Standard Procedure for Fast-Tracking Event Permit Applications

Incorrectly handling Event Permit Applications may lead to dossier rejection, postponed launch dates, lost sponsorship revenue, or suspension of the planned program. Since no universal event permit applies to every activity, organizers must determine the correct procedure, including artistic performance approval, press conference notification, promotional filing, or registration of prize-based promotions. Under the Law on Enterprises and Businesses and Clause 5, Article 10 of Decree No. 144/2020/ND-CP, artistic performance applications must be filed at least seven working days before the scheduled event.

Long Phan Consulting assists organizers in identifying applicable approvals and preparing compliant submissions from the initial planning stage.

The legal nature and classification of event permit application procedures

Obtaining event permits is not a one-size-fits-all procedure. Businesses need to break down each activity within the program to determine the corresponding documentation, authority, and deadlines.

Combining performances, press conferences, promotions, sports events, or advertisements into a single file can easily lead to submission to the wrong agency. The direct risks include rejection of the application, delays in media coverage, and invalidation of sponsorship contracts.

Assisting in establishing the legal framework for performing arts events and press conferences

For public events, businesses need to identify the legal focus before drafting the script. Two categories are often confused: artistic performances and product launch press conferences.

• Events featuring singers, artists, stage performances, or other performance content usually require permission document approving the organization of artistic performances. The authority rests with the Provincial People’s Committee or the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, as stipulated in Clause 2, Article 10 of Decree No. 144/2020/ND-CP.
• A product launch event that includes press coverage is automatically considered a performance event. Businesses must comply with this requirement. Notice of press conference, and the state management agency for the press has the right to suspend if it detects signs of violations according to Clauses 1 and 2 of Article 37 of the 2025 Press Law.
• Events that include both a performance and a press conference require separate documentation. The stage script does not replace the press conference announcement, and the press release does not replace the performance approval document.

The organizers should view the script as a compliance roadmap, not just an operational document. Each item gives rise to its own legal obligations, with different receiving authorities and handling risks.

Consulting on risk control mechanisms for promotional activities involving chance

Customer appreciation events, grand openings, trade fairs, or product launches often incorporate giveaways. Risks arise when businesses view raffles, lottery draws, or lucky spins as a secondary activity.

• Programs involving product distribution, gift giving, or direct discounts at the event may be part of the procedure. Announcement of promotional activities The minimum number of documents that must be submitted to the Department of Industry and Trade is 3 working days prior to implementation in accordance with Clause 1, Article 17 of Decree No. 81/2018/ND-CP, as amended and supplemented by Decree No. 128/2024/ND-CP.
• Businesses may be exempt from notification if the total value of prizes and gifts is less than100,000,000 VND or only conducted on e-commerce platforms and online promotional websites. This content is stipulated in Points b and c, Clause 2, Article 17 of Decree No. 81/2018/ND-CP, as amended and supplemented by Decree No. 128/2024/ND-CP.
• Raffle programs, lottery draws, and lucky spins must be registered as promotional programs involving elements of chance. Businesses must establish rules and obtain approval before implementation, in accordance with Clauses 1 and 4 of Article 19 of Decree No. 81/2018/ND-CP.
• If the prize goes unclaimed, the business must make a contribution.50% of the announced prize value into the state budget. This obligation arises according to Clause 4, Article 96 of the 2005 Commercial Law and Clause 4, Article 13 of Decree No. 81/2018/ND-CP.

Therefore, the marketing department needs to finalize the prize structure, rules, and winner determination process early. Adding an element of chance at the last minute could completely alter the application strategy.

Reviewing the conditions for organizing sports events and outdoor advertising

Sporting events and outdoor advertising are often designed as brand communication activities. However, each has its own line of authority and cannot be replaced by a venue rental agreement.

• Sports competitions should be classified according to scale, participants, and professional nature. For national-level competitions, the authority to decide rests with the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, as stipulated in Clause 2, Article 6 of Decree No. 138/2025/ND-CP.
• Running events, amateur competitions, or community sports activities require a review of security, health, environmental, and fire and explosion prevention plans. These are core operational conditions that directly impact the likelihood of approval or safe organization.
• Events involving promotional groups must submit notification documents to the competent state agency for advertising in the locality before implementation. This obligation is stipulated in Point c, Clause 1, Article 36 of the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Advertising in 2025.
• In the case where a notification has been sent to the advertising group but there has been no response before the deadline January 1, 2026. Then, the old regulations will continue to be implemented. This transitional provision is recorded in Clause 2, Article 3 of the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Advertising Law in 2025.

