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Why use a planner
Certainly it is now easier for anyone to plan their own event. Information can be found on the net that will let you choose décor, find caterers and venues, and create invitee spreadsheets for travel, lodging, even to manage the dietary restrictions of your guests.
What it really boils down to is how many hours you are willing to put into making your event memorable and within the scope of your budget. Many Brides are now opting to take care of many of the details of their wedding on their own, perhaps with help from the Maid of Honour (and a handy PDA or BlackBerry!). The same holds true with corporate events, with small committees gathering information and making decisions together.
However, there are a great many details which may be overlooked or gray areas where hidden charges may lurk. A Planner can help you with this.
Of course, a planner can start with you on day one, and take care of all the details, but many more of us are now offering consultation service, helping you to avoid the pitfalls, but not taking charge of your event. This can be a very helpful and less expensive way for you to bring all the details together and get the best of what a planner has to offer. It can be as simple as giving you a list of questions to ask vendors as you meet with them or it can evolve into a series of meetings. At these you would bring along your paperwork, possible contracts needing to be reviewed, and go over the steps you have taken so far. Your planner can then advise you on what you need to do next, what you might have left out, matters of protocol that might have you stumped or on less expensive ways to get the same effect.
Another service offered is the Event Coordinator. This is the planner who shows up on the day of your event, having been briefed on how your day is supposed to evolve, and makes sure that it happens. This can be a very long day, starting with the setup of the room, ending with teardown and cleanup. These are not details that you should be thinking about when you are dealing with either the CEO of you company and his/her needs, or when you are in the midst of the most important day of your life. The Coordinator will make sure that the room looks right and your audio/visual presentation is online when you need it, or that the ring bearer has something to keep him occupied during the ceremony.
I hope that this helps you to better understand the role of the Event Planner and how we can best suit your needs.
With all that life has to offer,
Walter Young