Ten hot tips for briefing an event manager

One of the issues that we hear all the time from our clients is that it’s impossible to compare quotes from various event managers – they all charge differently, they all include different things – it’s all too hard really.

Though, at the moment, there’s no getting around the fact that everyone is going to quote differently, one strategy which will go a long way towards helping you compare apples with apples is to have a consistent brief to all of your potential Event Managers.

SO – to make it easy – here’s what we need to know!

1. Dates.  What time of year are you looking at?  Are you flexible at all with your dates?  Even if you can just tell us the preferred month, and maybe days of the week (did you want it to run Thursday to Sunday?  Or not over a weekend?)  Does the event need to coincide with anything else?

2. Region & Venue.  Do you have a region and/or in mind?  A city, a state?   We’re happy to make suggestions, but we’ll get a better idea of what you’re looking for if you’ve got something in mind.

3. Number of people.  Just ballpark at this stage.  We know that sometimes this is a bit like “How long is a piece of String??” but your best guess will do.

4. What kind of event is this?  A conference?  A cocktail party?  An incentive for your staff?

5. Do your guests require accommodation/transfers/airfares?  If there is a significant amount of accommodation involved, your event manager can make commission on this from the venue - which will alter their quote to you.

6. Are your guests/delegates paying to attend?  Or is this all put on for them (lucky them!)

7. Rough program – how you see the event progressing.  This includes how much time you want to have for talking, and the kind of playing that you want to do.  Group Breakfasts?  Dinners?  With speakers?  When? 

8. Sponsors and trade displays – is this part of the equation?  How many trade displays?  How much in sponsorship dollars?

9. Presenters – are the people speaking or performing at this event professionals?  Will they need to be paid?  Or are we talking about presentations being made by your internal staff?

10. Budget (always – the bottom line!).  Do you need to make money on this event?  Do you want it to break even?  Or are you happy to kick in some cash to make it all happen?

Once we know all of those things (though we understand that events evolve as you go along) we can start to put together a quote for our services.  At Iceberg Events, we like to try to put a ballpark budget together for the entire event at this point – which will no doubt change, but it’s somewhere to start.  We figure that it’s all very well for you to know how much the event management is going to cost, but if you can’t see how much the whole project will cost, it doesn’t help you much, now does it?

Posted by Jodie Parker, January 26, 2009 in ARTICLES | TIPS