service are permitted, what notification or permit is needed, and which documents the service provider must supply. Do not treat a public booking or event notification as product approval.
Technical Safety BC’s current inflatable event guidance describes situations where permits and licensed contractors may be required, including some public events, and recommends confirming the applicable device and contractor requirements. Use the guidance as a prompt to contact the relevant authority and provider for your actual event. It is not a legal determination or guarantee that any particular device or site is approved.
Maintain a simple approval log with the question, person or organization contacted, date, answer and any condition. Keep the site approval beside the provider’s product review, not as a substitute for it. Keep a copy of attached plans and documents so you can show which version was reviewed. If an approval is conditional, repeat the condition in the day-of handoff. If you do not have an answer, mark it as pending rather than relying on a verbal assumption.
7. Use scenarios to find hidden site conflicts
Narrow side gate: A lawn may look open, but the delivery route turns through a tight side gate with a planter nearby. Record the gate and turning point, photograph both approaches, and send the details to the provider. Ask the property contact whether the route can be used and whether a different placement or alternate product is preferable. Do not assume the crew can move or remove the planter.
Shared community lawn: The event plan places the course across a path that park visitors also use. Mark the regular path, spectator area, queue and exit, then ask the City or property contact whether the layout protects public access and what process applies to the event. Ask the provider to review the revised location for its equipment. Keep these confirmations separate in the approval log.
Indoor gym or hall: A floor plan shows enough open floor, but the route includes a corridor turn and the ceiling has fixtures near the proposed location. Send the venue floor plan, route photos and relevant dimensions to the provider. Ask the facility contact about room access, use hours and protection requirements. Wait for both the provider’s site information and the venue’s approval before committing to the layout.
Outdoor lawn after rain: The planned surface may differ from the condition observed on event day. Ask the provider what updated information it needs and follow the written site and weather process. Ask the property contact who can authorize a move. Do not relocate equipment to another part of the property without review, even if the alternate area looks clearer.
8. Build a site review table
Keep one row for each site decision and identify who can answer it. A blank field should remain visibly open until the answer arrives. This is especially useful when several people are coordinating a facility, school, public park or shared property.
| Site question | Evidence to send | Confirmation owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exact item and footprint | Product link, provider diagram and date | Provider | [pending/confirmed] |
| Delivery route | Measurements and current photos | Provider and property contact | [pending/confirmed] |
| Surface and overhead | Location sketch and site photos | Provider and venue | [pending/confirmed] |
| Queue, exit and shared paths | Layout showing guests and ordinary access | Venue or authority | [pending/confirmed] |
| Permission, documents and timing | Event details and provider documents | Property contact or authority | [pending/confirmed] |
| Weather or changed conditions | Written process and contact names | Provider and venue | [pending/confirmed] |
Do not use one confirmation to fill multiple rows unless it explicitly covers each point. A provider may confirm that it can review a route, but that does not reserve a park or approve the event layout. A venue may grant access, but that does not confirm equipment footprint or operating requirements. Keeping the answers separate makes it easier to spot what remains open.
9. Request review before the event deadline
Send the provider a complete package with event date, address, proposed item, setup window, delivery route, measurements, surface and overhead notes, queue and exit plan, current photos and a labelled sketch. Ask which information remains missing and when it needs the final answer. If the venue has a submission deadline, provide enough time to receive provider documents and revise the plan if the first location cannot be confirmed.
Send the property contact or public authority the event description, proposed location, schedule, attendance estimate, service provider details and any site plan or documents it requests. Ask whether a notification, permit or other approval is needed and what the approval covers. Be clear about whether the plan is preliminary. Do not claim the event is confirmed until the responsible contact has answered.
Keep the current quote, site plan, approvals, provider instructions and relevant contacts together. If the provider, venue or product changes, send the updated information to everyone whose confirmation depends on it. Put a date and version on the plan. Retire old versions so the team does not use measurements or approvals that refer to another layout.
Copy-ready site review request
“We are considering [exact course/product link] for [date and event hours] at [venue/address]. The proposed setup location is marked on the attached site plan. Our measurements are [list], and the delivery route runs from [unloading point] through [gates, turns, steps or shared areas]. The site photos show [surface, slope, overhead features and nearby paths]. The proposed queue, exit, spectator area and other event uses are also marked. Please confirm the item-specific footprint and clearances you require, which surface and route details you need reviewed, any provider documents or site conditions still outstanding, and the process if the conditions change. We are separately asking [venue/authority] to confirm permission, event rules, access timing and any permit or notification requirements. Please let us know what remains unconfirmed before we treat the plan as final.”
Use the BC Event Makers catalogue to identify a current product and the quote form to send the event brief. A clear request helps the provider understand the site question, while the final site decision stays with the people responsible for the product and property.
Final site check
Before you present the event plan as confirmed, compare the exact product, latest site footprint, delivery route, overhead and surface notes, queue and exit, venue response, provider instructions and weather process. Make sure the person meeting the provider has the latest version and knows which details are still conditional. If a measurement, surface, route, product or schedule changes, ask for a fresh review rather than assuming an earlier answer still applies.
Good site planning for inflatable obstacle courses makes uncertainties visible and gives the right people enough information to answer them. Measure what you can, label what you do not know, and keep provider suitability and property approval separate. That process supports a stronger event plan without turning a product photo, rough sketch or quote into a promise it cannot make.