Are you looking for an event planning contract to be used with clients for your business? If so, look no further. We have an event planner contract template that can be customized to fit the needs of your event planning business.

Important Considerations for Your Event Planning Contract

Below We’ll Cover:

• Important Details to Include in Your Event Planning Contract
• Clauses to Consider Adding
• Mistakes to Avoid
• Links to Additional Resources
• How to Get Your Contract Signed

Important Details to Include in Your Event Planning Contract

Whether you are planning an intimate private party or a grand public gala, the devil is in the details. The same is true for the contract that covers your services as an event planner. Event planning is a complex art form that requires your client to convey an overall vision to you which you then build upon and bring to life. Having a clear and concise contract in place is the best way to protect you and your client in the event a dispute arises at any point.

When creating your event planner contract, be sure to include the following details:

• Contact information for both parties
• Date and time of the event including an end time
• A detailed description of the event
• Description of the duties and responsibilities of the event planner
• Breakdown of costs and fees
• Amount of deposit due at the time the contract is signed
• Cancellation penalties
• Choice of jurisdiction

Clauses to Consider Adding

In addition to the basic terms and clauses found in your event planning contract, you may also need to add specific clauses to protect yourself and your client, such as:

• Liability for Injuries. This is a clause that makes it clear who will be liable in the event of an injury to a party, guest, or working prior to or during the event.
• Photography and Publicity Rights.  If you want to be able to use photos taken of the setup or at the event itself to advertise your business, you need to make it clear that you have that right within your contract.
• Contract Deadline. To ensure that your contract is signed in a timely manner, add a clause that indicates how much time the client has to return the signed contract. You can use Nitro Sign to get any of your contracts or important documents signed quickly and easily!

Mistakes to Avoid

Your event planning contract is intended to protect you and your client from costly and time-consuming legal disputes. To ensure that your contract works as intended, be sure to avoid making the following mistakes when customizing your contract:

• Lack of detail regarding planner duties.  Provide as much detail as possible regarding what the event planner is and is not responsible for both prior to and during the event. When details are missing, disputes often occur.
• Failing to address additional costs. A certain amount of flexibility is needed when planning a budget for any event. Make sure you cover situations that may lead to additional costs, such as a significant increase in vendor prices, unanticipated venue fees, and what charges will be incurred if the event goes over the agreed-upon end time.
• Allowing late cancellation.  Events can be canceled at any time for a wide variety of reasons; however, the event planner may already have incurred expenses at the time of cancellation. With that in mind, be sure to pick appropriate cancellation dates.
• Failing to allow modifications. Do not allow verbal modifications. Allowing both parties to modify the details of the contract is common; however, any modification should be in writing and agreed to by both parties.
• Including unreasonable terms.  Avoid unreasonable terms in your contract, such as excessive cancellation fees, because it could cause the contract to be declared void by a judge.

Links to Additional Resources

• Event Planning Contract Negotiations: Best Practices and Most Common Mistakes
• Tips for Achieving Clarity in Contract Drafting
• 6 Clauses to Include in Your Event Planning Contract

How to Get Your Contract Signed

Proper execution of any contract is crucial to ensuring that the terms agreed upon in the contract will hold up in court should a dispute arise. In today’s digital world, the ability to have your contract signed electronically is imperative. Once you have customized your event planning contract to reflect the agreement reached between you and your client, sending it to your client for a signature is easy and quick with Nitro. Start your Nitro free trial today.