This is certainly the $1 Million question for those in the event industry: how to become the regularly hired vendor of your favorite location venue. In other words, how to get your company name placed on the elusive “Preferred Vendor List” is what all vendors are seeking.

Our recent NACE chapter meeting (National Association for Catering and Events) hosted a forum of venue operators, event planners, and vendors, and the topic of vendor relations was discussed. Naturally, the success of each individual event is the ultimate goal. Vendor/venue relations must be a “Win-Win” situation – both sides must benefit. The end game must be a successful event, and not the personal gain of one vendor. A vendor who does not meet the expectations of the end client will mean that the event is not a success.

Ultimately, the venues, event planners and vendors agreed that the optimum way to get on the Preferred Vendor List is to put energy into relationship building. It is that person-to-person relationship which is a bond that is based on trust. Very simple formula, but not easy!

Trust in a vendor does not come from thin air. Many times, the venue or planner must see the vendor’s work in person to be able to sell it to a future client. The panel agreed that vendors must display reliability, timeliness, and appropriate amounts of communication when working together. Vendors must display high level of professionalism and expediency in providing all that has been agreed in contracting services. Regarding communication, the venue operators said that the more a vendor communicates about their needs and services for an upcoming job, the better the event will go.

Event planners are the direct point of contact to a venue, in many situations. Planners are the ones who often bring in a set of vendors to a specific event at the venue. Planners are looking for the smooth relationships with vendors also. Miranda, one of the event planners on the panel (www.mira-events.com), mentioned that when she is bombarded with vendor emails, packages and promotional material, then she does not feel that this is a two-way street. She hopes to hire vendors who will also promote her and refer her services out as well. The goal here is a mutual relationship, with a give-and-take of business referrals.

Planners and venue operators have clear-cut roles when managing an event. Miranda explained her planner role as a liaison, who will be a “go-between” for the vendors, the venue, and the end client. The venue operators also mentioned that they want to make the job as easy as possible for vendors, for a successful event.

One internet blog writer mentions that the way to get on the preferred vendors list is to make a strong impression on the decision-makers at a venue. Of course, “strong impressions” can come in many forms. Our NACE forum would disagree with this, as it is the *relationship* and not the heavy marketeer that wins the bid. Targeting clients (and not other venue or planner businesses in your industry) is also more winning of a strategy. NACE members mentioned that once the bid is landed, communicating closely with the venue helps strength relationships as well as pull off a successful event.