Organising an event for your company can be a complicated, time-consuming, and taxing process. Juggling quotes from caterers, organizing entertainment, and choosing the right location while making sure everything falls within budget can be a struggle for even the most organised of people. That’s why many businesses turn to event management companies in South Africa to handle every aspect of planning and executing large-scale events and occasions.
However, you need to make sure that you hire an event manager who is capable of handling all aspects of your event. Finding the right event project management for your business means that you will have to check that the events management company you are considering has the skills, experience, and resources to ensure your event goes off without a hitch!
Below we will look at the most important things you should check before hiring event management companies in South Africa and making the right choice is so important.
What to Look For in Event Management Companies
What Experience Do They Have?
Before you start discussing guest lists and themes, you need to check that an event manager has the right level of experience to organise the scale of events you need. Do they have any experience in planning occasions in the industry you work in? What previous comparable events do they have in their portfolio?
Although someone may be experienced in event management, it doesn’t automatically follow that they can handle your size or type of event. Make sure to do your due diligence and ask for more information about the skills and experience they can bring to your project.
Do They Have a Clear Idea of Your Brand and Presentation?
Once you know that the event management companies you are considering have the right experience, you need to make sure that they have a clear idea of the brand and image of your company.
Will working with them help to promote and maintain your company image? What are the values and the branding of the event manager’s service and will they reflect well on your business?
You need to make sure that hiring a team of event managers will do nothing to harm the strong brand and reputation you have worked hard to build.
Do They Have Excellent Interpersonal Skills?
One of the most important skills in event management is to be personable and able to manage relationships with several different stakeholders. Event managers will be the face of your event and will be representing your business on the night. If guests have a problem with anything during the event, they will look to the event manager to handle everything and judge your company on their response.
Make sure to assess that the event management team you will be working with is confident, friendly, and professional; and will be representing your company in the best possible manner.
Do They Have Beneficial Contacts in the Industry?
Companies experienced in event management are likely to have built up beneficial relationships with related services such as catering, furniture hire, and waiting team hire. If event managers have developed good connections with certain teams, you may be able to access discounts and beneficial services which you wouldn’t be able to access by contacting a supplier on your own.
An experienced event management service may also have connections in media and press that will be able to help you to publicize an event and increase your company profile.
Are They Transparent and Open in Communication?
Being able to trust event management companies is essential if you are going to be able to step back and leave them to deliver your event. So you need to make sure that the company you select is transparent in its dealings, has clear lines of communication, and set processes for dealing with issues as and when they arise.
You need to be made aware of any potential problems or changes well in advance so that you can make any adjustments you need on your side. You shouldn’t have to chase up your event managers for more information, they should make you aware of problems as soon as possible.
Are They Up to Date with Health and Safety Regulations?
The safety of your guests and attendees at the event is paramount and you need to make sure that event managers are capable of setting up a safe environment that has been properly risk-assessed.
When you talk to event management companies ask if they have a certificate in health and safety, will carry out risk assessments, and are familiar with regulations and legislation in South Africa.
Make sure to ask for more information about their health and safety procedures before progressing with any project.
Do the Event Managers Have Good Time Management Skills?
Delays and late deliveries will result in unhappy attendees, disrupted schedules, and an unsuccessful event. You need to make sure that the event management service you choose presents you with a clear schedule for the planning and delivery of the event.
You also need to be sure that the management is dedicated, driven, and diligent. These attributes will help to ensure that the company is able to deliver according to the schedule they have created.
Who Will You Be Working With Leading Up To and During the Event?
When hiring events management companies, you need to make sure that you know who your contact is and who will be responsible for the project management of your event on the day.
The person talking to you about what their events company can do for you may not be the person you will be working with during the planning and execution of an event. So make sure to ask for more information about who will be working directly with you.
Can They Deliver The Event You Want Within the Budget You Have Set?
You should already have a budget for your event before hiring an event management service. And you need to make sure that your expert in event management is capable of delivering the type of event you need.
If your budget is unsuitable for the size of event you want, then expert event managers will be able to quickly highlight this to you and discuss either increasing the budget or scaling the event down as needed.
You need to make sure that the event management company you hire can be trusted to deliver within the agreed budget and timescale and without presenting you with unexpected extra costs later down the line.
Do They Handle All Aspects of Event Planning In-House?
To save time and money, you want to make sure that you hire an event management service that is experienced in providing all aspects of planning your event. Dedicated event management companies will be able to present you with a catalogue of different services which you can select for your event, including:
- Project management of Event Infrastructure.
- Flooring Hire.
- Entertainment, Music, and Technical Equipment Hire.
- Decor planning , hiring, and placement.
- Media and PR for your event.
Using all-inclusive event management is both a time and cost-saver. And you won’t have to worry about managing different suppliers and services to make sure that all aspects of event planning are delivered on time.
How Will You Judge The Success of Your Business Event?
If you have clear aims and objectives for your event, these should influence every aspect of event planning – from the initial theme and entertainment ideas to the guest list.
You will also need to work with the event management company to make sure that you have all the data and information you need at the end of the event to judge how successful it was. This information could include which guests attended on the day, how many attendees signed up for your company’s mailing list, or how many people interacted with a certain presentation or sampling.
This data will help you to judge your success and can be used as a guide for your planning of future projects and occasions.
Conclusion: The Most Important Things to Look for When Hiring Event Management Companies
Events management services can help you with every aspect of your event, from the initial planning to the completion of the clean up process at the end of the night. But to increase the chances of your occasion running successfully, you need to ensure you have hired the right company for your event.
There are many different event management companies in South Africa, but different options will specialise in events of different sizes, types, and industries. Taking the time to ask the right questions and ask for more information will help to avoid problems and make sure the company you choose can perform to the standard you need.
For more information about event management for businesses, and to learn more about the different services on offer, contact Events Guys today. Whether you need furniture hire, event planning, or entertainment services – our experienced and dedicated team will be on hand to provide you with the advice and support you need.