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Event Planning

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Take the agreement offered to you home and read over the agreement in the privacy of your own home. Make sure every issue is addressed. Then, if necessary, discuss and negotiate the agreement with the management of the venue, to properly reflect your event requirements and design needs for your particular event.

You must get in writing what a sales person has offered and discussed with you. It is very pertinent for holding a venue to their word. Something what happens, with far too much regularity, is that the sales person or persons, managing group or entity that you initially interviewed with to engage the venue for your event is no longer there. Many times the building or company has been sold to a completely different managing group or new owner. New on the horizon. One question that is more frequently asked from the public, since the recent fall of several corporations, is that many clients are demanding that  their event dollars are put into separate escrow account to assure against bankruptcies, buy outs and management changes. Some refer to this as fire sale protection or bankruptcy protection clause.  Thus, without a written agreement containing a grandfather clause that protects you from management changes, new owner changes, buy outs or bankruptcies you may find yourself unable to get a venue to honor their promises and contractual commitments they have made to you on the date of your event.

A written agreement should be written including worst case scenario's such as; contingency plans, buy outs and change of management clauses is a must for you to properly secure and  protect your event investment. For the most part the overall special event venues do an excellent service to protect their clients and their investments. It is those few unprofessionals that are driven solely by the-bottom-line rather than a professional commitment to do the right thing.

Primary aspects or considerations of venues or event sites

Other equally important aspects venue selections are the accessories, amenities  or other services missing or  provided by the venue. Such as:

Venue selection is for the most part built on trust. But, that trust should not be blind, nor without a written contractual agreement. Blindly signing an agreement with a venue, without properly interviewing, obtaining a full written disclosure, and fully reading over the agreement is very risky and a recipe for disappointment. Venue consideration should be primarily selected upon the location of the site, suitability with regards to the function and form of the event you are planning, the professionalism and connivance of services to support your event, the value added amenities or accessories at no extra cost to buyer and the actual rental cost.

However,  many buyers make the vital mistake of contracting a venue site based on the emotional trappings of the fancy paint job and decor rather than on the logical requirements of the function of the event. Finding out later as they progress in their planning to their own dismay that the venue doesn't work as they have initially thought due to fact of the venue's limitations, size, policies, procedures or  restrictions. Some also have found out that they have overspent on a venue selection and have come to the conclusion that  the other services that  they real desired to have at their event  they either can't afford or are now totally out of the range of what is left in their budget. These individuals  did not properly  prioritize their event desires and requirements properly. They now will have to be content with the remainder of their budget to contracting the remaining services with a less than the best service standard or a substandard service provider or simply do without some or many other aspects of services or things that they really desired at their event. 

It is unfortunate that many individuals won't take the time to research and interview options that best fit their event needs. What is even more unfortunate that probability right around the corner from where they have contracted a substandard venue based on emotional trappings is a venue that would have been the better choice for their particular function at a lesser cost. Has it happen before? You better believe it has. The question is will it happen to you. Getting informed and understanding your options is the key to proper venue selection and event compatibility.

False assumptions of some venues

1. Get an exact, itemized list of services that will be provided from the venue, along with the cost and fees for each item and/or service offered from the venue. Always get a written estimate of all services and fees. When contracting get a signed, written, itemized list of services and fees associated with those services.

2. In areas such as bar tab or food cost, get a minimum and maximum cost guarantee that it will not go over this amount. On open items such as bar tabs, direct the manager or sales person not exceed certain costs and to let you know during the event if the bar tab appears to be approaching that predetermined maximum amount. Beware of any open-end cost items on contracts without a ceiling. It can be source of disappointment and dissension.

3. Ask for a full disclosure at the initial interview. Ask if there are any rules, restrictions, curfews and other costs or concerns that have not been discussed nor disclosed. Ask for a copy of the venue's rules, restrictions, curfews and other costs along with the itemized list of all services and fees. Consumers beware of hidden rules, hidden agendas, hidden restrictions, hidden curfews, and hidden costs that will not be disclosed at the initial interview. A potential source of consumer-venue conflicts or event disaster could occur.

4. Always receive a copy of the contract agreement and take it home to read and study. There should be a time period of at least 10 days to either accept or reject an agreement from the venue you are considering. Never sign a contract at the initial interviewing phase. During the contracting phase (signing a contract) ask again for a list of all and any rules, restrictions, curfews, other costs or concerns that have not been discussed or disclosed during the interview phase. Do not sign the contract immediately at the venue. Take the contract home and read over it and discuss it with your family. Make sure the contract has some statement in it that indicates that "this contract is all inclusive and no other oral or written contract exists between the two parties stated in this agreement."

5. If one's cost are higher than what was originally discussed and contracted, or the integrity of the event or some aspect of it that is planned for will be compromised due to the venue not giving full disclosure of costs, hidden rules, restrictions, curfews, changes or other legitimate concerns one has legal recourse against the venue.

6. Your event date and services should be guaranteed so make sure there is a grandfather-clause in the written agreement that states that all services promised will be guaranteed as written even due to new changes of ownership or new management.  Thus you have a legal paper trail assisting you in a binding agreement with the present management or owner to render that venue and services as legally promised the date you contracted. 

 

Questions, Concerns & information gathering

 

1. What is the cost or fee of the room or facility rental? Does this figure include gratuity and tax? 

2. Is the gratuity a forced or mandatory part of renting your facility and using your staff? Is the gratuity a true freedom of choice option for service well done, or is it a part of the itemized cost to pay your staff?

3. What is the earliest or latest time when I can reserve this facility or room(s)?

4. To reserve a site, must I put down a deposit?  When is the balance due?

5. What is their cancellation policy? What is the latest I can cancel? Will I receive full or partial refund of the deposit? How much will that be?

6. Is the venue that you are hiring a banquet facility or a true event facility specializing in Galas, Balls, Social events etc.. or just banquet facilities that typically serves food for meetings?

7. Is liability coverage included in the cost of renting the facility? (NOTE: All facilities should have liability coverage.)

8. Go see the room in action. Always go see the venue when an event is happening. Especially, if you have never been at the facility when an event is going on. This will give you the greatest insight as to whether or not the space is adequate for your particular event. It will also give you insight and be helpful in your planning, particularly in the areas of flow and logistics.

9. What is the smoking policy? No smoking indoors? Outdoor smoking area provided?

Entertainment, Decor, Production and outside services concerns

(Note: Check with your entertainment regarding their staging, lighting, sound, and electrical requirements. How much time do they require to load-in and setup with a proper sound check? How much time do they require for tear-down and load-out? )