If you are planning an event or festival then there will be a lot of aspects you may not have considered. The temporary nature of the event means that you will need to hire temporary event staff and perhaps construct temporary buildings. However, before you can get to any of that you must apply for an Occasional License. Following the correct laws and regulations before you start any construction or programming is essential. Without the license, the event cannot go ahead as planned.
Find out why you should really get an Occasional License now.
What is an Occasional License?
An Occasional License (as it is called in Scotland) is also known as a Temporary Events License in England and Wales.
You need this license in order to sell alcohol from an unlicensed premise in Scotland.
You can only apply for an occasional license if you are from a voluntary organisation, or if you hold a premises or personal license to sell alcohol. What you should consider is that if you are a voluntary organisation, you are restricted by how many of these temporary licenses you can receive each year.
It is important to make sure you are legal to sell any alcohol at your event or festival before hiring any temporary event staff or constructing temporary buildings.
Where can I hire temporary event staff?
If you would like to hire temporary event staff then there are many websites online which will provide staff for you. This could be for a range of services at your events/festivals. They can provide labour for construction purposes if you do have temporary buildings. These companies can also provide staff for bartending, promotions, stewards and even lighting or sound technicians.
Make sure you find a company with a great reputation and reliable reviews.
How long can my temporary buildings stay erected for?
Occasional licenses only hold their validity for 14 days. It will depend on how long your event is as to how long you will have your temporary buildings erected for. If you are holding an event of a large scale then it will take a while for your temporary event staff to construct the building. Then you need to give the staff enough time to take the building down again within the licensed period. Always check with your local authority before planning a large-scale event just in case there are further restrictions that you did not know about.
