Top Event Management Companies we work with in the Chicago Area

HTR works with many of the top event management companies in Chicago in providing the latest IT and pro AV gear.  With a large array of the latest in IT and AV gear and located in the heart of the city, many Chicago event management companies turn to us for their short-term needs and same day service.  It’s not uncommon for an event management agency to have last minute requests.  Day or night, rain or shine, we’re available 24/7 for just those instances.

List of top Chicago Event management companies

What does a top event management company bring to the table

While event planners tend to work on the event concept, event management companies typically are responsible for details of the execution.  Most event management companies offer both the planning and management aspects. 

A top full service event management company will have relatable experience to your organization’s business and the event planning skills to cover every function of your event.  On our list of top Chicago event companies that we’ve worked with, we’ve found they all share one common trait.  They are passionate about creating distinctive events that tell their client’s story while keeping their budgets in check and ensuring all the details are covered. 

Here’s five traits we’ve found these Chicago event production companies have:

1. They are good listeners
   You’ll find that they listen more than they speak as they want to know as much about your organization and event as they can.
2. They’ll have a timeline
   They’ll share with you a planning timeline and outline what is required from you and what will happen at every step leading up to and after the event.
3. They’ll manage the vendors
   They’ll handle the vendor negotiations which a lot of times will save you money.  On top of that they’ll help you understand any of the vendor jargon that you may be unfamiliar with.
4. They’ll have a backup
   Experienced event management companies know that there’s only a million things that can go wrong at a live event and will have backup plans just in case.
5. They’ll have recommendations
   In the event that an event management company is not what you need, they can assist you in finding the best event production company in Chicago. These event production companies will help you come up with ideas for your event, including the event execution, set and strike as well as the logistics.

Picking the right event management company for your event

Unless you’re experienced in planning events you’ll want to look at hiring a Chicago event pro that can handle the complex and demanding task of live event planning.  There is a sea of corporate event planners in Chicago and the task of finding the best corporate event planner for your specific event can be daunting.  In order to narrow the list down, there are things you should identify before you begin your search.  Once you know what to look for, finding the right Chicago event planning company will be a bit easier.

Event Size
How big is the event you’ll be hosting?  If you’re hosting 100 attendees or less, you may just need a small event planner. The number of guests will help determine the size of the venue needed and budget for food and beverage.

Event Type: Private, Corporate or Charity
Successful events tell a story.  To figure out your story you need to first determine what type of event this is going to be. The three main types of events are; private, corporate or charity.   Once you know the type, you can identify the theme.  A theme will help in finding the right venue. 

Industry Niche
Is your organization part of a larger vertical market or does your organization focus on a targetable portion of one?  Understanding this will come in handy when making a list of event planning companies to interview.

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What are the 5 C’s of event management?

A lot of work goes into producing and managing the perfect event.  It’s not uncommon to plan a year out. To help make the process easier and provide direction, the meeting industry identified the five C’s of event management.  Knowing the 5 C’s will help you better understand the thought process of hosting an event.

Concept
The foundation of your event.  If you don’t have a concept or theme for the event, it will be near impossible to execute an event.  Not only that the concept is what draws the audience in. 

When deciding on a concept think about the attendees and design the concept accordingly.

Coordination
A successful corporate event requires a team that works well together.  A team experienced in working together will lead to a successfully executed event.  When interviewing full service event management companies, you want to look for the team that exhibits the right communication skills.

Control
The event manager is in charge of how the event is being managed.  How they control the event will determine how their team responds and directly influences whether the event is successful or not.

Culmination
This is the point on the event timeline where everything that was planned plays out.  This is a live view on how things are going.  This is a great opportunity to makes notes on things that fell short and save it for reference for future events.

Closeout
The event isn’t over when the last guest leaves.  As event manager you still have a lot of responsibilities.  This is where you make sure all payments are done, collect feedback from guests, ensure all rental equipment is returned and having a post-event review with your team and the client.

Technology rental for large events

When planning large events, the technology equipment typically plays an important role event.  Using an experienced technology rental partner with quality equipment is crucial to the success of the event.  At HTR, we carry a full line of professional AV gear that includes audio, cameras, lighting, projection and everything you need to truly wow your audience.  We also carry a wide array of business-class computing equipment perfect for registration and training.  All of our gear is expertly maintained.

Did you know that you don’t need to just use the “In-House” AV department for technology gear?   When negotiating the contract with the venue, make sure there are no hidden clauses charging you fees for using outside rental companies.  The venues main focus is the food and rooms.  You can save a lot of money by renting direct from a company like HTR.

Putting it all together

Now that you have a better understanding on event planning, it’s time to search for prospective Chicago event planners.  At HTR, we’d be happy to learn about your event and share with you recommendations of the top event planning companies in Chicago that we’ve worked with and think would be a good fit for your particular event.  Remember with events you only get one chance so experience matters.  We also recommend you do a background check of the company and ask for references.  Of course when it comes to technology rentals, HTR is your best choice for live events in Chicago.  Contact us today at 888-520-5667 or online.