The customer is always right...or are they?

I’m currently sat on the Brussels to Ebbsfleet Eurostar returning from organising a successful pan-European conference forum.  Whilst pleased with the events outcome I’m only just calming down from, and starting to actually believe, the ‘customer service’ on offer at a prestigious (and expensive) 4 star Brussels Hotel.

To put it politely they had a ‘different’ approach to customer service than most hotels and venues I have had the pleasure of working in.  This property appeared to start with a strange idea of “the client is always wrong...!”  We asked for a room to be changed round – after being told by our client – an hour and a half before anything else was happening.  Most venues, whilst perhaps thinking ‘no,’ would oblige – mainly because we are the paying client.  This hotel not only refused but then in the middle of our event registration started to aggressively confront my colleague and I suggesting that we were being out of order for daring to change from the agreed function sheet.  To say we were not amused is probably an understatement

I have had several experiences of venues where the junior staff (those getting paid the least) have been rude and unhelpful but the management have been great.  Never have I experienced it the opposite way round.  The ground staff were usually happy to help but were instructed by the management that they couldn’t.  It’s hard to describe in words – that are printable – exactly how unbelievably bad their service was.  If it had happened just the once it would not have made such a lasting impression but it happened on a number of occasions, with the venue even stating that we are very unorganised...for asking for 4* (yes four) additional round tables in our main room.

* The request was made 45 minutes prior to the session – plenty of time; after moaning at us for 25 minutes they then had to rush making themselves more stressed.  It’s just madness

Their manner and attitude towards us would have made an inexperienced eye think that they were the client and we were the hotel, not the other way round.  The fact that we had a 300 person event taking all of their rooms (bar 4 20person rooms) seemed to matter little, if at all, to them.  We pointed out we were paying them around €45,000 to use their property – this didn’t even seem to register as a worthwhile point in their strange little heads.

Rant aside...the whole experience has made me think about the difference between running events in the UK and Europe.  Having organised over 10 European events my thoughts were that there was no difference.  Style of rooms, food, etc changed but the general ‘client is always right**’ view seemed to exist across the continent.  I presumed Brussels – a congress focused city – would be the same, if not better.  My initial reaction is the opposite.  Perhaps it is just the hotel we used, as they are an independently owned property rather than part of a chain, but I am now eager to run our second Brussels based event so I can compare. 

** The client is not always right...but their ideas and requests are the most important

I am shocked and surprised at the lack of service.  If a venue disagrees with me or my teams approach that is fine if it is dealt with in a professional manner.  When the venue’s management staff openly start to berate us – the client – in full view of all attending the event I have a major issue (which was expressed).  When the venue’s senior management have to apologise for their staff on day 2 of 3 you’d think it would improve...not get worse!  I can safely say I will never use that venue again (which facilities wise is a shame, as the main room was fantastic) and unfortunately it has put a dampener on a great event.

Oh well, we’re back in the UK now, land of the fantastically friendly customer service...!

www.connectevents.co.uk

Gary Speed - a legend in life and sport

I tried to write this blog yesterday...couldn't; my thoughts would not fall into place - it is strange how hard the death of someone you don't really know can impact you so much.  Gary Speed's tragic passing yesterday was not met with the usual standard sorrow but with almost nationwide upset, numbness and a sense of loss.

That is a sign of the man.  When you see the reaction from those in the game, other celebrities and supporters it is clear the loss of Gary Speed will be felt for a long time.  He was, by all accounts, a top professional, player and more importantly person.  His ability as a player seemed to be transferring to management with Wales improving rapidly during his tenure.

The fact that we are talking about Gary Speed in the past tense does not make sense and everything I seem to do since hearing that news reverts back to thoughts of him and the sadness his passing will cause.

Sadly with the media in the UK the focus will soon turn to how and why.  That is not, other than for the direct family and friends, important.  What is important is to focus on his achievements as a person and the memories that he has created - these can never be removed.

As a Newcastle fan I hold a special place in the my heart for Gary Speed.  He was, as Sir Bob coined, a 'blue-chip' player; someone the club - both on and off the field - could rely on.  Alongside Rob Lee he is my all time favourite Newcastle player; it's no coincidence that after we sold him our form started to worsen.  I saw him as a future manager of Newcastle and it saddens me greatly that we will never even get to discuss this as an option

His death has hit the football - and wider - world hard but our grief can be nothing in comparison to what his family must be going through.  I hope and pray that they find the strength to move on from this.

