I think we need to talk about requests to “sponsor” property management company events.  If you truly believe your vendors are “partners”, please stop asking them to sponsor your events.  It’s inappropriate and taking advantage of a situation where you have more power.  Let me explain.

When a PM company and supplier enter into a relationship, there is bound to be some sort of discussion about price.  So after some back and forth, we come to an agreement that both parties are happy about.  We shake hands and off to a great relationship.  But then, suddenly we get a request to “sponsor” an event!  A sponsorship is supposed to be a situation where my company pays for exposure to a new audience in the hope of getting new business.  But this scenario is just to give money back to an existing customer, which means all we are doing is giving an additional discount.  And this discount isn’t freely negotiated at the beginning – it’s a strong-arm tactic that implies that if we don’t pay up, then we will lose that client.  That’s not true with all clients, of course, but even the perception of that is detrimental to the idea that we are “partners”. 

And here is the reality:  Existing suppliers who have been in the industry a long time will budget this into their bid.  But new suppliers, those who are trying their best to gain clients will have no idea and be bulldozed by this request for additional discounts after they have already agreed on a price.  So basically this practice hurts younger entrants into this industry even more.

This is not a situation where “it doesn’t hurt to ask”.  It hurts because the person you are asking will feel that they can’t say no, and that is not treating someone respectfully. 

This is not an honest and upfront way to deal with your partners.  Work at the beginning to agree on a price with your suppliers and then honor that price.  Do not go to them after the fact and ask them to subsidize unrelated activities.