Swank Events

Swank Events Your Vision + Our Expertise = The Perfect Partnership
Boston Corporate Events
www.swankeventsboston We do it all, and we do it well.

Corporate events, company outings, award galas, brand summits, company celebrations, and so much more.

It’s always a blast connecting with industry friends! Thank you Tammy Golson Events for having us. Looking forward to t...
26/12/2025

It’s always a blast connecting with industry friends! Thank you Tammy Golson Events for having us. Looking forward to the next one!

15/12/2025

From setup to ex*****on- we’re there! ✨
Nothing better than helping companies host unforgettable holiday parties.
‘Tis the season! 🎄🎉

Three questions to ask vendor references:1️⃣ Would you hire them again?2️⃣ How did they handle problems or changes that ...
14/12/2025

Three questions to ask vendor references:

1️⃣ Would you hire them again?
2️⃣ How did they handle problems or changes that came up?
3️⃣ Did they show up on time and deliver what was promised?

These reveal much more than "how was your experience working with them?"

I used to ask references that generic question and get responses like "Oh, they were great!" or "Yeah, it went well." Nice to hear, but it told me almost nothing about whether they'd be right for my event.

Then I started getting specific. And the answers changed everything.

Asking "Would you hire them again?" forces people to think beyond politeness. I once had a reference pause for a long time before saying, "Probably not for something this important again." That pause told me everything I needed to know.
"How did they handle problems or changes?" gets you the real story. One reference told me about a vendor who stayed two hours late to fix a lighting issue without complaint. Another described a vendor who shut down when asked to adjust the timeline. Both events "went fine," but those responses painted very different pictures.

"Did they show up on time and deliver what was promised?" sounds basic, but you'd be surprised how often the answer reveals chronic lateness, missing items, or last-minute substitutions that became the client's problem to solve.

Specific questions get specific answers. Vague questions get vague answers that don't help you make decisions.

And here's a bonus tip: Pay attention to what references don't say. If someone is working hard to be diplomatic or keeps their answer very short, that's often a red flag they're trying to be honest without being harsh.

What questions do you ask vendor references? Have you found any that consistently give you the insight you actually need?

"I've noticed response times have been slower than we discussed. Is there something preventing you from getting back to ...
11/12/2025

"I've noticed response times have been slower than we discussed. Is there something preventing you from getting back to me within our agreed timeframe?"

This one sentence resolves most vendor communication issues before they become real problems.

I learned this the hard way after spending days silently frustrated with a vendor who was taking 48+ hours to respond to urgent questions. I was already mentally drafting a termination email when I finally just asked the question directly.

Turns out, their main point of contact had been out with a sick kid all week, and emails were sitting in an inbox no one else was monitoring. They apologized, looped in a backup contact, and we never had the issue again.

This direct approach works because it opens the door to problem-solving rather than accusation. Maybe they're dealing with a family emergency. Maybe they're overwhelmed with other events. Maybe they didn't realize it was becoming a problem—what feels urgent to you might not have registered as urgent on their end.

Give people a chance to fix issues before assuming the worst. Most vendors want to do good work, and a straightforward conversation gives them the opportunity to course-correct.

But here's the other side of it: if nothing changes after this conversation, you have your answer about whether the relationship will work. One honest conversation separates a fixable communication gap from a vendor who simply doesn't prioritize your event.

Have you ever been surprised by what was actually causing a vendor communication breakdown? I'd love to hear what you've learned about addressing these situations.

Red flag in vendor relationships: they're responsive during the sales process, then communication drops off dramatically...
07/12/2025

Red flag in vendor relationships: they're responsive during the sales process, then communication drops off dramatically after you sign the contract.

If someone takes three to five business days to respond to straightforward questions during planning, they won't suddenly become more responsive as the event approaches.

Communication typically gets worse under pressure, not better.
This pattern tells you everything you need to know about what working with them will actually be like.

Your caterer stopped responding to emails three weeks before the event. Your rental company keeps changing the quote. Yo...
02/12/2025

Your caterer stopped responding to emails three weeks before the event. Your rental company keeps changing the quote. Your DJ showed up an hour late to the venue walkthrough.

When do you try to fix the relationship, and when do you just walk away?

The answer isn't always obvious, especially when you've already paid a deposit and the event date is approaching.

