Earning commission from venues is what many Event Planners rely on when offering their clients a Free Venue Finding Service. As many of you will know an Event Planner can earn a commission of anything between 5 - 10% on food, beverage and accommodation booked if they take their clients to venues within their portfolio. These commissions are usually pre-arranged between the venue and the planner and often contracts are signed between the two. However, a similar arrangement is not offered to Wedding Planners. Why?

It's a good question. How are wedding planners any different to event planners? They're not. They offer a similar service it is just their clientelle who are different. It does seem though that it is only in Australia that this rule applies. If you are a wedding planner in the UK or US you will receive commissions for taking you client to a venue, so why is it different in Australia? It seems Australia doesn't recognise Wedding Planners as bonefide professionals in the Special Events Industry. What can we do to change this? Well hopefully the industry courses offered at the Academy of Wedding and Event Planning are starting to change this. By having courses that are industry based and written by professionals with many years of experience within Special Events it is starting to raise the profile of wedding planning. The Academy receive more than 10 -12 enquiries  each day about courses in Wedding Planning and how to get into the industry here in Australia, so it is certainly an industry on the up.

Interestingly enough, the Association of Bridal Consultants in the US has just done a deal with Sandals Resort whereby all their members will receive 12% commission for every honeymoon booked at the resort by clients of an ABC member. Personally I think this a very shrewd marketing move from Sandals resort. They recognise that couples are still going to have honeymoons and if they can get more of those honeymoons by offering wedding planners an incentive to recommend Sandals as 'the place to go' to their clients, then what better investment for their marketing dollar. They are paying only on sales made not on the hope of a sale being made. Perhaps we should suggest the same thing to some of our resorts such as Hayman Island and Hamilton Island.

As per usual I would love to know your thoughts so drop us a line and let us know what you think.