Make a Big Bang — and Big Bucks — Selling to Event Planners (Grand Plans)

Everyone loves a great party — but perhaps no one loves them more than an event planner. A $500 billion-a-year industry worldwide according to Entrepreneur magazine, event planning could be a promotional gold mine. From awards, sponsor gifts and goodie bags to table favors, invitations and banners, event planners love to brand their affairs. We spoke to five planners to get the scoop on what they buy for their clients and what it would take for you to win a piece of this business.

Dollars and Sense

Wouldn’t it be great if everyone “got it” the way Gail Cayetano does? “I’m a student of the idea that promotional products are key because a good product will never be thrown away,” she explains. “Therefore, every time that product is used after the event, it means more face time with the brand. So, I try hard to work that into my clients’ budgets as best I can.”

Unfortunately, Cayetano, managing partner and event manager at Starfish Creative Events, says it can be hard to convince clients to spend much on promotional products. “They assume that any type of product should cost less than $1 a piece,” she shares.

Fortunately, not all the word from event planners is so grim. In the experience of Nicole T. Samolis, CSEP (certified special events professional), with The Events Co., clients will often reallocate dollars or find new dollars to incorporate an idea they really like. “The biggest mistake you can make is assume a client has no budget and not pitch all the possibilities,” she warns. “Each time we create a concept for a client, we offer them the whole shebang and then work with them to eliminate items until we are back down to a number they are comfortable with. I can’t tell you the number of times the client has spent more than we expected.”

Kathy Laframboise-Goodman, owner of rehearsal-dinner planning firm Well Rehearsed, tries hard to meet her clients’ budget expectations — large or small — and says she takes “a holistic approach” to budgeting events. While food and beverage generally eat up the largest portion, Laframboise-Goodman tries to plan an event that appeals to multiple senses, using promotional products to create an experience and an atmosphere. “I find that after the event, guests may not remember all the details, but they will remember how the event made them feel.”

Product Suggestions

In this industry, buyers are purchasing for someone else, so product preferences may change from event to event — and client to client. Still, each planner generally has specific product favorites and promotional goals.

Green is king for Joella Hopkins, CSEP, CMP (certified meeting professional). “We are moving to green anything — for all events. ... All of my vendors have been told to find me green products or I will look elsewhere,” says the president of Simply Mumtaz Events Inc. “The second criterion is that the item is something people will use and not throw away when they get back to their offices or homes. Why waste your money?”

Cayetano stays away from gum or mints because she feels the message gets tossed in the garbage with the packaging. Bobbleheads are her promo of choice. “One can never go wrong with bobbleheads,” Cayetano says. “They are universally liked by all ages, and they will remain on desks forever — stretching the brand’s awareness further. That should always be the goal of a promotional product: to constantly generate awareness.”

Laframboise-Goodman shares that view for corporate events but has a different philosophy when it comes to social gatherings. “The promotional merchandise becomes more of a piece that enhances the overall look and feel of the event,” she says. For rehearsal dinners, Laframboise-Goodman looks for promos that accentuate the theme. She loves thick, paper coasters that are coordinated with other paper goods, such as menus, napkins and stationery. Beyond serving as a décor element, Laframboise-Goodman also likes to package them in sets as “economical and timeless favors.”

Samolis also goes for novelty items whenever she can. “We do a number of employee-appreciation events that have fun themes, so we tend to use a lot of branded light-up barware,” she says.

How to Win This Business

Planning a massive get-together is a complicated task. There are countless details and vendors to keep straight, and the planner is responsible when something goes wrong. That’s why many of them turn to promotional consultants to handle their branded merchandise.

“In the high-adrenaline, ever-changing events world, there are many times when a premium is needed in a very short amount of time,” Cayetano says. In the trend-setting Los Angeles market, Cayetano’s events need to be cutting edge. To this end, she occasionally relies on a distributor to source custom creations.

“Having a promotional products vendor who has the manufacturing resources to make a promotional product which first starts out in my head and bring it to life is key,” she says.

Time is the No. 1 factor in using a promotional professional for Samolis. “Quality and service beat out price,” she says. “As an event planner, I provide solutions for my clients. I expect my vendor partners to provide me with solutions, as well.”

Laframboise-Goodman looks to her distributor as a creative resource. “I know she is sourcing the most chic merchandise available and shopping for the products that my clients and I find exciting,” she says. “We often come up with ideas for décor that extend beyond the products.”

Using a distributor also saves valuable production time. “By allowing their team