Rentals & Vendors – DIY or through Imperia?

How to choose whether to go through Imperia for your Vendor Rentals: Pros and Cons

When You Book Direct through the Vendor:

Pricing

1. You will see the exact same price that Imperia would charge you, PLUS extra delivery fees (see why in “setup access” below).
2. If you choose to pick up and drop off yourselves, factor in the time it takes and the vehicle size needed.

Setup Access

1. Consider if you will need extra time beyond your rental window to set it up or remove it at the end of the night.
   1. Your Imperia rental window includes “guest/event hours” and “setup/teardown windows”.
   2. Example: Guests are welcome at your event from 6pm-10pm.  Your setup window is from 4-6pm and your teardown is from 10-11pm.
2. Deliveries must be dropped off and picked up during your rental window.
   1. Adding hours or setup help may cost you money, if it’s needed.
   2. Additional Pre-Event Setup Hours vary based on day of the week and season, if available.
   3. Imperia can take care of setup with our Tier 3 Coordination.

Quote Communication

1. You will coordinate the rental and logistics directly with the vendor.
2. You will receive a separate deposit and invoice request from the vendor.
3. You will need to coordinate with Imperia to let us know what you’re providing, so that we prepare accordingly.

Reliability & Problem Solving

1. Choosing a vendor that’s not on our preferred list is a-okay!
2. Imperia cannot vouch for the quality of the items or service of any vendors; however, those listed on our preferred list have been vetted and have a positive track record.
3. If something goes wrong or isn’t up to par, you will be responsible for troubleshooting with the vendor during your event.

When Imperia handles the Rental/Vendor Relations:

Pricing

1. Prices listed on our website are based on ever-changing vendor catalogs
2. Once you select the item(s), we will reach out to determine exact availability, options and cost.
3. Imperia will never charge more than the outside vendor would charge you; in many cases, it may be less expensive to let us handle the details due to delivery fees.  Why?  Setup Access.

Setup Access

1. When Imperia rents the items for you, we also set it up and tear it down.  That saves you extra access hours and labor.
2. Rental companies charge delivery fees.  If you need that delivery window to be short and exact (such as within the first half hour of your setup time), you have to pay extra.  For Imperia, if we rent it for you, we can have it delivered anytime, store it, and hold it for the lowest possible delivery fee (that we pass on to you).

Quote Communication

1. We get the quotes for you, present it as part of your overall proposal, and take care of the logistics.
2. We sign the vendor contract and include it in your overall event contract.

Reliability

1. We only rent from vendors we have vetted and trust
2. If something goes wrong, we will do everything in our power to fix it with the vendor, so that you don’t even know there was a snafu.