Our projected costs for printing our event’s program and other items went spiraling out of control with unexpected “rush charges” and courier charges. What can we do to avoid this next time?
As you begin to plan your event and send out requests for quotes from your suppliers make sure that you also ask them about their timelines. For example, with regard to printing quotes, find out specifically when will they require artwork and copy from you, sign off and approval of layout etc. in order to meet the rates quoted to you. You should also find out their turnaround printing time and what possible cost and time repercussions you could face should you miss one of their deadlines e.g. rush charges and time delays you could face if lose your place in their contracted printing jobs due to not getting your submissions in on time.
You also – in the case of printers – need to find out if there are any time periods they will be closed so that you can factor that into your timing. A number of print shops close in the summer for vacation and you need to be aware of that. Once you have received your quotes, chosen and contracted your various suppliers, an important step toward avoiding unexpected charges is making the time to create a critical path that all committee members must be aware of and be prepared to adhere to.
Your critical path, in essence, becomes your master “to do” list and incorporates all of your contractual commitments and deadlines. It is well worth your time to put one together – it is an essential step that no professional event planner would ever miss – because missed contractual deadlines can add up to hundreds or thousands of dollars in unexpected cancellation and rush charges from suppliers and venues.
In order to prepare your critical path you will need: a blank calendar, pencils, and highlighters.
You’ll also need all event supplier contracts and relevant material. For example, if you are holding your event in a hotel and having food and beverage supplied by them you will also need their full conference kit with banquet menus. A number of key cut off dates can be found in material that is not necessarily outlined in the contracts. For example, a contract may state banquet menu terms and conditions requirements and not detail them – it is your responsibility to know them and comply with them. Special note: you should be familiar with these before signing your supplier contracts and highlight them for easy critical path reference – you can easily incur extra event costs that can be found there that you may not have expected such as chef fees, room rental charges if your number of anticipated guests, food and beverage estimates fall below the contracted numbers (and how this could affect the room you have reserved for your event) etc.
Finally, you’ll need all key committee members present. Together, you should:
- Map out all supplier and venue contracted timelines on your calendar in pencil.
- Pencil in times when key committee members will be unavailable for sign off and approval of event items (vacations, out of town on business etc.)
- Note all holiday time periods that will affect your committee members, suppliers and guests. For example with regards to guests, make sure that you will not be scheduling your invitations to arrive in the middle of the winter holiday season or March break when families could be away and your invitations could just be sitting there with no action taken or lost in a flood of holiday cards.
- Now factor in your committee timelines and meeting dates with regard to meeting contracted due date commitments and other items on your “to do” list such as collating the invitations and addressing them, managing the RSVP’s etc. Be sure to build in a buffer time period in case something goes amiss with being able to get together to approve copy sign off and review for printers etc. in time for your supplier’s deadline. (Detailed information on how to prepare a Critical Path can be found in my latest book Time Management for Event Planners)
- Input all of this information into a Critical Path List in countdown month and date order – begin with the present and end up with the date of the event on your computer. Make sure that you note actual contractual supplier deadlines in bold. Make sure that each committee member receives a copy and always ensure that you date your critical path so that as revisions occur you know you are all working from the same Critical Path list.
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For paid professional event planning consulting – event design, site selection critique, venue and supplier contract review, budget analysis, strategic planning, event logistical and timing requirements, and on-site orchestration – contact Judy directly at Judy Allen Productions.
Advice and recommendations are based on limited information provided and should be used as a guideline only. Neither the author nor CharityVillage.com make any warranty, express or implied, or assume any legal liability for accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information provided in whole or in part within this article.