Football is all encompassing in the UK; almost everything we do has some link to the sport - work conversations, pub discussions, TV viewing, etc.  The emotion we put into the game suggests it is important...the events of this weekend confirm that it is not.  Shankly may have been a legend but he could not be more wrong when stating football "is not a matter of life & death...it is more important than that"

RIP Gary Speed - you will be missed

Work Travel...Friend or Foe

Whilst sitting at dinner during an International security networking reception I started chatting to a senior security person within a major organisation (Microsoft).  Given my role in event operations and his in delivering expertise in IT related security to a worldwide audience we had limited similar conversational points.  These included:
- Sport
- Exercise
- Love of beer

After these had been exhausted the conversation gradually headed back towards the realms of work.  As mentioned, there is little in common here...however he is a regular visitor to a number of events across the globe.

Other than discussing what makes an event work (an MS sized budget helps it seems) we spent a lot of time musing over the idea of travel through work.  I thought I travelled a fair amount...I don't, well not in comparison to this particular MS employee.  The fact that he had over 4 days at home (UK) was a shock to him

Recent trips have included Vegas, Sydney and Prague (had to mention that given that was our event).  He's seen some great sights, got to engage in some different cultures - all on the works penny (well majority anyway).  Sounds great...doesn't it?!

Other than a long term girlfriend I have no commitments to speak of at home and yet I find the periods where I constantly have to pack / unpack and live out of various hotels across Europe monotonous and not all that enjoyable.  Yes it beats commuting every day to the same office but at least with that you get to come home in the evening and see those that matter, be it friends, family or otherwise.  I can't imagine how hard it would be to leave family behind when embarking on these trips.

Travel with work is part and parcel of a number of jobs and is especially true of the events industry.  It has major perks (mainly you get to 'see' places you wouldn't necessarily get to and with no / little cost to yourself) and on the most part it is a great aspect of the job.  However I tend to only think that when it is one 3/4 day trip in a 6/8 week period; when it's up to a handful in that period the 'great' and 'fun' aspects suddenly diminsh. 

I'm not moaning - a lot of people in a lot of jobs would love to get the opportunity to travel through work - I'm simply stating that it's not quite as glamorous or exciting as it may appear from the outside. 

I love events, I enjoy travelling but my preference - where possible - would be to back in blighty wherever possible.  Is work travel a friend or foe...well to me it's neither / both, depending on my mood (yes I am sitting on the fence).

I'll let you guess what the Microsoft individual thought...

Are we too reliant on technology...?

A confession - I'm only writing this latest blog because my email server has crashed...again...and I got to thinking (yes I appreciate that sounds like something out of Sex & the City) about how much we rely on technology.

The answer is a lot - in fact that doesn't do it our level of reliance justice.  Imagine for a second that you have no email, no internet, no mobile phone - in fact no modern technology at all - all you have is a fax machine and landline telephone...would you be able to cope and more importantly provide the level of service your clients and business require?!

The simple answer for Connect is no.  Not because we are not able to speak by phone to people but the fact is that business today is designed to be run remotely, on the move and instantly - all these require modern technology.  You take it away and it's amazing how quickly simple business tasks become rocket science.  The above does not even mention the job that is a server not working...!

You take a server out of the equation and suddenly not only can you not email contacts but you can't access databases, work files and alike.  If you can't access databases then you can't get contact numbers (as you don't have a mobile phone) so you can't call people...sounds scary doesn't it?!  Ok, it's not quite that bad - most of us have folders with contracts in, which of course have the basic contact details...however there is this idea of a 'paperless' office seems to be gathering momentum - now how would that work if systems crashed?! 

So, that question again - are we too reliant on technology?  I tend to try and defend myself against the norm but I have to admit that at Connect we are probably too reliant on technology.  Given the industry we work in - events - we spend a lot of time working remotely and on the move, which is 100% reliant on the supporting technology working.  If our systems fail then suddenly everything we do is harder.  I'm 99.9% certain that we are not the only company that this applies to. 

Is being reliant on technology a bad thing?  Obviously if the technology crashes then yes but at the same time the service we offer is so flexible (and therefore essential) for clients because of technology.  If we removed the wireless connected iPads and laptops, remote servers, 24hour contact, etc then yes we would be able to work when all technology has crashed but for the other 364 days of the year when everything is working our service would be greatly reduced.

The fact is today's world love and embraces technology and we accept the issues that may arise as a result.  If the choice was given to us all to choose between what we have now or what we had 15 years ago I am convinced the vast majority would go for the former.

Right...let's see if I can actually get some work done now...server...nope still down...damn technology!!!

New event mentality

We're currently in the process of developing a new event idea. Whilst this is exciting it also leads to the question - how do we, a small agency, get the event off the ground...?!

