Send a coordinated proposal, not just a screen weight
Ask the venue who approves overhead suspension and which current documents they require for your hall and event. Then appoint one technical contact to assemble the submission. The organiser supplies the event layout and requirements; the responsible technical team supplies the proposed rigging arrangement and engineering information. A ceiling drawing or a verbal statement that “rigging is available” is not approval of your installation.
The useful deliverable is a coordinated package whose layout, equipment list and technical assessment describe the same revision. Keep design acceptance, service ordering and permission to proceed visible as separate steps: the venue may handle them through different teams.
Build the information package
| Item | What it should clarify | Likely contributor |
|---|---|---|
| Event and venue reference | Hall, stand or room, dates, orientation and project contact | Organiser and venue |
| Dimensioned layout and elevation | Proposed equipment and suspension positions, heights and nearby constraints | Designer with technical supplier |
| Complete equipment schedule | Screen, lighting, sound, scenery and associated suspended items | Every supplier through one coordinator |
| Rigging and load information | The defined arrangement, relevant load cases and requested points | Responsible technical specialist |
| Installation method and access | Required venue services, equipment access, work sequence and timing | Installation team and venue |
| Approval and handover record | Who reviews, what remains conditional and which revision is accepted | Venue and responsible project contacts |
For a concrete venue example, Messe Frankfurt's suspension factsheet asks for a dimensioned and oriented point sketch, point loads, additional load planning for complex systems, proposed installation aids and a transfer height where applicable. Its hall-specific rules and submission process illustrate why the actual venue must supply the requirements for your event.
Include what other suppliers are adding
A display weight does not describe the whole overhead assembly. Request the technical team's complete list, including the supporting equipment and any relevant attachments from other departments. Cable arrangements, scenic signs and late branding changes should reach the coordinator before the design is finalised. Ask each supplier to distinguish confirmed models from placeholders.
Do not divide a total weight by the number of points and present the result as an approved point-load schedule. The responsible specialist must determine the required information for the real arrangement. Equally, a previous event's accepted plan is a reference to review, not automatic acceptance for a new position, equipment set or build sequence.
Hypothetical example: one proposed point is unavailable
Imagine a conference design showing a suspended lighting line and a sign above the stage. The supplier submits a drawing with four proposed suspension positions. The venue reports that one position cannot be provided because of a local restriction. The organiser's useful response is to request a revised option and identify what can move visually: the sign, the stage line or the lighting positions.
The coordinator obtains a revised arrangement and its technical assessment, updates the affected plans and resubmits them. Moving a mark on the rendering or deleting a point from the order does not resolve the technical change. Once the venue accepts the revised package, the organiser can confirm the corresponding services and schedule.
Give changes a clear route
Use a revision identifier and date on the package, with a short record of what changed. Distribute the same accepted revision to the venue, installation contractor, lighting supplier, screen supplier and scenic team. If a sponsor adds a hanging sign later, send it through the same route before committing to it.
Ask when the venue needs the submission, when services must be ordered and how late changes are treated. Those dates may differ. Put the decision dates into the project schedule alongside content and rehearsal deadlines, so an unresolved suspension choice does not quietly become a loading-day problem.
Before calling the arrangement ready
Confirm the venue contact and the exact event or hall requirements.
Check that every drawing and list carries the same revision and covers every supplier's contribution.
Identify conditional items explicitly, including unconfirmed equipment or pending venue services.
Record who provides the approved points, who installs below them and who handles the required checks and handover.
Agree the arrival, access and installation sequence, including coordination with other work in the room.
Bring the venue documents and the proposed event layout to installation and dismantling planning. For an early concept, design and visualisation can help show which placement choices are flexible before the technical submission is developed.
Further reading
Messe Frankfurt: suspension factsheet. This is an example from that venue; obtain the applicable requirements directly from your own venue.