Short answer: you pay for two things. One is the event company’s fee for planning and running the event. The other is what the event itself costs: venue, food and drink, AV, stage, décor, entertainment, photography and the people working on the day. The fee is usually a fixed amount or a percentage of the event budget. The event costs depend mostly on guest numbers, the venue and how much production you want, which is why two quotes for “a dinner and dance for 200” can be far apart.
This guide explains what goes into a quote, the charges that catch people out in Singapore, and how to compare quotes fairly.
The two parts of every quote
1. The event company’s fee
This pays for the people: planning, finding and negotiating with vendors, the run sheet, rehearsals, and the team who run the day. It’s usually charged in one of three ways.
| Fee model | How it works | Suits | Ask about |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed fee | One agreed amount for an agreed scope | A clear brief that won’t change much | What counts as out of scope, and what extra work costs |
| Percentage of budget | The fee is a share of total event spend | Large events where the scope is still moving | A cap, because the fee rises with the budget |
| Package | The fee is built into item or per-head prices | Standard formats, like a hotel dinner package or a team-building session | Item-by-item prices, since you can’t see the margin |
2. The event costs
These are the things you’d pay for even if you organised the event yourself. Some companies pass them through at cost and charge a higher fee; others add a mark-up. Both are normal. Ask which one you’re getting.
- Venue and food. For a hotel dinner or conference this is usually the biggest line. Hotels price packages per head, often with a minimum spend.
- AV and production. Sound, microphones, screens or an LED wall, lighting, stage, and the technicians who run them.
- Décor and branding. Backdrop, stage set, signage, table décor, printed items.
- Programme. Emcee, performers, speakers, games, lucky draw prizes.
- Coverage. Photography, video, livestreaming.
- Guests. Registration, name badges, ushers, transport.
Singapore charges that catch people out
The “++” on hotel and restaurant prices
Hotel and restaurant quotes are often written as “$150++”. The two plus signs are a service charge, usually 10%, and GST at 9%. GST is charged on the price including the service charge, so you pay about 19.9% more than the ++ figure. A $150++ package is $179.85 per head. For 200 guests that gap is almost $6,000, so check whether each line in a quote is before or after the ++.
Minimum spend
Function rooms are often booked against a minimum spend. If your final numbers fall below it, you pay the difference anyway. Confirm the minimum, and the date your guest numbers are locked.
Setup hours and venue rules
Venues set the hours you can build and take down, and many charge for extra hours or early access. Some require their in-house AV, or charge a fee if you bring your own. Get the venue’s event rules before you accept a production quote.
Licences and safety
Some events need approvals, for example a Public Entertainment Licence for certain performances, or fire safety checks for temporary structures. The fees are usually small; the lead time is not. Our guide to event permits and licences in Singapore covers which ones apply.
Changes after vendors are booked
Adding a screen, changing the stage layout or moving the date after vendors are confirmed costs more than getting it right the first time. Read the cancellation terms too, so you know what you’d lose at each stage.
What pushes the total up or down
- Guest numbers. Food, seats, transport and staff all scale with headcount.
- Type of venue. A hotel ballroom comes with tables, chairs, basic sound and a kitchen. An empty or unusual space may cost less to hire but needs all of that brought in.
- Date. Year-end and the weeks around Chinese New Year are the busy season for company dinners, so good dates and vendors go early.
- Production. A lectern, a mic and a projector is a very different bill from an LED wall, a lighting rig and a built stage.
- Lead time. Rush jobs cost more because there’s less choice and less room to negotiate.
- An online audience. Livestreaming adds cameras, a stable internet line and a crew to run it.
How to compare quotes fairly
Most comparisons go wrong because the quotes don’t cover the same things. Before comparing prices, check that:
- They’re for the same guest numbers, date and venue, or show the venue cost separately.
- Every line says whether it’s before or after service charge and GST.
- The fee is shown apart from event costs, or you’re told it’s built in.
- AV is itemised: how many mics, what size screen, how many technicians, for how many hours.
- Staffing is itemised: how many of the company’s people will be on site, and from what time.
- Rehearsal time is included.
- Payment schedule and cancellation terms are in writing.
- Exclusions are in writing.
A quote that looks cheaper often has less in it, not a better price.
Spending less without the event feeling cheaper
- Choose the room for fit, not prestige. A smaller room that’s full feels better than a big one that’s half empty.
- Pick a venue that already has good sound and screens, so you rent less AV.
- Book year-end and Chinese New Year dates early.
- Spend on what guests remember, like the food, a good emcee and one strong moment on stage, and keep the rest simple.
- Design backdrops and signage so they can be reused at the next event.
- Lock guest numbers as late as the venue allows, but know the minimum spend.
Common questions
Is it cheaper to organise it ourselves?
You save the fee, but you take on the planning time, the vendor negotiations and the risk on the day. For a small internal event on a simple venue package, doing it yourself can make sense. Once there’s a stage programme, several vendors, VIPs or more than one venue, that’s where an event company earns its fee.
Do event companies mark up vendor costs?
Some do, and some pass costs through at cost with a higher fee. Neither is wrong. Ask which one a quote uses so you compare like with like.
How early should we start?
The more guests and production, the earlier. For a year-end dinner or a large conference, start with the venue, because everything else depends on the date you can get.
What should we send to get an accurate quote?
Your date or date range, guest numbers, the type of event, any venue you have in mind, what has to happen in the programme, and your budget range. Sharing a budget range isn’t a trap. It lets the company tell you what’s realistic instead of guessing.
Get a quote
Send us your date, guest numbers and the kind of event, and we’ll come back with a quote. Contact us, or see how we run corporate events, dinner and dance and conferences and seminars.