After the show there will be after parties. And after that, there may even be shenanigans in hotel lobbies. But the best way to rub elbows with celebrities at Sunday night’s MuchMusic Video Awards is on the pre-show red carpet.

“With the red carpet show, you never know what’s going to happen and that’s the most exciting part,” says Steve Jarman, the show’s supervising producer.

The red carpet will overtake John St. between Queen and Richmond for the third time this year, a necessary change after the MMVAs themselves overtook the red carpet’s former home on Queen St. Exactly 6,450 feet of material will be laid down to handle the over 150 expected guests who’ll walk along the space’s namesake posing for photos and answering questions

“The red carpet is a huge celebration,” says Jarman. “Its a chance for fans to get up close and personal with their favourite stars.”

The nation’s music station has always prided itself on its unique approach to awards shows, holding it in an office building and parking lot instead of a stuffy theatre to create a party atmosphere. That attitude extends to the red carpet where flashy arrivals have become the rule rather than the exception. Ice Cream trucks, ambulances, even giant hamster balls have been used to deliver the stars to the party.

Unique transportation is generally discussed with organizers ahead of time. Jarman says organizers do their best to accommodate but sometimes, safety trumps spectacle, like the time one artist wanted to land a hot-air balloon on the street.

Planning started earlier this winter and weeks are spent hammering out a runsheet with guest’s scheduled arrival times. But that runsheet often goes out the window within the first five minutes. And that’s just fine with Jarman.

“We don’t want to have just a regular red carpet show,” he says. “Our show’s a lot more about the party.”

Much Music Video Awards: June 17. 9 p.m. 299 Queen St. W. Free with Wristband.

Wrangler’s work is never done

Due to the MMVAs’ massive scale, organizers turn to staff when it comes time to assign wranglers to arriving stars. “It’s all staff. We pull people from every part of this building,” says Jarman.

Wranglers meet their artist out on the street and keep an eye with them on the red carpet, then guide them inside the party. They stick with their assigned star for the night, with the express goal of ensuring they’re ready and in the right place when it comes time to present or perform.