What should an event procurement checklist include?
An event procurement checklist should cover spend visibility, supplier landscape, sourcing process, commercial terms, compliance and reporting — the areas where control is most often missing. Working through it reveals where an organisation is exposed and where the quickest improvements sit.
Use this as a self-assessment. Every 'no' is an opportunity; every 'not sure' is a visibility gap worth closing.
1. Spend visibility
- Do you know your total annual event spend?
- Can you break it down by department, event type, venue and supplier?
- Is event spend captured in any central reporting?
- Have you run an event spend analysis?
2. Supplier landscape
- Do you know how many venues and suppliers you use?
- Are the same categories sourced repeatedly by different teams?
- Is there a preferred supplier programme or PSL?
- Is there scope to consolidate suppliers?
3. Sourcing process
- Is there a consistent route to source events?
- Do significant events go through an RFP?
- Are venue rates benchmarked before booking?
- Is sourcing effort proportionate to spend?
4. Commercial terms
- Are rates and inclusions negotiated?
- Are cancellation and attrition terms reviewed before signing?
- Are payment and deposit terms consistent?
- Do you understand venue commission arrangements?
5. Compliance & governance
- Are suppliers onboarded and checked consistently?
- Are insurances and policies verified?
- Is there an event procurement policy?
- Are approval thresholds clear?
6. Value & reporting
- Are negotiated savings tracked and evidenced?
- Do you report year-on-year event spend?
- Is there a business case for change?
- Are KPIs in place to manage the category?
Turn the gaps into a plan
Count your 'no' and 'not sure' answers. If there are more than a few, a procurement review is the fastest way to turn them into a prioritised plan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the checklist free to download?
Yes — a downloadable version is available in our resources hub (the downloadable asset is being finalised).
How do we score ourselves?
Treat every 'no' as an opportunity and every 'not sure' as a visibility gap. The pattern of answers points to where to start.
What if we fail most of it?
That's common and completely fixable. It simply means there is significant value available — usually starting with visibility.