Agency or in-house planning: which should you choose?
Many companies ask themselves this when the budget is set: should you pay an agency, or can the executive assistant and the works council (CSE) take care of it? The answer depends less on the budget than on how complex the event is and how much time is really available in-house.
Choosing your suppliers 5 min read Updated on
What do you need to handle when you organise an event yourself?
The list is longer than you might think at first. For a typical corporate party, here are the tasks you will have to take on, in the order they come up:
- Scope the project: objective, date, number of guests, budget, sign-off by management.
- Find the venue: research, visits, comparison, negotiation, contract and deposit.
- Choose the suppliers: caterer, DJ, bar, photographer, entertainment, technical set-up, decoration. Three quotes per item, or around twenty exchanges.
- Handle the paperwork: insurance, declarations, permits for outdoor events or late-night music.
- Communicate with guests: invitation, registrations, reminders, dietary requirements, transport.
- Build the running order: times for delivery, set-up, speeches, service and finish.
- Coordinate on the day: welcome each supplier, solve the unexpected, keep to the schedule.
- Wrap up: breakdown, paying the balances, debrief.
Each of these steps is doable. The problem is how they pile up on top of the usual workload. And the person organising is often the one who would also like to enjoy the evening with their colleagues.
When is in-house planning a good choice?
In-house planning works very well in several situations:
- A small format: afterwork drinks for 30 people, an end-of-year drinks party, a team lunch.
- A venue that provides everything: a restaurant or beach that can be booked exclusively, with its own caterer, bar and sound system, as a per-person package.
- An experienced team: someone who has already organised this type of event and knows the suppliers.
- A comfortable timeline: several months ahead, with no other major project running alongside.
When should you delegate event planning?
On the other hand, some signs show that you would be better off with support, at least for part of the project:
| Situation | Why it is riskier in-house |
|---|---|
| More than 100 guests | More suppliers, more logistics, more surprises |
| An empty venue (estate, warehouse, garden) | Everything has to be brought in: sound, lighting, furniture, power, shelter |
| An outdoor event | Weather plan B, permits, noise restrictions |
| Your image is at stake | Clients, press or senior management present: no room for error |
| A short lead time | Less than two months: the good suppliers are already booked |
| A multi-day event | Accommodation, transport, catering at every meal |
What are the hidden costs of in-house planning?
Organising it yourself looks free, but it is not. First, there is staff time: several weeks of cumulative work for a party of 150 people, taken from other tasks. Then there is the lack of discount: an individual or a company booking five suppliers separately pays full price five times, and five travel charges. Finally, there is the risk: if the DJ falls ill the day before, it is up to you to find a replacement.
A traditional agency, for its part, has a visible cost: management fees of 6 to 10% of the budget, on top of its margin on each service. For a party of 150 to 200 people, where the total budget in Marseille is often between €12,000 and €25,000 excl. VAT, the difference is not trivial.
Is there a middle way between an agency and DIY?
Yes, and it is often the most sensible option. It means keeping in-house what is simple to manage, and handing a single team what requires technical skills and coordination:
- You handle: choosing the venue, the contract with the caterer, the invitations.
- A single team handles: the music, sound for the speeches, lighting, the bar, photography, entertainment and on-the-day coordination.
You keep control of the most expensive items, you have just one contact for everything that happens during the evening, and you avoid agency fees. That is exactly the role of a single point of contact.
What if the works council (CSE) is organising?
Elected members of the works council (CSE) often organise the children’s Christmas party, the end-of-year party or an outing, on top of their mandate and their job. This is the typical case where the workload becomes heavy. Our works council offer takes care of the organisation free of charge for the CSE, and gives employees a 10% discount on our services for their own events.
What are the most common in-house mistakes?
- Forgetting sound for the speeches: the venue has speakers for music, but no wireless microphone for the managing director.
- Underestimating set-up time: the DJ and the bar arrive at the same time as the guests.
- Having no weather plan B for a terrace or garden in Provence, even in June.
- Paying lots of deposits without tracking who has been paid, and how much is still due.
How to decide in five minutes
Answer these three questions honestly. If you answer “no” to at least two of them, get support, at least for the coordination:
- Has anyone in the team already organised an event of this size?
- Will that person have dedicated time, without neglecting their usual work?
- Does the venue provide the essentials (sound, lighting, furniture, catering)?
To prepare your project, our corporate event planning timeline gives you the steps and lead times.
Questions we are often asked
Corporate event: should you use an agency or organise it yourself?
Organising it yourself works for small formats (afterwork drinks, a leaving do, a one-day seminar in an all-inclusive venue). Beyond around a hundred guests, with several suppliers, an empty venue or your image at stake, delegating at least the coordination reduces the risks. A middle way is to hand the atmosphere and coordination to a single team, without agency fees of 6 to 10%.
More advice
Let’s talk about your project
Tell us what you want to handle yourself and what you would rather delegate: we will propose tailored support within 48 hours.