How we are protecting you as the client, your project and your funds

Planning, creating and producing an event is no easy task.  Even in ordinary circumstances planning an event(s) is a process that is detailed and highly complex. We fully grasp how stressful the current situation is and we are by your side during this uncertain time; especially when the events industry is being deeply affected. 

First and foremost, we continue to be here to support you with the difficult decisions ahead; whether you have an event in the coming weeks/months or your organisation is trying to decide if or when to reschedule your plans. We recognise and appreciate the need for flexibility and if you decide that your event is to be postponed, or that your event is to be virtual, we’re here to help and support all involved.

The events industry, that so many of us are part of, is suffering. This will have a profound effect on hundreds of thousands of people employed in our sector. However, we are confident that when this worldwide outbreak subsides, live events will grow and be stronger than ever.

We have developed this ‘Cancellation & Postponement Guidance for COVID-19 (Coronavirus)’ as a measure to protect the client, the event/project, our suppliers and ourselves as much as possible in a fair and transparent way. 

Interim payment policy

Once appointed, our common practice is to request an interim payment as detailed in our Terms and Conditions.  Please see below:

A payment made before goods or services have been delivered, or where work in accordance with the contract is in progress, is deemed as an Interim Payment.  On commencement on all projects, we ask for an upfront interim payment of 30%. We require clients to provide a PO number to this effect before work commences. The remaining balance of the overall contractually agreed fee will be invoiced against mutually agreed project milestones being met by us.

This interim payment covers costs including, but not limited to:

• Inception meetings

• Correspondence time

• Possible mileage

• Proposal and budget revisions

• Booking multiple suppliers with associated PO numbers.

• Booking fees for certain suppliers.

• Acquiring any equipment needed for the project.

If an interim payment has not already been made with regards to your project; we now kindly ask for the approval of this 30% payment and request a PO number reflecting that amount.

If Your Event is Cancelled or Postponed

If your organisation decides or is forced to, postpone or completely cancel an event(s) due to unforeseen circumstances, such as the COVID-19 (Coronavirus), the following terms apply:

• All postponements/cancellations must be received in writing from the client and will be deemed to take effect from the date of receipt.
• If an event is postponed or cancelled the initial 30% interim payment will be retained (or invoiced if not already) in lieu of work carried out by us and any potential cancellation fees incurred from suppliers. We will work with each organisation to ensure that any financial losses are minimal due to the postponement/cancellation of the event/s.
• Once we have deducted all completed administration or Project Management costs to date, as well as any potential cancellation fees we may incur from suppliers, any remaining funds from the interim payment will be held on credit for you to use with our business. In the eventuality that completed administration work and cancellation fees amount to more than the 30% interim payment, the client will be informed and invoiced accordingly, ensuring that this is transparent and traceable. 
• Upon request, a full breakdown of the cancellation or postponement fees incurred and the correlating work carried out will be supplied to you.
• If there is a credit remaining from your interim payment, upon request, you will be issued with a credit note via email which may be used to fund any of our services/suppliers within our core business departments. This credit note may be used within 18 months from the date of issue. 
• In the case where your event has been postponed, we will provide a new quotation to the client for completing work on the new agreed date. This may be a smaller-scale event to work within your remaining credit or you may add to the remaining credit to develop a new event approach. 
• If you need to continue to release your funds against the original timeline we are happy to add these amounts to your credit total for future use. 

As an event management company, we have committed time and resources to your event and therefore a cancellation will result in lost income and lost business opportunities in an amount difficult to precisely calculate.  Please be reassured that we want to work with all of our clients and be as flexible as possible. 

Our terms and conditions have been updated to reflect this and can be found here:  www.bnlproductions.co.uk/terms

BNL Insurance Policy

As advised by our insurance brokers, we have included the below clarification which highlights that we cannot make any insurance claims under the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

“If it is related to cancellation in respect of the current coronavirus outbreak, due to the pandemic and sudden nature it would not be specified in the policy as a listed transmittable disease so even if it was part of the policy it would fall foul.

Even in this case the speed and suddenness of the disease would have been questionable, like the ash cloud a couple of years ago this would fall more into the “Act of God” scenario – unimaginable and unprecedented in a generation.”

We thank you for being a loyal client, we are extremely grateful for your support and understanding at this time.