All new events need to be different to anything else in the market; they need to offer the target audience a reason to attend and it needs to be commercially attractive to sponsors. If it is all of these surely it will easily take off...?

Not really

The problem with any event is that you have to commit early on to a venue, marketing (both delegate and sponsor wise) and other financially draining areas. Obviously not an issue if you're a big organiser - more concerning if you are not.

Generating money early is vital to any events success but even more so for smaller agencies, where funds tend to have to stretch further than say in the large organisers such as EMap and Reed.

It may sound mad but my take on it is that confidence is key to any new event being a success, especially if you are a small agency that does not have endless pots of money. You have to believe your event will work, that your event is needed in the market place and that if you don't proceed with the event idea someone else will launch the same idea down the line. Obviously confidence does not guarantee the event will be a success but it ensures you back your judgements and decisions, meaning your event will be expertly designed, managed and organised - definitely a big help in the success stakes!

If you believe your event will work it makes it easier to sell to sponsors and delegates thus making it easier to generate finance.

Away from the finances if you have a great event idea and confidence in it accordingly creating partnerships with other organisations and associations within your target market becomes more likely. Aside from financial backing, relevant partnerships are key in getting an event to succeed - it gives the event some extra credibility to go alongside our words of "it is a great event," etc. For example if you are organising an event in the construction market, having backing by the ECIA would certainly add credibility in the eyes of potential sponsors and delegates.

Bottom line is...every event, even the massive succes stories such as BETT and Ideal Home, have to start somewhere. If you have a good idea for an event then the best advice is to launch it and see what happens...fact is you can never be certain

www.connectevents.co.uk

Jim White, Explosions and Holiday

How long does it take to feel like you need another holiday?!  For me it’s as follows:

17 days off on holiday = nice and refreshed
1 day back at work = less so
2 days back at work = need a holiday...!

Standard I guess...oh well work isn’t that bad, provides free access to the internet and more importantly transfer deadline day news!  For those non-football fanatics out there (apparently there are some) today – Wednesday 31^st August 2011 – is one of the most eagerly anticipated days in football – transfer deadline day.  It’s the day where fans spend far too many hours reading and listening to rumours about their club buying a player.  By the end of the day you are only happy if your club has purchased at least one player, even if they are crap – step forward Xisco! 

The simple fact is transfer deadline day should be a national holiday.  Those not interested in football could spend their time enjoying fresh air whilst those with an unhealthy obsession with the sport could spend their time in a darkened room watching Jim White on Sky Sports gradually get closer to the point of explosion as the cameras turn to ‘Arry Redknapp for the latest soundbite!  Tell me that does not sound like a perfect day...!

Sat at my desk today I’m starting to think I organised my holiday around the wrong weeks.  If I had taken last week and this week off I would have returned from my ‘relaxing’ hiking / camping trip yesterday just in time to have the perfect excuse (I’m tired and my legs / back / arms / shoulders / feet hurt) to sit on my arse and watch deadline day for 16+ hours.  Ok, the girlfriend may have an issue with that but then again on today of all days the other half’s opinion doesn’t really count (in the nicest possible way).  This applies equally to those rare relationships where it is the bloke who dislikes football.

Having only been back at work one day I feel a little guilty being less than 100% productive today.  The key phrase there is ‘a little,’ i.e. not enough to stop tracking the last few hours of the window until it slams (why it can’t just close normally is beyond me) shut.  My work will still get done, just perhaps tomorrow rather than today...of course the quality of my work will be greatly enhanced (and post holiday blues banished) should Newcastle sign a quality player – sadly this is very unlikely (on all fronts).

Anyway, think I have spent enough time rambling to my 9 (probably less after this) followers so I will now get back to work ;-)

PS
I love work and would never ever (ever) encourage people to follow their sporting interests during work hours.  Never...!

PPS
An actual events industry related blog will follow in due course

www.connectevents.co.uk

Low budget...should that mean no support?!

The conversation tends to go as follows:
- Me: “Hi, I work for Connect Events – we are an event agency specialising in the operational management of events”
- Company: “We don’t have much budget so we don’t use agencies to help”

Nice, blunt and to the point.  Perhaps event agencies have been overpricing themselves for years to elicit such a response when no costs (or indeed budget) has been discussed.  Obviously we don’t want to be organising events for less than our time is worth but surely it is important to give all budget levels a chance of help with events...after all that is what we all claim we are experts at.

Large agencies not being able / willing to help for cost reasons I understand.  Small agencies I do not.  As all companies do we at Connect Events have a standard day rate we would ideally charge.  However for various reasons, and not just the current economic climate, we regularly charge less.  That may sound mad but the fact that is we pride ourselves on being able to help all clients with their events.  One small caveat to this is that we don’t help for free – well not often anyway...our accountants get mad if we do it too regularly!

