Your next big event will help foster your brand’s growth, so choosing a corporate event production partner is essential. Whether you need technical support or complete event design, the right partner will make all the difference in accelerating your brand’s growth. 

Your needs may vary depending on your company’s brand goals. An effective event production partner should always offer strategic thinking, experience, and collaborative expertise. At Heroic, we know the signals that determine what makes a good partner, so let’s look at some of the green and red flags any brand should consider when choosing a partner for a make-or-break event.

Strategy first

Before designing an event, corporate event production partners need to understand their audience, how they want to approach the audience, and any obstacles. With this in mind, the best partners will always offer solutions informed by your marketing strategy and branding. This strategic mindset comes with assessing the overall value of an event and letting that value guide corporate event production. Every event is unique, and successful events need design partners who bring a consultative approach to production.

RECOMMENDED READING: CORPORATE EVENT STRATEGY: THE SECRET BEHIND A SUCCESSFUL CORPORATE EVENT

Green flag: questions

Look for partners who ask questions and offer creative ideas. A successful discovery phase goes far beyond repeating and refreshing successful ideas from past events. Partners who seek to understand their clients’ company culture and needs will best understand what factors may impact their results.

Red flag: order-taking

Order-taking may be the right approach for some of your needs. There’s a distinct difference between a “what do you need us to do” question and probing questions that uncover your needs. Be on the lookout for order takers. A strategic partner will ask questions about timing, culture, logistics, and specific objectives that best guide their advice. 

Proven track record

Corporate event production partners reflect a company’s capabilities, and whomever you bring on board should be aligned with your company’s level of expertise. At Heroic, we look for vendors who demonstrate our sense of professionalism, urgency, and problem-solving know-how. Every event comes with challenges. If and when something unexpected happens, you’ll want a seasoned team ready to pivot. A proven track record shows that an event production team has the knowledge they need to evolve and offset whatever comes their way with alternative solutions. 

Green flag: referrals

Trust partners that other industry experts consistently recommended. Vendors that come with referrals are more likely to have built long-term relationships that improve the quality of their work. It helps if you’re looking for a recurring relationship, too. The more you work with one partner, the more expertise they will bring to your event needs.

Red flag: lack of specific know-how

If a vendor is seasoned but lacks experience relative to corporate event production, they may not be a good fit for your event. Make sure a potential partner’s skill level matches the needs of the event. The specific knowledge, network, and flexibility it takes to solve corporate event problems come from years of experience. The best way to determine this level of expertise before hiring someone is to ask detailed questions about their previous work.

A collaborative approach 

You achieve the best results when you work with experts who can collaborate and understand the whole of an event instead of one piece. When leaders surround themselves with trusted partners, the chances of success grow exponentially. Find a team that already has its team. You’ll know you can trust their ability to work together as professionals. Relationships you have throughout the corporate event production world make all the difference in the work when working long hours on an event, making it more enjoyable. Solid partners already have a strong network of working relationships that can meet any number of needs.  

At Heroic, we understand our core capability and know when to outsource. When we call our partners to fill in the gaps, we only choose creative partners as meticulous with timelines and budgets as we are. We also only select partners who are parallel in values in the way we work.  

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Green flag: cohesive branding

True teamwork and collaboration happen when your attendees don’t feel the difference between the professionalism of a brand and its vendors. One event—one team committed to keeping your event moving efficiently. Solid partners understand a company and its initiatives enough to be unified in their execution. 

Red flag: the blame game 

When something goes wrong, and an event partner points fingers—it’s not teamwork. The best partners don’t look to blame anyone but instead calmly and efficiently get to work. No one wants to hear excuses. We want to hear “I’m on it” and see accountability for actions.

Invest in corporate event production partners who care

Experience, strategy, and collaborative skills are necessary, but that doesn’t add much if a partner doesn’t show passion for the work. Partners that communicate genuine enthusiasm for a project can better deliver the level of service that a company expects.

Heroic is a one-stop shop for staging, production, and creativity. Our experience makes us flexible to changes, and we’ve already vetted the pieces of our events puzzle—a determining factor in our readiness to deliver consistent results. Companies consistently partner with us because we choose our partners with professional integrity and understanding, and care for our client’s needs.

Contact us to discuss how we can apply our integrative approach to your next event