The vendors your hire will make or break your event. They are a large part of what your guests will see and interact with – having great vendors will push your event into the top echelons, having a bad vendor can leave embarrassment and bad feelings for years to come.
How do you ensure you have the right vendors for your event? Vendor interviews.
These allow you to get to know the person you are working with and if they have the know how and capacity to help at your event.
How I Conduct Vendor Interview
Internet Research
I have no compunction of doing some major research on a company before even calling. I want to see the following things.
- A professional website – Their website does not have to be the newest or flashiest, but I want to see they have put the time into their business. This shows me that they care about their work and reputation. I will accept a very well done Facebook page as a company website.
- I worked with one company that stated they had a huge inventory of items but very little of it was pictured or priced on their website. This company messed up a major event for me because they did not have the materials they stated. Trust what the websites are telling you.
- Reviews – You want to see that other people have worked with the company. I don’t mind bad reviews as long as they are balanced out by good reviews. I will often click on the profile of the bad reviewer and see how they review other companies. (90% of the time the other reviews are bad as well.)
Ask to Meet the Vendor at Their Office or Warehouse.
You can tell a lot by how people keep their business space. I look for the following things while at someone’s office space.
- Is it clean? – I do not ask that things be spotless but I do want to see things organized.
- Do the other people on the team seem happy? – Now, everyone has a bad day, but if people are jumpy, won’t make eye contact, and avoid the boss. I tend to run the other way. These are the people that will be at your event, you want people that are going to do their best – not live in fear of the boss.
I do have a caveat on this, if someone’s desk looks like a complete mess but they are able to put their hands on any piece of paper they want – I will overlook the mess. Some people work well with that system and if they showcase that, I will move forward.
Questions to Ask
You have done your research and are at their place of business – great job! Here are the questions you should ask.
- Can they cover the scope of your business? – Outline the event you are planning, let them know all of the details, guest counts, space, date and time. They will need to know all of this so they can determine if they have the ability to work your event. Most event vendors are great people and if they cannot help you, will point you in the direction of people who can.
- What is their back up plan? – If they suddenly cannot help out at your event, how will they help you? This does not happen often, but business do close their doors or personal things comes up. I am more concerned about their tone of voice and if they get defensive from this question.
- What suggestions do they have for the event you have outlined? – Event vendors have seen it all and are a wealth of knowledge. Ask their opinion and you will often find great ideas.
- Do they have the right insurance for your event? – I want my vendors to carry their own liability insurance on top of the insurance I buy for the events. Most companies have a general rider that they pay for with their business. I reserve this question for events over 50 people.
- Ask them about the other vendors you plan to use. – Vendors know one another, some refuse to work with certain people, some have contracts that force them to work with certain companies. Ask them what they think about the other vendors on your list. You can gain great insights.
- Can they give you referrals or examples of their past work? – If someone is unwilling to show you their past work or give you people to call, run away. I refuse to work with someone who has nothing to show. If you are interviewing a company that is brand new, ask them their experience in their field and potentially ask for character references. Going with a new company can get you a lower cost but you have to weigh that against your desires for the event.
Vendors are the people that hold the keys to your great event. Hiring the perfect vendor for your event starts with the vendor interview. Don’t skip this step. The two hours your spend on research can save you hours of heartache later.