So you’re planning a big event for the summer and expecting quite a turnout. Maybe it’s a fair, festival, or concert. You have all the details planned, except for the bathroom situation.
How many porta john rentals do you need anyway?
That’s what we’re discussing today in this guide. Keep reading to learn how many you should have on the venue grounds for every 50-100 people or so.
What’s the General Rule?
While every situation is different, the general rule is to have one porta john rental for every 50 people. For most events, that means you can keep lines relatively short.
If you’re selling tickets, you have a better idea of how many attendees to expect. It’s also a good idea to consider past attendance data if you’ve held the event before so you can accurately guess how many units you’ll need.
However, you’d be smart to consider other factors as well to calculate the ideal number of rentals for the guests.
Other Factors to Consider
While the general rule is a good place to start, you should take time to consider the type of event you’re holding first.
You must consider other factors, such as the number of guests and whether you’re serving alcohol. You want everyone to be comfortable, and nothing can ruin a party faster than having to wait forever to go to the bathroom.
Length of the Event
The longer an event goes, the more likely people will need to use the restroom at some point. If you’re planning to entertain your guests for four hours or longer, you might want to consider adding more porta-potty rentals.
If you use the general rule of thumb, one portable toilet is usually enough for 50 people. If your event is 100 people or more, you should have at least two.
The longer the event runs, the more you should consider adding. Your attendees will appreciate it!
Age of Attendees
You should consider the general age of the guests as well as the number you’re expecting.
Family-friendly events with young children likely mean the porta john is going to get more use. In general, kids can’t hold it as long as adults can.
If you’re serving alcohol, you can expect guests will need to use the bathroom more often too. Alcohol is a diuretic, so concerts and festivals with crowds of adults 21 and older might need more portable toilet rentals.
Older adults have a similar problem. It’s quite common for those over 70 to develop overactive bladders.
You don’t want your stalls to reach capacity too quickly. It’s better to expect lots of bathroom breaks and have a few extra stalls.
Serving Food and Beverages
If you’re an event that serves food and beverages, you can expect those porta-potty rentals to get more use.
If you plan on having food trucks and restaurants on the venue grounds, it’s a good idea to add more stalls. Make sure they’re placed in areas where people can easily find them too.
A good rule of thumb to use if you serve food and drinks is to have one portable toilet for every 25 attendees.
The Weather
The weather plays a big part in your attendance numbers. If the weather is sunny and temperate, you can likely expect more guests to arrive.
If temperatures soar, you can expect your guests to drink more to try and stay comfortable. As beverage sales go up, the lines for the bathroom get longer.
If you’re holding an outdoor event and people are burning more calories, such as dancing or swimming, they’ll also be reaching for their water bottles to stay hydrated and replenish the fluid they might lose sweating. As a result, you can expect they’ll have to use the bathroom more too.
How to Keep Your Attendees Happy
There’s no way around it – when people go to outdoor events, they’re going to have to use the restroom. It’s up to you to plan accordingly and make sure there are enough toilets for all the guests.
So, what else can you do to make them happy?
Hand Washing Stations
Some porta john rentals have sinks for guests to wash their hands. You could also add a washing station.
It’s a step up from the hand sanitizer pumps and your attendees will appreciate the stronger clean feeling. Washing stations help keep germs at bay and prevent illness and infections.
If you’re serving food at your event, offering a place to wash their hands will make your attendees happier.
Clear Signage
You should always place your portable toilets in an area that’s easy to see and access. Having more than one section of porta johns throughout the event will also make people happier. They won’t have to walk all the way back to the far end of the festival grounds just to use the bathroom.
It’s also a good idea to use signs to direct the crowd through the festival and to the bathroom area. There’s nothing worse than having to go and not being able to find the toilets.
Keep Lines Short With More Rentals
Depending on the size of your event, bathroom lines are almost inevitable. Most people expect this, but you can keep lines shorter by offering more rentals.
The more stalls there are, the less time attendees need to wait for an available one to open up.
Do You Need Porta John Rentals?
So, the general guideline is to have one rental for every 50 guests. However, you have to consider the factors we’ve covered here if you want to make sure you have enough for your event. It’s always a good idea to have a few more than to not have enough.
Do you need porta john rentals for an upcoming event? Get a quote on our services and we’ll help you determine the perfect amount.