Most vendor issues can be resolved with clear communication and direct conversations.

But some red flags signal problems that won't improve no matter what you do.

Knowing the difference can save your event—and your sanity.

We can help!

https://swankeventsboston.com/blog/working-with-difficult-event-vendors/

Cost per attendee is one of the most useful event metrics because it gives leadership a concrete number to evaluate. If ...
01/12/2025

Cost per attendee is one of the most useful event metrics because it gives leadership a concrete number to evaluate. If you spent $75 per person on a team-building event, is that reasonable?

Compare it to other benefits your company offers—gym memberships, professional development, team lunches. Context makes the number meaningful.

An event that costs $100 per person but significantly improves retention is a bargain. One that costs $30 but accomplishes nothing is expensive.

Do the math: if your company pays $50/month for employee gym memberships, a quarterly team event at $75 per person costs the same as six weeks of that benefit. But which one builds stronger relationships and improves collaboration? Sometimes the more expensive option delivers better value.

Frame your costs in terms leadership already understands. It changes the entire conversation.

Here's what leadership really wants to know about your event:>> Did people show up? >> Did they value it? >> Would you d...
01/12/2025

Here's what leadership really wants to know about your event:

>> Did people show up?
>> Did they value it?
>> Would you do it again?

If you can answer those three questions with clear data, you've made your case. Everything else is detail. Don't overcomplicate the ROI conversation by trying to measure everything. Focus on what actually matters.

✔️ Strong attendance (80%+) shows people prioritized your event.
✔️ High satisfaction scores (8+ out of 10) indicate they found value.
✔️ Positive responses to "would you attend again" means you've built something worth repeating.

When you sit down with your boss, lead with these headline numbers.

Have supporting details ready, but start with the basics.

Most executives want the summary first, then they'll ask for specifics if they're interested.

Do you know how to answer the question, “Was the event a success?”

"The most valuable part of our team event wasn't the activity we planned. It was the unstructured time where people from...
28/11/2025

"The most valuable part of our team event wasn't the activity we planned. It was the unstructured time where people from different departments actually talked to each other."

This comment showed up in three different post-event surveys for one of our clients. When you see patterns like this, you've identified what actually creates value.

Next time, you know to build in more of what works.

Pay attention to your open-ended survey responses. Look for repeated themes. If everyone mentions the networking time, or the casual conversations, or getting to know colleagues outside their immediate team, that tells you something important about what your audience values.

The activities you stress over might matter less than the informal moments in between.

Sometimes the best thing you can do as an event planner is create space for organic connections to happen.

What’s something you’ve planned for an event that went better than expected? (P.S. Be sure to do it again.)

The question isn't whether corporate events provide value. The question is whether you're capturing evidence of that val...
27/11/2025

The question isn't whether corporate events provide value. The question is whether you're capturing evidence of that value.

Start simple: attendance rate, satisfaction scores, and cost per person.

These three metrics take ten minutes to calculate and give you a foundation for any ROI conversation. Everything else is supporting detail.

Attendance rate shows whether people valued the event enough to make time for it.

Satisfaction scores (ask for 1-10 rating) give you a number leadership understands.

Cost per person provides context—is $85 per attendee reasonable for what you delivered?

Don't try to measure everything. Focus on metrics that directly connect to your event's main goal. Morale-building event? Track satisfaction and engagement. Client appreciation? Monitor relationship strength. Team building? Look for improved collaboration.

"We spent $12,000 on our employee appreciation event. Three months later, our turnover dropped by 15%. Replacing just tw...
26/11/2025

"We spent $12,000 on our employee appreciation event. Three months later, our turnover dropped by 15%. Replacing just two employees would have cost us more than the entire event budget."

This is how you make the case for investing in people. Calculate what retention is worth, then show how events contribute to that outcome.

The math is straightforward: recruiting, onboarding, and training a new employee typically costs 50-200% of their salary. If your average employee earns $60,000, replacing them costs $30,000-$120,000.

An event that helps retain even one person pays for itself multiple times over.

Track turnover rates before and after employee-focused events. Even small improvements represent massive savings.

When you can connect a $15,000 team-building event to retaining three employees, suddenly that investment looks like the smartest money your company ever spent.

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