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.
Print media is not dead. It is alive and well and when done correctly it will help push your business and events forward. People love receiving a good piece of mail – especially if it is hand addressed. Print allows you to leave a more lasting impression than a social media post. But who you print with is almost as important as what you print.
Here are the 5 questions to ask to choose the right printer for each job.
Do I need help designing the print product?
Most printers have an in-house design team that will help you create your masterpiece. If I am needing help from start to finish, I will pick a local company because I want someone that I can meet with through the process. Most online companies do have a design service but there is something about a face to face that I prefer. The other thing that I consider is if the designer will charge me for the project or by the hour. I prefer the designers that will work with me through a project price rather than a per hour price.
Can they do the print job?
I love my print department at the local Office Depot but they have some serious in house limitations. If I need a complicated job done, I will pick one of the specialized local print shops. If I need a job fast, I will choose Office Depot. If I need business cards, I will often use one of the popular card printing companies. Each company has a set of skills and expertise that you need to take into your decision.
Do I want someone local?
I prefer to work with local small businesses. I want the relationship with the owner or my rep. Being able to pick up at the last moment is a huge plus as well. The local printer can also become a referral source for your business. 90% of the time I go with the local printer for large jobs. Going local cuts down on shipping costs and if something is wrong, you can go in and talk to them. A fun plus is that they will often give you a tour of their facility.
Do they fit my budget?
Small businesses run on margins, sometimes it is cost effective to go with the big national shops because they can spread their costs out over multiple customers. Make sure you have a budget in mind and you are upfront with the designers and printers. You cannot have gold foil embossing, special cuts and folds, and more on a minimal budget. The right printer will help you to put together the print material that will fit your budget and help you reach your goal.
Do I like who I am dealing with?
You want to have a good relationship with your rep at the print shop – whoever that is. Having someone to call and bounce ideas off of, ask for quick quotes, or call for an emergency can be crucial for your business. You want to trust that if something goes wrong, they are there to help you fix it. This is the most important item for me. I will only do business with those who I trust.
Printing is still a huge part of small business. Know your goal and the outcome you want for the print piece and your print shop will help you to get there.
2020 is here and I am motivated to get all sorts of things done. I am sharing my 2020 plan so that you all can help me stay on track. So here are my plans for this year.
Release my first online course March 1, 2020.
I have been working on this course for over a year but had some time issues in 2019. Planning my wedding became a huge part of my life – even with a wedding planner so I had to set this aside. I now have all of the equipment and software I need and no longer have an excuse. Beta Tests will start in early February for anyone interested in Effective Trade Shows for Small Businesses.
Gain 3 outside Social Media Management Clients by April 1, 2020.
I have been helping a select set of companies with their social media content and strategy. I am picky about my clients because I want to ensure I am the right fit for them. This allows me to hone in on their needs and help them to grow their business. I will start marketing for this service in February and already have a few prospects in the pipeline. Reach over 1k followers on Facebook and Instagram by August 1.
This is a huge jump but I know that it will help. I am expanding my blog and social media topics beyond business events and trade shows in 2020 which will help to expand my audience.
Release the second set of online courses September 2020.
I will be releasing How to Be the Perfect Bridesmaid/Man. So many blogs and books focus on the bride and leave the bridesmaids/men out. I want to share my hard won knowledge as a bridesmaid, maid of honor, and bride. I am not shying away from the hard topics i.e. Do you really want to be a bridesmaid? Can you afford it? How do you deal with the bridezilla? What is really expected of you?
These are big goals but I have a plan. I also am going to be working with a coach to help me stay on track. Having an accountability partner is essential.
Let me know what your goals are and how Events Made Sane can help your business grow in 2020.
The one biggest tip I can give people to sell more items at a trade or craft show is to elevate your booth.
No, I am serious.
Elevate your tables to bar height.
Why?
People will stop to look at something on their eye level.
They feel more comfortable stopping if they do not have to stoop or bend to look at items.
Create product groups and tiers on your tables so people can identify items at a glance.
This has years of consumer science to back it up. The most expensive items at most stores and the most expensive shelf space is at eye level of the target market.
Walk down the cereal aisle at the grocery store at the see how the boxes are merchandised. The healthy and “adult” cereals are at your eye level. The cereals that are targeted towards children are one shelf down.
Here is a great example of this by Basilwood Farms.
Notice a few great details
They have table cloths to give the booth a polished look.
They have maybe 3-4 of each item skew out on the tables to keep it from looking too cluttered.
I know they have more product under the tables so they don’t run out but putting everything they brought out would overwhelm people.
They have simple portable lights on their product.
Their lights are not shining at their customers, they are catching the shimmer that is infused into many of their products. Always use lights like this when possible.
Everything fits into the “Farm” theme.
Wooden crates and metal buckets help to organize items and give the booth a welcoming feel.
They carry these themes into the business cards and their website. It is one cohesive image. You can check them out here.
Basilwood Farms is a great example of a company that knows who they are and how to present a cohesive image from their farm store, website, booths and printed materials.
My second tip for selling more at trade or craft shows – be like Basilwood Farms. Know who you are and take that through everything.
Basilwood did not pay me to write this post and I do not get any kick backs from the sale of any items. They are a great company who graciously allowed me to write about them and their craft show booth. Support your local businesses whenever possible!
Promotional items can be the cherry on the top of a great trade show or event. They will extend the life of the event and keep your company top of mind. The problem is getting the promotional items in the right hands and to keep the trick or treaters at bay.
Trick or treaters are the people that walk around with their giant bag or rolling cart and grab three of everything “for their grand kids”. They are the people that walk up and try to take items off your table that are not even promotional items. They are the life sucks that can walk away with $5 – $15 of items and never say hello or be qualified as a lead.
So how do we get items into the right hands and keep the trick or treaters at bay? Here are my top 3 tips.
1.Promotional items should have a purpose.
You can read my 5 “W”s of Promotional Items here. I do not advocate giving items away just for the sake of keeping the masses happy.
2. Make a game out of giving the items away.
A person must complete a set of actions to get specific items. For instance, if you are giving a pen away, they have to write down one thing they have learned at the show and their contact information – with the pen. You can ask people to take comment, post, like, or tag on your social media profiles. You can ask them to sing a song – whatever works with your goals for the trade show will work here.
3. Do not set them on the table at the front of the booth.
This allows people to do drive-by. They walk over, grab the item, and keep right on walking. Make attendees work for your give aways. Even if you are going for the shot gun approach of trying to hit everyone, a small interaction will make the item and your company more memorable. I will often buy big bags of candy to place out for the people just walking by to grab items. This keeps people happy and allows me to interact with the people who want to talk with me.
Every part of your booth needs to help drive your shows goals forward – especially your promotional items. These are items that people are taking with them and will be used to remember your company. Do not let it be a grab and go process – work on having an interaction and creating a memory to go with the item.
I often take the time in December to plan out my next year, to see where I can improve and how I can push my events to the next level. I have been diving into various TED Talks lately and wanted to share the top 3 that inspired be for 2020.
What I Learned From 100 Days of Rejection by Jia Jiang
Trade shows 80% rejection, people walking by or saying no thank you. Learning how to accept that is a crucial part of the process.
Embrace the Remix by Kirby Ferguson
We rarely start from scratch with our trade show programs. We have Brand Guidelines, legacy materials, and past data that we can constantly remix into better ideas.
How Great Leaders Inspire Action by Simon Sinek
I find that after a long year, going back to Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle and focusing on the why is a great reset for my brain and creativity. We often focus so hard on the benefits and features of the products or services that we forget that people don’t buy those. They buy the why.
What are your favorite TED Talks or inspirational videos?
