The wedding and events industry is thrilled that events are back and people are celebrating life’s greatest moments together once again. As excited as we are to be executing fantastic events, we are also facing the most challenging time for the industry. The compression of 2020 and early 2021 postponements has created more events than the industry has ever seen and we are doing the best we can to keep up with the demand. NPR reported that 2.5 million weddings will occur in 2022, which is more than what we have ever seen in one year, since 1984!
While being overwhelmed with the volume of events, we are also facing staffing and product shortages, which makes it extremely difficult to produce your events at the level we are accustomed to. We know that our clients are sympathetic to this struggle and want to be helpful. Therefore, I wanted to share some insight on how you can be a great client and help the events industry get back on their feet and execute your events with spectacular results.
Conscious Communication
When communicating with your vendors, be cognizant of the fact that they have more business than they typically can handle with the staffing provided to them. It is unlikely that they will be able to maintain pre-pandemic response times. In order to ensure you get the best (and fastest) responses from your vendors, try to be conscious about your communication style and frequency. Consciously compile all of your questions into one email, rather than sending four or five emails with different questions. This will make it easier and more efficient for your vendor to answer your questions and for you to receive a more comprehensive response.
Flexibility and Grace
As we all know, supply chains and employee shortages have impacted business around the world. This impacts your event plans just as it impacts other aspects of everyday life. This is just as frustrating for your vendors as it is for you! Please try to approach the situation with an open mind and lean on your vendors for their expertise. You hired them because you trust their knowledge and their experience.
Maybe the linen you preferred isn’t available, but they have an interesting alternative. Possibly, pomegranate seeds have skyrocketed in cost, but the caterer can suggest something that is just as appealing. Remember that only you know about these exchanges out and being graceful during this time period will get more quality product and service from your vendors than being ridged and inflexible.
Researched Decisions
When approaching your vendors, be aware that many are booking up farther in advance than ever before and they may have limited time to meet with you. Therefore, it is important to do as much research in advance, so that you are empowered and ready to make decisions when you are able to sit down and meet. For example, when booking a florist, consider doing research ahead of time and be prepared with a color scheme, images and a budget. This will expedite the planning process and help you quickly identify who is the right fit. This way you will not miss out on a great vendor and will achieve your event décor goals. The more prepared you are before contracting a vendor, the better the relationship will be throughout the event planning process.
Comments