Years ago, when I first began planning events, I was working on a major event at a hotel. My company was planning to do demonstrations in the hallway that required skirted tables, electricity and telephone lines. I did a walk-through with the Sales and Catering Manager and all seemed fine. A few days before the event, I went back to the hotel for a meeting. I brought up the technology demos and she never remembered having the discussion. I had made a mistake by not putting our my requirements in writing and sending her a copy and not having the information added to our contract.
Any venue you select is juggling information a number of different events. So the person you meet with maybe thinking about the weekend wedding or anniversary party while you are speaking to them about the requirements for your seminar. The best way to be sure you get what you need for your event to be successful is to write down your requirements and have them put into your contract. This is not only true for working with venues but also all of your other important vendors, such as those providing audio-visual equipment, signage, promotional items and, of course, event planning.By the way, my story has a happy ending; the demonstrations went up at the last minute in record time. Make sure you don’t need last minute work. Write everything down and review your requirements with your contacts a week before your event.