One sector with a number of clients unable (and now unwilling due to being over-quoted regularly) to use agency support is the charity sector.  Obviously I am not talking about your large charities such as Cancer Research (CRUK) – they both have enough money /backing to organise the events themselves or to enlist the help of agencies.  No, I am referring to smaller charities (I shan’t name names due to recent conversations...just in case they do read this blog).  They both organise and participate in a number of events throughout the year and usually have an events team of just one person meaning they are extremely busy.  It is this situation where agency support is most important and valued, however it is also a number of these small charities that can’t actually afford this support (and won’t now entertain the idea that they can).  Are they right though?

Well I can’t blame them for a) thinking they can’t afford it or b) deciding to not want the support after being previously over-quoted.  If one / two agencies have quoted figures well above their budget I suppose it is only natural for them to think all agencies fall within these sort of costs, which is obviously not true.  From an agency point of view we all have an acceptable lowest amount we can charge for our services but should that be set in stone?!  Clearly this is a decision for each individual agency rather than something that can be decided on mass.  Within Connect we accept not all can afford a standard day rate but we aim to help organise events regardless of budget.  Many agencies claim each event is dealt with on its own merits – surely if this is the case then the cost charged can be equally specific to each event?! 

In the current climate all budgets should be considered both to ensure events (even the small ones) continue to take place and to ensure agencies survive in a shrunken market.  Profit margin may have to reduce for the client base to increase.

www.connectevents.co.uk

Managing delegate etiquette

As a company we – Connect Events – don’t exhibit at many shows.  The main reason for this is that the ones best suited to us usually take place during our own busy times, one example of this is Confex running during the same week as eWorld Purchasing & Supply – a show we manage on behalf of Revolution Events.  The other reason is that as an agency we find a number of shows are more suited to those offering individual services, i.e. Audio Visual, Stand Building, etc rather than those offering the whole event management service.  We did however exhibit at the recent Event & Exhibiting Show, which took place at the Business Design Centre recently.

The whole experience was definitely worth while from my point of view, regardless of number of leads and worthwhile chats generated.  To be honest in terms of business likely to be generated through our presence at the event we are talking very little – probably a handful of potential leads over the two days.  I haven’t seen final delegate numbers yet but I feel the lack of leads is more down to the aforementioned point of delegates attending being more interested in sourcing one individual event element rather than looking for an agency to manage an entire event.  Given we were next to a busy stand builder and registration company this seems to be the case.  However another possible reason would be that a large number of the delegates that attended were more interested in selling their own product / service than listening to what we (and others) were there exhibiting.

In fairness to the organisers of the Event & Exhibiting Show stopping this happening is somewhat harder at an industry event than it is at some of the events we organise where those attending are from a different side, i.e. end users attending to see resellers (as is the case at Sage Software events).  In the case of these events we simply don’t let delegates enter if they are a potential exhibitor – if you took that approach to this event you would have no (or very few) delegates.  However I do feel the organisers could have made a greater effort to explain / manage delegate etiquette.  It is frustrating when you are constantly being sold to by delegates, especially so when you consider that the exhibitors have paid to attend whereas the delegates are there for free. 

As mentioned before it is hard to manage for an industry event where the delegate / exhibitor difference is often quite vague.  There should be, without question, a strong message conveyed to all delegates both on registration and arrival that the open selling of products and services is forbidden when talking to exhibitors.  I would continue to allow and in fact encourage it during open networking, such as the drinks reception and general coffee breaks during the day.  Clearly event industry shows work, otherwise they wouldn’t attract the numbers that they do.  However I do feel the Event & Exhibiting Show needs to work on managing delegate etiquette and behaviour if it is to become the second large industry event in the UK (after Confex).  Perhaps moving toward the hosted buyer programme utilised so well by shows such as EIBTM and IMEX – this may initially increase costs but it would definitely improve the exhibitor experience.

www.connectevents.co.uk

East vs West - the battle continues

East vs West London has long been a discussion point in events.  Historically it's always been the West that has been the preferred location for events out of the two but since the continued development of ExCeL, the Olympic Games and the expected closure of Earls Court (part of anyway) the East of London is fast becoming the favoured location for major events.

In recent weeks events such as BETT and Confex have moved from a flagship West London venue (Earls Court) to East London (ExCeL).  When announcing the moves both stated lack of space at Earls Court as (one of) the reason and whilst I am sure this is partly true I can't help but feel that the lack of development in the West of London is also a reason. 

