Organizing events is a time-consuming and resource-intensive task. That is exactly why most organizations seek professional help for event management. That way, they save a lot of their valuable time and energy. Event planners usually shoulder most of the load – from sending invitations to booking seminar room rental. While a competent event manager can help make your event a grand success, a bad manager can do more harm than good. So choosing the right person or company is important. Here are some questions you should ask when hiring an event planner or event management company.
1. What services do you provide?
Not all event management companies handle everything. Assuming that your event organizer will take care of everything would be a mistake. Ask your event planner to list down the services they provide. Will they book training room rental and catering services? Will they arrange transportation for your guests? You and your event organizer should be on the same page about these things to avoid any last-minute surprises.
2. What is included in your fee?
It is also important to know what’s included in the fee. Some event planners charge a flat fee, while others may charge hourly rates or cost per person. Whatever the fee structure, make sure to ask your event organizer what services are included in their fee. Is there any additional fee for anything? Tell them to clarify everything in the beginning. Some companies bill the transportation costs separately, but they’ll not tell you anything unless you ask specific questions.
3. What is your specialty?
Different event planners specialize in managing different types of events. You must make sure you are hiring someone who has experience and expertise in managing the type of events you are going to organize. Some common event types include corporate events, business meetings, corporate training sessions, and marriage and birthday parties. You can even go to the extent of checking whether they’ve expertise in the exact niche. For instance, if a company specializes in corporate event management, you can check what type of corporate events they organize – B2B or B2C.
4. How you manage safety or security?
Depending on the nature of your event and location, managing safety and security could be one of the greatest concerns. So ask them how they handle this. Do they have a plan for safety management? Do they comply with local safety regulations? Do they have liability insurance? All these things must be sorted out.
5. How do you use technology for event management?
Technology plays a major role in event management today. Different types of software products help automate different event management tasks, including project management, event promotion, ticket selling, and managing registrations. It is important that your event organizer utilizes the latest technologies for best results. Just ask them what type of software or digital tools they use to make event management easier and more organized.
Finally, you should also know about their cancellation and refund policy, how they usually manage finances, what modes of payment they accept, and how they regularly communicate with their clients.