Vendor Management
Add AV vendors to your network, manage contacts, and track relationships so you always know who to call when you need to source equipment.
What you'll learn
- ✓Adding vendor companies and contacts to your vendor list
- ✓Categorizing vendors by speciality (Audio, Video, Lighting, Full-Service)
- ✓Tracking relationship notes and past interactions
- ✓Requesting quotes from vendors directly from an event
- ✓Keeping your preferred vendor list organized and up to date
Navigate to Vendors
Click "Vendors" in the sidebar. This is your AV supplier address book — a centralized list of every vendor you've worked with or want to work with. Each vendor card shows the company name, primary contact, speciality, location, and a quick badge indicating whether they are an active, preferred, or new vendor.
Add a new vendor
Click "Add Vendor" and fill in the company details: name, website, city and country, and their AV speciality (Audio, Video, Lighting, Simultaneous Interpretation, Full-Service AV, or Other). Add the primary contact person's name, email, and phone number. You can add multiple contacts per vendor — useful for large suppliers where you deal with different people for sales and technical queries.
Pro tip: Add vendors as you discover them, even before you've worked with them. A broad vendor list gives you more options when sourcing for unusual or high-spec events.
Set vendor status and tags
Assign a status to each vendor: Preferred (vendors you actively recommend or use regularly), Active (vendors you've worked with and would use again), Prospect (vendors you're evaluating), or Inactive (vendors you've stopped working with). Add tags such as "outdoor specialist", "LED walls", or "rigging" to help filter vendors quickly when sourcing for specific event requirements.
Add relationship notes
Click on any vendor to open their detail view. Use the Notes section to log important relationship context: lead times they typically need, minimum order values, preferred communication channels, pricing tendencies, or any past issues to be aware of. Notes are internal only — vendors never see them. They're invaluable when a colleague is sourcing from a vendor you know well.
Pro tip: Note the vendor's typical response time to quote requests. This helps you decide when to reach out based on your event timeline.
Request a quote from a vendor
From any event in your planner dashboard, open the Sourcing tab and click "Request Quote". Select one or more vendors from your list, choose the equipment categories you need them to quote on, set a response deadline, and add any specific notes or technical requirements. CueQuote sends a structured quote request to each selected vendor with the event details and your requirements pre-filled.
Track vendor requests and responses
All outgoing quote requests appear under the Sourcing tab with their status: Sent, Viewed, Responded, or Declined. When a vendor responds with a CueQuote proposal, it appears automatically in your Quote Comparison view. When they respond outside CueQuote (by email or file), you can upload their quote manually and link it to the request so everything stays in one place.
Pro tip: Send requests to at least 2-3 vendors per equipment category. Competition keeps pricing honest and gives you a fallback if your preferred vendor is unavailable.