Hiring an external event planner does not have to be a daunting task. You should look for the best event organisers for your needs and evaluate them carefully before committing to one. But first, you need to know exactly what you are asking the event planner to do.
1) Determine your goal
Before starting your search, you should determine the goal of the event, the budget you are working with and the reason for outsourcing.
You want to be in a position to communicate the general outline of the event and its most important goals.
Once you have defined your goals, some clear ideas will start to emerge about the theme and the message you want to convey.
Now you will want to determine the budget you have for a planner and what they are expected to do. An event planner can select the venue, recommend food and drink options, speakers and entertainment, be on site for the production needs of the day and create the invitations.
If you cannot handle all of the above on your own, you should start your search for an event planner.
2) Find your event planner
Whether it is a social event or a corporate meeting, the rules for hiring an event organiser or catering service remain the same: you want to hire someone with experience in creating your type of event.
Word of mouth is one way to find an event planner, whether for an anniversary party, a business breakfast meeting, a weekend retreat or any other type of event. But it is not always the most effective approach.
If you are trying to find the best event organiser for your venture, look for a company with experience and a solid reputation within the event organiser community. Peer reputation can be a stronger indicator than referrals from friends.
If you want to know who has a good reputation in your area, check with the local convention and visitors bureau or the chamber of commerce. You can also contact the convention sales department of a hotel.
3) Interview applicants
Most event planners will be eager to hear about your event. At first, give them brief details and focus on their experience in the initial round of interviews.
Narrow your list down to the three strongest candidates.
Then you should ask each finalist or company about their business, their experience with past events and how they plan for contingencies. A good planner will guide you through a discussion of the general goals of your event, the schedule, the budget, the guest count and personal preferences, and will also ask you questions about your organisation. The one who is eager to learn about your goals and your event will stand out from the rest.
Although it is not always possible to meet an applicant in person during the first round of interviews, especially if your programme is out of town, this can be a critical step in choosing the right planner. You will want the candidate who gets on well with you.
The last step is to check your candidates' references as well. Contact former clients and make sure there are no badly botched events in their past.
Make your selection
Now it is time to narrow your shortlist down to one.
Once you have hired, the event planner should be able to share a detailed plan for the event with you. It is time to throw around creative ideas and discard the ones that do not work.
Work out the budget
Many people organising an event for the first time want a champagne event on a beer budget. Your event planner can make the most of your budget, but they may have to bring your vision down to earth a little.
You should work together to arrive at a realistic budget. And do not forget to find out the fees the event planner will charge and how they will be built into the budget. Event planner fees and how they are charged vary widely.
You will be asked to provide deposits, paperwork and contracts to the event organiser, as well as to the event venues and the services they offer. As always, you should have a lawyer review contracts before signing them.
Follow-up
Most of the bad things that happen in event planning are the result of a lack of follow-up. Event planning requires effective coordination of logistics. In other words, stay on top of the project and do not force the event planner to make important decisions without your input.
If everything goes according to plan, the event planning process will run smoothly and you will have added an excellent event planner to your network for future needs.
If the process hits a snag before the big day, step in and work to fix it. Misunderstandings can be resolved. Unexpected problems can be solved.
But be prepared, if all else fails, to fire your event planner and go to a backup.