Services of an Event Planner

The services of an event planner

Most planners offer these services, alone or as a package. When you compare planners, check which of them are included:

• Consultation and goals

  Understanding what the event is for, who it is for and what success looks like.

• Concept and design

  The theme, format, look and flow of the event.

• Budget planning and tracking

  Building the budget, getting quotes and tracking spend against it.

  Event budget guide

• Venue sourcing

  Shortlisting venues, site visits, negotiating rates and holding dates.

• Supplier management

  Hiring and managing catering, AV, decor, entertainment, transport, security and staffing.

• Contracts and risk

  Reviewing contracts, insurance, permits and contingency plans.

• Guest management

  Invitations, registration, RSVPs, the guest list, seating and special requirements.

  Guest list management

• Program and speakers

  The agenda, speaker and performer bookings, and their briefing.

• Timeline and run of show

  The planning timeline and the minute-by-minute run of show for the day.

  Run of show template

• Travel and accommodation

  Room blocks, flights and transfers for guests and speakers.

• Onsite coordination

  Running the day: supplier arrivals, the schedule, problems and the team.

• Post-event wrap-up

  Supplier payments, the final budget, feedback and a results report.

Full-service, partial planning and day-of coordination

Planners package their services in levels. Pick the level that matches how much of the work you want to keep:

Types of event planners

Planners specialize, and the right one has run events like yours:

• Corporate event planners

  Company meetings, kickoffs, product launches, incentive trips and client events.

  Corporate event management

• Conference and meeting planners

  Multi-session conferences with speakers, exhibitors and sponsors.

  How to plan a conference

• Association planners

  Annual meetings, member events and trade shows for associations.

• Nonprofit and fundraising planners

  Galas, auctions and charity dinners, where donations matter as much as the guest experience.

  Fundraising event software

• Destination management companies

  Local experts who handle venues, transport and activities in a city for visiting groups.

• Social and wedding planners

  Weddings, milestone birthdays and private parties.

How to choose an event planner

Treat it like hiring a supplier for a project you cannot afford to get wrong:

1. 1

   Write a short brief

   The goal, audience, size, date range, location and budget range.

2. 2

   Look for events like yours

   Ask for examples of similar events at a similar size, and for references you can call.

3. 3

   Confirm the services and level

   Agree in writing which services are included and which cost extra.

4. 4

   Ask how they charge

   Planners charge in different ways, such as a flat fee, an hourly rate or a share of the budget. Get the basis in writing.

5. 5

   Check contracts and insurance

   Ask about their insurance, their cancellation terms and who signs supplier contracts.

6. 6

   Ask about their tools

   Find out how they handle registration, the guest list and reporting, and whether you get the data afterwards.

Questions to ask an event planner

Copy these questions into your first call or your request for proposal:

QUESTIONS TO ASK AN EVENT PLANNER

Experience
1. Which events like ours have you planned in the last two years? Can we speak to those clients?
2. What size and budget range do you usually work with?
3. Have you worked with this venue or in this city before?

Services
4. Which services are included in your proposal, and which cost extra?
5. Who will be our day-to-day contact, and who will be onsite on the day?
6. Do you source venues and negotiate with suppliers, or do we?

Money and contracts
7. How do you charge: flat fee, hourly or a share of the budget?
8. Do you receive commissions from venues or suppliers?
9. Who signs supplier contracts, and who pays them?
10. What are your cancellation terms, and what insurance do you hold?

Guests and data
11. How will you handle invitations, registration and the guest list?
12. Which registration and check-in tools do you use?
13. Will we receive the attendee data and reports after the event?

The day and after
14. What is your plan if a supplier or speaker does not show?
15. What do you deliver after the event: final budget, feedback, a results report?

Where event software supports a planner

Eventdex is event management software, not a planning agency. It does not source venues, book catering or AV, or supply event staff such as ushers or security. It runs the registration, guest and onsite work that planners and in-house teams do, in one platform:

• Registration and guest lists

  Registration pages, ticket types, invitation lists and RSVP waitlists, with guest lists imported from Excel.

  Event registration software

• Floor plans and seating

  Draw the floor plan free, and plan gala and dinner seating with QR table finding.

  Event floor plan software

• The event app

  The agenda, speakers, exhibitors and floor map in an app, with the event's own branding through the white-label option.

  White-label event app

• Check-in and badges

  QR check-in, self-service kiosks and on-demand badge printing on the day.

  Onsite event management

• Reports and reuse

  Custom attendee reports in CSV or XLS, surveys, and cloned events to start the next one from the last.

  Event survey software