February 24, 2022
Have a corporate event coming up? Stressed out because you just got engaged and need to begin planning a wedding? Bill Hansen’s top tip for anyone that has an event coming up is to hire an event planner! There can be lots of benefits: they can save you money, time and LOADS of stress. Below are some great questions you can ask event planners so you can be sure to choose the right one for your upcoming shin-dig.
1. What Are Their Areas of Expertise?
After you have nailed down the budget and overall objectives for your event, you want to choose someone who will be familiar with the vision you want to accomplish. What type of events have they done in the past? What events do they frequently work on? Do they have a list of referrals? Do they organize business-to-business or business-to-consumer events or both? Choosing a planner that has experience in your event’s market can be helpful in making sure the guest experience outcome is top notch.
2. What Services Do They Offer and What’s Included in Their Fee?
You want to make sure the planner you’re scoping out can fulfill the needs or wants you have in mind. What vendor list do they work with? Can they find a venue for your needs? Can they organize catering, staffing, audio/visual needs, etc or will you have to outsource and find some vendors yourself? Sometimes fees can be based on the extent of the services you need from an event planner. Make sure to establish all fees upfront so you don’t have any surprises you didn’t budget for. Find out all fees upfront.
3. Who Will Be Working On Your Event?
The person you meet with initially may not be your day-to-day contact person. Find out what team of people or person is assigned to your event and what their availability is and preference for being contacted. Make sure you have a good vibe with this person. Do they have a good sense of professionalism and passion? Sometimes different personalities clash and you want to make sure you have a good rapport with the person planning your event so no details are left out. Who will be your main contact on the day of your event? If your event is being staffed, what company do they use or do they have in-house employees?
4. Do They Offer Protection for Your Event?
Besides having a person to fight for the details in your contracts with vendors you want to make sure your planner has coverage for themselves if needed. Do they carry liability insurance and up to what amount? Do they vet all of their vendors to make sure they carry their own liability insurance? Will they create an event safety plan for your event? What to do in case of an emergency with a guest or the venue. Will safety precautions be put in place for medical emergencies or guests with disabilities? These are all important questions to ask to make sure your guests will be safe in case something unfortunate occurs.
5. What Is the Cancellation and Refund Policy?
Be sure to find out all contract terms and agreements up front. Is there a fee for cancellation or postponement of an event? What percentage is it? Will you get a portion of your deposit back in the event of a cancellation and by what date is that applicable? Keep in mind all other vendors will have their own cancellation and postponement requirements. Is there a policy regarding “Act of God” events or if weather changes aspects of your event day? Is there event cancellation insurance available? Just make sure you have all the details upfront before making commitments you will have to fulfill if by chance you’re facing cancellation.