How to Hire the Best Event Management Company to Ensure Success

May 19, 2016 LaToya Wilcox

When hosting an event, the overall objective is for it to be extraordinary, right? However, ensuring that you have an outstanding event is more than finding a beautiful event space, with eye-catching décor and hiring the most unique vendors. It’s also about settings goals, staying within budget; marketing and promotion as well as managing the intricacies to ensure all tasks are executed flawlessly. The great thing is, an event management company can handle all of these components combined. Event Managers are strategic planners that coordinate and manage the “Behind The Scenes” work. Hiring an event management company will not only bring your vision to life, but it will also help you achieve event success!

Benefits of Hiring an Event Management Company

A key benefit that an event management company provides to its clients is saving them time, money and stress! These specialized companies have the expertise and are equipped with numerous resources to assist in the planning process. This means that they already have things in place like an exclusive preferred vendor list. So, instead of doing the research to find that perfect venue or the world’s first underwater photo booth, this information will be readily available to you.

Depending on how long a company has been around, they may also be able to pull some strings in the most complex situations due to solid relationships that they have built over time. In certain instances, it’s more about who you know! This could be the difference between an event that encounters devastating problems and a successful event.

Event management companies are also responsible for negotiating the best rates for their clients. If they have worked with the same vendors on multiple occasions, there’s a 99% chance they have already secured a discounted rate of some sort that is not available to everyone. In this day and age, it is wise to save as much as you can! There are many people that that try to cut corners and plan events themselves, and spend more money in the end because of their lack of knowledge. Hiring an event management company can actually help you save money.

Another great benefit of hiring an event management company is the ability to lean on them for counsel and advice when it comes to avoiding legal issues! A reputable event management company will know to obtain things such as event insurance or a sound-device permit for an outdoor event. These are other factors to consider when hiring a professional.

An event management company will save you the headaches and spare you all the stress that comes with planning an event!

The First Step: Understanding Your Event

Before you hire an event management company, there is basic information that you should know about the event you are hosting. These are things that will be discussed during your initial conversation with an event management company.

First, you must determine what type of event you are hosting. Is it a launch party, fundraiser, fashion show, outdoor festival or perhaps a 3-Day Conference? Although, event management companies will use basic project management concepts to coordinate events, some may require specific industry knowledge.

Next, you will want to identify your objective and outline goals that you would like to meet. Key factors that will help you select the right event management company include knowing the size and location of your event.

Last, but not least you MUST know your budget! It’s the one question that you will be asked repeatedly!

Do Your Research

Now, that you have outlined the basics of your event, the next step is to conduct research to find companies that match your criteria. References and word-of-mouth are usually the first step in finding a reputable event management company. You can ask family, friends and colleagues to recommend someone, especially if they have done a similar event.

You should also run a search online by using sites such as Google and Yelp. Better yet, if you are at an event, don’t hesitate to ask who organized it.

When conducting research on an event management company, you want to find out the type of services that they offer, what events have they done in past, companies that they have worked with in addition to reading reviews and testimonials of former clients. You can find out this all of this information by visiting their website as well as social media pages such as; Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.…

Communication

Once you have completed your research, you will want to make a list of your top choices (I would suggest no more than three) and contact each one to schedule an in-person appointment.

Before your meeting, it’s key to create a list of questions to ensure you don’t miss anything and you get all the information you need to make an informed decision. You want to also communicate your needs, wants and requirements as we discussed earlier.

Communicating effectively will help reduce confusion, as well as wasted time and effort. Once you have provided all necessary information to the event management company, it would be a good idea to ask if they can provide a sample process flow so you can get an idea on how things will run after you start the planning process.

Event Timeline

Generally, it’s always good practice to start planning at least 4-6 months in advance. For larger scale events such as annual affairs or possibly a wedding, one-year lead-time is necessary to plan effectively.

Tips Here are three simple steps to keep you on track and the lines of communication open after you have hired an event management company:

1. Make sure everything is in writing; including, any changes to scope of work, requirements, budget, timeline, etc.
2. Be clear on the communication process. How often will event management company provide you with updates? How will information be communicated? Do you want to be included on all calls, meetings and emails?
3. Anything can happen, so make sure you have a secondary contact in case of emergency or unexpected situation.

About the Author: LaToya is a multi-talented self-made entrepreneur and is the Founder and Powerhouse behind High Society Event Management. She has over 15 years of experience in the Event Planning Industry and currently serves as the Director of Social Media for the Young Event Professionals (YEP) organization. She is also the Founder of “The Bronx Small Business Expo”.