What happens to a desert event if there is a sandstorm?
Sandstorms are rare during the October to April event season and are usually forecast 24 to 48 hours ahead. Our contingency plan moves dining and entertainment into enclosed majlis structures, secures rigging and lighting, and, if conditions are unsafe, reschedules the event to an agreed alternative date at no venue penalty.
How we monitor and decide
We track National Center of Meteorology forecasts from seven days out and make the first contingency call 48 hours before the event, then a final call on the morning. Clients get one point of contact for that decision rather than a chain of suppliers.
Wind speed matters more than dust alone. Above a defined threshold we do not fly open rigging or large fabric structures, which is a safety rule rather than a judgement call.
The contingency plan
Plan B is enclosed: sealed majlis tents with air handling, dining moved under cover, AV relocated and sound rebalanced for a closed space. Guests still get the desert setting, just from inside a protected structure.
Plan C is a date move. Where a reschedule is called for weather, we carry the venue and crew allocation across to the new date.