Simbarashe Able Mukondo
No one wants a low-standard event, but few are willing to pay for a high-standard one. Not all event planners are willing to put in the work, either.
Have you ever been to an event where the setup and mood are inconsistent? The decor is good but the food is bad. The DJ is trying but the sound is failing them, and the director of the ceremony is doing their best but the event lacks flow? I’m about to tell you why.
When you approach an event planner and they say they have everything in-house, from security to catering to entertainment to decorating, be skeptical. On the planner’s side, they’re trying to control the environment in which they’re going to be operating and make a profit. On the client’s side, they want it easy: one meeting and all is done. It sounds cheaper and easier. However, the key question is: Is it the best that you’re going to get?
Most event planners have become middlemen. A client comes to them with a budget of $1,000 and says they want something for their employees and key clients for an end-of-year party, with 50 guests expected. The planner knows that the perfect setup is a cocktail party, but because their catering partner is not good with making finger foods and they’ll need to outsource a mixologist, they go ahead with a proper dinner. They make it a two-course meal, but now because resources are strained, everything is going to look cheap.
As a planner, I wanted to have a list of event service and equipment providers and profiles so that when I get an event, I can check the database and call those who suit the concept and budget at hand. I would then pick the top three quotations for each particular service or equipment needed and let the client decide and make the payments. However, all providers wanted to be included in some sort of package deal.
I once did on-the-day management of a wedding where the venue owner said they were offering cutlery. When I saw the cutlery, I almost cried. It was plastic glasses and all, very dirty, and the wedding was already underway. I had to quickly organise to get them washed. They said they were offering decor, but it was not nice at all.
Next time you pick packages, be cautious. Planners, don’t be middlemen. Do the job: plan events!
Simbarashe Able Mukondo is the Chief Executive Officer at Varisync Planners (Pvt) Ltd, an entity which is into event planning and marketing. He can be contacted on 0782 974 806.