Your phone rings with another wedding inquiry. The venue coordinator mentions they’re calling because you’re on their preferred vendor list — and suddenly, you’re their first choice over a dozen other event rental companies.
That’s the power of preferred vendor status. It’s not just about getting more leads; it’s about getting the right leads from venues that trust your work and actively recommend your services.
But here’s the thing — getting on a venue’s preferred vendor list isn’t about sending a single email with your brochure attached. It requires strategy, relationship-building, and a clear understanding of what venues actually value in their vendor partnerships.
Let’s break down exactly how to position your event rental business as the obvious choice for venue partnerships.
Step 1: Target the Right Venues for Your Brand
Not every venue is worth pursuing, and trying to get on every preferred vendor list in your area is a recipe for wasted effort. Smart event rental businesses focus their energy on venues that align with their brand, inventory, and business goals.
Start Local and Build Outward
Geography matters more than you might think. Venues love recommending local vendors because it simplifies logistics for their clients — shorter delivery distances mean lower costs and fewer scheduling conflicts. If you’re within 30 minutes of a venue, you’re already ahead of competitors who are an hour away.
Target New Venues First
Here’s an insider secret: established venues with 20+ preferred vendors are nearly impossible to crack. Their lists are full, relationships are solidified, and they have no reason to shake things up.
Instead, focus on venues that opened in the last 2-3 years. They’re still building their vendor network and are much more open to adding quality partners. You’ll face less competition and have a real opportunity to become one of their go-to recommendations.
Match Your Style to Their Aesthetic
A luxury linen company shouldn’t waste time pursuing rustic barn venues, just like a casual party rental business won’t succeed at black-tie country clubs. Study the venue’s Instagram, website, and recent events to understand their typical clients and price points.
Consider whether your inventory aligns: Do your chiavari chairs and farm tables match their rustic aesthetic, or would your ghost chairs and marble cocktail tables better suit their modern elegance?
Ask yourself:
- Do my inventory styles match their typical events?
- Are my price points appropriate for their client base?
- Would my brand enhance their reputation or clash with their image?
Understand Venue Vendor Requirements
Before reaching out, research each venue’s specific requirements. Some venues require $10 million in liability insurance, others have strict load-in protocols, and many have formal preferred vendor application processes.
Red flags to watch for:
- Extremely high insurance requirements that don’t match the venue size
- Complicated load-in procedures that eat into your profit margins
- Poor communication from venue coordinators
- Venues with bad reviews from other vendors
The goal isn’t to get on every list — it’s to get on the right lists where you can build profitable, long-term partnerships.
Step 2: Build Relationships That Open Doors
Getting added to preferred vendor lists is a relationship game, not a transactional exchange. Venues want to work with people they know, trust, and enjoy collaborating with.
Network Strategically
The most effective approaches for connecting with venue coordinators:
Industry events and bridal shows: These aren’t just for meeting brides — venue coordinators attend to scout new vendors and strengthen existing relationships.
Mutual vendor introductions: If you have a great relationship with a wedding planner or photographer who works regularly at your target venue, ask for an introduction. Personal recommendations carry serious weight.
Direct outreach with purpose: Skip generic emails. Instead, reference a specific event you saw on their social media and explain how your inventory would have enhanced that setup.
Styled shoots: Collaborate on styled photoshoots at the venue. This gives you portfolio content while demonstrating your aesthetic alignment with their space.
Lead with Value in Every Interaction
When you do connect with venue coordinators, focus on what you bring to their business:
- Inventory depth: Can you handle large events without needing to subrent?
- Unique offerings: Do you have specialty items that set you apart?
- Service extras: Setup, breakdown, emergency replacements, flexible timing?
- Professional systems: Online ordering, digital contracts, streamlined invoicing?
- Preferred vendor discounts: What incentive can you offer their clients?
Understand Their Perspective
Venue coordinators recommend vendors who make their job easier and their venue look better. They’re not just thinking about price — they’re considering reliability, professionalism, and client satisfaction.
Questions to ask during your initial conversation:
- What challenges do you face with current rental vendors?
- What would make the rental process smoother for your clients?
- How do you typically introduce preferred vendors to couples?
- What’s your process for evaluating new vendor partnerships?
Step 3: Maintain Professional Standards That Keep You on the List
Getting on a preferred vendor list is just the beginning. Staying there requires consistent excellence across every interaction — from your initial quote to final pickup.
Professional Systems Make the Difference
When venues see you using professional rental management software like Goodshuffle Pro, they immediately understand you’re serious about your business. Your professional systems become a selling point because they:
- Provide detailed proposals with item photos and descriptions
- Collect digital signatures and process payments seamlessly
- Track delivery logistics and special requirements
- Maintain clear communication throughout the rental process
- Apply preferred vendor discounts automatically
Venues often work directly with your rental business for their own events, so your professionalism reflects on their reputation.
Exceed Expectations Consistently
Preferred vendor status means you’re representing the venue with every interaction. A single bad experience can cost you that coveted spot, especially with competition constantly knocking on the venue’s door.
Ways to stand out:
- Arrive early for setup and stay late for breakdown if needed
- Bring backup items for high-stakes events
- Communicate proactively about delays or issues
- Train your delivery team on professional client interaction
- Follow up after events to ensure everything went smoothly
Leverage Success for Mutual Benefit
After successful events, create content that benefits both you and the venue:
- Professional event photos with proper vendor credits
- Blog posts or social media features that tag the venue and other vendors
- Client testimonials that mention the venue experience
- Case studies showcasing how your partnership created an amazing event
This type of content provides SEO value and online visibility for you and the venue while strengthening your relationship.
