Flowers, catering, entertainment, AV and more. You’ll need a lot of service providers supporting you in order to put on your event. Everyone has had that boss who gives a million ideas for an event with very little understanding of the cost to execute those ideas. On top of that, you could be working with a venue whose “preferred suppliers” or in-house providers could be ridiculously over-priced. Your job is to stay in budget while bringing your boss’ vision to life. Doing research and pricing out alternate vendors can allow you the ability to afford those additional one percenters that help heighten your guests experience or can later give you the flexibility to tackle last minute changes. Outside Audio Visual suppliers save an average of 40% over in-house and hotel-contracted providers. Don’t let a venue take advantage of your last-minute planning. Read google reviews, solicit references and compare the nuts and bolts of the quotes before you pick a winner!
A signed vendor contract is a legally binding agreement and gives you something in writing to hold the vendor responsible for services they are to provide. However, it does nothing for you at the time of the event when you realize the vendor is a no-show. That event contract in hand will not serve food to your hungry guests or deliver tables and chairs to an empty ballroom or provide Audio or Vision support. Confirm with each and every vendor not once, but twice. Confirm receipt of your signed contract once you are happy with the proposed goods and services being supplied and then confirm once again prior to the event itself. This is not the conversation you will have concerning details on equipment or services; it’s simply a follow-up specifically to make sure that your event is still on their calendar and everyone is on the same page.
Event vendors book multiple events daily and it is very easy for your paperwork to get lost in the process or simply dates and times mixed up. So, make sure that does not happen by circling back to them to check in and confirm that your event and the specifics regarding the date, time and services to be provided are in fact on their schedule. And keep that vendor contract on hand to ensure what you agreed upon is being delivered.
Even the smallest events require many people to complete fairly complex tasks at very specific times and should just one person fail to come through or misinterpret their duties then the whole event can be affected. Poor communication has been the downfall of many an event, with every individual from the audio technicians to the keynote presenter to the bus drivers integral to the process. It’s crucial that you’re able to keep everyone in the loop from day one if your event is to be a success.
Arrange regular meetings or conference calls to discuss the different tasks required of each supplier and staff member, document this in email form to reiterate the points. Use the deadlines set to guide these and track progress and ensure everyone involved has a list of contact details including phone numbers and email addresses for the entire group.
You only have two hands, so when planning and executing an event, it is absolutely essential to have team-members who can be dedicated to specific tasks. When it comes to hiring event staff, more is better. It may cost you a little more money, but it may save your event
Bring on work experience students and volunteers that can help fill those tasks. Educate them on what your event is about, the guests that will be attending, your expectations, and who their point of contact is should they have a question or problem.
Event staff represent you and your event planning business. A negative encounter with event staff will live on in the memory of both the guest and the client and can sour even the most well-planned events.
This extends to Audio Visual crew and hotel & venue staff at the end of the day they are all being paid to ensure your event is a success.
The number of positions that will need to be filled will depend on the size and scope of the event, but the best practice is always to get just a little more help than you think you need. Having this help doesn’t mean you won’t have things to do during your event, but something will come up that needs your attention, and you’ll be glad to have a team by your side.
Most things in today’s world rely heavily on technology, including all kinds of events. Live streaming, complex audio & video production and social media integration are just a few of the techniques that are popular in the event production world at current. At Conference Audio Visual, we understand that the technical side of things can be a bit intimidating. That’s why we take as much time as needed to really help our clients understand the purpose and functionality of each element of the A/V setup we propose for an event. Remember, no one understands the needs of your event better than you, the organiser. We explain not just the technical side but the real-world outcomes so you really are in the best position to decide if that’s the best way to allocate your budget. You don’t want your Audio-Visual supplier making you feel inexperienced or trying to sell you something without a good explanation.
Planning an event?
Drop us a line at enquiries@conferenceaudiovisual.com.au we would like to discuss your next event.
