1. Understand Your 'Needs' Vs 'Wants'
It's common to get confused with the event's needs vs the event's wants. However, it will be better if you can take a deep breath, settle down and make a clear stance between which is which, this will enable you to decide better, and choose the essentials that are crucial for your event.
For example, through a Dome Tent is sufficient to cater to the number of people that have been planned in advance, it will also be better to think about the unforeseen circumstances such as:
hot weather - do you need air-conditioning?
heavy weather - do you need additional coverage?
wet grounds - do you need additional floorboards?
unexpected additional guests - do you need additional tables and chairs?
... and so much more.
In other cases, you might also want to re-think your event's 'wants, if you are tight on budget. Provisions such as - do you really need that many photographers? Or, you might want to consider going to the in-house designers then hiring an independent decorator.
Compile the necessities into a list of your greatest wants and needs, and from there, you will be able to set your focus right on the priorities, while eradicating those luxury items that you can make do without.
2. Get To Know Your Vendor Better
You will be in for a rude awakening for how often, people plan their events without even thinking about the other services & offers their vendors can provide. Secondly, many people tend to engage with different vendors for various equipment and only to find out that their main vendor is also capable of providing almost; or if not, ALL the event's essentials that they are looking for.
The outcome? - Having a severe headache to liaise with so many vendors at one go.
How tiresome & unnecessary this is.
We all have to bear in mind that, as time changes, traditional companies like us, doing tentage, tables and chairs rental are always constantly evolving, to cater to the ever-growing market in Singapore, which is increasingly competitive.
For example, you may even be taken aback that NK Tentage rental, besides providing the basics (table and chair, tentage), we also are capable of organizing religious services for funerals!
In summary, the lesser vendors you engage, the more you're going to save, as you may even be liable to a great discount on the whole package. Isn't that great?
3. Look For Established Companies With Portfolios
Always minimize your risk by looking for companies that have portfolios to refer to, on top of them being established. It speaks a lot as they will be experienced, and little to no hiccups will occur during the process, that may either hinder your event's designated timeline or worst-case scenario, you may even be liable to pay additional fees.
4. Avoid Replacement Costs
When organizing events, we must understand that the costs ain't fixed forever. There may become to times where provisions are damaged during the operation process. You can either request insurance before agreeing to sign the contract or make sure that none of the equipment that has been rented to you gets damaged* before the commencement of an event. In contrast, you shall also be careful that the equipment you're renting out does not get damaged during the event.
Having to pay replacement costs may skyrocket if you're careless. Therefore it is always good to sound it off to the representative, or otherwise, sign a piece of agreement in case anything happens.
*damaged - provision or equipment that is faulty, and is totally incapable of functioning its purpose effectively as it was originally made for.