Event vendor tracker: quotes, deposits and day-of contacts

To track event vendors in Microsoft 365, build two lists in Microsoft Lists or SharePoint: an Events list with one row per event, and a Vendors list with one row per vendor per event, tied together by a lookup column. The Vendors list holds the quote, the deposit due date, whether the deposit is paid, the load-in time and a business contact for the day. Two views do most of the work: one that shows unpaid deposits by due date, and one that groups vendors by event.

Exact names may differ on your screen.

Why vendor details in sheets and email go wrong

Event vendors arrive from several places. A caterer sends a quote by email. A rental company sends a PDF. A band confirms by text. By the week of the event, the facts are spread over a sheet, an inbox and a phone.

The same problems come back each time:

Nobody can say in one look which vendors are booked and which are still only quotes.
A deposit due date passes because it was written in an email and not in a list.
Load-in times sit in five threads, so the venue gets different answers.
On the day, the person who needs a vendor contact is scrolling through messages.
Next year's event starts from zero, because last year's details are in last year's sheet.

The fix is one place where each vendor has one row, and the dates that matter are in columns you can sort.

What you are building

An Events list. One row per event.
A Vendors list. One row per vendor per event.
A lookup column that links each vendor to its event.
A view of unpaid deposits, sorted by due date.
A view that groups vendors by event and shows totals.
An optional weekly email that lists unpaid deposits.

This guide is about money due and times on the day. For a tracker of hours that people give, see "A volunteer hours tracker in SharePoint for a nonprofit". For a schedule of jobs and dates, see "A volunteer schedule for a church or club in SharePoint". To move from a spreadsheet, see "Replace a spreadsheet tracker with a SharePoint list". This guide does not repeat those basics.

Step 1. Create the Events list

Microsoft's page on creating a list shows how to start from a blank list. Create a list named "Events".

Use the Title column for the event name, such as "Spring fundraiser". You can rename the column to "Event" in the column settings.
Add a Date and time column named "Event date".
Add a Choice column named "Status" with numbered choices:
- 1 Planning
- 2 Booked
- 3 Done
- 4 Cancelled

Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: keep the number at the front so the choices read in your order.

Microsoft's page on creating a column lists the column types you can add. Exact names may differ in your version.

Step 2. Create the Vendors list

Create a second list named "Vendors" and add these columns.

Title: use it for the vendor's business name, such as "Main Street Catering". Or rename it to "Vendor".
Event: a Lookup column. Point it at the Events list and show the Title column (the event name). Microsoft's lookup page says to select Add column, then Lookup, pick the source list, and pick the column to show.
Type: a Choice column with numbered choices, for example 1 Food, 2 Rentals, 3 Music, 4 Decor, 5 Other.
Quote amount: a Currency column. Microsoft's lookup page names Currency as a column type, so it exists in SharePoint. If you prefer, a Number column also works.
Deposit due date: a Date column, date only.
Deposit paid: a Choice column with two choices: 1 No and 2 Yes. Set the default to 1 No. Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: use a Choice here, in place of Yes/No, so the words are exact when you filter and when a flow reads them.
Load-in time: a Date and time column. Microsoft's lookup page lists date and time as a column type. Use the date and the time together, so a vendor who arrives the day before is correct too.
Day-of contact: Single line of text. See the privacy section below for what to put here.
Status: a Choice column with numbered choices:
- 1 Quote asked
- 2 Quote received
- 3 Booked
- 4 Confirmed for load-in
- 5 Dropped
Set the default to 1 Quote asked.
Insurance certificate: a Choice column, 1 Not received and 2 Received, plus an Insurance expires Date column. Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: keep the certificate itself as an attachment on the row. Microsoft's page on list items gives the steps: Add attachments on the New item form, pick the file, then Open. Microsoft also says no Add attachments button means the list does not support attachments, and that grid view cannot attach files. The same attachment works for a signed contract. For a fuller insurance tracker, see "A certificate of insurance tracker in SharePoint".

Copy this column set for the Vendors list:

Title | Single line of text | the vendor's business name

Event | Lookup | points to the Events list, shows Title

Type | Choice | 1 Food, 2 Rentals, 3 Music, 4 Decor, 5 Other

Quote amount | Currency | the quote

Deposit due date | Date and time, date only | the deposit deadline

Deposit paid | Choice | 1 No, 2 Yes; default 1 No

Load-in time | Date and time | date and time together

Day-of contact | Single line of text | a business contact only

Status | Choice | 1 Quote asked to 5 Dropped; default 1 Quote asked

Insurance certificate | Choice | 1 Not received, 2 Received

Insurance expires | Date and time, date only | optional

Microsoft's Create a list page says templates are pre-defined options that have columns already defined, and that you can also start from an Excel file or from scratch. The column set above is the starting template for a vendor list: create a blank list and add each column.

Keep the same site for both lists. Microsoft says lookup columns should be created and used within the same site. It also says the column you show from the source list must be a supported type. It lists single line of text, number, date and time, and lookup (single value) as supported, and choice, calculated, person, Yes/No and currency among the types that are not supported. Title is single line of text, so showing the event name from Title works.

If the Event column shows blank or too few fields later, see "SharePoint lookup column shows blank or too few fields".

Step 3. Enter the vendors

Add one row for each vendor and event. Fill in what you know and leave the rest blank. For several events, add one Events row per event and pick the right Event in each vendor row; the "By event" view then groups them. A vendor who has sent only a quote has a Status of 1 Quote asked or 2 Quote received, a quote amount, and maybe no deposit date yet.

One way to start: add the vendors for your next event only. A short list is easier to check than a full year.

If you have a sheet today, you can bring it in. See "Import an Excel file into an existing SharePoint list".

Step 4. Build the unpaid deposits view

This is the view to open first.

