Hiring the wrong event planner costs more than money — it costs your reputation, your team’s time, and potentially your standing with leadership. After 13 years in Singapore’s corporate events industry, we’ve seen what separates great planners from expensive mistakes.
Here’s exactly what to evaluate and what questions to ask.
The 6 Non-Negotiables
1. Relevant Portfolio — Not Just “Experience”
Every event planner claims experience. The question is: experience doing what?
A planner who’s delivered 50 weddings and 3 corporate events is a wedding planner, not a corporate event planner. The skills don’t fully transfer — corporate events have different stakeholder dynamics (multiple approvers, company politics), different success metrics (engagement, brand alignment), and different risk profiles (the CEO is watching).
Ask for:
- 3-5 case studies from events similar to yours in scale, format, and industry
- Client references you can actually call (not just testimonials on their website)
- Photos and videos from recent events — not stock images
If you’re planning a dinner and dance for 400 people, you want a planner who’s done at least 10 seated dinners at that scale. If it’s a team building event, you want someone who understands group dynamics, not just logistics.
2. In-House Capabilities vs. Pure Coordination
There are two types of event companies in Singapore:
| Coordinator (Asset-Light) | Operator (Asset-Heavy) | |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment | Rents from third parties | Owns AV, staging, lighting, inflatables |
| Crew | Freelance event staff | Full-time trained crew |
| Technology | Licenses third-party tools | Built in-house (registration, activities, analytics) |
| Cost to you | Higher (multiple margin layers) | Lower (single margin) |
| Quality control | Depends on subcontractors | Controlled end-to-end |
| Best for | Simple, small events | Complex, large-scale events |
Neither model is wrong — but you should know which one you’re hiring. A coordinator managing 5 subcontractors for your 500-person event introduces 5 potential points of failure. An operator who owns their equipment and employs their crew has one.
For more on this distinction, see our deep dive: Why it matters whether your event company owns their equipment.
3. Transparent Pricing — No “TBC” Line Items
Red flags in event proposals:
- ❌ “Miscellaneous costs: TBC” — this is where surprise charges hide
- ❌ Per-item pricing without totals — makes comparison impossible
- ❌ No payment schedule — when is what due?
- ❌ “Subject to availability” on key items — means they haven’t confirmed anything
What a good proposal looks like:
- ✅ Line-item breakdown (venue, F&B, AV, entertainment, crew, transport, contingency)
- ✅ Clear total with GST
- ✅ Payment schedule (typically 50% upon confirmation, 50% before event)
- ✅ What’s included vs. what’s additional
- ✅ Cancellation/postponement terms
When we quote a corporate event, the final invoice comes within 5% of the original proposal. If a planner’s final bill regularly exceeds their quote by 20-30%, that’s not “unexpected costs” — that’s poor scoping.
4. A Run Sheet, Not Just a Programme
Any planner can write a programme:
6:30pm — Registration 7:00pm — Dinner 8:00pm — Entertainment 9:30pm — End
A professional planner produces a run sheet — a minute-by-minute production document that includes:
- Exact timing for every transition (who does what, when, how long)
- Technical cues (lighting state changes, audio levels, video playback triggers)
- Crew positions (who’s on stage, who’s backstage, who’s on comms)
- Contingency triggers (“if the speaker runs 5 mins over, cut the video montage”)
- Vendor load-in/load-out schedule
If your planner doesn’t produce a run sheet, they’re winging it. For events under 50 people, that might be fine. For awards ceremonies with 500 guests and a stage show, it’s unacceptable.
5. Communication Cadence and Escalation Protocol
The #1 complaint about event planners isn’t creativity or cost — it’s communication. “I emailed them Tuesday, they replied Friday” is a recipe for stress.
Before hiring, establish:
- How often will we have update calls/emails? (Weekly is standard for events 8+ weeks out, twice-weekly in the final 2 weeks)
- Who is my single point of contact?
- What’s the response time for urgent issues? (Same day should be the standard)
- Will you be on-site during the event? (This should be non-negotiable for events over 100 pax)
- What’s the escalation path if something goes wrong?
6. Post-Event Deliverables
Good planners deliver an event. Great planners deliver insights.
What you should receive after your event:
- Attendance data (check-in rate, no-show rate, arrival time distribution)
- Engagement metrics (activity participation rates, photo submissions, polling responses)
- Guest feedback summary (if surveys were conducted)
- Financial reconciliation (actual spend vs. budget)
- Recommendations for next year
This data turns your event from a one-off expense into a learning investment. It’s also how you justify the budget to leadership next year with actual numbers instead of “everyone had a great time.”
Red Flags That Should Disqualify a Planner
| Red Flag | What It Means |
|---|---|
| No site visit before quoting | They’re guessing on logistics |
| ”We can do anything” | They have no specialisation |
| Won’t share client references | Past clients weren’t happy |
| No written contract | No recourse if things go wrong |
| Requires 100% payment upfront | Cash flow problems or no confidence in delivery |
| Doesn’t ask about your objectives | They’re selling a package, not designing an experience |
| No insurance | One accident and you’re liable |
How to Compare 3 Proposals Side-by-Side
When you’ve shortlisted 3 planners, use this framework:
| Criteria | Weight | Planner A | Planner B | Planner C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relevant portfolio (similar events) | 25% | /10 | /10 | /10 |
| Creative concept quality | 20% | /10 | /10 | /10 |
| All-in price (value, not cheapest) | 20% | /10 | /10 | /10 |
| In-house capabilities | 15% | /10 | /10 | /10 |
| Communication quality during proposal | 10% | /10 | /10 | /10 |
| Post-event deliverables | 10% | /10 | /10 | /10 |
How they handle the proposal process tells you how they’ll handle your event. If they’re responsive, detailed, and proactive during the sales phase, they’ll likely be the same during planning and execution.
The Questions That Separate Good from Great
When you meet a planner, ask these — the answers reveal everything:
- “What was the last event that went wrong, and how did you handle it?” — A planner who says “nothing ever goes wrong” is lying. You want someone who can describe a real problem and a real solution.
- “Walk me through your crew structure for an event this size.” — They should be able to tell you exactly how many crew, what roles, and who’s in charge.
- “What would you do differently from what we’ve described?” — A great planner pushes back constructively. If they agree with everything you say, they’re order-takers, not partners.
- “Can I see a run sheet from a recent event?” — Not the programme — the actual production run sheet. This shows their operational depth.
What It Costs
Corporate event planner fees in Singapore typically fall into three models:
| Model | Typical Range | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Flat management fee | $3,000–$15,000 | Events where you’re sourcing your own vendors |
| Percentage of total budget | 10-15% | Full-service events where the planner manages everything |
| All-inclusive per-pax | $80–$400/pax | Standard events with predictable scope |
For a detailed cost breakdown by event type, see our corporate event cost guide.
Ready to compare? Get a custom proposal from Get Out Events → — we respond within 1 business day with a detailed, line-item proposal. No “TBC” line items.