3 Reasons to Hire An Event Planner for Your Next Event
We love special events as much as anyone else. But we also recognize an important truth: When an event is mismanaged, it can become a real headache.
That’s where an experienced event planner can become so helpful. While there are plenty of reasons to work with an event planner, here are the three biggest reasons:
1. Budget Management And Cost Savings
We’ve pitched plenty of events, and most people we talk to have no idea just how much an event costs—even without hiring an event planner.
For an example, let’s say you wanted to show off your new office to the public while mixing in some
team building, and you wanted to hire or rent:
- A DJ
- Refreshments
- Multiple 10’ x 10’ Tents
- One 20’ x 20’ tent
- 15 Tables
- 120 Chairs
- A Dunk Tank
How much do you think that would cost if you had the tents, chairs, and dunk tank delivered to your venue location?
If you guessed less than $5,000, you’ll have a really,
really
difficult time trying to budget your event.
And although these events can get expensive, a great event planner finds ways to save money. In a best case scenario, they can ensure you don’t pay for a single penny out of pocket!
A perfect example: In one event, we used sponsorship packages to pay for
everything, allowing our client to benefit from a multi-thousand-dollar event without having to worry about credit card bills.
You can learn even more by downloading our free events eBook:
Events On A Budget: How to Save Money & Generate ROI Without Breaking the Bank.
2. Experience & Problem Solving
You’ve heard of Murphy’s Law before, right?
What can go wrong
will
go wrong.
We like to follow this up with the old Boy Scouts motto:
Be prepared.
Event planning is all about anticipating problems ahead of time. And if you’ve never planned a major event before,
anything
can go wrong (and something probably will).
A few real-world examples:
- Forgetting to anchor tents could allow those tents to become airborne during heavy winds—which could potentially injure event participants.
- Someone could have a seizure in the middle of a presentation in a
corporate event, requiring emergency services in the middle of your conference (something that happened to us).
- The airline could lose essential equipment during a transatlantic flight, leaving you without your gear for an event in Europe (something that happened to one of our friends).
Event planning is all about seeing potential problems ahead of time—and planning accordingly. Have multiple fail-safes ready in case something goes wrong. In response to the scenarios above, for example:
- Require every vendor to weigh and/or stake their tents to the ground, and have extra weights on hand in case you need them.
- Make sure one or more people on your team is first-aid trained. Keep a first-aid kit nearby, and know the quickest route to the nearest hospital from your event.
- Bring extra equipment when you’re traveling, and consider using two different methods of transportation to account for potential issues.
If you’re not comfortable dealing with multiple potential issues at once, lean on an event planner! They know what to do in a crisis, and they’ll help you keep hiccups to a minimum.
3. Access to Industry Connections
Your event planner has connections with vendors throughout the region, and that’s a huge,
huge perk. Before you start a lick of research, a seasoned event planner is already familiar with:
- Local venues
- Local caterers
- Local photographers
- Local videographers
- Local musicians
- Local equipment companies
- And more!
Those connections alone can save you ample time—and that’s not even mentioning the other perks your events planner could potentially unlock. Thanks to their pre-existing relationships with local vendors, they can also tap into:
- Special Deals - Your event planner may have access to exclusive deals or discounts from preferred vendors.
- Special Attention - Your event is unique, and you want confidence that you’ll get special treatment. Thanks to your planner’s connection with the vendor, they can win you extra attention to detail.
- Workarounds - Relationships are everything in business, and your planner’s relationships with individual vendors means if one suddenly drops out, they can quickly pull in another to fill the space.
Find Support For Your Next Event
If you need a venue for your next Pittsburgh event, you’re already in the right spot! You’ll find incredible
event spaces in Millvale—minutes from Downtown Pittsburgh.
But if you need additional support planning or coordinating your event, rely on
Poetica Marketing, a Pittsburgh-based marketing and events company that helps businesses stand out online and in person.
Contact us here to get started.
About the Author
Regina Schober is the Events Specialist at Poetica Marketing, a Pittsburgh-based marketing and events company. She has more than a decade of experience planning and coordinating major events.
Connect with her on LinkedIn!
