Find the best suppliers for your event

You can take as much time as you like to plan your event, but without the best suppliers on board to deliver it, you could find that certain elements don’t quite live up to expectations!

We can’t underestimate just how important really great suppliers are. The best suppliers not only deliver a great service, but they talk to one another, coordinate and ensure that everything runs smoothly before, during and after the event.

Having the best suppliers available on your team means that you’ll have less to worry about and that you’ll be able to focus on enjoying your event, rather than worrying about whether it will all come together as you planned.

So, how do you go about securing the best suppliers for your event?

If you want the best suppliers, be first to the table

The best suppliers are always booked up well in advance. If you want to make sure that you get a premium level team together for your event, then start talking to them as soon as possible.

Don’t worry if you’re not 100% certain on your event date, guest numbers, format – or anything else. Just get the ball rolling! Once you’ve spoken to potential suppliers you’ll be on their radar. This means that they’ll keep you posted on their availability and may even offer you first refusal for key dates.

Do your research

Read reviews, testimonials and talk to past clients. The best suppliers will have plenty of great reviews, be they on social media, Google or a variety of other platforms. Read them!

Potential suppliers should have nothing to hide, so why not ask them if you could speak to some of their former clients? With permission, they should be more than happy to pass on details so that you can get reviews and feedback straight from the horse’s mouth.

Invest time in researching your suppliers. Spend time looking through their website, read their blogs, look at imagery, watch videos and read case studies. These elements should all come together to paint a picture of the overall quality that you can expect from them.

Where possible, sample their work. Can you attend a gig by potential entertainers? Does your caterer offer tasting sessions? Can you see your potential venue set up and ready for an upcoming event? It’s worth asking the question – and who wouldn’t want to try before they buy?

Talk to multiple suppliers

And don’t just settle for the first one that’s available for your event date. Unless you’re an experienced event planner then identifying the best suppliers upfront may not be as easy as it sounds. It’s quite easy to be drawn in by a great sales pitch and some nice pictures, but without a frame of reference, how will you know where they really sit within the industry?

Even if you think you’ve hit the spot with a supplier, talk to others too. You can always request first refusal for your event date. Don’t get sucked in by a hard sales pitch. The best suppliers don’t tend to fret over their bookings – they know that they’ll get booked up, so there should never be an issue with offering you first refusal.

That said, things can move fast in the events world. The closer to the event date you get, the more enquiries potential suppliers will receive. If your potential supplier contacts you to say that they are now receiving interest from other parties for the date of your event, you might need to move quickly. Even more reason to give yourself plenty of breathing space by starting to make your enquiries as far in advance as possible.

Get the ball rolling today

No matter where you are in your planning process, it’s worth talking to potential suppliers as soon as you can. That includes venues, such as marquees, too! Talk to a member of our team for a ball park estimate or to organise for a site visit and quotation. Call 01483 322070, or email enquiries@lifestylemarquees.co.uk

If you’re searching for top tier, tried and trusted suppliers then why not visit our supplier directory? We only include suppliers that we have worked with and feel comfortable and confident in recommending to our clients.