Understanding and Negotiating Contracts With Venues

Signing the venue hire contract is a significant stage in the event planning process as it formalises the agreement with the principal supplier to the event. Venue contracts can be quite lengthy and detailed documents as they cover all aspects of the agreement between the two parties. As well as confirming the hire charges, it will stipulate a number of rules and regulations that will govern the event, and it will outline the penalties for failing to comply with the contract. Much of this is rooted in the venue's plan to ensure that the event complies with relevant legislation and health and safety guidance. This chapter covers the purpose of a venue contract, typical terms and conditions, likely penalties for breaching the contract, plus an overview of venue specific laws and health and safety guidance

'All the World's a Stage' and Sociologists Its Storytellers: Contemporary Sociology and the Art of Telling a Good Story

Sociologists have become "storytellers." This chapter aims to explore the importance of writing in the ways of telling about society. Departing from two iconic books – The Sociological Imagination (Mills, 1959) and Storytelling Sociology (Berger and Quinney, 2004), issues related to "words," "voice," and "audience" emerge as key elements of the story writing/storytelling sociology craft's toolbox. At present, the pressures imposed by fast science and writing in highly competitive teaching and research environments, the growing technological development applied to research, and the expansion of hyper and social media represent new challenges for storytelling sociology. At the end, the chapter argues for the enduring importance of writing in the ways of telling about society, while recognizing the value of time in research: time to listen, write, and tell