What I Wish More Clients Knew: Real Talk From a Venue Insider

Guest Blog for The Event Troupe by Dawn B. Williams

1. Start With the Big Questions

Before you fall in love with the exposed brick or mountain view, ask:
– Is the date available?
– Does the space actually accommodate my guest count, flow, and format?
– Do the costs match what I have in mind—not the fantasy budget, but the real, all-in number?

If the answers aren’t lining up, you’re not a bad planner. You’re a smart one. You’re doing the math before you get emotionally attached.

Let me put it this way: Louis Vuitton makes a gorgeous bag. It might be perfect for your outfit. But if it’s out of budget, we don’t get mad at the associate. We admire the bag, maybe try it on for fun, and then head over to Coach. Same goes for venues. You can appreciate the beauty, understand the quality, and still decide it’s not the right fit right now.

2. Be Honest About What Matters Most to You

Every client has a “thing.” Maybe it’s lighting. Maybe it’s the food. Maybe it’s making sure there’s no A/V error because a previous event went sideways. Whatever it is—share that with your venue team.

Let them in on why you’re anxious about a certain detail or why you’re hyper-focused on the timeline. Good venue pros want to get it right, but they need to understand the why behind your priorities. If they don’t know, they might assume it’s negotiable—and that’s where friction starts.

3. If You Say Your Budget Is $XX, Mean It

And then ask, “What are the possible extra costs if things change?”

Let’s say your planner approves the final floor plan. The venue’s setup team is booked after lighting is done. The room gets cleared for staging. Then tables and chairs are set. Catering comes in next, drops linens and tabletop. Then the florist arrives. All scheduled in layers. On time. On track.

Then the decision maker walks in—maybe the CEO, the mother of the bride, or a stakeholder who hasn’t been part of the planning—and they want the tables moved a foot to the left.

That foot? It costs money.

Not because we’re being difficult, but because every layer before that took coordination, labor, and intention. And now you’re facing a domino effect.

Often there isn’t time to get those teams back. Most rely on ride shares or public transit. They’ve moved on to their next job. And when you pull on-site pros from one task to another—like asking the A/V team to move tables instead of prepping your cues and testing sound—they’re not doing the job they were hired for. They’re hot, stressed, likely behind schedule, and very likely skipped their only chance to eat before the event even begins. Now they’re doing physical labor when they should be focused on your run-of-show. And they’re doing it while hungry and frustrated—for your event.

Also—this part is key: If a client hires a planner to guide the vision and logistics, that planner can still bring others in for key decisions before the event. It’s worth clarifying who the final decision maker is on-site, so there’s no confusion. Their vision matters, too—and it’s often the one that triggers those last-minute changes. Not out of malice. Not even out of mismanagement. But often because they simply weren’t looped in.

Could a five-minute call or a quick email with the floor plan—and a brief explanation of why the layout was approved—have prevented it? Probably. And that’s the point.

None of this is about pointing fingers—this work is layered and complex. In fact, many planners have more years of event experience than the venue contact they’re working with. That’s not a knock—it’s an opportunity. When planners and venue teams share context early, it builds mutual respect and trust. The best outcomes happen when both sides bring their knowledge to the table and work like true partners. A quick heads-up, a shared layout, or a ‘hey, here’s why we made this call’ can prevent the kind of stress no one wants to deal with at 4:00 PM on event day.

4. To Compare Venues, You Need to Go Bottom Line

People get tripped up trying to compare venue proposals that look totally different. Here’s what to do:

Ask every venue:
– What’s included?
– What’s not included?
– What might incur additional charges?

Ask about admin fees, service fees, extra staffing, security, parking for staff and vendors, additional hours, rentals, AV labor. Everyone does proposals differently. It’s not shady—it’s just that we all have different systems, preferred vendors, and event partners.

You’ll know you’re working with a pro if they’re proactively flagging anything that might surprise you later. If a venue asks for your budget, it’s not a trap—they’re trying to get you there with no shocks.

5. When In Doubt, Ask: “What Would You Do If It Were Your Event?”

This is my favorite question. Because when a client asks me that, I take a breath, and I speak from experience—not a sales pitch.

I might say, “If it were mine, I’d rework the floor plan slightly to avoid a big rental charge.” Or, “Honestly, I’d swap this menu item for something more service-friendly at that guest count.”

That question brings out the best in us. It tells us you trust us enough to be real with you. And when that happens? That’s when magic can actually happen.

6. We’re Not Here to Upsell You—We’re Here to Guide You

Most of us in the venue and vendor world are working fast, hard, and with heart. We’re juggling ten leads, ten proposals, and a hundred logistics while trying to make your vision real.

If we come in a little over budget, it’s not because we’re padding numbers. It’s usually because we’re trying to think through everything you might need, so you don’t get hit with surprise fees later. We’re not perfect—but most of us are trying to do right by you with the time we’ve got.

7. What’s Your Plan B (and C)? Because Something Will Go Wrong

This is the part nobody wants to talk about—but it’s the part that separates the pros from the panicked.

Things go wrong. It’s life. The real difference is how prepared your team is to handle it.

So ask yourself (and your vendors):
– What’s the backup plan if the A/V goes down?
– Who’s making the call in a high-stress moment?
– Do we have a plan C if the backup fails?
– What’s the message to the crowd when something derails?

Let me paint the picture. The client has spent $20,000 on a polished fundraising video—the emotional centerpiece of their annual campaign. The room is packed. CEO, board chair, dean—they’re all on stage. Rehearsal went flawlessly.

Cue the hand wave: “Let’s show you what we’re building… with your help.”

Silence.

The air grows still, then heavy. A beat passes. Then another. You feel it—that kind of stillness.

The planner’s panicking. The A/V team is scrambling. People on stage are trying to be funny (they’re not). Ten minutes pass. Turns out someone’s knee bumped the cable loose. That person is horrified. There’s yelling. There’s crying. There’s that silent chaos no one ever wants to be part of.

The video finally plays. It lands flat. The moment’s lost. The client’s gone—for good. And Bobby, whose knee hit the cord, now has a form of trauma tied to switch-flipping forever.

Now… fast forward.

A year later, the mayor’s on stage doing a ventriloquist act (don’t ask). The whole bit hinges on a song—on a cassette tape. Yes, cassette. Someone brought it last minute. A player was found. It was tested. It worked.

But if you know cassettes, you know… they have to be rewound.

Cue the moment. Tape’s not ready. Dead air.

But this time? We had a voice-of-God recording ready:
“Thanks so much for your patience. Wires get crossed, and we’re on it. Be right back.”
Laughter. Relief. The mayor’s dressed like a clown. The room softens. People breathe. The tape gets rewound. The voice returns:
“And now back to our regularly scheduled programming…”
Boom. Take two hits harder than take one might’ve.

That’s the difference. Not perfection—but preparation.

You don’t get two takes in live events. So build in a way to recover, with humor, clarity, and leadership. Even if the tape needs to be rewound.

About the Author:

Dawn Williams is a Colorado-based event industry connector and the founder of VenuHub and the new VendrHub—a search platform (2025) for planners to discover trusted event vendors across Colorado. With 35+ years in venue sales, event production, and hospitality leadership, Dawn believes in building real relationships, straight talk, staying grounded in the details, and helping every event professional feel seen and supported. Oh and having some fun along the way. (Photos by The Portraits Lounge/StudioJK) Connect with her at VenuHub.com or VendrHub.com