5 Questions Every Event Planner Should Ask Vendors (That Most Don't)
After years of managing vendor relationships for corporate events, conferences, and experiential activations, I've learned something critical: the questions you DON'T ask during vendor recruitment are the ones that come back to haunt you on event day.
Most event planners focus on the obvious stuff during vendor negotiations—pricing, availability, portfolio. But the real difference between a smooth event and a disaster? It's in the details that never make it onto the standard vendor questionnaire.
Here are five questions that separate amateur vendor management from professional-grade vendor logistics. These questions have saved me from countless headaches, budget overruns, and day-of emergencies.
1. "What's your backup plan if your lead person can't make it to my event?"
This is the question that makes vendors pause. And that pause tells you everything.
Here's why this matters for vendor management: Life happens. People get sick. Emergencies occur. But your event doesn't care about anyone's personal drama—it has to happen regardless.
When you're doing vendor recruitment, you need to know that you're not just hiring one talented person. You're hiring a system. The best vendors have a documented backup plan that includes:
A secondary point person who's already briefed on your event
Access to the same resources and equipment
Authority to make decisions without calling the primary contact
Your event details in a shared system, not just one person's head
During vendor negotiations, push for this in writing. It's not about being difficult—it's about protecting your timeline onsite and your reputation. When you have rehearsals starting at 3:00pm, you need to be show ready by 1:00pm and you cannot delay with poor onsite communication.
Red flag: If a vendor says "Oh, that would never happen" or "I'll definitely be there," run. Professional vendors understand contingency planning is part of vendor logistics.
2. "How do you handle communication during the week leading up to the event?"
This question reveals whether you're dealing with a seasoned professional or someone who's going to ghost you when you need them most.
The week before an event is when vendor management gets real. Details change. Questions multiply. Timelines shift. You need to know exactly how to reach your vendors and how quickly they'll respond.
During vendor recruitment, establish these communication protocols upfront:
Who is your primary contact, and what's their response time?
Is there an emergency contact for day-of issues?
Do you use email, text, phone, or a project management platform?
What hours are you available in the days leading up to the event?
I once worked with a caterer who seemed perfect during vendor negotiations—great tasting, reasonable pricing, impressive portfolio of past clients. But the week before the event? Radio silence. We couldn't confirm final headcount, couldn't discuss dietary restrictions, couldn't nail down timing. It was a nightmare that could have been avoided with this one question.
The best vendors have structured communication systems as part of their vendor logistics. They know you're juggling multiple vendors and they make it easy for you to stay informed without having to chase them down.
3. "What happens if we need to cancel or significantly reduce the scope? What's your cancellation policy?"
Nobody wants to think about cancellation during the exciting vendor recruitment phase, but this is where smart vendor budget management begins.
I get it—asking about cancellation policies feels pessimistic. But here's the reality: Companies restructure. Budgets get slashed. Global pandemics happen. Weather cancels outdoor events. Understanding the financial implications upfront isn't pessimism—it's professional vendor management.
During vendor negotiations, dig deeper than just "What's your cancellation fee?" Ask:
Is there a sliding scale based on how far out we cancel?
What portions of the deposit are refundable at different time intervals?
If we reduce scope by 50%, how does that affect pricing and minimums?
Can we reschedule instead of cancel, and does that change the policy?
Do you offer event insurance or work with specific insurance providers?
This directly impacts your vendor budget. A vendor with a 100% non-refundable deposit six months out is a very different financial risk than one with a 50% refund if you cancel 90 days prior. When you're presenting budget proposals to stakeholders, these
details matter.
We once had to renegotiate a hotel contract due to a severe reduction in the client's sales team for their SKO. Luckily, the hotel was so wonderful to work with, we negotiated a second year at the property without any penalty to the current year's contract costs.
4. "How do you handle accessibility requirements and dietary restrictions?"
This question isn't just about being inclusive—though that's critically important. It's also about identifying which vendors understand professional vendor logistics and which ones are going to create problems.
The way a vendor responds to this question tells you whether they're seasoned professionals or amateurs. Experienced vendors light up when you ask this because they know it's a sign you care about details. They'll walk you through their process, share examples, and often offer suggestions you hadn't considered.
During vendor recruitment, listen for specifics:
Do they have experience with various accessibility needs (wheelchair access, visual/hearing accommodations, sensory considerations)?
How do they handle dietary restrictions beyond "vegetarian option"?
Do they proactively label food for allergens?
What's their process for ensuring inclusive experiences aren't afterthoughts?
Poor vendor management of accessibility can kill an event's success, regardless of how beautiful the décor is or how delicious the food tastes. If even one attendee feels excluded or unsafe, you've failed—and it reflects on you as the planner.
From a vendor budget perspective, some vendors charge extra for "special accommodations" while others build inclusivity into their base pricing. Understanding this during vendor negotiations helps you budget accurately and choose partners whose values align with yours.
Pro tip: The best vendors don't make you feel high-maintenance for asking about accessibility. They make you feel like you're asking exactly the right questions.
5. "What's your load-in and load-out timeline, and how does that coordinate with other vendors?"
This is the vendor logistics question that separates event planners who've been burned from the true professionals.
Here's what most people don't realize: Your florist needs two hours to set up, but so does your AV company. Your caterer needs kitchen access at the same time the entertainment needs to do a sound check. Your decorator needs the room empty while your furniture vendor needs to start staging.
Professional vendor management means orchestrating a complex dance where everyone knows their place and timing. During vendor recruitment, you need to understand each vendor's spatial and temporal requirements:
How much time do you need for setup?
Do you need exclusive access to the space, or can other vendors work simultaneously?
What's your arrival time, and when will you be completely clear of the space?
What do you need from other vendors before you can start your work?
What equipment do you need to bring in, and how much space does it require?
We recently worked on a gala with a client in Chicago who needed complete silence during rehearsals so their speakers and entertainment could rehearse undisturbed. Meanwhile we were building a 20ft by 8ft wall in the middle of the open room that required the use of power tools. We had to back up our timeline for installation to accommodate their need for silence. In the end, we came in 2 hours early to ensure everyone had the time they needed to ensure a successful event.
This question also impacts your vendor budget. If vendors need extra time because they're waiting on others, you might face overtime charges. If you need to rent the venue for additional hours to accommodate setup conflicts, that's an unexpected cost.
Smart vendor logistics planning means creating a master timeline during the vendor negotiation phase, not the week before your event.
The Real Secret to Vendor Management
Here's what I've learned after managing hundreds of events: Great vendor management isn't about being difficult or overly demanding. It's about asking the right questions early so you can build genuine partnerships based on clarity and mutual understanding.
When you approach vendor recruitment with these questions, you're not just hiring services—you're building a team. You're identifying vendors who think proactively, communicate clearly, and understand that their success is tied to yours.
The vendors who welcome these questions? Those are your people. The ones who get defensive or dismissive? Thank them for their time and move on. Your vendor budget, your timeline, your reputation, and your sanity will thank you.
Your Vendor Negotiation Checklist
Before you sign another vendor contract, make sure you can confidently answer these questions:
Who's my backup contact if the primary person is unavailable?
What's the communication protocol for the week before and day of the event?
What are the exact cancellation terms and potential costs?
How does this vendor handle accessibility and dietary requirements?
What's the detailed load-in/load-out timeline, and where might conflicts arise?
Professional vendor management isn't about having all the answers—it's about asking all the questions. The events that look effortless? They're the result of meticulous vendor logistics planning that happened months in advance.
Your attendees will never know about the crisis you prevented because you asked the right questions. But you will. And so will your stress levels.
