Tips in Choosing the RIGHT Event Planner

So you are looking for an event planner to help with your upcoming event? This can be an overwhelming decision, especially if it is your name on the side of the event product. Of course, every event planning company will tell you not to worry as they have the best offering, but this simply is not the case. We see time and time again where companies come to us in a panic, needing help to provide the best possible event after a failed attempt that they cannot afford to repeat. To get an event right, you need the right planner. To get the right planner, you have to look at a few things and weigh in on what exactly you need with what you feel are the event planning company’s strengths and see if there is a match.

The best place to start is with their former clients. Who are they? Were they pleased with the outcome of their event(s)? Check the social media pages of the event company AND the company who hired them. What are their event images like? Were people having a great time? Do your homework is the lesson here!

The next place to look is at the company itself. How passionate are they? We live by our tag line of “passion meets innovation” but not all companies do the same. You need to find a company that is passionate about events, but more importantly, passionate about YOUR type of event. Without passion, you will not get the exciting event that you hoped for and expected.

Next look for organization and people skills. Event planners have to be detailed to the point of obsession and they need to know how to speak to people at the same time. If a detail is missed, it could be the hitch pin for the whole event! If they are good at the numbers but not people, how are they going to negotiate the best deals for you from vendors such as hotels for room rate deals or audio equipment for your presentation?

Check out their team dynamic too – how is the management? Are they on time? Can they be flexible in case something goes wrong? How resourceful are they? All these questions need to be asked and assessed by you to make sure you have the right team at your disposal that are going to do everything in their power to provide you with the best experience possible!

Lastly, what does your gut tell you? There has to be a “fit” at the end of the day where your needs, their passion and vision meet to one cohesive team effort of bringing every detail, every eventuality, every piece of the puzzle together for the end result.

Follow these guidelines and you’ll know you have the right event planner for your event.