HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT EVENT PLANNER IN 2021

You have now been asked to plan the annual fundraising event for your company and you have no prior experience in event planning. If your company does not have a dedicated event manager or event production team then you’ll need to outsource to the experts in the field and bring in a professional event planner.

The venue search and booking process can be delegated to your event planner or A Professional Venue Management & Booking Agency.  Venue consulting and venue management agencies can help you save time and money when looking for the perfect venue for your event in Los Angeles and Orange County.

Before you do anything you should set down the objectives of your event. Who are you trying to target? What messages do you want to communicate? What is the end goal? It’s good to have an idea of budget in mind, too.

Once you’ve determined these fundamental elements, it’s time to reach out to an event professional who can both organize the nuts and bolts and help you achieve your overall event goals.

Here are 5 questions you should ask when hiring an event planner to ensure you get the right person or company for the job:

1. What are their areas of expertise?

To find out if your chosen event planner is a good fit for your organization and event, ask them what type of events they most frequently work on. If they usually organize business-to-business events, for example, they might not be the right choice for your business-to-consumer event. On the other hand, if you’re a technology company and they have a lot of experience working with companies in the tech sector they’re likely to have a good understanding of your needs.

That’s not to say the organizer has to have a lot of knowledge in your niche area to do a good job, but it’s worth asking if they’ve ever organized an event similar in style and scope to yours. Be sure to ask to see some case studies and references, too.

2. What services do they offer?

It is important to know what services the event planner you are hiring can offer and to make sure they can fully handle your requirements. Before you hire your event planner you can reach out to Venue booking companies like Piovra Group to source the perfect event space for your event. Piovra Group’s team of venue matchmakers will be able to assist you with venue consulting price negotiations to make sure you will receive the best possible quote for your event. When it comes to event planner services you need to make sure the professional you hire will be able to assist you with  Do you need coordinating catering, audiovisual services, transportation, accommodation, and staffing.  A good event planner has established relationships and Can Help In Venue Consulting and secure deals that you couldn’t as an individual.

3. What’s included in the event planners’ fee?

Before hiring your event planning company you need to ask them how they charge for their event planning services; a flat fee, hourly rate, percentage, cost-per-person. Will there be an additional fee for support staff? Are travel expenses included, or will they bill separately? Do they mark up third-party vendor costs or receive any commissions from suppliers directly or indirectly?

As well as the total costs associated with their services, you need to know when payment is due and what forms of payment are accepted.

4. Who will be working on your event?

You’ll want to know who your day-to-day contact will be and – if that’s not the person you are meeting with – arrange an introduction to ensure you have a good rapport. Other questions to ask include: Will there be a team of people working on my event or just one? Is there backup support if that person is not available or ill? Is there a limit to the number of meetings we can have prior to the event? If there is, how much will I be charged for additional meetings? And why Communicating with the Event Attendees During Covid 19 is Very Crucial.

How will my event be staffed on the day? Are they full-time staff, freelancers, independent contractors? Who will be my point of contact on-site? A good event management company should offer you a consistent account manager who will work closely with you and be on hand should you need them.

5. What are the safety and COVID-19 protocols they will have in place?

Your event planner should be up to date with all the latest health and safety regulations and be familiar with carrying out event-specific risk assessments. They should possess their own event planning liability insurance and must ensure all of the event suppliers are also adequately insured.

Due to the current pandemic is recommended for you to hire a COVID-19 Pandemic Compliance Advisor for any event taking place in Los Angeles and Orange County. We follow the Safety Guidelines for Venues and Event Professional Services with the latest CDC guidelines to make sure you, your guests, and all event staff will be safe during your event day.

In conclusion

Be sure to interview and evaluate a few different planners before making your choice. These questions will help sort the wheat from the chaff by giving you a sense of both their professionalism and their passion. But perhaps most importantly you should hire someone you like – your event manager will be your new best friend, working closely with you in the run-up to the big day.

Our Portfolio Of Venues is now available for rent. As Los Angeles and Orange County are getting ready to welcome back events we are now accepting bookings for 2021 and 2022. Check out our venue list and Contact Us to set up a venue tour or request a quote for your upcoming event.