A negative atmosphere is surrounding West London, chief reasons being that Earls Court is rumoured to be shutting post London 2012 and the Olympia Tube line is being closed from December 2011 (which negates any positive vibes from the development of Olympia).  Without suggesting a conspiracy it almost seems as though the powers that be in London are happy to let West London look after itself whilst they focus all their attention and money on East London. 

This may of course make complete sense from an economic and social point of view given how far behind the Eastern part of the City is in comparison to Western parts (compare Leyton and Chelsea for example) but from an event organiser point of view it is less than ideal, as it gives huge power to ExCeL in terms of competing for the larger events.  However despite the above and current power shift from West to East there is still only one winner in terms of a location (in my opinion).

Yes East London is having millions of pounds spent on it's transport, general infrastructure, accommodation, social regeneration (largely all down to the Olympics) but for events, especially business to business ones, it's just not an attractive location.  Let's focus on the largest venue - ExCeL.  As a venue it can cater for events of pretty much any size, offers completely flexible space and has recently added to it's strength by opening the first ICC in London. 

The problem is the venue just feels like it is a long way from central London, despite both the venue and Boris' claims it is not.  Admittedly it has parking for something like 3,700 cars but when you advertise an event as being in London you want it to be easily accessible by public transport and I do not think ExCeL is.  To access ExCeL you need to travel on both the unreliable Jubilee Line as well as the DLR - not quite as simple as just jumping on either the District or Picadilly Line to Earls Court (I accept Olympia is not easy to get to even with the station still open).  To get from Victoria (my usual London station) to Stratford (the East London hub) takes 30minutes - compared to just 10minutes to Earls Court.  To get to ExCeL takes 33minutes - 2/3rds as long.

London 2012 will be fantastic for the City and economy.  I'm convinced that by the end of 2012 transport links to East London (and ExCeL), aided by the O2 cable car, will be on par with those out to the Western parts of the City.  Added to that I am in complete agreement that those areas within the City that are more deprived receive the bulk of investment.  However I just hope that the improvement of East London does not come at the detriment to historically strong West London venues such as EC&O resulting in organisers being forced to run events in locations we'd rather avoid.

www.connectevents.co.uk

London2012 - a successful ballot?!

Despite the public anger over the lack of success in the gaining of Olympic tickets in the initial ballot it's hard not to look at the process and outcome as a success in terms of an event organiser.  Who would not want an event where elements (in this case individual events) were completely sold out despite large numbers of interested people missing out?! Answer is of course no one.

It's a tremendously positive sign for London2012 that demand is so high in comparison to supply.  It guarantees that whilst some, including all at Connect Events, will miss out the stadiums and arenas hosting each individual event will be full.  A complete contrast to a large number of events at Beijing2008.  This is great news for those involved in winning the right to host the Olympics all those years ago but also for the British public who will be able to watch on with pride (I hope) at a successful games.

On a quick side note away from the Olympics - the interest and demand from our public demonstrates that our lack of votes at the recent FIFA World Cup2018 bid award was to put it politely a joke. There are very few countries that get behind sporting events as strongly as we do. Cases in point Wimbledon vs French Open and Manchester Commonwealth Games vs Beijing Olympic Games. This coupled with existing stadia, accommodation and transportation systems adds to our sense of disbelief at our very strong bid only receiving two votes (one our own).

Anyway, I digress! Despite the overall success, in my opinion, of the ticket ballot I do believe there have not been enough tickets set aside for the general public - those who should really benefit from the Games.  Rumours of only 40,000 of the 80,000 Olympic Stadium seats been available to the general public (not corporate / sponsors / VIPs) for each event will just add fuel to the fire around the injustice of the ballot - and rightly so.  The fact that people such as Sepp Blatter will receive free tickets also does LOCOG no favours, especially in the light of the recent FIFA scandal and the FA's attempt to postpone the election.

Another negative of the ticket system has been regarding payment. This, as far as I can tell has been for 2 reasons. Firstly that you end up paying for tickets almost 14months before the start of the Games. Secondly that the money goes out of your account before you actually know officially which events you have received tickets for.  I tend to agree both could and perhaps should have been done differently, although taking the money first helps to guarantee full stadiums - if you've paid for a ticket to an event you now aren't fussed about you are still likely to attend. 

The sole acceptance of VISA cards probably angered me the most.  Again, as an events person I appreciate the need for sponsorship, especially on such a large event, but only accepting that card brand is not ideal in the current financial climate.  Even more so when a large nunber of people only have a VISA debit (not credit) card.  Why LOCOG could not have allowed other cards but charged a premium to use them, such as is the case with Easyjet, Ryanair, etc is beyond me.

