Food and beverage is usually one the larger expense categories involved with an event, and one of the challenges involved with comparing vendors is that different vendor have different standards of service. On the one hand you may a catering supplier whose entrée prices are 25% cheaper than there competitor, but when you read through their contract you realize they don't provide linens or wait staff in the entrée cost. These "extras" can easily raise their prices above the competition.

Unfortunately it does take a watchful eye and a couple years of experience to see through the holes in a catering price list. Like so many other shopping deals, the real value is measured in what you get for the money. Use this guide to catering service standards to help you identify price and service concerns before you sign a catering contract.

If you're in the event business then you have likely produced or attended an event at a professional sports stadium. The trend for business sports outings continues to grow, with stadiums scrambling to expand their hospitality suites and meeting rooms to keep up with the demand. It seems that everyone is planning offsite functions that incorporate the excitement of professional sports.

But beyond the major leagues of football, basketball and baseball, there are several alternatives for hosting a sports themed event. With the high prices associated with suite rental and gameday catering, some planners are reopening their playbooks to find other ways to capture the spirit of sports. Click here for some fresh ideas on planning an athletic-related event.

There are very few events that are planned and executed by a single person. Most of the time there are several departments working together on the occasion. This is definitely the case on the venue side of event production. Typically you have a coordinator who oversees the production of the three major departments: catering, operations and audio/visual.

This wide range of personnel can be confusing for clients who aren't sure where to turn when they have a request, especially for the little things. And while technically the coordinator is there to route your requests to the right person, it also makes sense to learn the names and roles of the other parties involved. That is why I created this reference sheet of the people you should know on event day.

Your banquet room or meeting space should be completely set by the time your first guest arrives. This sounds like an obvious statement but I've seen plenty of instances where servers and event organizers were still putting the final touches on the room. Not only does this make the event look disorganized, but the quality of work being done while "scrambling around" is often sub-par.

There are two setup times to consider in event planning. The first is the room setup, which includes placement of all the tables and chairs. The second is what I call the client setup. This is the time allowed for planners to add centerpieces, stage banners, etc.

At the bare minimum, I would negotiate a two-hour setup window for your event. This means the room components should all be in place at least two hours before the event. You'll also need the catering department to have all table linens and skirting down so that you can set centerpieces and table cards. Read more: Room Setup Plans