The Rochester, Minn., Post-Bulletin newspaper recently ran reader feedback over a story about the city ordering too few portable restrooms for a Fourth of July celebration. Unfortunately, this is another case of poor planning for a major event reflecting badly on the portable sanitation industry.
In a situation PRO readers are all-to-familiar with, the city park’s director ordered a handful of restrooms for an event that drew thousands of people. As a result, the portable restroom provider was overwhelmed trying to keep the units cleaned and people waited in line 45 minutes to use to use the units. The miscalculation put a damper on the event for many attendees and led to heavy criticism in the newspaper.
I hope this is an example event planners can learn from. Skimping on the portable restrooms can transform a popular civic event into public relations disaster. It’s a shame the folks in Rochester couldn’t be buzzing about the “rockets’ red glare’’ after Independence Day rather than the woeful restroom facilities. The next time you encounter an event customer who wants to order too few restrooms, tell them what happened in Rochester, Minn.
What’s your opinion?
