The Vendor Checklist You Actually Need

EVENT PLANNING GUIDE

The Vendor Checklist You Actually Need

Updated on September 30, 2026 | Written by Rachella Thomas

You’re here looking for a vendor checklist, but I’m going to suggest something different.

You actually don’t really need a massive list of every possible question you could ask a supplier. Those lists can make you feel like you’ve covered everything because you’ve ticked all the boxes, but that’s not necessarily where things go wrong.

What you really need to know for every supplier is the answer to four key questions:

What are they providing? → What do they need from us? → What do we need from them? → Who else needs to know?

That’s the vendor checklist I use.

You’ll notice it isn’t a list of 50 things to tick off. Instead, it’s a more strategic, big-picture way to dig into the details. And it’s worked well for me for many years.

The Context

Let’s step back from the checklist idea for a moment and think about why these four questions might give you everything you need.

Supplier management is really about eliminating assumptions before they reach event day. Answers will differ for every supplier, but your job as the event planner is to connect those answers to the rest of the event plan.

The AV supplier can tell you they need access at 7 am, but if that information doesn't reach the venue or loading schedule, you still have a problem. Catering can tell you they need a particular power supply, but if production never receives that information, ticking it off a vendor checklist achieves nothing.

I’ve learnt from experience that most supplier problems on event day come from two parties having different ideas about what should happen.

You thought delivery included setup. The supplier thought somebody would be there to unload. You assumed they were providing power. They assumed you were. Everyone knew the event started at 6 pm, but nobody told the supplier they couldn't access the loading dock until 4.30 pm.

This is what a good vendor checklist is really trying to prevent.

At best, those misunderstandings are frustrating. At worst, they waste time and throw off the rest of your event plan. So instead of giving you a long vendor checklist to tick off, let’s work through the four questions you actually need.

Read What Happens When the Run Sheet Goes Off Schedule

1. What Exactly Are They Providing?

Start by removing any ambiguity around the scope. “We’ve booked AV” isn’t enough. Do you know what exactly you’ve booked them to provide?

What equipment? How much of it? Who delivers it? Who installs it? Who operates it? Who packs it down? When does it arrive? What's included in the price, and what isn't?

The questions will change depending on the supplier, but you're trying to establish one thing: Where does their responsibility start and where does it stop? This matters because supplier terminology can hide many assumptions.

‘Delivery’ may or may not include unloading, ‘installation’ may not include pack-down, and an “AV package” might include equipment but not a technician for the duration of the event. A catering quote might include food and staff but not serviceware, furniture or waste removal.

Don't assume anything with your suppliers. Clarify the scope and put it in writing.

2. What Do They Need From Us?

Now turn the focus around.

You've established what the supplier is doing for you. What do you need to provide so they can actually do it?

That might be:

• power or water

• internet

• loading access

• parking

• storage

• particular access times

• door or lift clearance

• setup space

• crew facilities

• security

• waste arrangements

• coordination with another supplier

This is where site visits and supplier meetings become particularly useful. It can be tempting to manage everything by email and phone, but getting a supplier on site can uncover details you wouldn’t necessarily know to ask about.

A caterer might have already told you they need access to water. On site, they might notice that the nearest tap is nowhere near their setup area, the fitting is different from what they use, or they’ll need additional equipment to reach it. They’re looking at the site through the eyes of their own operation, so they’ll often spot things you won’t.

Finding that out months before the event gives you time to plan. Discovering it during setup gives you something stressful to solve.

The earlier you understand what they need from you, the more options you usually have.

3. What Do We Need From Them?

Depending on the supplier, event and location, you may need insurance information, safety or risk documentation, licences, permits, technical specifications, engineering information, certifications or other evidence relevant to the work they're undertaking.

You may also simply be waiting on something much more ordinary: final quantities, crew names, vehicle details, dietary information, artwork or an updated quote.

No single universal document list applies to every supplier. A production supplier, caterer, temporary structure supplier, and photographer shouldn't all receive the same generic list of 40 questions.

Work out what you genuinely need from this supplier and track it until you have it.

4. Who Else Needs to Know?

This question connects supplier information to the rest of the event plan.

Finding out what a supplier needs isn’t the end of the story. Your job is to make sure it reaches everyone else who needs to act on it.

If the supplier is arriving at 7 am, does that need to go into your run sheet or supplier schedule? If they're bringing a truck, does the venue or loading dock manager know? If they need power, has production received the specification? If they're installing something in a particular location, is it shown correctly on the site plan? If their cost has changed, has the budget been updated? If they're bringing six crew members, does that affect accreditation, catering or parking?

Every time you receive an important piece of supplier information, ask yourself: who else needs to know this? That's the difference between having good supplier records and actually managing suppliers well.

Here’s where the Essentials Kit and Logistics Bundle come in handy.

Build the Plan Around the Supplier

Once these four questions become your framework, building a detailed event management plan becomes much easier.

• For AV and production, you might need equipment specifications, power, technicians, rehearsal times, access and backup arrangements.

• For catering, you might need service times, equipment, dietary requirements, preparation areas, staffing, water, and waste.

• For temporary infrastructure, you may need installation requirements, access, site conditions, weather considerations and relevant technical documentation.

• For entertainers and speakers, you'll have an entirely different set of requirements again.

Different suppliers create different dependencies within an event. Your job is to find them.

The Checklist Isn't the End-Point

A good vendor checklist isn’t successful because every box has a tick beside it. It’s successful because you understand what each supplier is providing, what they need from you, what you need from them, and where that information needs to go next.

That’s why I keep coming back to these four questions. They give you a way to work through every supplier without trying to anticipate every possible scenario.

What are they providing? → What do they need from us? → What do we need from them? → Who else needs to know?

The checklist isn’t the end-point. A well-connected event plan is.

→ If you found this Event Kit Guide useful, feel free to share it with a fellow event planner or your event network. They’ll appreciate you passing it on.

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Meet Your Mentor

Rachella Thomas is an award-winning event producer with more than 26 years of experience delivering major events. Her work includes the Australian Open, Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay, Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, and other renowned large-scale events and festivals.

Rachella founded Event Kit, where she turns decades of professional event know-how into practical tools for event planners worldwide.

Learn More → ABOUT

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