A reference list and a polished deck are not enough. Ten concrete criteria that show whether an events agency is genuinely competent.
The two things most often examined when choosing a corporate events agency are the reference list and the quality of the deck. Both are easy to produce and say little about the agency's real competence.
The ten criteria below, asked in the pre-contract conversation, reveal an agency's operational maturity directly. How clearly they answer says more than the content of the answer.
1. Insurance cover and liability
Ask: "Which insurance policies cover this event? What are the scope and limits? Can we see a copy of the policy?"
A competent agency answers with the policy document. A general "of course we're insured" is not enough. In higher-risk activities in particular (watersports, motorsports, anything at height), scope and limits should be confirmed in writing.
Red flag: Avoiding sharing the policy, or pushing liability entirely onto the venue.
2. Medical cover on site
Ask: "Will there be medical personnel on site on the day? What is the ambulance plan? How far is the nearest hospital?"
Medical personnel on site should be standard at any event involving physical activity. An agency caught unprepared by this question has not run enough events of this kind.
3. Contingency plans and cancellation terms
Ask: "What happens if the weather is unsuitable? Is there a backup date? On cancellation, which lines are refunded?"
This must be asked before the contract is signed and the answer written into it. It is the most common source of dispute in outdoor events.
A clear agency says: "We decide X hours in advance, on these criteria; on cancellation these lines are refunded and these are not; the backup date is this."
4. The quality of instructors and the operations team
Ask: "Are the instructors in-house or freelance? What certifications do they hold? How long have they worked in this discipline?"
In technical disciplines (sailing, diving, climbing, motorsports) instructor certification is non-negotiable. In wellness programmes, experience with corporate groups matters as much as certification — teaching individuals and managing a mixed office group of 25 are different skills.
5. Capacity at your headcount — with a real reference
Ask: "When did you last run an event at our size (X people)? In what format?"
An agency that is good with 30 people can struggle with 200, and the reverse is equally true. What matters is not the big brands on the reference list but experience at your scale. Look at: Is the quote itemised, or a single total? A transparent quote shows these lines separately: A single-figure quote cannot be compared or negotiated. What the quote does not include should also be written out explicitly — items appearing later are the most common cause of dispute. Ask: "What happens to the price if the headcount drops from 40 to 30? If it rises to 55?" This reveals two things: whether the agency genuinely understands its own cost structure, and whether it distinguishes fixed from variable lines. The right answer has this shape: "These lines are fixed, these vary per head, our minimum headcount is X, and the final notification date is Y." Ask: "We have employees with physical limitations or low fitness. What will they do?" This is the question that reveals an agency's maturity fastest. Ask: "Who will be on site on the day? Who do we contact if something goes wrong? What information goes to participants beforehand?" A significant share of the problems at corporate events are not organisational failures but communication gaps: participants do not know what to wear, the meeting point is unclear, the programme was never shared. A competent agency drafts the participant briefing itself and presents it to you before the event. Ask the reference: "Did anything unexpected go wrong during the event? How was it resolved?" This is the most valuable question in a reference call. "Were you satisfied?" almost always gets a yes and produces no information. What you actually want to know is not how the agency behaves when everything runs smoothly but how it behaves when something goes wrong. Something goes wrong at every event; the difference is in how it is handled. Price differences between event quotes usually hide in three lines: insurance, medical cover and the contingency plan. A quote that excludes all three is naturally cheaper than one that includes them. When comparing quotes, make sure these three appear in both. Otherwise you are not comparing price but comparing risk — and the cost of that risk far exceeds the amount saved.6. Transparency of the quote
7. How the price behaves when headcount changes
8. Approach to inclusion
9. Communication plan before and during the day
10. Checking references — with the right question
Quick checklist
Criterion Ask for evidence? Insurance cover Yes — a copy of the policy Medical cover on site Yes — write it into the contract Contingency and cancellation Yes — write it into the contract Instructor certification Yes — mandatory in technical disciplines Experience at your scale Yes — an example at your headcount Itemised quote Yes — including exclusions Headcount flexibility Yes — fixed vs variable in writing Inclusion plan Yes — alternative roles defined Communication plan Yes — the participant briefing Reference check Yes — with the problem-handling question A closing note: why the cheapest quote can be the most expensive
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