Monday Mashups: 3 Reasons Why Your Event Space Needs All-Gender Restrooms

In this day and age, events should provide a sense of security and comfort for all attendees - no matter your race, gender, or age. Accommodating improves your overall event experience. This even applies to something like the restrooms. It's true! Check out these 3 reasons from BizBash as to why your event needs all-gender restrooms.

1. Every attendee of your event deserves to feel safe.
Safety for transgender or gender-nonconforming people should be the highest priority when thinking about all-gendered restrooms for your events. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, transgender folks experience high rates of violence and victimization in their day-to-day. This risk can become even higher in gendered spaces like restrooms where, according to the largest survey taken of transgender people in the United States, “almost 60 percent of transgender Americans have avoided using public restrooms for fear of confrontation, saying they have been harassed and assaulted.” - New York Reuters (study conducted by National Center for Transgender Equality)

2. All-gender bathrooms are family-friendly!
They not only foster equality for trans-identified people they also make care-taking easier, allowing parents to more easily take care of children that may be of a different gender. For individuals with disabilities, caretakers of a different gender would be able to more freely attend to their needs. These facilities promote greater equality for families and caretakers who aren't limited to gender-conforming roles while ensuring the safety of those who may be at risk.

3. Time efficiency.
We've all been there. Scrambling out of a two-hour-long session or workshop to use the restroom only to find an unreasonably long line. A study of all-gender restrooms points to statistics showing the different average restroom visit times for men and women. The move to all-gender restrooms would essentially have minimal impact on men and decrease women's waiting time substantially. In regard to event spaces, the effects are dramatic—less congestion in event hallways, greater comfort for women-identifying attendees who have less of a wait in line, and greater access to restrooms.

On a logistical level, all-gender restrooms are also more time-efficient. Particularly in spaces where temporary restrooms are being added, such as outdoor festivals, one would no longer have to make available more restrooms than necessary. The time it would take to design two binary gender spaces is cut in half—and time is money.

According to California law AB 1732, every single-occupancy restroom (even the one in your own home) is an all-gender restroom. The safety and ease of your attendees could be dramatically increased with the introduction of all-gender restrooms. Think about that the next time you plan an event and devour the details of a successful guest experience!

Did Someone Say, Field Trip?

Trillium Brewing Company is bringing back the Trillium Field Trip for another year featuring a line-up of breweries that will be sure to please. Grab your sunscreen and tag along for great beer and fun, just don’t forget to bring your signed permission slip!

Join Trillium and friends this Saturday, August 10th at 100 Royall Street in Canton, MA for a two-session invitational. Expect pours of an all-star lineup of beers. And don't worry about packing your lunch, they'll have a variety of stellar food trucks to hit every craving!

Only 300 VIP tickets and 1,200 General Admission tickets are available per session, up to 4 per person (plus kids!) Tickets for both sessions will be sold on a first come first served basis and can be purchased online here. A portion of the proceeds from Field Trip will be donated to one of Trillium's incredible charity partners.

Session 1 
VIP: $100/ticket (plus fees and tax) 11:00 – 4:00 p.m.
(1) Hour Early Entry Access to the Festival
(1) Commemorative Trillium Field Trip 6.5 oz Glass
(5) Beer Tickets
Pours of world-class beers, live entertainment, games and more!
General Admission: $50.00 (plus fees and tax) 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.

(1) Commemorative Trillium Field Trip 6.5 oz Glass
(5) Beer Tickets
Pours of world-class beers, live entertainment, games and more!
Kids Ticket: $10.00 (plus fees and tax)

Session 2 
VIP: $100/ticket (plus fees and tax) 5:00 – 10:00 p.m.
(1) Hour Early Entry Access to the Festival
(1) Commemorative Trillium Field Trip 6.5 oz Glass
(5) Beer Tickets
Pours of world-class beers, live entertainment, games and more!
General Admission: $50.00 (plus fees and tax) 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

(1) Commemorative Trillium Field Trip 6.5 oz Glass
(5) Beer Tickets
Pours of world-class beers, live entertainment, games and more!

For more information, visit Trillium's website. Otherwise, get the permission slip signed and join us in devouring the details of this ultimate field trip. Cheers!

Wedding Wednesdays: The Top 10 Questions to Ask Your Band or DJ

Let's be honest here: music can make or break a party, which means the band or DJ is one of the most important factors of your reception. And you definitely don't want to hire someone without thoroughly vetting them first. Ask the below questions posed by The Knot when you meet with any potential musicians to find the right fit for you. You'll be glad you did!

1. How would you describe your style?
You need to figure out if their style will work with the vibe you're going for. If you want an elegant cocktail party with lots of casual conversation, a band that describes itself as "rock and roll with a whole lotta edge" is a music mismatch.

2. Can we come listen to you perform?
Seeing them perform live will give you the best idea about what your wedding entertainment would actually sound and feel like. While most musicians and the couples that hire them mutually agree in advance that the wedding is closed to prospective clients, some will have mini "concerts" for the public to attend and see whether they're a good fit or not.

3. Do you know our reception space and its acoustic, power and amplification requirements? If not, will you check it out beforehand?
Your musicians may need an extension cord, backup generator or other supplies, and it's important to know this beforehand. If they don't want to check out your venue, cross them off your list.

4. Can you play the songs that are important to us (such as a traditional Jewish hora tune or a favorite pop hit)?
The band or DJ should be able to play, learn or download any tune you'd like. If a band says "yes," but they'll need to learn and/or arrange it, ask them if they'll charge for that.

5. How many musicians are in the band, and available? How many vocalists? Are there different options as far as how many musicians/instruments we can hire?
If you're interviewing a DJ, you want to know if they work with a partner, and if it's a band, who exactly would be there on the day of. Note: Hiring only a portion of an amazing band is a smart way to stick to a strict budget.

6. Would we need to rent any instruments (a piano, for example) or equipment (extra speakers or a stage)?
Find out exactly what equipment they bring, and what you need to rent (or borrow from the venue). You'll also want to know if you'll have to hide equipment if it's particularly unsightly (with draping, for instance). You want your wedding to be a beautiful event, not look like an electronics store.

7. Do you plan to use lighting or any other special effects?
Beyond music, some pros may bring special lighting and/or effects, like a fog machine, while others will stick to the tunes. If your pro does amp up his performance with specific effects, they may be standard or they may cost extra, so ask and get all prices written into your contract.

8. Who will do the setup?
The day of the wedding, someone needs to set up the sound system—usually a person from the company supplying the music. You'll need to give the name of the person to the venue coordinator and arrange a time that works for everyone.

9. How do you ensure a comfortable sound level for all the guests?
You want to have a plan for dealing with volume control and sound-sensitive guests. Here's the deal: What your 14-year-old cousin thinks is the perfect volume is different from what your 89-year-old grandma is willing to put up with. If you have a fun dance-off going, you don't want people who aren't participating to have to shout like they're at a crowded bar.

10. What do you typically wear?
A potential band or DJ will usually have several professional choices for you to pick from, such as a tuxedo or simple coordinated outfits, like black shirts and slacks.

It doesn't hurt to ask! Be prepared and devour the details of the best music for your wedding day by asking these top 10 questions from The Knot.