Parking charges can add up quickly, especially if you’re producing an event at a hotel located in a large city. So make sure you find out the cost and decide how you’re going to handle it. Will the client pay or will the guests pay to park at your event?
Hotel Parking
Sometimes parking is a real problem. If you’re hosting an event in a large city, parking can cost $25-$50 a day to park a car. This can be a huge deterrent to attendance. In fact, I’ve seen dismal attendance due to exorbitant parking fees.
Sometimes you can negotiate a discounted fee; sometimes you might even get the fee waived for attendees. But you have to think of this and take action when you’re still in the planning stages.
Also, remember your staff will need parking too. I produced an event at a hotel that charged $15 per car. I had a staff of 60, which equates to a $900 parking bill. If I hadn’t incorporated this cost in the front end of the proposal, I would have eaten it.
Valet Parking
If parking is not available, I recommend hiring a valet company. A few things to do here:
- Make sure you get copied as an additional insured on their insurance.
- Hire more staff than they recommend.
The reason you want more staff is to avoid people having your stellar event end with a clunk. Coming into the event is not as much of a problem as leaving the event. You don’t want attendees waiting more than ten minutes for their vehicle; particularly if the weather is inclement. They will exit with the wrong lasting impression.
So a good rule of thumb to follow: always check on the availability of parking, the cost of parking, and how easy it is for guests to exit a parking lot. Click To Tweet
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