Build Long-Term Venue Partnerships
The most successful party rental businesses don’t just get on preferred vendor lists — they become integral partners in the venue’s success. This means:
Staying current with trends: Venues appreciate vendors who bring fresh ideas and contemporary inventory options.
Flexible partnership terms: Offering seasonal promotions, exclusive discounts, or priority booking for the venue’s clients.
Ongoing communication: Regular check-ins with venue coordinators, not just when you need something.
Mutual referrals: Recommending the venue to clients who are venue shopping.
Remember, preferred vendor relationships are built on trust, reliability, and mutual benefit. Focus on being the rental company that venues can count on, and you’ll find that staying on their list becomes much easier than getting on it in the first place.
The venues that matter most will notice the difference — and so will your bottom line.
This guest post was authored by Anna Braff, lead designer & creator of Provenance Rentals in Inglewood, CA.
Every event pro wants to become a preferred vendor of a venue because it opens doors to new opportunities and steadier income for your event rental business. This coveted spot doesn’t come automatically, nor is it guaranteed you’ll stay there once you’ve got it. Your party rental company will need to put in the time to build the relationship and add value to them in order to stay on year after year. Venues love working with vendors who make it easy to do so. Goodshuffle Pro can do that for you!
Unlock new opportunities for your events company by becoming a preferred vendor:
- Research potential venues and focus your search.
- Network and outreach to become a venue’s preferred vendor.
- Maintain professionalism between your company and the venue.
Let’s dive into some more detail below.
Step 1: Do Your Research
The first step is learning which venues you should go after. You will mainly want to target venues that would be a good fit with your brand. Through online research, cold-calling, and other outreach, you will have a wide variety of venues to look at. You will likely have better luck with venues that match your party rental business’ style, prices, and inventory. See the below list for ways to narrow down your search.
Focus on local venues
Being local helps since you can likely cut down on delivery costs for their clients. If you are close by, those venues will likely not look much further if they know you can do a great job and make them look good.
Find new venues that may not have a preferred vendor list yet
For some established venues it may be nearly impossible for you to get on their preferred vendors list. Rather than waste effort in this direction, shift your focus to newer venues. They will likely be more open to adding you on their list if you take the time to visit and connect with them.
Search for venues that match your brand’s style
Not all venues are created equally. Some may just not be ideal for your brand’s inventory. If you are more high-end or luxury, you will want to work at venues that reflect your style. If you are more middle of the road, find the venues where it is more cocktail attire, and less black tie. For more affordable rentals, you may be targeting smaller places, even some restaurants. For niche specialties, like kids’ parties, you will need to find spaces that cater to children. There can be crossovers for all of these venues, but aim to target first.
Seek out venues with easy access, less red tape, and great communication
You may have worked some at venues where load-in and load-out are difficult, the onsite coordinator has less than stellar communication, you are required to have $10M insurance policies, or where there is some other large burden for you and your staff. These places may not be worth it. Weigh the pros and cons — if you decide a venue isn’t worth it, refocus your efforts on the good fits.
Learn More About Goodshuffle Pro
Book a demo to see our event business software in action.
Step 2: Network & Outreach
Now that you have crafted your list, make the effort to reach out. It may be through:
- Networking events
- Direct phone calls or emails to a venue coordinator
- Asking a mutual vendor friend for an introduction
- You’ve already worked there and you follow up to say thank you
- Plan or be part of a styled shoot at their venue
Whatever it is you do, you need to put in the time. They likely won’t just add you without putting a face to the business name. It can happen, but it’s rare. You should always ask for a tour where you can bring business cards, talk about your business, and ask them important questions about theirs. Venues will want some value added for their customer base by adding you.
Think about it. Does your party rental business:
- Offer an array of merchandise
- Have high-quality inventory
- Have a niche or a unique style
- Offer cost-effective products
- Provide any discounts to customers
- Offer multiple services like set-up, late night pick-up, installation, and more
Whatever it is, you will need to talk up all the wonderful things you can do for their clients.
And on the flip side, once you’ve worked at the dream venue, be sure to blog professional photos and a narrative (with links to the venue and other vendors involved!). Always send it to your points-of-contact so they see it, read it, and think of you. This is something that we try to do to strengthen our relationships by giving them some SEO (search engine optimization).
Step 3: Maintain Professionalism
Once you are on their preferred vendor list be sure to say thank you, and always do a good job. You must maintain professionalism throughout the course of the relationship. This means you, the owner, and your staff that represents you.
For instance, when the venue sees you use a professional inventory management system and invoicing for their clients, they will learn how easy it is to work with you. Sometimes even venues work directly with your event rental business and you won’t even know their client.
When you have professional rental management software like Goodshuffle Pro, the vendor can see how easy the process is for their clients since it:
- Collects signatures online
- Accepts online payments
- Offers the ability to see each item with thumbnail photos in the invoice (along with the dimensions, quantities, and detailed descriptions)
- Notates delivery and logistics costs and details like time, location, and any other notes Reflects any courtesy discounts you provide for being on the preferred vendor list
Make sure to either send thank you notes or emails when someone does add you to their list. However, even once you’re on it, the work doesn’t stop. You need to maintain your spot on the preferred vendor list. If the venue discovers you have been rude, careless, unprofessional, or worse with their clients, you can kiss that spot goodbye. With competition creeping up on the daily, you cannot afford to rest on your laurels. Strive for greatness and go above and beyond. You worked hard to get there, so don’t lose your spot.
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