An Event Planner’s Guide to Finding the Best Event Partners
Finding partners that are going to support you and your event in the ways that you need can be a daunting task. There are several qualities that you are going to be looking for, and you need to make sure that you and your supporters are definitely on the same page. This can take a bit of vetting and maybe even some meetings to see if your goals align. Here, you are going to find a guide to help you see what you need to do so that you and your event partners can be on the same page. Let’s go!
Research
There are a few steps that fall heavily on your shoulders, and that is going to be research and interviewing the people or groups that you are thinking of for your event partners. When you start your research, there are a few things that you are going to want to look into.
You’ll want to find out what their company stands for or what the person stands for. Sometimes this can be a motto, a mission statement, or even their call to action on their webpage. There are a lot of ways to look at what a person is about on the surface, but that is exactly what the research step is: just scratching the surface.
Interviews
This next step of finding event partners you can work with can sometimes feel a little invasive, but it is something that needs to be done. You don’t have to call this part an interview; you can call it meetings, emails, what have you. The idea is to basically have a constructive conversation to see if the partners you are looking at are actually a good fit for the event that you are going to run.
This also leads us to the next step that you will have to look into, which is a step inward: what are your ideals and goals, and do they match up with what the potential partners have in mind?
Ideals and Goals
You, as an event planner, have your own ideals and goals for the event that you are spearheading. It is up to you to articulate those ideals and goals to potential partners so that they can understand the heart of the event. This will also give them the opportunity to see if they want to support the event and partner up.
The reason this is part of finding event partners is that you don’t want to just delegate tasks without keeping in mind the core of the event. The main points, which can even be a list, are at the heart of the event and usually what keep you and your partners heading towards the main goal: a successful event.
Investment
Now comes the tricky part. If you are going to do an event with partners, there always comes the question of investment. Are they going to provide additional services? People to help out? A DJ? Catering?
Generally speaking, an event partner is going to have some sort of foothold in the event, meaning they are going to have to contribute to the event. If you are partnering with smaller businesses, they may find ways to take care of the smaller details that you may not have thought of. Larger businesses and partners with more equity can help with the larger aspects of an event. One thing to keep in mind is not to overexpect investment. Keep your expectations realistic and don’t make goals that are too lofty for everyone to reach together.
Teamwork
It may seem like an unspoken practice, but it is highly important to work on your teamwork skills when partnering with someone or with a business. Remember, the partners are investing in this event, and they may even provide additional day-of assistance, such as using attendance tracking from Zkipster. You never know until you have discussed everything with your partners.
This is why teamwork becomes so important. Your usual event team is going to have to adjust to allow new people in and teach them the ropes. It’s not insurmountable! Just take a breath and make sure you are communicating effectively.
Bring it Together
The final step is actually getting the event rolling with your partner(s). This, like any new thing, can be daunting, but if you focus on teamwork, keep your goals in mind, and remember that you are all reaching for the same end game, then you will be right as rain. Oh! A nice touch is also having special gifts for partners as a way to say thank you. It brings it all together so nicely!