As much as I love Britain the popularity of the Games and the subsequent demand for tickets was always going to mean a negative reaction to the ballot process, that's just how we react.  The problem is that a ballot is exactly that, there is no guarantee that you'll get tickets regardless of how many you bid for.  There have been suggestions that tickets should have been on direct sale which just would not have worked - the only guarantee in that system would be Internet sites crashing!

London2012 will be a fantastic occassion with full stadiums and amazing atmospheres at almost all of the events.  Yes a large number (currently over half) will not get to watch the event of our choice live in the stadium but that should not detract from the positive vibes the Olympics will create.  As a regular spectator at large sporting events the atmosphere and experience in official fan parks is almost as good as being in the stadium just without the cost!  Despite my failure (so far - there is a 2nd ballot) to get tickets I still can't wait for the Olympics to take place and for the UK to demonstrate why we are the best place to host a large event (I just hope FIFA are watching)!

http://www.connectevents.co.uk/

The ash cloud looms...

I don’t generally believe in good or bad luck but this bloomin ash cloud is back again just in time for another of my spring time trips abroad!  Currently sat in some depressing Comfort Inn hotel (no offence to the word hotel intended) near Heathrow I am starting to get some depressing and fear inducing flashbacks of last year!  Add Newcastle’s failure to see out a 3-0 lead with 30minutes to go yesterday to that and I am starting to feel bad luck is my friend!

Upon leaving the office a couple of minor airlines had cancelled flights, by the time I had arrived and eaten my starter KLM had announced the cancellation of some of their flights!  A cold sweat has definitely started to spread...!

Now I am sure Lufthansa flights will be fine in the morning and I am sure I will make it to IMEX in time for the first of my scheduled meetings.  Returning on the other hand I’m a tad less confident!  Financially getting stuck this time would be a lot easier, for two reasons – firstly it is a work trip and the joy of work expenses will save the day; secondly I’m travelling as a guest of Hilton hotels and therefore they’d cover the cost of extra room nights / alternative travel plans, etc.  However being stuck in Frankfurt when one of my clients – Revolution Events – are involved in 19 events over the next 6 weeks would not be ideal (perhaps that is an understatement).

The amount of work we – Connect Events – have on in the next few weeks is intense and being stuck abroad wouldn’t help; however on the positive side I suppose it would give us a good chance to test our ‘cloud’ facilities!  Not really sure what that sentence means but we have virtualised servers and access to a high capacity dropbox account (that is cloud in our books).  Perhaps it is a good thing then...?  To be honest the word ‘no’ doesn’t do that question justice! 

One thing is for certain and that is that it isn’t worth stressing or worrying about – I learnt that during the last cloud experience!  We can’t help it; if the airlines decide not to fly because ash settling in their engines may cause their planes to crash I am certainly not going to suggest they stop acting like idiots and get the planes in the sky!  If someone with a lot more knowledge than me decides to ground the entire European airspace (again) for 1, 3, 6 or 10 days me (and others getting angry) will make zero difference and just escalate the stress of the situation! 

With that in mind I think I’ll have another shandy (or 2)...and just hope I won’t be writing the next blog from Heathrow Terminal 1 waiting lounge or worse from a train seat somewhere between Frankfurt and London!

PS
Writing an blog which brings back animated memories isn’t advisable in a busy hotel bar judging by some of the looks my various grimaces and smiles have received J

www.connectevents.co.uk

Cold calling...good or bad?

Perhaps it’s not as black or white as the topic of this blog suggests but is it actually a successful way of winning new business, contracting sponsors, attracting delegates and so on? 

Being from an ops background I rarely got involved in cold calling potential clients / sponsors / delegates in my previous role but it is something that I had to get to grips with quickly upon setting up Connect Events and to be completely honest I’ve found it difficult.  I have a great deal of confidence in the services we offer to our clients and I am in no doubt that there are a lot of events being run that could be better if we were involved.  However if, when you call someone out of the blue to offer your services, you are told their events are already managed you can hardly turn round and say “well they could be better if we were involved” – or can you?! 

Very few of the cold calls (or indeed emails) I’ve sent out are successful – perhaps it’s my style rather than the nature of the communication that is the issue – and all of the clients / interest Connect has received has come through word of mouth, recommendation, personal introduction, etc.  I think the reason for that is mainly because they have a reason to want to use your services, rather than a feeling of almost being pressured into. 

