360 Booth Event Day Checklist: Setup to Pack-Down

Pack from a written list the night before

Do not pack from memory. Keep a list on your phone and tick items off as they go into the case. Most event-day problems start with something left at home.

The core list: platform and arm, the phone or tablet that films, a second device as a backup, charging cables, a power bank, extension cable, a spare power strip, lights and stands, gaffer tape, a cloth for the lens, and props if you offer them.

Charge everything the night before. Update the app at home, not at the venue, where the wifi may be slow. Film one clip from start to finish before you leave.

Take photos of the venue floor plan or the room before you set up. If something goes wrong, you will have a record of where the booth stood and what the space looked like.

Arrive early and read the space

Plan to arrive at least an hour before guests, or earlier for a large venue. Ask the host or venue contact where the booth should go before you unload.

A 360 booth needs a clear area of about 3 by 3 m, plus room for guests to step on and off. Look for a flat floor. A carpet edge or a loose cable under the platform is a trip hazard.

Check the ceiling too. A low chandelier, a banner or a speaker on a stand can be hit by a rotating arm. Walk the full circle with your hand before the first guest steps up.

Bring a printed or saved copy of the agreement with the host's contact number and the finish time. If the venue changes the plan on the day, you can show what was agreed without an argument.

Sort out power and light first

Find the nearest socket and test it with a lamp before you rely on it. Run cables along walls and tape them down. Keep the power bank charged as a backup for the phone, not for the whole booth.

A rotating camera sees the room from every angle, so light has to work all the way round. Bright lights behind guests wash them out, and a window behind the platform makes faces dark. Place the lights so faces are bright and the background is calm.

Film a test clip at the real position, with the real room lighting, before the party starts. The dance floor lights change during the night, so check again once the DJ starts.

Pack a small repair kit: spare screws, a screwdriver, cable ties, a spare lens cloth and a spare phone mount. It costs very little and saves the evening when something comes loose.

Keep people safe around the arm

Set a clear rule for the platform: how many people at once, and where to stand. Most platforms handle two to four guests, so check the limit for your model and stay below it.

Tell guests to keep hands and drinks low and not to reach toward the arm while it moves. Keep children and anyone who has had a lot to drink away from the platform edge. Stand beside the booth, not behind your phone.

Mark a line on the floor with tape. Guests who wait behind it will not wander into the path of the arm. You are the attendant, so you can stop the arm at any time.

Eat before you arrive and bring water. You may stand for four hours, and an attendant who is tired and hungry rushes guests and misses small safety problems around the platform.

Run each guest in about 15 seconds

A good guest run is short. Greet them, tell them where to stand, count down, record, and send them off with their clip. Aim for 15 seconds of filming, and about a minute from one guest to the next.

Give a short instruction every time: look at the camera, then pose, then wave. Guests who have to think take longer. Show the first few people how it works, and the rest of the queue will copy them.

If you offer slow motion, tell guests it will look slower than it feels. They tend to move too fast on the platform.

Once the last guest has gone, check that every clip was sent or saved before you switch anything off. Back up the originals the same night, and send the host a short note the next morning.

Handle a queue without losing the room

A long queue is a good sign, but only if it moves. When it builds, shorten the clip, add a second helper to hand out props, or ask groups to go up together. Do not skip the clip delivery.

Tell the people at the back how long the wait is. A friendly estimate stops them from leaving. If the host wants to close the booth early, agree on the time with them beforehand.

At the end, pack in the reverse order of setup and photograph the empty space so the venue sees you left it clean. Check the case against your list before you leave.