An event venue never sells just its walls. It sells a complete experience, much of which is delivered by third parties: caterer, AV supplier, DJ, florist, security firm, service staff. On the day, the client doesn't distinguish what's yours from what belongs to a partner: if the caterer is late, it's your venue they'll judge. Your suppliers aren't interchangeable subcontractors, they're extensions of your brand. Managing them as a strategic asset changes your profitability as much as your reputation.
Selecting: reliability before price
A good supplier isn't the cheapest, it's the most consistent. A caterer brilliant one time in two will cost you more in complaints than a decent but steady one. Assess partners on concrete criteria: punctuality, adherence to the brief, responsiveness when something goes wrong, cleanliness left after the service, ability to absorb a last-minute change in guest numbers. Test before you reference: one trial on a real event is worth ten sales promises. And check insurance and compliance, because their failure becomes your liability.
Open list or exclusive referencing?
Two models coexist. A recommended-partners list keeps the client free while steering them towards suppliers you know: you reduce risk without imposing. Exclusive referencing, especially for catering, gives you total control over quality and opens the door to commissioning, but it can put off clients who already have their own supplier. Many venues take a middle path: an imposed or strongly recommended caterer to master the heart of the experience, an open list for the rest. Choose according to your positioning and your capacity to manage outside providers you don't know.
Commissioning: an underused source of margin
Every supplier you bring to a client represents revenue for them, part of which they owe you. A commissioning agreement, usually a percentage on the services you generate, turns your network into a complementary revenue stream. Formalise it clearly: rate, calculation base, invoicing terms. It's neither cheating nor a hidden cost for the client, it's legitimate payment for the business you bring and the coordination you provide. A venue that regularly generates catering services can build a significant revenue line at no extra cost.
Coordinating: the brief that prevents mix-ups
Most incidents on the day come not from incompetence but from a communication gap: a vague delivery time, an unshared technical access, a guest count changed but not passed on. The solution is a single shared, up-to-date document, often called a run sheet or BEO, that gathers all providers around the same schedule: who arrives when, through which access, with what, and who is the on-site contact. A supplier who gets a precise brief works better and bothers you less.
Always appoint a single venue-side contact on event day. When five suppliers seek five answers from five different people, chaos is guaranteed. A clear point of contact smooths everything and projects an image of control the client notices.
Nurturing the relationship over time
A good supplier network works both ways. Partners you treat well return the favour: they recommend you to their own clients, help you out in an emergency, reserve their best teams for you. Pay them on time, defend them to clients when justified, share feedback. A caterer who likes you becomes a business referrer; a caterer you mistreat becomes a quiet detractor. The network is built on reciprocity, not on a balance of power.
Centralise everything: contact details, contracts, commission rates, service history, ratings after each event. A management tool that keeps a memory of your partners and links each supplier to the relevant events saves you from rebuilding it all from your head. Your suppliers aren't a necessary evil to endure: well chosen, well paid and well coordinated, they become a competitive edge your clients feel at every event.
Evaluate your event venue suppliers after every event
Initial selection is not enough: supplier quality is measured over time. Set up a simple scorecard, filled in within 48 hours of each event: punctuality, compliance with the brief, quality as perceived by the client, condition of the spaces handed back, ease of communication. Five criteria rated 1 to 5 are plenty. Consistency of measurement matters more than sophistication.
Those accumulated ratings become a real management tool for your venue. A caterer who drops below average two events in a row deserves a frank conversation before any new booking. Your best event venue suppliers, on the other hand, deserve recognition: more visibility in your recommendations, invitations to your open houses, a mention on your website. That transparency creates healthy competition across your partner network, and your clients feel the difference at every event.
Frequently asked questions about event venue suppliers
How many suppliers should you list per category?
Two to three caterers and two suppliers per technical specialty (sound, lighting, furniture) cover the vast majority of needs. Below that, one unavailable partner puts your event at risk. Above it, you dilute the business you send each supplier and lose negotiating power on commissions.
Should you impose your caterer or let the client choose?
A semi-open list remains the best compromise: a roster of approved partners, plus the option for clients to bring their own supplier for a clearly displayed corkage or supervision fee. You protect quality while staying flexible on specific requests, particularly cultural or religious ones.
How do you handle a supplier failing on event day?
Plan for the scenario before it happens: backup contact details for every critical category, a penalty clause in your listing agreements, and one designated person on the venue side empowered to decide fast. After the event, document the incident and reassess the partnership. One isolated failure can be fixed; a repeat offense should end the relationship.