Another case of portable restroom shortage hit country music fans at a Rascal Flatts concert at a venue in Richmond, Va., last weekend. The Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center hosted its first concert with more than 4,000 fans ready to jam out with the country music superstars. Too bad there were only 16 portable toilets — another example of how poor planning can lead to major restroom glitches.

This news comes just weeks after we told you about the special event snafu at the Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa, where a crowd of 5,000 waited 30 minutes in lines 60-people deep for a half-dozen restrooms.

A report on WTVR.com says fans were less than thrilled — some jumping a fence and hitting nature’s head across the street in the woods — with the mere 16 portable restrooms available on site. 

 

 

It was so bad, even the band had to chime in on the problem, asking those in line to sing along while they waited, says the report.

We said it in our last blog about special event snafus, and we’ll say it again now. If alcohol is served at an event, add 10-20 percent more restrooms. Clearly, someone missed that step when calculating the number of restrooms. 

“We thought that was going to be enough,” says SMG Richmond Marketing Director Jackie Knight in the video, referencing the 16 restrooms.  

Knight admits the planning missed the mark, but points the finger at the fact that this was the first time the venue was used for an event like this. The report says local businesses are hoping to increase the venue’s concert lineup, but this hiccup might put a damper on future events.

Just today, venue officials posted a thank-you blog to concertgoers, and apologized, er, blamed the lack of facilities on the portable restroom rental company for miscalculating the number of restrooms needed based on projected attendance. “As with any first-time event, you observe, listen and learn and then you plan better for the future,” says the blog.

That’s all sunshine and rainbows for future events, but you can’t turn back time to better serve the needs of those unhappy concertgoers — or your unsatisfied special event clients.

How many restrooms would you place for an event with 5,000 people that is serving alcohol? Post a comment below.