7 Reasons to Use a Meeting & Event Planner:
by Beth Sowell
1. Meeting and event planners already know where to find the good venues in town. You can tell them about your vision and budget and they can help you find the perfect place to host your event. What if you decided to host a big bonfire and weenie roast just to give your attendees an unusual
night? Do you know where in town you can do something like that? We do! And I assure it’s not at the Renaissance Hotel.
2. Details, details, details… most folks are not aware of all the details that are involved in planning an event, at least not until they try to do it themselves. Even then, you may not get the full picture until the day of, then you realize all the things you did not do that you should have. A good planner knows this and they make sure that everything is ready before the event AND that there is always a backup
plan that will appear seamless to your guests in the event of an emergency.
3. Negotiating rates and contracts are one of the most important things that a qualified planner can do for you. There are so many loopholes in contracts that could cost you a fortune. You really need an experienced planner to take a look at contracts to be sure that you are covered and the contract is fair. I have seen contracts that were signed by administrative assistants that ended up costing the company an additional $20k because of a tiny hidden overlooked clause.
4. Experienced planners have hired most of the caterers in town already. The best part is that they can also tell you which caterers would be best for your particular event-type. And let’s face it; if you really are having a weenie roast, you probably do not need to hire the chef from the Ritz Carlton.
5. Budget monitoring is difficult enough without having to worry about surprise costs, like taxes and gratuities that get tacked on at the very end. Did you know that tax and gratuity can cost you about 25% or more of the final bill? That is an example of the unhappy surprises that can get you in the end. Your planner is aware of these costs and will be able to keep a close eye on your budget so that you don’t have to worry about exceeding expenses.
6. RSVP’s can be one of the most irritating parts of hosting an event. You get phone calls or emails from invited guests. Say, when you’re on the road, or busy in a meeting. You write the response on a tiny yellow post-it, and loose the post-it. You have lost valuable information. That loss could cost you either way! If the call was to say, “I’m coming!” you would not be prepared… no badge, no seat at the
table, the caterer’s head count is wrong. If they tell you they will not be able make it, you might pay the $50 per person for their attendance and have an empty seat. Some problems are bigger than others, some are just embarrassing, and you never want your guests to feel like they are not
welcome. It is just easier to let an event planner keep track of important RSVPs for you.
7. The most luxurious reason to hire a meeting planner is so that you can sit back and enjoy the event. You can let the planner keep up with the details and make sure that everything is running smoothly allowing you spend to your time with your attendees, and focus on your attendees
instead.
