Event Integrity: Get Connected to Event Planners and Vendors You Can Trust
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Event Integrity: What Is It?
Event Integrity is a brand new initiative raising the quality standards in the event industry. It provides a free online marketplace of certified event vendors and venues. This allows consumers to utilize the tool for free and find reliable, and pre-screened event professionals and suppliers. Anyone listed on the site has had to pass various checks to prove that they operate with integrity, so it acts as a seal of approval and quality.
The idea for this brand new initiative came about when one of the Founders, Chrystal Huskey, moved away from a government career and background in law enforcement, into event planning. She was shocked when she discovered that one of her event vendors, who outwardly seemed professional and legitimate, was operating without a license and insurance. She quickly realized that this is a common problem and there was nothing to properly regulate the industry. Crystal established Event Integrity, with a host of other female founders and a female-led team, to ensure that other event planners wouldn’t find themselves in a similarly compromised position.
There are countless horror stories of event scammers and vendor no-shows which too many event planners and consumers have encountered first hand and can have a huge impact on your event execution and event finances. Cowboys, risky businesses and untrustworthy providers are problems that, directly and indirectly, affect everyone in the event industry.
With most other listing sites there is no vetting process, meaning that anyone can advertise, and regularly these sites get feedback about scams and unethical behavior from unscrupulous providers, over which the website has no control and are often even unwilling to intervene to block them. Event Integrity works differently and is focused on highlighting and rewarding only those that hold high standards of professionalism and ethics.
This review covers a very different type of product to the event technology we often review on EventMB and (bravo!) one that aims to tackle very serious and real issues.
Intrigued?
Read on to find out more.
The Main Categories of Features Are:
Prove Your Integrity. Apply by completing an online form which enables various checks to be run to verify your application. If approved you can be listed on the site and checks are repeated every year to ensure ongoing compliance with the code of conduct.
Market Your Services. Complete your profile to showcase your services and encourage people to contact you about work opportunities. Use your Event Integrity certification and logo with pride to verify your professionalism.
Source Professional Venues, Vendors and Staff. Source venues and vendors such as AV companies, florists, photographers, speakers, DJs and much more via the site, safe in the knowledge that they are approved professionals.
Membership Benefits. Event professionals gain access to their own personal marketplace with discounts, incentives and marketing opportunities. Event Integrity also offers free educational and networking opportunities focused on professionalism.
Review
Event Integrity is a two-sided marketplace, made for consumers and event professionals. Anything you need for an event can be found on the site. From the venue to the invitations, to the keynote speaker, lighting and rentals, there is an option to find suppliers for every angle of an event. The search is free and allows the public to find what they need according to their search parameters. More categories are being added all the time as the site grows.
It is worth noting that currently, the Event Integrity team is strongly focused on the US market, it is not accepting applications from the rest of the world at this time, due to the complexities and variations in terms of business checks internationally.
The Application Process
The application process for event planners is easy and completed entirely online. Each application is category specific to their area of expertise, so what is necessary for bartenders may not be necessary for event planners or caterers. Becoming certified with Event Integrity provides a credential for the individual or business looking to stand out from the competition.
The application process takes around 20 minutes and it takes up to 14 days for the checks to be run and a decision to be made on the application. The seven-step process to follow is as follows:
- Gather the documentation needed for your application (such as insurance, W9, liquor license, certifications, proof of work for at least one year).
- Complete the online application form.
- Upload the required documents.
- Submit and pay the application fee (from $199).
- Wait for notification of the decision.
- Selection review is performed.
- Add Event Integrity certification details to your website, proposals, and so forth.
Event Integrity is not operated like other platforms that provide reviews and lead generation in exchange for a paid subscription or handle the bid process. Event Integrity is exclusive to certified vendors, it’s not pay to play. You have to operate your business with integrity and apply and be accepted. This certification is designed to raise the bar and provide a platform for those conducting and operating legitimate businesses and is not open to those that do not reach the required standards.
The certified event vendors and venues are vetted represent the best talent in the industry who understand the need to operate real businesses. Event pros can use their Event Integrity certification to stand out over and above their competitors, marketing themselves as trustworthy and a business that operates ethically.
The Algorithm that Decides on the Approvals and Rejections
The certification is the first of its kind across the whole event industry, and also one where the certified professionals are held to a professional standard. The certification starts with a deep dive into the businesses background utilizing a unique algorithm that tests against a combination of public and private data. The founders wouldn’t reveal too much information about the algorithm but it checks, verifies and searches based on a number of risk factors.
Should the application not meet the grade to be accepted, Event Integrity provides feedback on the areas that need strengthening so that improvements can be made to meet the necessary standards. This is not about embarrassing people, it is a supportive environment to try to help remedy any issues and prepare them ready for a future approval.
