Contractors in Event Management

An organisation can hire an independent contractor to plan, organise and manage the whole of an event, or just some particular aspects of the event. For example, the organisation can hire an individual or business to carry out the event promotion, or install and manage sound systems or provide catering. Indeed, an organisation can hire a specialist event manager who may then subcontract work to other individuals or businesses, or work only with the organisations volunteers to provide leadership, training and troubleshooting.

Advantages of using a contractor

The main advantage of hiring contractors is the expertise they bring. Organisation committees may feel that a particular event requires expertise and/or assets that the organisation does not have. The contractor may also have access to important contacts that can assist in procuring sponsorship and funding, vehicles and equipment, promotional services or other important event components.

Disadvantages of using a contractor

The main disadvantage of using contractors is that you have to pay them but contractors are generally less expensive than hiring an employee. The contractor finishes as soon as the event is over whereas an employee remains employed. It is of course much cheaper if the organisation can find volunteers to provide their work, or sponsors to provide assets, but this may not be possible for all event components.

A secondary disadvantage is that the organisation committee may not be able to dictate how a contractor does their job. But this is not so much of a disadvantage if the right contractor(s) is/are hired.

Contractor Contracts

When dealing with contractors, it is wise to spend time making sure that some form of written agreement exists that spells out the scope of the work, the pricing, dates and times required, constraints on how and when the contractor works, and what happens in the case of contingencies. As well as trying to ensure the best possible outcome for the event, the organisation needs to protect itself against risks.(see more about risks associated with events)