Event Planning Buyer’s Guide

Event planning management services

In addition to overall preparation, event planners provide a wide range of event planning management services to keep the entire event flowing smoothly. Many of these services will be included in your standard rate:

• On-site management: Event planning management will remain on site for the duration of your event to make sure
everything goes according to plan. Together with your appointed employees, they greet attendees, set up an information desk, distribute event collateral, and resolve problems. More importantly, they perform dry runs prior to the event to ensure everything works properly, minimizing the chances of significant problems during the event.
• Budget analysis: Event planners keep you apprised of what your expenses are through each step of the planning process. You get ongoing reports which help you reassess functions that may need to be cut in order to stay within budget.
• Direct customer service: Planners handle phone calls and respond to email inquiries about the event.
• Marketing: Planners will help you promote the event through mailings, phone calls, emails, and advertisements to generate interest.
• Post-event activities: This includes tying up all the loose ends after the event – from handing out evaluation forms and tabulating results to reconciling all accounts to ensure everything is paid in full. They also meet with you to go over the final playbook and get your feedback to prepare for future events.

Subcontracting
With everything that goes into putting an event together, even the most seasoned event planning management professionals can't do everything. To handle certain tasks, planners often foster relationships with subcontractors who can provide you with services such as:

• Print work
• Video production
• Web site development
• Graphic design (logo, printed, and online)
• Promotional products (freebies to hand out at the event)
• Offsite activities and entertainment

Although the event planner may not offer these services directly, they should monitor all of the subcontracted activities for quality and assume full responsibility if something doesn’t live up to your expectations.

Guest speakers
To bring additional cachet to your event, event planners can work with agencies that represent speakers from business, entertainment, or sports.

Depending on your speaker needs and budget, an event planner can find you the speaker that best fits your needs. They can also provide speech writing and training for company executives who need assistance delivering engaging speeches to large crowds.

Search by State

Mentioned In...

See Also...

Advice and Tips