Vibrant Table
Catering & Events

Catering to the Senses

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Why let a pro handle your event rentals?

Filed Under: Bridal Boutique, Factual FAQs, Setting the Stage

How much are your time and sanity worth? The lucky few who have plenty of both may find that managing event rentals for your wedding, private party, or business event justify the potential, yet minor, cost savings. If your time is money and peace of mind is invaluable, Vibrant Table recommends letting a professional handle this essential but time-consuming aspect of your event – whether that be your wedding coordinator, event planner, or caterer. You WILL thank us!

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Lower Work Load

What goes into planning and producing an event? There’s likely any combination of food, bar, lighting, linens, chairs, tables, pipe and drape, specialty lounge furniture, tableware, additional catering equipment, floral, other decor, entertainment, photography and videography. Manage your own vendors – equipment rentals or otherwise — and you’re responsible for…

  • researching what you’ll need from each vendor and how much of each item
  • comparing costs across vendors
  • communicating the inevitable multiple revisions to your order
  • confirming and reconfirming orders
  • keeping track of deadlines
  • coordinating load-in and load-out with the venue for each vendor
  • checking that everyone has delivered what’s expected
  • ensuring that everything gets returned to its proper home

One Contact

When your planner or catering rep manages your rentals, you call one person. We’re then responsible for reconfiguring your order and communicating changes to applicable parties. Aaahh… a sigh of relief.

KNOWLEDGE

As a beginning planner, you may not know what questions to ask. On the other hand, your coordinator knows what information vendors need to perform before the conversation begins – streamlining communication for all parties.

EXPERIENCE

Going with the pros means you reap the benefit of years of experience, failures as well as successes. We’ve already maneuvered the industry landscape so you don’t have to.

Sourcing

Going for a specific look? A professional planner knows the inventory and specialties offered by local and possibly even national vendors. We’re on top of new trends and products, and can help you navigate the endless possibilities.

Vendor Vetting

The pros know which vendors they can rely on to be professional and follow through. We know who always shows up on time, delivers quality materials, and offers fair pricing.

Connections

Your professional coordinator has access in a way that you, as a private individual, do not. We can call for last minute changes on a weekend. We can request free samples and sometimes vendors might even throw in a few extras for good will.

Save Time

You may not mind the endless communication that’s going to be involved in the months and weeks leading up to your event. But what about the days before and day of? Do you have time to inspect 100 linens and count 300 plates, forks, etc.?  Do you really want to be looking for the last 10 forks when everyone else has gone home?

Cost Savings

Yes, your coordinator will charge a service fee for managing rentals and vendors. Most will package it into their contract with you. However, they also can save you money. They can negotiate deals with vendors. Should you manage your rentals, you will probably make beginner mistakes. Perhaps you underestimated glassware for the bar or overlooked something as simple as extension cords. These mistakes can cost you in the long run as vendors scramble last minute to fill in the gaps.

Seamless Event Experience

Is your guests’ event experience important? Errors compromise service. Even the pros occasionally make mistakes, but they know how to respond to each emergency and can even call in favors. They’re working behind the scenes to find a solution, so your guests probably won’t even notice that something is awry. As a beginner, the likelihood of making a mistake that impacts your guests’ experience significantly increases

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What do you think?

We rest our case. What do you think? Is it worth it to hire a professional to manage your event rentals? Have you chosen to manage your rentals in the past? Tell us about your experience. We love to hear from  you!

Photo Credits

We are indebted to the photographers who allow us show their work. The Victorian table top was shot at an Oregon Bride inspiration shoot and can be found in their Fall 2010 issue. The white and salmon room was contributed by Evrim Icoz Photography.

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Non-Profit Fundraising Tips

Filed Under: Factual FAQs, Inspiring Ideas

During these difficult financial times, Non-profits struggle to meet an increased demand for their services while funding decreases. In honor of these essential community pillars, Vibrant Table has come up with a tip list to make your non-profit event dollars stretch further.

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Attracting an audience

  • Research what else is happening in the community before setting a date. Portland Society Pages and Travel Portland offer comprehensive calendars on their sites. Ask your event planner friends to see if they know of any festivals or other happenings. Check the websites of any similar organizations and do a general internet search. You’re likely to conflict with something, but you can at least avoid conflicting with an event that will attract a large section of your target audience.
  • Keep an open mind about your event format. It’s ok to stray from the “standard” to keep your event fresh and attract new and future donors. Consider, for example, an after-auction party with reduced entrance fees, fun music, and a couple of drink tickets to get a younger demographic.
  • Entice registration with an attention-grabbing name that speaks to your audience, something like “Flash!”
  • Use social media to promote your event. It’s best to have an audience already established, so maintain a social media presence even during slow seasons. For large events, you may even consider creating a unique account. Network, network, network. Social media is SOCIAL; reach out to anyone and everyone you think may be interested in your event and cross-promote other events to spread good-will.
  • Add your event to Portland Society Page’s calendar. It’s FREE for non-profit organizations.

working with vendors

  • Don’t be afraid to pay a little more for experienced vendors. In the long run, they will save you more and might even help you raise more!
  • Hire a professional benefit auctioneer. They know how to work a crowd and will raise significantly more money than a staff member or volunteer.
  • Realistically share your budget to encourage a more efficient planning process. If your vendors know what they have, they will do their best to find ways to make it work. Plus, they may suggest ways to reduce costs that you haven’t thought of.
  • At meetings, be prepared to talk about what event elements are most important to your organization to help vendors identify the most appropriate cost-saving measures.
  • Offer your vendors sponsorship or promotional opportunities in exchange for discounts, such as ad space in your program, features on your website, or a verbal thank you in the greeting or closing.
  • Partner with vendors that have a strong social media presence. Ask them to promote your event. Provide them with all the necessary information (event dates, location, highlights,social media networks, hashtag, promotional images, logos etc.). The person you work with directly may not be the person managing the social media accounts.

choosing the Setting

  • Select a venue that includes the most services with the rental of the facility. Do they provide tables and chairs, discounted audio-visual services, dance floors, etc?
  • Ask about reduced rates for non-profit organizations.
  • Choose your date wisely. Venues are more likely to provide a discount for a mid-week day and off-peak seasons.

Feeding your guests

  • Limit your menu to reduce food costs. For example, serve your guests one entrée (with a vegetarian option) rather than two if providing a plated meal. For buffets, use smaller plates to reduce over-eating.
  • Is a local bakery willing to donate desserts or offer them at discounted rates? Talk to your caterer to make sure this is ok first.
  • Pass on the love. Ask your caterer about donating any left-over food to a local food bank.

Adding libations

  • To lower bar costs, offer a signature cocktail with beer and wine or limit the number of hosted beverages with drink tickets.
  • Contact local wineries and beverage distributors to see if they will donate their goods.
  •  Find venues and caterers that allow you to provide your own alcohol. Shop around for the lowest corkage fees.

Creating the look

  • Lighting will have the most impact on mood. Invest in lighting even if you do little else.
  • Select seasonal, local blooms and incorporate large focal flowers in simple ways. Consider floating dahlias in water-filled vases as a table centerpiece.
  • Can auction items be incorporated into the table displays? Not only will you save on vase rentals, a hand-made bowl filled with beautiful flowers is more exciting to take home.
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Our Vibrant Community

Vibrant Table is honored to work with dozens of local organizations every year, including:

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Photo Credits

Thank you to the local event and wedding photographers who share their talent with us.