If the event combines sporting events, promotional parades, and stage performances, the business needs to create a separate procedural matrix. Venue documents, fire safety records, or sponsorship agreements do not replace the obligation to notify, register, or obtain specialized approvals.

Standard procedure for processing event permit applications and core documents

The event permit application process should be managed like a legal project with a clear deadline. Businesses shouldn’t wait until the media script is finalized before reviewing the procedures, as each content change may generate additional documentation.

The focus of this phase is finalizing the script, determining the correct procedures, standardizing documentation, and monitoring feedback from the receiving agency. This approach helps the organizing committee minimize the risk of having their application rejected close to the event date.

An eight-step guide to optimizing event permit procedures

Businesses should implement a streamlined workflow process involving marketing, legal, production, and venue partners. Each step should have a designated person in charge, internal deadlines, and corresponding supporting documentation.

1. Event content survey: Determine whether the event includes artistic performances, press conferences, promotions, trade fairs, sports, outdoor advertising, ticket sales, livestreaming, or drone use.
2. Identify the corresponding procedure: These documents can be categorized into approval documents for organizing artistic performances, press conference announcements, promotional announcements, registration for lottery-themed promotions, or registration for trade fairs and exhibitions.
3. Review site conditions: Inspect the lease agreement, legal right of use, security plan, emergency exits, medical care, environmental protection, and fire and explosion prevention measures.
4. Standardize legal documentation: Complete the proposal or notification document, program script, list of performers, promotional terms and conditions, venue documents, and legal documents of the organizing unit.
5. Submit your application through the correct channel: Businesses can submit applications online, by mail, or in person, depending on the procedures and requirements of the receiving agency.
6. Track additional requests: The organizing committee needs to respond quickly if the competent authority requests revisions to the script, additional venue documentation, or clarification of the prize structure.
7. Receive written approval or confirmation: The results should be included with the event file, sponsorship agreement, venue agreement, and operational plan.
8. Check the conditions before the event date: Compare the actual program with the submitted documents, especially the performance content, award ceremonies, advertising, press conferences, and livestreams.

This eight-step process helps businesses simultaneously manage communication progress and legal obligations. For artistic performances and promotional activities, skipping the follow-up step for additional requirements could result in the application not being valid before the event date.

Representatives standardize the structure of legal documents and site records

An event permit application includes more than just a request form. The receiving agency typically assesses the legality of the entire scenario, the organizer, the venue, the personnel involved, and the safety plan.

• Procedural document group: This includes the request letter, notification letter, registration form, or program regulations, depending on the type of event. These documents identify the legal obligations and the receiving authority.
• Scriptwriting and content team: This includes the program script, list of works, list of artists, speakers, athletes, or performers. For artistic performances featuring foreign works, the dossier must include a certified Vietnamese translation signed by the translator, as stipulated in Point b, Clause 3, Article 10 of Decree No. 144/2020/ND-CP, amended and supplemented by Decree No. 116/2026/ND-CP.
• Location documents group: This includes the lease agreement, documents proving legal right to use the premises, a floor plan of the event area, emergency exits, and documents related to fire prevention and firefighting.
• Safe operating procedures group: This includes plans to ensure security, order, social safety, environmental protection, healthcare, and fire and explosion prevention. This group is especially important for large-scale events, sporting events, fairs, and outdoor performances.
• Commercial document group: This includes promotional terms and conditions, prize structure, sponsorship agreements, promotional materials, and rights to use images, music, and media content.

A common mistake is that the script submitted to government agencies doesn’t match the actual operating script. Businesses should lock an internal version of the file to prevent unannounced changes or re-registration.

Authority to receive and time limit for evaluating applications

The deadline for submitting applications is a critical risk control point for event projects. Businesses need to create a backward-looking deadline schedule starting from the event date, instead of relying solely on the production schedule or media schedule.

This timeline should be converted into an internal management checklist as soon as the event date is finalized. For events with multiple components, businesses need to submit multiple documents simultaneously to avoid delays in one procedure affecting the entire program.

Commercial Risks and Penalties for Non-Compliance with Event Operation Procedures

The greatest risk in organizing an event is not merely incomplete documentation. More serious issues arise when the actual event differs from the approved application, creating grounds for suspension, administrative penalties, or partial termination of the program.

For businesses, commercial consequences often occur before legal sanctions. Last-minute changes may affect sponsorship agreements, media campaigns, artist bookings, and customer commitments.

