Do I Really Need A Planner For My Event?

Do I really need a planner for my Event?  This question was so perfectly answered by Preston Bailey that I just had to repost it below.

 

“Let me ask you this: do you need a doctor or a midwife to deliver your baby? Or would you prefer doing it yourself? Okay, that is a bit of an exaggeration but you get what I’m saying… If you are giving a small, intimate party, have lots of time and you enjoy entertaining then no, you do not need a planner. However, having a large event (at times) is similar to producing a play or show and this requires time and experience to produce.

 

I have interviewed more than one client who has mentioned that hotel or location managers often insist they don’t need a planner–well, these folks are wrong.

 

There is a lot that happens before the day of the event that needs to be managed.

 

Now comes the bad news: there are great planners and then there are the planners who give the business a bad name. Being also a part of the planning industry, I have had the joy and pain in working with both good and bad. Here is my humble opinion on how you can tell the difference:

 

Good planners: They make the process as easy and painless as possible, respecting the client’s time and level of involvement vs.

 

Bad planners: They think they are the show. They create drama were there should be none. They over-involve the client, and they need lots of attention.

 

Good planners: They give their clients realistic budget expectations, telling them what things really cost. vs.

 

Bad planners: They unrealistically promise clients they’ll get quality for less and drive all the vendors crazy asking them to lower their prices.

 

Good Planners: They are very open to creativity, yet respectful of the vendors and artists they work with. vs.

 

Bad planners: They are frustrated designers and seem to think they know what is best for the design. (Though, to be fair, they have seen a lot of designs, which gives them the right to have an opinion, not to mention, they usually know their client’s taste)

 

So yes, I do think having a good planner is a very essential component to having a successful event. I have often found myself explaining this (and why) to my clients. .

 

What do you think?