Three Things Your Event Planner Wishes You Knew About Event Planning
As we head into summer in the Bay Area, the only thing better than seeing the sun breaking through the fog is an inbox full of inquiries about fall and holiday events. There’s nothing we love more than an all-out dash to close out the year, so outfitting an event with strategy and style—along with a dash of holiday sparkle!—is one of our favorite conversations.
However, we’ve noticed a few questions that nearly always come up in that conversation. Today, we’re addressing the most commonly asked ones and spilling what we wish all our clients knew about event planning.
We Can’t Quote an Event Budget On the First phone Call
We know…buzzkill, right? Everyone’s first and biggest ask is this: “How much will something like this cost?” We get it. We’ve planned hundreds of events, so it seems logical that we could estimate the cost of an event off-the-cuff, right?
Here’s the thing: every Kennedy Events’ production is completely custom and there are dozens of factors that influence the end cost. Venue selection, catering, union considerations, attendee size, your goals...to mention just a few. Our job is to plan an event that meets your goals and gives great ROI, so we can’t just freestyle about what those costs might be.
Although it may be frustrating to not get an off-the-cuff estimate, making sure that the experience is great every step of the way is our priority, which is why we take the time to gather critical data before giving numbers (because no one likes surprise costs). In fact, every event is so custom that even our proposals are bespoke for each event. We believe that great events require thoughtful decision-making, which is why our process includes a deep dive, to make certain we’re getting down to which elements are actually going to support your goals.
When you send that first hello email, you can expect our team to ask thoughtful questions before coming up with your custom proposal. While we won’t be able to give you a cost estimate right away; once engaged, we’ll do our part to dig into the numbers in a meaningful way and start creating a solid budget that avoids all those nasty surprises.
There are Certain Things That You Shouldn’t Do Yourself
We don’t bring our egos to work. Executing your event is about meeting your goals, not about us showing off. We’re nimble in response to your needs, and we’re certainly not an “all or nothing” company; that wouldn’t make sense for services as custom as those we provide. We’re also very specific about not giving up the management of certain aspects because we know just how critical they are to your event’s success.
Venue selection? Don’t go it alone! There are many details—like hidden union labor charges, securing enough load-in days, and being locked into certain vendors—that can trip up an event budget and your final results. Rest assured that Kennedy Events understands which type of venue will be the perfect match for you and we can guide you through the search process.
We strongly encourage our clients to let us take the reins on budget management, vendor management, and project management as well. You will be in the know with 100% transparency—without all the headaches.
During our exceptionally thorough proposal process, we assign ownership of the hundreds of tasks you may not realize are vital. Delegating all these tasks between your team and the KE team might feel unnecessary, but we’ve found it is essential to the success of every event. Even something as structured as registration can unearth 200+ details; from who is building the website page to whether you need scannable name badges. Knowing who is doing what lets us price our proposal and gives clarity moving forward.
Your Budget Should Reserve 20-25% for the Production Company Fee
This might seem high, but hear us out: that 20-25% isn’t because we’re handing out iPads in the swag bags. It’s because we’ve seen over and over again the level of attention we need to devote to an event to make it truly successful. This number isn’t random: it comes from closely tracking the costs on events for many years and knowing exactly what support you need for your event. Planning ahead for this cost is the best way to save time and headaches for everyone involved. It’s also the best way to ensure that you’re getting the greatest ROI possible for your event.
Just to be clear: this is a “rule of thumb” only. As we mentioned above, each of our events is bespoke, and based on that, so is both our scope of work and fee. If you are looking for a quick ballpark number, we suggest 20-25%. If you want a more specific number, send us an email so we can dig in and get you some concrete figures.
Venues, Budgets, and Vendors…OH MY!
Looking to get a jump start on your next corporate event or holiday party? That first step can be a bit intimidating, but Kennedy Events is here to help. If you’re looking to lower your stress while creating a memorable experience for your guests, we would love to chat. Drop us a line and we’ll be in touch soon to talk timelines!
Maggie Kennedy
Maggie Kennedy is the co-owner of Kennedy Events is a large-scale event management company based in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City. Our team creates stress-free conferences and events with a positive impact, which allow our clients to resonate with their audience. Kennedy Events specializes in producing flawless product launches, award ceremonies, fundraisers and multi-day conferences while keeping our eye on retention and engagement goals.
About Kennedy Events
Kennedy Events began with one goal in mind—to produce high-level corporate events with just as much strategy as style. Maggie founded the company in 2000, found her match in Paige, and in 2011 the two became official partners. Since then, these two resourceful and brilliant creatives have pooled their strengths to build one one of the most the most sought after corporate event companies in San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles.
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