Avoiding Legal Risks When Modifying Event Programs and Prize Draws

An approved event script should be treated as a compliance-controlled document. Organizers should not change performers, program content, prize structures, or venues without first assessing whether amendments to the application are required.

Any modification to a registered promotional program must be approved before implementation and must not adversely affect participating customers. Likewise, changes to approved artistic performances may trigger obligations to update the licensing dossier.

Prize draws, lucky wheels, and other chance-based promotions are not legally considered ancillary activities. Businesses must register promotional games of chance and obtain approval before conducting them. If no winner is identified, the organizer may be required to contribute 50% of the announced prize value to the state budget.

A common compliance trap is adding prize-giving activities shortly before the event to increase audience engagement. Without early legal review, such changes may create additional registration, reporting, and financial obligations.

Event Security and Fire Safety Compliance Checklist

Before the event date, organizers should review both legal documentation and operational conditions, including:

• Approval letters and confirmation documents.
• Consistency between the approved script and actual event activities.
• Intellectual property rights for music, images, videos, performances, and sponsor branding.
• Venue conditions, including emergency exits, crowd management, medical support, security arrangement, and technical safety requirements.
• Compliance requirements for drones and unmanned aircraft.
• Qualifications and uniforms of security personnel to avoid regulatory violations.

For large-scale, outdoor, or live-broadcast events, businesses should maintain documented inspection records to demonstrate proper oversight of contractors and service providers.

Administrative Penalties and Event Suspension Risks

Regulatory violations may result in more than monetary fines. Authorities may order event termination, suspend performance activities, require disgorgement of unlawful gains, or expose businesses to contractual liabilities.

Common violations include:

• Failure to implement promotional programs as registered.
• Organizing press conferences without proper notification.
• Conducting press conferences containing prohibited content.
• Organizing artistic performances without prior approval.
• Serious violations during artistic performances.
• Ongoing public order and security violations.

These penalties demonstrate that delayed or non-compliant licensing procedures can generate losses far exceeding the value of administrative fines. Businesses should manage event scripts, licensing dossiers, and operational partners as part of a unified compliance system.

Event Licensing and Legal Structuring Services at Long Phan Consulting Company

Event licensing can be complex because a single program may simultaneously involve artistic performances, press conferences, promotional activities, sporting events, and advertising. Long Phan Consulting Company adopts a pre-event risk management approach, helping businesses establish the appropriate legal framework before launching marketing campaigns, booking venues, or signing sponsorship agreements.

Event Legal Structuring and Program Review

Long Phan Consulting assists businesses in analyzing each component of an event to identify the required legal procedures and avoid overlooking compliance obligations.

• Reviewing event scripts to identify elements involving artistic performances, press conferences, prize draws, livestreams, ticket sales, and outdoor advertising.
• Assessing promotional rules to determine whether notification or registration procedures apply.
• Evaluating venue conditions, including lawful use rights, security, medical arrangements, emergency exits, and fire safety measures.
• Reviewing marketing materials, advertising content, image and music usage rights, sponsor branding, and press releases.

This approach enables businesses to identify legal risks early and adjust event plans before significant production costs are incurred.

Administrative Representation Services

Once the legal structure is determined, Long Phan Consulting supports businesses in preparing and submitting application dossiers to the relevant authorities.

• Drafting applications, notifications, registrations, and explanatory documents.
• Standardizing event scripts, participant lists, and venue-use documentation.
• Representing clients in submitting applications through online public services, postal services, or direct filing.
• Monitoring application progress and responding to requests for additional information.
• Receiving approvals and delivering a complete compliance dossier for future reference.

This service is particularly suitable for agencies, shopping malls, marketing departments, and businesses that organize events regularly.

Internal Compliance and Risk Control Services

Legal compliance depends not only on approved documents but also on ensuring that actual event operations match the approved plans. Long Phan Consulting assists businesses in establishing a Pre-Event Compliance Checklist to mitigate operational risks.

• Developing compliance checklists for performances, press conferences, promotions, prize presentations, livestreams, ticket sales, and advertising activities.
• Reviewing venue lease agreements, sponsorship agreements, artist and KOL contracts, and speaker agreements.
• Assessing security, fire prevention and firefighting, medical support, crowd management, and service-provider obligations.
• Advising on last-minute changes involving performers, venues, schedules, prize structures, or marketing content.
• Providing legal support in the event of inspections, administrative records, or regulatory enforcement actions.

Businesses may submit event scripts, venue documents, and program materials to info@longphanpmt.com or contact Zalo: 0906.735.386 for a preliminary legal assessment before planning the licensing process.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Standard Procedure for Expediting Event Permit Applications

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