If everything is fine, after being successfully certified, the listing will be live on the Event Integrity website. Members are coached during their onboarding on how to maximize and promote their certification.
Creating Your Profile
The eventprof side of the platform allows event planners and vendors to fill out their application and customize their profile and backlinks to their preferred websites and social media platforms. All fields of the profile are searchable by the consumer.
New features are constantly being added based on member feedback and recent additions include a photo reel where certified event professionals can showcase their work. There is also a section where their skills and the events they can be hired for are noted so consumers can make a choice and refine their search criteria when shopping on the site.
Searching for Vendors
The public can search for free. There is no need for website visitors to make an account to message the event pros they are interested in hiring. Having a marketplace or approved professionals is useful for executive assistants, managers and marketing teams looking to hire for corporate events, as well as those looking for help with special events such as fundraisers, weddings and bar mitzvahs. Event Integrity is looking to be the first to successfully bridge the gap between different event types, within one platform.
Time Saver
If you work with anyone listed on Event Integrity it can also be a time saver as you know that the necessary insurance documents, licenses and so forth have been checked and can even view them online via the portal, rather than requesting, chasing and checking them yourself.
Venues
Venues often have a preferred supplier list and Event Integrity have a special offer, that venues can get certified for free if they require their vendors to go through the Event Integrity vetting process.
Finding Temporary Event Staff
Event Integrity has created a community to help event planners with hiring needs too. If you need assistance with an event for a fixed term contract or to help run the event on the day, freelancers can be found on the website.
Renewals and the Code of Ethics
Once certified, members must renew annually and abide by a community code of ethics rooted in the definition of integrity itself. This outlines a process in case of any concerns being raised and also zero tolerance of proven dishonesty and fraudulent conduct.
Membership Perks to Develop Professionalism
Once certified, event planners can gain access to their own personal marketplace. Special discounts, incentives, and marketing opportunities are available to help them grow their business. Current offers include discounted website development and management, discounted press releases and marketing packages, cheaper credit card processing and discounted legal and business operations documents.
Additionally, Event Integrity also provides free educational and networking opportunities for all event planners, noting that even those starting off as hobbyists and interns need a roadmap to legitimize their business.
Going forward the team at Event Integrity want to continue to expand the support of the event industry and address some of the problems that face this unique market segment.
Features
Prove Your Integrity
- Quick online application process
- Checklist of items you need to apply
- Acceptance of code of conduct
- Zero tolerance for dishonesty and fraudulent conduct
- Renewed annually
Market Your Services
- If approved you are listed on the site
- Complete your profile to showcase your services and encourage people to contact you about work opportunities
- Add a carousel of images
- Select the skills/services/types of events you offer
- Use the Event Integrity certification and logo to verify your professionalism
Source Professional Venues, Vendors and Staff
- Source venues and vendors such as AV companies, florists, photographers, speakers, DJs and much more
- Be reassured that you are working with other professionals
- Check insurance and other licenses and credentials via the portal
- Find temporary event staff
Membership Benefits
- Access discounts, incentives and marketing opportunities
- Attend free educational and networking opportunities
Who Is It For?
The platform is made for consumers and event professionals. Everyone can search for free and there is no need to create an account to message those you are interested in hiring. It is useful for consumers wanted to hire an event planner or wedding coordinator and for event professionals looking for trustworthy suppliers or freelance event staff.
Those listed are legitimate and true event professionals and vendors that have been verified to prove their professional conduct and standards. Each individual or business listed on the site has undergone an online approval process.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Free consumer marketplace.
- Certified professionals are held to a professional standard.
- You know the event planners and vendors you hire are legitimate and true event professionals.
- Application process is easy and completed entirely online.
Cons
- A new, growing platform so more people are becoming aware of it but it isn’t yet widely recognized.
- Doesn’t allow for reviews (this was by design).
- Certified Members cannot pay for increased visibility or placement on the site like some other “membership” sites.
- USA only.
Pricing and Plans
The price ranges from $199 to $399 for an annual certification depending on the size of the business being operated. The $199 price reflects a professional operating a business under their own name, without a legal entity, through to the $399 price which is payable by a legal business entity with 51 or more employees.
In Conclusion
We salute Event Integrity for working hard to recognize and reward professional event planners and vendors and to raise the professionalism of the industry. It is a well-crafted way to verify genuine providers through analysis of public and private data and to prevent being affected by unethical or unscrupulous operators. Event planners outside the US will be impatient that they cannot access the approval process but we look forward to seeing the growth of the Event Integrity accreditation throughout the USA.
Disclaimer: Reviews are paid for placements. While Event Manager Blog receives a fee to extensively look at the tool and review it in detail, the content of the review is independent and by no means influenced by the company. If you have any questions please use the contact us section.