Building strong relationships with event suppliers

Running an event without suppliers is close to impossible as most promoters don’t have the budgets, resources, expertise, or time to become specialists in every facet possible. Not only is it good business sense to network and bring in outside ideas and experiences, but it takes a load off your shoulders as an event planner when you have industry experts and ninja’s to lean on.

Running a business or doing your job as an event planner efficiently calls for collaborations and, because mistakes are expensive, you can’t afford to isolate yourself from those who can make your event happen with ease.

Let’s explore some key benefits of building strong relationships with event suppliers.

Lowered Costs

Cutting costs where you can in event planning is a big YES! Building a good partnership from the get-go can lead to future discounts and maybe even open doors to new ideas to monetise at your event. It’s important to remember that while you’re building these relationships, you can maximise savings across different projects by using the same supplier across multiple events. Many promoters see great returns in the form of better deals and opportunities for negotiation, so course this can work to your advantage if approached carefully. Just make sure you’re still qualifying the right supplier for the job, and not just because of their price-point.

Improved Efficiency

One of the biggest benefits of maintaining a strong relationship with your suppliers is that they’ll often work so closely with you that they start to know your business and anticipate your customer’s needs. A supplier that understands you, your way of working, style, timelines, and needs as well as you do. It promises a quicker return on delivery and effective service – which is a dream come true for any event planner. In building strong long-term partnerships, you will find that your supplier will commit to providing the best service every time because they rely on your future business.

Contingencies

We know that things don’t always go as planned, but having a reliable supplier gives you the peace of mind that, should things go wrong, they will go out of their way to help in any way they can. I can think of so many instances when suppliers were able to bring additional gear at no cost at the ninety-ninth hour, or assisted sponsors/other suppliers with additional gear requests setting them up for the win. So, we’ve learnt to go above and beyond for our partners, because if we ever got into a sticky situation, we know they will go the extra mile for us, too.

Some practical tips on building stronger relationships:

Take time to construct a clear brief before pushing send.

Many suppliers have developed strong skills in pre-empting headaches before they come, but as good as we are, most of us are not proficient at reading minds. Paint the dream, and let them know your reality. Be clear and specific with what you want - equipment, crew, timings, documentation, so when all tenders/quotes come back you can compare apples vs apples.

Eg, Letting your production supplier know your anticipated audience size, audience area (30m x 30m), number of performers / artists involved (specifics on channels required, backline, technical riders etc), alongside setup-rehearsal-soundcheck times will get a far more accurate quote then just telling us you have a 4-hour event.

Once the supply is awarded, involve them in your planning.

Most suppliers are involved in delivering hundreds of events each year. Ask for their input and advice, you might be surprised with new ideas you haven’t even considered.

Eg, For most community events we supply production to, we’ll support the event manager, to make contact with each artist/band performing 1-2 weeks before the event. This confirms the stage setup and equipment provided, alongside confirming the artists’ requirement (often through a technical rider). By doing so ahead of the event, everybody is clear about what will happen, and we can pre-plan for every scenario - ensuring speed in changeovers and a great experience had by all involved, including your audience.

Look after your suppliers on-site.

Welcome each supplier and give them a clear brief on arrival, noting any changes to the plan. Try to provide amenities (where possible) that are separate to the audience so they don’t have to wait in lines for toilets etc. Check-in with them often across setup, event and packdown. Simple things like providing shade, cold beverages, access to healthy snacks and even catering can make a world of difference.

Thank your suppliers post-event.

After all the hard work is done, get in touch with your suppliers and thank them for their support. Let them know how valuable they were in helping you achieve the bigger picture with photos, stats, good news stories. Perhaps you want to include a short feedback form - asking them to evaluate their experience, alongside input on how you can strengthen next year’s event. Pencil in next year’s date, and whatever you do, ensure you don’t forget to process payment promptly.

Remember, the events industry is a pretty tight-knit community in New Zealand and it doens’t take long for bad news to travel. We’re all in this industry because we all love it, and when we work together, extraordinary experiences are created.