An Essential Guide to Getting Vendors for Your Event
Did you know that your vendors have the power to make or break your event experience? A poor-quality vendor can disrupt the whole event flow, while a world-class vendor can improve your attendee's entire experience and contribute to your cash flow. In this article, we’ll teach you not only how to find the best vendors for your event but how to hire and keep them as well. Ready to learn more? Let’s dive in!
Understanding the Basics of Event Vendor Services
From delicious food and drinks to elegant decorations and lively entertainment, event vendors play a crucial role in bringing your event vision to life. Their product and service offerings are part of the glue that holds the event experience together. Partnering with the right vendors can transform an ordinary event into an unforgettable one.
How to Find Vendors for an Event
Since vendors play a significant part in your event, you want to do some preliminary research before hiring. Look into the online reviews or talk to your referrals to gauge their reputation, experience, and compatibility with your event's theme. Your venue, personal experience, and referrals are great places to start.
Start with Your Venue's Recommendations
Before you spend your weekend scouring the internet for vendors, contact your venue. It’s not uncommon for venues to keep a list of their go-to vendors. A vineyard might have a preferred cheese vendor, for example—who, of course, knows just the right brie to pair with the signature merlot. Or the sunflower farm might have a photographer who specializes in capturing golden hour family moments. If the vendors happen to match your budget and wishlist, working with the venue can take a huge load off your logistical heavy lifting!
Leverage Personal Experiences
Whenever possible, try to get some first-hand experience with your potential vendors. If you’re planning a carnival with taco trucks, schedule a taco tasting beforehand. Look around at other events to see which vendors are killing it. Is the photobooth wildly popular? Snag a business card and strike up a conversation. Not only will you leave with snazzy Polaroids for your fridge, but you’ll gain a more accurate sense of whether the vendors are a good fit for your event.
Ask for Referrals
As much as we would all love to sample tacos for three consecutive Tuesdays, sometimes the schedule just doesn’t allow it. When in-person meetings are too impractical, referrals are another great way to find excellent, trustworthy vendors.
Ask other event planners, customers, and friends if they have vendors who they know, like, and trust. Get curious about their experiences, and take note of vendors who seem to align with your event goals and audience preferences. We also recommend you take it a step further and vet your vendors online through the Better Business Bureau and Yelp reviews.
Utilize Social Media
Leveraging platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn can significantly expand your reach and help foster conversations that can lead to valuable partnerships. Start by creating engaging posts that showcase your event's unique value proposition and the benefits of becoming a vendor. Look for vendors who align with your event theme and have a similar online following. Once you’ve partnered with a vendor, encourage them to engage with your posts, share their products, and tag your event.
Pro tip: Staying consistent on social media all year long (not just during peak season) can help you build a vast network of vendors that will benefit your event for years to come.
Strategies to Attract the Best Vendors to Your Event
To entice premier vendors to your upcoming event, create an irresistible package that speaks to their needs and aspirations. What's the draw for them? In addition to brand exposure, what sets your offer apart? Consider doing some of the logistical heavy lifting to make it even easier to say yes. For example, if a pie vendor at your berry-picking festival is going to need tables, chairs, and a tent, you can ease their burden by providing these amenities. The goal is to make their participation seamless and rewarding.
Crafting an Appealing Vendor Call
To craft an appealing vendor call, start by clearly outlining your event's theme, objectives, and the type of products or services you're seeking. For example, if you’re organizing a Ren Faire with a medieval theme and a goal to fundraise for local youth sports, outlining these details will help you find the right vendors.
Communicate details about your target audience demographics, anticipated foot traffic, and any specific preferences you have for vendors. Of course, you want to highlight what’s in it for them—whether that’s exposure to a large audience or an irresistible promotional opportunity.
Your vendor call should be comprehensive yet concise, minimizing any chances of misunderstanding. By articulating a compelling vision and value proposition, vendors will be eager to join your event and contribute to its success.
Offering Incentives for Early Commitments
In the modern event landscape, success with vendors requires more than mere interest; you need early commitment. Why? Securing vendor partnerships ahead of schedule can streamline your planning and enable you to get more specific in your marketing efforts. By negotiating early on, you can make adjustments to your budget and get a pulse on availability. Not to mention, seeking early commitments also gives you the best chances of securing a lineup of your dream vendors.
To incentivize early commitments, consider offering perks such as discounted booth rates, prime location selections, exclusive promotional opportunities, or complimentary add-ons like upgraded booth amenities or extended marketing exposure. These incentives not only motivate vendors to sign on sooner but also foster stronger relationships and loyalty, laying the foundation for a mutually beneficial collaboration.
Managing Vendor Contracts and Relationships
We understand that contract writing and legal jargon are not exactly exciting, but leaving an event with all parties satisfied definitely is exciting. Use this checklist to get you started.
- Scope of services - What, exactly, will the vendor be providing?
- Duration of service - Date and times the vendor will provide these services.
- Cost and payment schedule - How and when will the vendor be paid?
- Cancellation and/or termination policies - What happens if either party cancels?
If your event includes a specialized service, like a Scuba diving excursion, you will need to include other details such as insurance and licensing information. Make your details clearly defined, but allow room for negotiation.
Ensuring Long-Term Success
After your event, if your vendor turned out to be a smashing success, celebrate and write them a raving review, but don’t stop there! Finding and keeping great vendors is an ongoing process. Between events, keep establishing rapport and building your own list of preferred vendors.Trust us, you’ll thank yourself when your next event rolls around.
If you have any questions about finding and securing vendors, don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team.
We’re here to help you have the best event ever!
— The Ticket Spice Team
