Anyone shooting in Maui? BEWARE OF THIS VENUE

Pretty awful business policies. I hope every photog on the island avoids this place like the plague.

https://petapixel.com …s-over-photographers-say/

I guess I would put in packages: For Haiku Mill: Add 20% to cost of photography, plus $500 and $50/hour for venue fees. I wouldn't play their games.

That's insane...

If it's a popular venue, then they'll charge whatever they want vendors to pay. I used to be a D.J., and some UK venues only allowed their own "Resident" DJ or DJ's if they had more than one function suite. Or they might have one agency supply all the DJ's and artistes who would pay the agency a cut. If the DJ let them down (very common for a DJ to take a booking elswhere for more $$$$/££££ and farm out to an unknown inferior DJ) then they're guaranteed a quality replacement from the agency. Same with food. Many venues insisted on doing the catering themselves, either to charge above going rate, or to protect quality of food and venues reputation. Nothing like people saying they wouldn't use a venue because the venue supplied entertainment or food was terrible to put people off booking that venue. It goes on a lot, but this is going way beyond that. No venue I knew of was that bad. No DJ would let a venue say certain music was not to be played, unless you were booked, for example, for a 60's night, or a soul event. If you hired Martha Reeves for a night, you wouldn't want your DJ playing rock music. It's usually agents who get the fee. However, when you get these exclusive venues, and this location sounds like one, the venue gets a cut from vendors as well. It's usually "We bring in the suppliers, you can't bring your own in, and it's perfectly legal in the UK to do so. Probably in America too. That's not to say it's ethical, it's not, but it's business. The type of people that book these venues can afford not to skimp on things, and will pay what they are asked. Prestige venues, for DJ's, caterers, photographers, etc go a long way. Portfolios or websites featuring regular work at these exclusive venues are a great selling point for other work too. It's been said a lot by people throwing parties how they're thrilled to have the DJ from a posh hotel at their party in the local social club.