Our services
We have experience of all aspects of the creation, organisation and marketing for all kinds of events. From the beginning – the concept and the brief – through every single tiny detail to the end – the closing reports and assessments – your event will be in safe, experienced and creative hands.
We aim to treat everyone – whoever they are, whether delegate, sponsor, exhibitor, speaker, client, Government Minister or Royalty – with VIP status.
Here are some of the things that we do:
Planning, consultancy and development
We are sometimes tightly briefed on creative concepts, at others we assist with their development. Wherever the starting point we’ll provide you with consultancy advice, carefully developed plans and lots of creative thinking. We can help to prepare bid documents, carry out feasibility studies, advise on the best legal status and liability issues, ensure compliance with VAT regulations, and set up detailed plans and systems to deliver a successful event or project.
Delegate management
We never forget that delegates are the lifeblood of every event and always aim to treat them – whoever they are – with a VIP status. All enquiries are treated as sales opportunities (in the gentlest and most subtle way!).
Speaker and programme management
Speakers are usually very busy people and need to be handled sensitively. We will take time to ensure that their needs are met and they in turn provide us with all the information we need to meet deadlines for abstracts, papers and other documentation, and also to ensure that the stage management of the event is as smooth and effective as possible.
Exhibition and sponsorship management
We approach exhibition and sponsorship management from both sides. We aim never to lose sight of the big picture – the overall objective – whilst ensuring that we look after every tiny detail. So we will not be so busy “counting paperclips” that we neglect the all-important sales activity. But neither will we focus only on sales to the detriment of delivery. For many events these are the elements that underpin the revenue. We don’t forget that! We have extensive experience in researching prospects and establishing good working relationships with potential sponsors so that their needs are also met through their involvement.
Financial management
Whether the event is underpinned by corporate financing, or needs to raise all the revenue to cover its costs through delegate fees and sponsorship, we recognise the importance of tight financial management. At the outset of a project we establish the basic principles, budgets and systems, and then work within tight systems to ensure that controls are maintained. We are experienced with all aspects of budgeting, banking, credit control, income generation and management, invoicing, expenditure management and contract management with suppliers.
Administrative management
Time spent on unnecessary administration is time wasted. On the other hand if good administrative systems are not set up then creativity is lost amidst chaos!
Our services include full administrative support, data management, delegate management, registration and liaison, email management, handling information flow between all interested parties in a project, production of lists and schedules as appropriate and the provision of full secretariat facilities.
Destination management
We can provide a full range of destination management services to complement your own projects including the arranging of accommodation, airport transfers, car hire arrangements, meet and greet, interesting partners programmes, restaurant bookings, excursions, cultural events, engaging trained guides, setting up technical visits, tour programmes for before and after the event, and all necessary transport and travel arrangements.
Publicity, PR and marketing services
Our experience includes a very varied range of projects, and this has helped us to develop skills rather broader than the average conference or event organiser.
If your budgets are extensive you will already have advertising and PR agencies in place and we are very happy to work alongside such professionals. However, if your budgets need to be stretched creatively we can assist you with planning and implementing the marketing budget for your event to best effect. We have experience of what works, and it isn’t always the highest budget items!
Our skills and experience include press releases and media management, wider PR and promotional campaigns, designing and implementing mailshots (conventional print and digital media), setting up websites, copywriting, production of brochures, newsletters and other publications, print management and designing telephone follow-up systems that work. These skills are sometimes used by clients outside events.
Publications and gifts
Almost all events include some form of publication, gift or keepsake for participants. Our experience ranges from creative ideas for gifts to the compilation of complex “goody bags” with up to 50 items arriving from all over the world!
Venue and supplier management
Effective relationships with suppliers are key to the success of any event. If the venue lets you down, or the AV technicians call in sick, your event will suffer. Our objective from the outset is to work on your behalf to ensure that all suppliers are appropriate for the task in hand, are fully and clearly briefed, and are able to deliver what is needed on time and to the quality standards required.
Negotiation
Our event management service could include selecting and managing the relationships with the venue, audio-visual co-ordination and production, engaging appropriate entertainment, presentation and staging (designing and implementing decoration and flowers as appropriate), health and safety management, insurance services, planning all logistics, marshalling and traffic control where appropriate, photography, recording the event, security assessment and management, designing and implementing signage, assessing and engaging appropriate staff, all technical services, translation and interpretation.
On-site management
Whether the event is a whizzy product launch, or a serious scientific congress (and we enjoy working on both), good on-site stage management is key to the success of the event. All events are a live performance without a rehearsal, and with some of the participants (e.g. delegates) not realising that they are taking part in a performance!
Our approach is this: before the event we will plan every detail, we will think through every possible consequence, we will anticipate every conceivable variation to our plans. Then, as the event begins, we will “Go Live!” With our detailed planning we will be free to respond creatively to any genuine crisis that occurs. We will offer calm leadership for everyone involved. And we will ensure that humour and enjoyment are experienced by all! In such an environment are messages best assimilated.