The event planning industry is a dynamic one, with each event being unique and requiring different resources. Albeit unique, most successful events are similar in that they employ a few important vendors. Thus, by developing a strong relationship with these vendors, business operations can be streamlined to save time and resources. These operations include paperwork such as the completion of W4 and Direct deposit forms, to more logistical operations and personal practices such as having a group huddle 15 minutes before gates open. By seamlessly integrating your business operations with those of your vendors, you can host aesthetic and practical events with ease.
Vendors for Executing the Theme
Event planning is an art form that allows the planner to use their spatial visualization and organization skills to paint their vision on a blank canvas. The art is then ready for the audience to indulge in both visually and emotionally. Thus, the cardinal rule of event planning is to establish a unified theme that is relevant to the audience and feasible to implement.
A strong unified theme in your event sends nonverbal signals to the attendees allowing them to further dive into the experience of the event. Establishing a strong theme for an event can be challenging but having vendors who can amp up the aesthetics of your event can make the process less daunting. Vendors specializing in decorations, food, and entertainment, in particular, are relatively useful to have up your sleeves.
Decoration vendors provide more than just balloon towers and streamers, although both the items can be smartly placed within your theme, they provide you with tables, chairs, decoration centerpieces, accent decor, and most importantly lighting. Good lighting can completely transform your event space, so make sure to pay close attention to the type of lighting your decor vendor has in stock!
Having a few selected food vendors allow you to skip the process of verifying their food license and insurance documents and get straight to business. Depending on the event, the choice of food can be selected to enhance the theme. For example, blue and red popsicles for a Fourth of July event!
Lastly, entertainment is key. Guests love attractions! Having a Photobooth vendor, DJ, fortune teller, henna artist, sketch artists, street musician on your vendor list will create a diverse list of entertainment options to elevate your theme.
Vendors for Practicality
Theme and aesthetics are crucial for implementing a successful event, but it is important not to forget about some other not so glamorous, albeit practical vendors. The four that are listed here include sound production team, generator rental, dumpster rental, and cleanup crew.
Whether it is the main performance or something on the side to help immerse your audience into the theme, good sound is crucial to hosting successful events. Almost every event you host will require some sort of music to keep the attendees entertained. More often than not event planners get stuck with low-quality PA systems that end up doing more hard than good to the theme of the event. Thus one of the most important vendor relations you need to develop is with a sound/production company. Sound production companies can assist you to set up a small station for a DJ to a complete set up for a band. Most sound production companies will arrange for a generator if the venue does not have sufficient power, but in case they don’t you should have a generator rental also.
Generator rental companies like Sunbelt Generators will coordinate with you to deliver the generator to your venue, but from then on you are pretty much on your own. So, it could be important to have someone on your team, or preferably someone from your sound team, who would be comfortable in using the generator. While booking your generator make sure to discuss the power requirements with your sound, lighting, and any other vendor who will use power.
One of the most important, albeit often overlooked practicality of event is the cleanup crew. Depending on the size of your event you will often require an efficient cleanup crew to avoid late fees. Most clean up crews will coordinate with your dumpster rental vendor to expedite the process. Your dumpster rental vendor is the one vendor that will most likely be present at every event, so it is crucial to streamline your business practices with the vendor to increase efficiency.
To conclude by developing and fostering a relationship with vendors you use to develop a theme at your events and those that provide the practical necessities, the daily operations of an event planning business can be streamlined for efficiency.
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