What kind of operation you are running.
WHAT FORMS EXIST
Event planning and coordination Venue operation Catering for events
Equipment hire: sound, lighting, staging, furniture
Live production and technical delivery Decoration and styling Photography and video Ticketed events promoted on your own account
WHY THE DISTINCTION MATTERS
Planners coordinate others; suppliers deliver one element; promoters carry the commercial risk.
WHAT A PLANNER SELLS
Coordination, judgement and responsibility.
WHAT A SUPPLIER SELLS
Equipment or a service, at an agreed price.
WHAT A PROMOTER CARRIES
All the cost, before any revenue, with no guarantee anyone attends.
WHY PROMOTING IS THE HIGHEST RISK
You fund everything and the audience may not come.
WHAT ALL SHARE
Fixed dates that cannot move Failure that is public and immediate Heavy coordination of many parties Cash committed before payment
WHY THE DATE MATTERS SO MUCH
There is no recovery. An event that fails, fails in front of everyone.
WHAT DETERMINES SUCCESS
Planning detail Supplier reliability Contingency for what goes wrong Communication on the day
WHAT TO ESTABLISH FIRST
Who carries which risk, in writing.
