Available now at nadj.org.uk/power-planner

We’ve all been there. You arrive at a venue, start setting up, and somewhere between the subwoofers, the LED dance floor, the photo booth and the caterer’s urn, something trips. The lights go out, the music dies, and you’re standing in the dark with a very unhappy client wondering what just happened.

Power is one of the most overlooked aspects of event planning — and one of the most consequential when it goes wrong. That’s why we’ve built the NADJ Power Planner: a free tool for all NADJ members that helps you understand your power requirements before you arrive on site.

What Is It?

The NADJ Power Planner is an interactive load calculator built specifically for DJ, lighting, PA, photo booth, catering and event professionals. You can find it at nadj.org.uk/power-planner.

You simply add the equipment you’re planning to use — selecting from a database of hundreds of real products from brands including Pioneer, RCF, QSC, FBT, Chauvet DJ, JTS and more — set your quantities, tell it about the site and supply type, and it calculates your total power requirement in seconds.

The result? A clear picture of what you need, what supply will handle it, what size generator to request, and a downloadable advice sheet you can share with your client, venue, or generator supplier.

What Problems Does It Solve?

1. “Will a 13A socket be enough?”

This is probably the most common power question in our industry — and the answer is almost always more nuanced than a simple yes or no. A 13A socket is rated at 3,000W maximum, but best practice is to run no more than 80% of that continuously, which means around 2,400W in real-world use.

Add up a DJ controller, a laptop, two powered speakers and a few LED uplighters and you’ll often be nudging that limit before you’ve even thought about the haze machine or the photo booth. The Power Planner adds everything up for you and immediately flags when you’re approaching or exceeding safe limits for a 13A supply.

2. Knowing What Size Generator to Request

Generator sizing is where things get genuinely technical. It’s not enough to add up your running watts and ask for a generator that matches — you need to account for peak or startup loads, which can be two, three or even four times higher than running watts for certain equipment. Motors, amplifiers, compressors and heating elements all draw a surge of current when they first start up.

The Power Planner calculates both your total running load and your total peak load, then recommends a generator size based on at least double the peak requirement — which is the accepted industry standard for reliable performance. It rounds up to real generator sizes available from hire companies (3kVA, 5kVA, 8kVA, 10kVA and so on) so you can have an informed conversation with your supplier.

3. Understanding Cable Runs and Voltage Drop

One of the most underappreciated hazards at outdoor events is long cable runs. Run power too far through a cable that’s too thin and you get voltage drop — the voltage at the end of the cable is significantly lower than at the source. This can cause equipment to behave erratically, overheat, or fail, and in extreme cases creates a fire risk.

The built-in voltage drop calculator lets you enter your cable length and CSA (cross-sectional area) and immediately see whether your proposed cable run meets the BS 7671 maximum of 5% voltage drop. It also flags the appropriate minimum cable size for your load.

The tool includes specific warnings about daisy-chaining domestic 13A extension leads over long distances — something that’s surprisingly common at outdoor events and genuinely dangerous. At 100 metres or more, domestic extension leads can overheat even below their rated current. At 300 metres, they present a serious fire risk.

4. Choosing the Right Supply Type

Not all events use a generator. Many use mains supplies from venues, with CEE industrial sockets rated at 16A, 32A or 63A. The Power Planner lets you select your supply type and immediately tells you whether your load is within safe limits, whether you’re approaching the 80% derating threshold, and what distribution arrangement is appropriate — from a simple single outlet through to three-phase professional distribution.

5. Creating a Professional Advice Sheet

Once you’ve built your load list and run the calculations, you can download a branded advice sheet that summarises everything — your equipment list, power totals, generator recommendation, distribution advice, warnings, and a plain-English summary of the relevant regulations. It’s designed to be shared with clients, venues, or generator suppliers so everyone is working from the same information.

Who Is It For?

The Power Planner is useful for anyone who brings electrical equipment to events — which is essentially all of us. But it’ll be particularly valuable if you:

• Work at outdoor or marquee events where you’re dependent on a generator or long cable runs from a distant power source
• Use high-wattage equipment such as subwoofers, haze machines, heating, or catering equipment
• Coordinate with other suppliers — caterers, lighting companies, photo booth operators — who are all drawing from the same power source
• Work at venues where you’re unsure of the supply capacity and need to demonstrate you’ve done your homework
• Brief clients or event managers on power requirements as part of your pre-event planning

What It Doesn’t Do — and Why That Matters

The Power Planner is a planning tool, not a substitute for professional electrical advice. There are some important things to understand about its limitations:

It gives estimates, not certified calculations. The wattage figures in the product database are planning estimates based on typical manufacturer data. Your actual equipment may draw more or less depending on age, condition, settings, and load. Always check the rating plate on your own equipment.

It doesn’t replace a competent person. Under BS 7909:2011 — the Code of Practice for Temporary Electrical Systems for Entertainment Events — all temporary electrical installations must be designed, installed, verified and signed off by a competent person. The Power Planner can help you prepare for that conversation, but it cannot replace it. Your generator supplier should provide commissioning documentation, and any significant temporary electrical installation requires proper inspection records.

It doesn’t account for your specific site. Cable routing, ambient temperature, equipment condition, simultaneous load profiles — these all affect real-world performance in ways a planning tool can’t fully model. Use the output as a starting point, not a final answer.

The AI advice feature is contextual guidance only. The tool can offer AI-generated advice tailored to your specific setup. This is useful additional context but, like the rest of the tool, it is not a substitute for professional assessment.

A Note on Safety

Electrical safety at events is not something to cut corners on. Every year, preventable electrical incidents occur at events in the UK — from equipment damage and supply failures through to serious accidents. The consequences of getting it wrong go beyond an embarrassing power cut; they can be life-threatening and career-ending.

The NADJ Power Planner exists to help you ask the right questions and go into every event better prepared. Use it alongside, not instead of, proper risk assessment, competent person sign-off, and common sense.

If you’re ever unsure, ask. NADJ members have access to a community of experienced professionals — use it.

Get Started

The Power Planner is free for all NADJ members and requires no login to use.

👉 nadj.org.uk/power-planner

Add your equipment, run the numbers, download your advice sheet — and arrive at your next event knowing exactly what you’re plugging in.

The NADJ Power Planner is provided as planning guidance only. All electrical installations at events must comply with BS 7909, BS 7671 and applicable health and safety legislation. Final verification and sign-off must be carried out by a qualified competent person.