What to look for in an events company!
As promised, my next posting will deal with the all important question of what to look for in an events company.
The most important question to ask is : “Can this company turn my vision into reality?” In other words, do they have the experience, the knowledge, the contacts?
Often and I speak through first hand experience, I have worked through up to six different companies and agencies working on ONE function..Each with their own agenda and each wanting to be the boss….Guess who foots the bill????? That’s right folks..THE CLIENT!
There’s a saying that’s been going around : “Every second person with a pc, a phone and a fax machine has suddenly become an events agent”….Sad but true.
The events industry is a huge business but it certainly isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and many an “agent” has found themselves in hot water due to inexperience, inferior service, a lack of service delivery, over promise and under delivery among other things.
There are top tier events companies out there..Some of the best in the business and these are the ones clients should gravitate towards, no matter how large or how small your function will be.
Things to look out for are :
Experience.
Industrial knowledge.
Trend setting ( are they fresh in their approach?).
Contact base.
Technical knowledge (crucial).
Musical knowledge ( do you really want to end up with a “Vienese ball” when what you wanted was a “Venetian joll” as happened a few years ago.)
Vision.
Planning and co-0rdination.
Budgetary control.
Integrity.
Committment to the project.
Availability.
Willingness to communicate..especially when things go belly up.
Project management skills.
Artistry…Not just a slap dash event.
Dedication and work ethic.
These are among the things one should look out for when selecting a company to take care of your event or function.
Never call the first available person in the yellow pages and NEVER use a “friend of a friend of a friend”……Use the professionals. They are there.
At Light Years, we bring all of the above when working on an event. We have the added advantage that we have worked on both sides of the eventing coin as entertainers, producers and events project management and that places us in a unique position to identify each and every clients’ unique requirements, whether it be a cocktail function for 10 or a black tie dinner for 2000. We are also uniquely connected with entertainers ( hence no extra agency fee), top tier caterers and decor specialists, sound and AV companies ( our company of choice has won multiple SAMA awards), security, and all other services that are essential to making YOUR event the best yet.
In upcoming postings, I will look at various aspects on an individual basis and I will give you feedback on the New Years’ eve ball at The Palace at Sun City.
We hope to be of service to you in the coming years and we wish you all the very best for 2008!