In the Vendors list, create a new view named "Unpaid deposits".
Sort by Deposit due date, oldest first.
Filter Deposit paid to equal 1 No. A filter that uses "equals" with a Choice value works from the column header.

To see only deposits that are already late, add a second filter: Deposit due date is less than [Today]. Microsoft says the [Today] and [Me] keywords work only in the classic view editor, and that they cannot be used when you filter from a column header. Open the view, choose Edit current view, then scroll to Filters.

Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: use the classic view editor for blank and "is not equal to" filters too. So to hide dropped vendors, you can add a filter of Status is not equal to 5 Dropped in the same place.

A calculated column cannot use today's date, because SharePoint blocks [Today] in formulas. This is why the late check lives in a view filter and not in a column.

Step 5. Build the view by event with totals

Microsoft's page on views says a view can group items by a column and can show totals, such as count, average, maximum and minimum.

Create a new view named "By event".
Group by: Event. Then by Type if you want a second level.
Totals: for Quote amount, pick Sum if it is offered. Pick Count to see how many quotes an event has.
Save the view.

For a Number or Currency column, open Totals in the classic view editor and look for Sum. If Sum is not offered, use the Excel export.

Excel export, for a sum: Microsoft's page on exporting says to make sure no items are selected, then open Export on the command bar and choose Export to Excel. In Excel, a SUM or a PivotTable gives you the total of Quote amount for each event. The page says the data has a one-way connection to the list. Changes you make in Excel are not sent back to the list.

A note on size: Microsoft says the maximum number of items in a view is 5,000.

Step 6. Add a weekly email for unpaid deposits (optional)

A scheduled Power Automate flow can send you the unpaid deposits once a week. This is optional.

Sign in to Power Automate. Select My flows, then the Cloud flows tab, then Create from blank.
Add the Recurrence trigger. Set Interval to 1 and Frequency to Week. Enter a Start time in the format YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ, where Z means UTC, and pick a Time zone.
Add the SharePoint action Get items. Pick your site and the Vendors list.
In Advanced options, set Filter Query to: Deposit_x0020_paid eq '1 No'. Microsoft's Get items page says spaces in a column name are replaced with _x0020_ in these queries. The text in quotes must match the choice exactly, including the number.
In the same place, set Top Count. Microsoft says the default item limit is 100 and that you can raise it up to the list view threshold of 5,000. Microsoft also says to turn on Pagination in the action settings for lists with more than 5,000 items. Set Top Count so you know what the flow reads.
Add the Office 365 Outlook action Send an email (V2) and put yourself in the To field. Put the vendor names in the body.

This is the same pattern as "Send a reminder before a due date in a SharePoint list". This flow lists every unpaid deposit. It does not know which are late. To limit it, you can add a date test to the Filter Query. Microsoft's Get items page shows a date example that uses formatDateTime and utcNow. Test it with a few rows before you rely on it.

Privacy: day-of contacts and who sees what

Keep the Day-of contact column to a vendor's business contact. That means a business name, a role or a business line, for example "Dispatch desk" or "Site manager". Do not store a private cell number, a home address or any personal note about a person. Less data means less to protect.

A view is not security. A view only changes what is shown on screen. Anyone with access to the list can open another view and see every row, including quotes. Microsoft's page on sharing and permissions says that giving people permissions to a site gives them access to all site content. So if volunteers or helpers should see load-in times but not quotes, do not rely on a view. Put the lists on a site with a small membership, or ask your admin about unique permissions. See "Keep one column private (like pay or notes) in a shared list".

What to avoid

Do not leave Get items on its defaults. It returns only 100 rows. Set Top Count and turn on Pagination.
Do not use a calculated column with today's date. SharePoint blocks [Today] in formulas.
Do not type free text for Status or Deposit paid. Use a Choice so that words match when you filter.
Do not store private phone numbers or personal notes in the contact column.
Do not rely on a view to hide quotes. Views are not security.
Do not delete last year's vendors. Mark the event Done and keep the rows, so next year starts with real names and real times.
Do not treat this list as a contract. It records what you were told. Keep the signed paperwork where your organization keeps it.

Honest limits

This setup records facts that you type. It does not check that a deposit really arrived or that a vendor really agreed to a time. If Sum is not offered for your column, the Excel export is the backup way to get a total. It does not send reminders to vendors. And it does not replace a signed agreement. If your team handles several events at once, or needs approvals on spending, the design may need more columns or a second list.

When to get help

You can build all of this yourself in Microsoft 365. If you would rather have it built and tested for your team, I do that. A tracker like this is a fixed price: $5,000 for one, built in 2 weeks. See "What a SharePoint tracker costs to build". Bring one example of the problem to a free call.

Tell me what's still manual

I am Al Davies. I run 250 High Street LLC and build SharePoint trackers and Power Automate flows for operations teams. I work remotely. The first call is free, and I will not try to sell you anything.

See trackers I built: Tools I built

FAQ

Is there an event vendor list template?

Microsoft says templates are pre-defined options with columns already defined, and a list can also start from an Excel file. The column set in Step 2 is the starting template for a vendor list.

Which columns does an event vendor list need?

Vendor, Event, Type, Quote amount, Deposit due date, Deposit paid, Load-in time, Day-of contact and Status, as listed in Step 2.

How do I track vendors across several events?

Add one Events row per event and pick the Event in each vendor row, then use the By event view to group the vendors.

How do I track vendor contracts and insurance certificates?

Use the Insurance certificate and Insurance expires columns, and attach the file to the row with Add attachments.

Why does my [Today] filter not work from the column header?

Microsoft says it is not possible to use the [Today] or [Me] filters when filtering from a column header. Use the classic view editor: Edit current view, then Filters.