Why Impact Planning Matters for Securing Event Permits

Kate Taylor

September 30, 2025

Did you know that permitting is so much more than just a piece of paper?

Before we even get around to submitting a permit application, there is a lot of research, planning and behind the scenes work that takes place to get your permit approved. You might be surprised to learn an essential part of this process is assessing impact and adjusting accordingly to ensure your event is set up for success.

So, what exactly is impact?

Impact refers to the effect your event will have on the environment and nearby community. This includes, but is not limited to celebrity appearances, social media posts, noise, traffic, crowd control, waste and any other disruption to business or residents. Having a well thought out plan on how you can reduce these impact factors is important when cities are reviewing your permit application for approval.

As an example, here are some of the items that could potentially be included in an impact plan:

Celebrities
Social media
Line queue management
Garbage/waste removal
Noise control plan
Crowd control/security

If you’re considering skipping this critical step, think again. Not having an impact plan can result in delays and denials, potentially costing you your event. And keep in mind that simply having a plan isn’t enough. Failure to follow through on your plan can result in fines and in some cases, your event being shut down entirely.

While you will likely need some sort of impact plan no matter what city you are activating in, it’s important to note that your plan may need to be tweaked depending on which market you are in. This is especially the case when planning multi-city tours where different rules typically apply depending on which jurisdiction you’re activating in.

We know impact may not be the first thing on your mind when starting to plan an activation (or let’s be honest, something you have the bandwidth to think about) and that’s okay! The EventPermits team is here to ask all the hard questions to ensure your activation has a clear and well-thought-out impact plan that will keep the city and surrounding community happy!