SO YOU THROW LOTS OF EVENTS. THE COMPANY YOU USE FOR EVENT PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT IS DOING A GOOD ENOUGH JOB. DEADLINES ARE MET, GOOD WORK IS REASONABLY PRODUCED AND ALL OF YOUR REQUESTS ARE USUALLY FULFILLED. YOU HAVE NO COMPLAINTS FROM YOUR EVENT CLIENTS, PARTNERS, OR ATTENDEES, AND PRICES SEEM COMPETITIVE.

BASED ON ALL THAT, IT’S DEFINITELY TIME FOR A CHANGE. WHAT’S THAT WE JUST SAID? CHANGE? WHY? BECAUSE IN THIS BUSINESS, GOOD ENOUGH SIMPLY ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH. WE THINK YOU DESERVE BETTER THAN OKAY AND HERE’S WHY.

WHO

In what can seem like a saturated market, you need to be able to discern the good from the great. It can seem like a lot of work to look elsewhere for a new event management company. So what if they came to you? Sure, we’ve all deleted marketing leads from our company email inbox or made a quick note on a Post-It to return the cold-call we received from an event company sales team or account executive. Minimal research, in this case, may be most helpful. Keep a file of those leads from now on and when you feel ready to upgrade your services, let the sales teams make their presentation so you know you have good options when you’re ready to make a change. As you gear up to change your event management service, keep note of the events you attend as a guest that are most impressive to you and find out who did the production. There is no better evidence of phenomenal work than a flawlessly executed event.

WHAT

Before you shop around for a new event production team, get very clear on what various companies offer and how that squares with your essential needs. Say most of your events are corporate trade shows--it would be pretty counterintuitive to hire a production company that handles mostly rock and roll music events (or...now that we think of it, maybe it would be awesome!) The point is, make sure you understand your needs and you find someone in alignment with that--from full-service to just a la carte services like A/V or lighting. Any great company worth their salt can also help you figure out what you really need if you’re not even sure. The best company will be like haute couture for your events--a fully customized event with the highest level of service imaginable. The best thing a client can do is open up and let the professionals get in there and do the top-notch job they know how to do best.  The ideal would be to find a customer-centric event production company that prides itself on developing relationships that last for years, holds service as their #1 priority and wants to create a career-long connection.

WHERE

If it’s possible for a company to be both local and global, keep that ideal in mind when you are searching for your next production crew. Sometimes, the company nearby will do the best job for you because they know the area well, they have the most connections with proximate vendors and other local connections. They also understand local complications like traffic and weather patterns and potential pitfalls they’ve encountered before that they can help you avoid. However, you might find that a company truly well-versed in their business and with years of proven experience could give you all of the above and more. The best companies will be locally rooted but have a wide, even global, reach. Location doesn’t always matter;  hard work, great product, and seamless support definitely will determine the quality of outcome for your event. Don’t hesitate to reach beyond your boundaries to meet great production crews at trade shows, arrange meetings online, or even ask them to make a special trip to your company offices to give you that extra level of service you’ve been seeking even if their home office is 2,000 miles away from yours.

WHEN

What is the best timeframe to seek a new event management company?  You are probably thinking when your current company messes everything up and you need to make a change fast. This is an obvious time to make a shift, but haste can cloud your judgement and turn to desperation. We all know what happens when you enter a supermarket when you haven’t eaten all day (hello, binge-eating Oreos in while you fill your grocery cart). By the same token, you could buy a car when your current car breaks down or look for a new job after you quit your old one; but the best strategy is to plan ahead for the change for the best outcome. We all know what happens when you enter a supermarket when you haven’t eaten all day (hello, binge-eating Oreos in the car ride on the way home). We think choosing an event company deserves the same rational outlook. Take a quieter phase of your business when things are a little more fallow and entertain a few sales calls and meetings to find a company that clicks when there is little urgency. That way you can be objective, allow yourself to make an informed, logical choice for now, or to keep in your resource file for when you do need to engage them.  

WHY

Maybe, like we said earlier, you’re happy enough. So why switch things up?  The event production team you have is is convenient and easy, and you’ve had the same company for years.  These are not bad reasons to stick with what you already have. But again, shouldn’t you expect greatness, not just convenience?  The “why” is obvious when relationships get stale, become unworkable, or you just need or want a change. Worse, sometimes your crew will drop the ball, stop caring, or they are not adapting with you as your needs shift.   Whatever the reasons, something needs to be or could be done. Why not let a new company come and give a bang-up pitch to show you how they could make all the difference?

HOW

We have all become accustomed to just doing a Google search anytime we need to find anything, so if you want, you can start there. LinkedIn is another option--tap some event production companies  and see who you like right off the bat. Personal recommendations or referrals are probably the best way to find someone ultra-reliable but be sure you do your own due diligence, too. Check out their website, their client list, their project images. The real time investment comes in finding a few that rise to the top and setting up a meeting or a dinner with them to get to know who they are at their core. Don’t forget how critical this relationship is to your business--industry events can make or break a company’s reputation. Sit and listen to the story of the company, their mission statement, their values, their primary reasons for success. Make sure it resonates with you, your goals, and your core values. Ask them for references from current or past clients for you to consult with if you get to the latter stages of making a change. How better to find a new company, than to talk to their clients that have been there for years and find out why they are so happy?

Can you tell that we feel passionate about a job well done? We hope that our guidelines above give you all the tools and information you need to reassess your relationship with your event management company. We think every event company should share our philosophy of unrelenting excellence, flawless service and our client-centric focus. If you find that yours do not, just realize that we here at Blackstone Productions have a deep investment in what we’ve discussed above. You, the client, are the reason we do everything we do. Let us show you what’s possible.

If you're interested in talking more with us about what we can do for you, call me, Tony Patete. I'm the Director of Sales and Marketing for Blackstone Productions. I'm always available to discuss how we can work with you as a trusted partner for all of your event needs.  Call me at 508-278-5637  or reach me via email at tony@getblackstone.com.