Given that is cold calling an approach that could soon be dying out?!  Simple answer is no.  Despite its failings and often impolite responses cold calling provides the best way of contacting a large number of potential clients...something that is invaluable in the events industry.  Take this approach out of the sales environment and you lose a great number of opportunities to get that extra piece of vital business. 

The growth of email has a sales (and marketing) tool over the past few years has of course added an extra level to cold calling potential targets...at least that way there is a chance your call will not be a complete surprise to them.  Of course for all the rejections received all it needs is one yes and all that frustration becomes worth while.

Is cold calling good or bad?  Well to be honest (and sit on the fence) it is a bit of both.  It has its drawbacks and definite negatives but in the ultra competitive events market you can’t survive without it.  One thing we at Connect Events have learnt is if you’re no good at it employ a specialist – the cost is worthwhile when potentials are turned into contracts.

www.connectevents.co.uk

The Royal Wedding...an event to behold!

Let’s get the unpatriotic element out of the way first – I did not watch the Royal Wedding on Friday; in fact to be completely honest I arranged a round of golf* on the day purposely to avoid watching it.  The reason I did this is not because I am an anti-royalist but because the level, amount and type of coverage was slightly nauseating (although 24m in the UK and 2bn across the globe disagree with me). 

I did, however, watch the edited version on the news that evening – almost a Match of the Day style segment, with the best and worst bits shown.  Having seen this and chatted to numerous colleagues, friends and family it is clear that it was a fantastic day and probably the most ‘normal’ Royal Wedding in history.

Being a member of the Royal Family on days such as this must be a real challenge.  The amount of focus on all individuals involved leaves no room for error or mistake from any, which I guess is why they had the reception behind closed doors, i.e. no press or public eyes!  The press in the UK may disagree with me but the lack of privacy those in the public eye receive today is a disgrace; I appreciate we have a right to know when something major is happening but there is no need for us to know half of what the press (particular the tabloids / rag mags – Heat I am talking about you) tell us.  Despite it being the happiest day of their lives I am sure that if Kate Middleton had worn a dress that looked awful the press would have been blunt in the extreme when telling us.  Rant over

Anyway, onto the main point of this blog...the Royal Wedding as an event.  Watching the news and reading the papers the next day through the eyes of an event organiser I was greatly impressed and a tad inspired by the clockwork precision with which the day was organised.  A wedding is never an easy event to organise (hence most wedding planners are crazy – in a good way, usually) but on this sort of scale both in terms of guests and public interest the phrase ‘a hard event to organise’ doesn’t really do it justice. 

Just a quick glance at the numbers involved emphasises what a monumentally tough event it was to organise.  Those involved in the planning of this ‘event’ didn’t just need to consider all elements directly linked but also all those external elements, i.e. the 1million people lining the wedding parade route and media interest (more than 8,000 were in London covering the wedding).  According to the statistics there were 5,000 police and 130 street cleaners on duty in central London, 5,500 requests for road closures (for street parties) across the UK and 10,000 canapes served at the lunch reception.  Mind boggling numbers – can you imagine the catering bill?!  Clearly the lack of need for a budget greatly helped the Royal Wedding (emphasised by the estimated cost of policing, preparation and cleaning up being £10m)!

All involved at Connect Events would love to have a budget even 10% of that figure...as I am sure many other organisers would!  Regardless of the cost though the day appears to have been a great success both in terms of a wedding and an event, which at the end of the day is all that matters.  The UK does do this type of day better than any other country in the world.  Be it an occasion to celebrate or commiserate the British Public take the event in question to their hearts and turn out in their millions to show their support, which of course adds to the difficulty of organising such an event.  However seeing the public turn up in their droves to support events that are important to our country is a great site to see and it is for that reason that I do have a tinge of regret over playing golf rather than watching the spectacle that was the Royal Wedding.

* For those interested my brother and I won 3 & 2 in the golf so the day wasn’t completely wasted...

http://www.connectevents.co.uk/

Pressure building on hotels...

For those who have read any of my previous blogs you’ll be aware that I am quite keen to highlight issues with hotels, be it costs or service provision and it seems that I am not the only one.  Hotels are coming under increasing pressure on the issue of costs and price fixing (or in this case ‘rate-parity’), which has – according to the article – cost holiday makers hundreds of pounds.  The area not highlighted by the article is that, if found guilty, then this price fixing scandal has surely cost the Meeting and Events (M&E) industry a vast amount of money.

The thing is that there has been an opinion in the industry for years that the rates charged by different hotels are very similar despite, in theory, being in competition.  Usually in a competitive market, which the hotel sector certainly is, the main players try everything to stand out and win the custom from their rivals; one way this is achieved is through costing less than their competitors.  In the UK hotel sector, especially in London, this has never appeared to be the case, even during the recession. 

