When we think about organising events, we usually start immediately with what we consider to be the most important thing: where we will do it and what we will do. In other words, the "where" and the "what".
Whether it's a wedding, a gathering of friends, a company meeting or a cocktail party for clients, the first thing to do is to decide which location we will choose, which can be an event space or a hotel/accommodation especially if we are going to stay for at least one night.
Then we usually focus on solving the issue of what kind of services we are going to offer, especially in terms of food and drink, so we will get down to work to choose the menu on duty, the dessert, the wines, the special dishes for vegetarians and allergy sufferers, etc.
But we often forget or do not give enough importance to a vital part of the events, which is none other than the transport of the guests, that is, the "how". It is very common for those attending an event to arrive at the destination by their own means (plane, train, road...), but the organiser has to take care of the logistics of getting them to the specific location of the event, usually by road and in groups.
This is where the so-called "Discretionary Transport Companies" come into play, which are so necessary to guarantee the success of an event or meeting of people. In Spain we have a wide range of large transport companies, from taxis and chauffeur-driven cars (VTC) to large coaches with more than 60 seats, depending on the number of passengers to be transferred.
When hiring one of these transport companies, we recommend that you do so through a professional event agency, especially for medium/large groups, as the logistics can be, and in fact almost always are, far more complex than they seem. However, if the organizer of the shift is already experienced and confident in dealing directly with a transport company, in our portal www.EVENTPLANNERSPAIN.com these professionals have their own category.
From airport or train station pick-ups to transfers from a hotel to a winery or a conference centre, vehicle reservation and coordination is key. As an organiser, it is very important that the transport company tells us from the beginning who will be our contact person, ideally just one, so that we can pass on to them, as "mascadito" as possible, all the relevant information, especially when it comes to airport transfers: name of the passengers, flight numbers, city of destination of the flight, time of arrival, telephone numbers of the passengers, etc.
Once this has been done, we should always ask the company for a list of all the transfer services booked, so that we can check it and make sure that no one will be left on the ground. On the day of the service, the transport company will be obliged to give us the list of drivers with their contact numbers, so that we can inform them of any changes that may occur and of which we, as the organisers of the event, must always be aware: flight cancellations, last-minute increases or decreases in passengers, last minute changes to plans, etc.
And of course, we must demand quality in accordance with what we expect, i.e. vehicles in good condition and performance and uniformed, helpful drivers, as well as compliance with the agreed services (use of toll road if applicable, child/baby seats, complimentary drink on board, etc).
In short, in this article we break a lance in favour of the passenger transport companies and we remind you that an excellent and fast communication between the event organizer and the person in charge of the transport will be vital for our event to go "on wheels".
And you can always take a look at our "Tips" page
Event Planner Spain
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