Big Event, Small Team: When Is It Time to Hire an Event Planner?

​If there’s one thing nonprofits have, it’s big ideas. After all, changing the world for the better takes vision, a willingness to take chances and the courage to try something new. Planning an event often starts with that same kind of energy: a big idea for bringing people together, building community, raising funds or inspiring action.

It often starts simply enough: pick a date, find a venue, invite your community and put together a program. But as the event gets closer, the list of to do’s grows and the big exciting idea gets replaced by all the little details and questions:

• How will guest register? Do they pay to attend? How much?
• Who’s going to cater the event? (Inevitably followed by “Food costs how much?!”)
• Who’s going to speak? What are they going to say?
• What about A/V and lighting?  Will we show a video during the program?  How does that happen?
• How much is this going to cost and how are we going to pay for it?

​Suddenly, planning the event has become someone’s second job—and usually that someone already has a first one.

If this scenario sounds familiar, it may be time to bring in an event planning professional. The right planner doesn't just take tasks off your plate—they bring experience, expertise and additional capacity that can help your team make better decisions from the very beginning.

So, when does it make sense for a nonprofit to bring in outside event-planning support? 

Here are some five signs that it’s time:

1. Your staff is spending more time on logistics than their actual jobs. If your program or development staff are spending hours comparing catering menus, tracking rooming lists or chasing vendor contracts, consider the opportunity cost.
2. The event has become operationally complicated. Multiple days, concurrent breakout sessions, hotel blocks, VIPs, transportation, accessibility needs, off-site events, performers or a complicated food and beverage plan can quickly turn an event into a major production.
3. No one person has the whole picture. The hotel is talking to one staff member, speakers to another, registration to someone else—and nobody is connecting all the dots. This is where an event planner can be particularly valuable.
4. You're worried about the budget—but don't have time to scrutinize it. An event budget has many line items and should account for hidden costs such as service charges, AV, labor, Wi-Fi, resort/destination fees, transportation, credit card fees, attrition and cancellation clauses.
5. Your staff are being asked to fill event-day roles such as picking up ice, bartending and running A/V. On event day, your staff should be talking with participants, donors, partners and speakers—not figuring out why the looping slideshow they worked so hard on is not playing.

“But isn't hiring an event planner another expense?”

Yes. An experienced event planner is another line item in your budget. But there's another cost that often doesn't appear in an event budget: staff time.

If your development director spends 50 hours negotiating with hotels, reviewing menus and managing vendors, that's 50 hours they aren't spending securing sponsorships or cultivating donors. If your program staff are managing registration spreadsheets and speaker logistics, that's time they aren't spending developing the program and preparing your speakers.

A good event planner adds capacity while also helping you avoid costly mistakes, negotiate contracts, identify unnecessary expenses and manage vendors efficiently. The question isn't simply, “What does an event planner cost?” It's also, “What could our team accomplish if they weren't spending their time managing the event?”
 

At Homegrown Events, we believe a well-planned event should create space for the people who hosted it to actually participate in it. Your staff shouldn't spend the closing reception tracking down an AV invoice or wondering whether tomorrow's buses have been confirmed – that’s our job!

Good event planning isn't just about making sure everything runs on time. It's about taking care of the details so your organization can focus on why you're gathering—and the people you’ve brought together.
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We invite you to reach out to us for a free 30-minute consultation to learn more about how we work and even get a tip or two for your next event!