Let’s talk about your event planning vendors and partners. How strong are those relationships? You know, as an event planner, your events and conferences won’t be amazing if you don’t have the roster of reliable and incredible vendor relationships in place. From catering and photography to entertainment and floral, who you work with matters. And today, we’ll share insights to help you improve and develop stronger relationships with your key event-planning partners.
Be a Thorough Communicator
The key to developing any strong relationship with vendors, contractors, colleagues, and partners is communication. It’s about managing expectations, too. When you focus on being a diligent and thorough communicator, your partners will always know what to expect. They’ll better understand what your event needs and will be more adamant about helping you achieve event goals. Keep lines of communication open for questions and ideas. Share details and challenges with your vendors, too. And remember, the most open dialogues lead to the strongest relationships.
Demonstrate Gratitude for a Job Well Done
It’s easy to call out shortcomings, especially in a high-pressure event-planning environment. But don’t forget it’s equally important to dole out the gratitude. When your event planning partners deliver, thank them. And when they go above and beyond, be liberal about praising them for their efforts. It’s even a good idea to send them notes or small “thank you” gifts celebrating your appreciation for their partnership.
Ask Them What They Need
Event planning is just a demanding role on its own. You set goals and then demand each participating vendor to deliver. But building strong relationships with others means also reciprocating. Ask your partners about what they need to do their job well. Learn what their processes are and seek new ways to help them execute flawlessly. They’ll appreciate it, and they’ll also feel like they're working with you, not for you.
Send Them Referrals
Another way to foster a healthy relationship with your event planning vendor partners is by sending them referrals. When you work with a new provider who does an outstanding job for your event, share the news within your network. Be open about recommendations, demonstrating your priority to take care of your best partners.
Ask for and Reciprocate Positive Reviews
Every time your vendors deliver flawless service, take to the review boards and make it official. Yelp, Google Reviews, and on their social media pages, give them a shout-out about your recent collaboration. They’ll appreciate the added support and will be more apt to reciprocate with reviewing you. And this healthy give-and-take of visible appreciation will only strengthen those vendor relationships over time.
Keep these ideas in mind as you look to improve and develop great relationships with all your event-planning partners! And if you need new partners to add to your roster, be an exhibitor and guest at The Event Planner Expo 2023 this October! All the best events industry providers will be there, eager to make new connections! And it’s the one conference that can revolutionize your event planning business in a BIG way!
