Event contracts

Venue Rental Agreements are not difficult to make using our document builder. These agreements are critical to have since they help protect your property and business. While you only need to fill in a bit of information to make an Event Venue Contract, there are a few things to consider before making your contract.

Tips for making an Event Venue Contract:

Event space rental time

When considering how long the event space will be rented, don't forget to include setup and cleanup time. Also, make note of times someone may have to be there for accepting deliveries or to allow caterers on to the property. Include the extra time in your rental agreement and be aware that most clients will need more time than they think they will.

Rental rate and fees
You will need to create a rental schedule. For example, you may charge in four, eight, or 24-hour blocks. You may charge high rates for "seasonal" rentals. You will need to decide what you might charge if they go over their agreed-upon time. Late fees and interest rates should be included in the contract as well.

Insurance requirements

In general, you should require that your customer provide their own event insurance with you or your company named as "additionally insured." Most policies start at one million per incident. You can ask for more if needed. If alcohol will be served, you should require alcohol indemnification insurance as well. Require that your client provide proof of this insurance.

Cancellation policy

You'll need to think about your cancellation policies, such as how much notice they need to give you to cancel an event and how much you will charge them. You can also have different policies for different times of the year. For example, you can choose to charge higher cancellation fees during high-demand times of the year.

If you are planning a large event, you will likely be required to obtain a special events permit from the local government. To obtain a special events permit, you will most often need to request a permit from the city where the event will be held. There is often a small fee charged when you submit your application. Many cities now support online applications. If you are granted the permit, you may also be required to obtain event insurance, pay local police for security, the city for road barriers, and more. Events that may require permits include outdoor concerts, triathlons or bike races, marketing events, protests, parades, weddings on public property, or outdoor markets.

Many cities, event organizers, and venue spaces charge for vendor space during special events. How much you can charge depends on what kind of event it is, the date and time of the event, how many people will attend, who attends the event, and predicted sales volume. You may also vary costs due to space rented and power requirements. Generally, space at a local event, such as a farmer's market or an art fair, will cost less than vendor space at a large convention.

Small non-profit or fundraiser event: $30-$100

Often, no fee is required, or only a small fee is charged for local church rummage sales, swap meets, school fundraisers, or non-profit benefits. But you may be able to charge a small fee for use of the space, power, and the opportunity for the vendor to sell their product to your patrons.

Small, local event: $200-$400

On average, vendor space for small, local events are not pricy. Some choose to also charge a percent of the sales as well. Local taxes may also apply. Use our Concession Agreements if you need a contract for vendors selling at your event.

Large special events, conferences, or expos: $1000+

Depending on the event, you may be able to charge a large fee. Space is often sold by the square foot. Sometimes vendor space is sold as a "sponsorship." Often these events are not about selling product then-and-there but about marketing and gathering sales leads, rather than direct sales.