Freelancers Beware

What to Know Before Taking On Your Next Event Management Client

When "Contractor" Means "No Pay"

A Warning for Freelancers

Event management companies often hire skilled professionals as contractors—not employees—so they can withhold payment or renegotiate invoices after the work is done. That’s exactly what happened to me after six months of high-level marketing delivery: I was told to accept half of what I’d invoiced, or walk away with nothing.

This case study exists to expose that practice; to stop exploiting contractors, and to help other freelancers protect themselves before it’s too late.

For more background about me, or this saga, check out my social media.

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Behind the Brand

I provided high-level marketing services for a mid-sized Australian event management agency that positions itself as a lean, “boutique” alternative to the major players in the events space.

Publicly, the agency projects a bold, fast-paced image. Its brand centres around a high-profile creative director and a vibrant online presence.

But behind the scenes, operations rely almost entirely on external contractors, with only two internal staff and the CEO running the core business.

Negotiation vs Ultimatum

After querying why my final 3 months of invoices remained unpaid, I was told I could either accept 50% of the agreed rate or receive nothing at all.

For reference, their offer took my rate to below the Australian minimum wage.

When I refused, they increased their offer to 75%.

They positioned this reduced payment as a “final offer,” citing “unapproved hours,” though no such objections were ever raised while the work was being done.

Same Story Twice

And it wasn’t the first time.

This was the second time this client had withheld payment for a full three-month period.

The same pattern played out earlier in the engagement: work delivered, invoices submitted, and then weeks of silence and follow-up just to receive what was owed.

That earlier incident should have been a red flag—but I gave them the benefit of the doubt, thinking it was just poor administration.

Shifting Excuses

The reasons for non-payment kept changing.

First, they implied the work wasn’t up to standard—despite never raising concerns and continuing to use everything I delivered.

When that didn’t hold, they claimed my hours weren’t “approved".

But by then, scope creep was constant—often several times a day.

I was meeting with the CEO regularly, often multiple times a week, constantly emailing, and adapting to shifting priorities in real time.

Used, Then Disputed

To formally request written approval for every change would have required several emails a week or each day.

But in hindsight, yes, I should have insisted on stricter documentation.

In reality, I stayed responsive, adapted to the evolving needs, and delivered everything that was asked of me.

The claim that those hours were “unauthorised” is a retroactive justification—not a reflection of how we actually worked.

Shut Out, Work Stolen

I knew there was potential for trouble even before the invoice dispute formally began—when the client locked me out of their SharePoint account.

That SharePoint contained the bulk of my work: strategy documents, content calendars, analytics reports, published content, and a centralised library of creative assets I had personally created.

None of that work had been paid for at the time. The fact that I was denied access to it, with no warning and no explanation, felt like a pre-emptive move to cut me off from my own output—while still using it.

Legal Threats

When it became clear that payment was being withheld again, I restricted admin access to the CRM platform—one I had built, paid for, and hosted entirely through my agency.

To this point, the client had not contributed to the subscription, setup, or implementation, yet demanded full control.

Only after I took that step did their legal team accuse me of criminal behaviour.

I want to be clear: I never misused client data or disclosed private information.

The platform remains intact, the data secure.

I simply acted within my rights. Still, they escalated with legal threats, trying to turn a payment dispute into something criminal.

Repeat Payment Issues

This isn’t the first time it’s happened — and it likely won’t be the last unless we act.

After I shared some professional reflections on LinkedIn about how this payment dispute unfolded, two other contractors privately reached out.

They had worked with the same events company and described nearly identical experiences: invoices submitted in good faith, then partially withheld, followed by pressure to accept a lower negotiated rate.

These weren’t isolated oversights — they were consistent tactics.

When multiple people experience the same pattern of treatment, it points to something bigger than a simple dispute. It suggests systemic exploitation of contractors.

Disclaimer

This account is based solely on my documented professional experience with my last client, including emails, invoices, and project records.

All statements are factual and made in good faith to inform others, in the public interest.

No confidential or personal information has been disclosed in breach of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

Every effort has been made to avoid defamatory statements in accordance with the Defamation Act 2005 (NSW).

This is not legal advice or a smear campaign—simply a firsthand report of events.

Warning to Fellow Freelancers

This experience reinforced a tough but valuable lesson: not every agency that markets itself as agile and creative operates with integrity behind the scenes. Sometimes, what appears as flexibility is simply a lack of process — and that can cost you.

01

Watch for early signs of chaos: shifting requirements, inconsistent comms, and vague deliverables.

02

If you're locked out of shared platforms before being paid, it may be an attempt to keep your work without paying. Secure backups and document everything.

03

Get every change and approval in writing.
Never rely on verbal confirmations for scope or hours. Include clear payment terms with dispute mechanisms.

Help Expose Unfair Practices

Have You Also Been Unfairly Treated?

I'm sharing my story because when contractors deliver in good faith, they should be paid in full—not pressured into accepting reduced rates through legal threats. If you’ve had a similar experience with an event management company, I want to hear from you. Together, we can stop this from happening in silence.

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