Is there anything wrong with price fixing by hotels?!  The use of the term rate-parity certainly makes it sound less illegal.  Usually the idea of price fixing refers to competitors agreeing to charge certain or similar amounts but in this scenario it is slightly different.  Basically the hotels are (allegedly) telling third party websites, i.e. lastminute, expedia, etc, the lowest rate they are allowed to charge for rooms at their hotel.  Scenarios have occurred where chains have been emailing third parties to tell them they are no longer allowed to offer their hotel on the site due to ‘parity issues,’ in other words the site is offering rooms at the hotel for an amount that doesn’t provide the required profit margin.  Although it pains me to admit, I tend to agree with the hotels – what’s wrong with this?!

Surely any business is entitled to set what they feel is fair in terms of how much their service / product is worth.  At Connect we offer a range of event services for which we have a minimum price we can realistically charge, i.e. the profit margin.  If a third party offered our services for a figure lower than this we wouldn’t be happy in the slightest.  Therefore I have to ask, why should we expect hotels to not have the same principal?!  My main issue with it is that they have not just come out and explained that’s what happens.

Hotels, especially those in London, do appear to have been relatively unaffected by the economic downturn and subsequent recession.  It is frustrating when the majority involved in the M&E industry have had to make cutbacks (both financial and otherwise) but hotels continue to charge high accommodation and meeting rates.  Without question I would like to see a greater sense of realism from hotels in terms of what they charge to use their properties (this applies equally to holiday accommodation).  Does this mean I feel the hotel chains in question should be fined up to 10% of their profits should the allegations prove founded?  The simple answer is no.

The hotels are not so much price fixing as guaranteeing their profit margins.  The British public are very quick to show their displeasure at anything that is seen to unfairly increase their costs, especially in such a tough economic time but I am not sure this particular accusation is fair on the hotels – after all they are not being run as charities.  Customers of hotels, both business and pleasure, have a wide ranging choice of hotels that offer a great difference in terms of quality and subsequently price.  If the budget for accommodation is £150 per night or event is £60 per person certain properties, possibly the preferred option included, could be out of the required price range.  This isn’t the hotels fault – there is a reason the hotel industry operates a star rating system – and there will be viable alternative options.

This rate parity / price fixing, call it what you want, from hotels is at worst a questionable practice.  If, as mentioned already, they openly came out and explained that this is how rates on third party sites are agreed then, whilst you would have some who disagree, I think for the most part it would be accepted.  There would definitely me a part of me that would enjoy seeing the hotel chains in questions being fined the figures being suggested but I wouldn’t agree with it.  For many reasons pressure has been building on hotels over their costs and, for the most part, rightly so but I feel that in regard to these accusations the additional pressure is unfair.

http://www.connectevents.co.uk/

The issue with WiFi...

Given the UK is so advanced in many ways the quality of WiFi in public places is a continuous source of frustration for all who use it.  As an event organiser I would like to use a stronger word than frustration but given this is a public blog it’s probably best I don’t.

The internet is such a major part of our every day life today that when attending events there is almost a look horror when you tell them that it is available but at a cost – this applies frequently to delegates as well as sponsors.  The pressure on event organisers to provide free of charge WiFi for all is growing but unfortunately venues do not seem to appreciate this.  In the current economic climate it would be refreshing for venues to provide WiFi for free but unfortunately (and sadly unsurprisingly) they don’t.  Charges vary but are rarely cheap and put additional pressures on those responsible for the budget and financial viability of events – especially if the organiser chooses to provide free access for all (£550 per floor per day at the QEII for example).

If it was a world wide issue then I, along with other organiser’s, would not be as irritated by the charges faced by the event itself, sponsors and delegates.  However it isn’t a world wide issue and through my travels it is becoming increasingly obvious that it is not even just a European issue but predominantly a UK one.  If we were not as economically advanced as we were then it may be understandable that countries such as Estonia embarrass us with how advanced their WiFi provision – both on a professional and domestic basis – is.  On a recent Connect Events site visit trip to Tallinn I enquired as to whether WiFi was available and what the charges were – the answer was yes and free (bet you are shocked with that outcome).  However, the best part was when the venue event manager simply stated “in Estonia wireless is almost a human right.”  A human right?!?!  In the UK we’re lucky if we can get connected for less than £5 an hour!  A further shock to the fact that it is a human right was that it’s available not just in buildings free of charge but also in parks, beaches and even buses!  The mind boggles at how far behind we, the UK, are in the provision of this service.

I’m not saying it should be that widely available and in fairness t the UK countries such as Estonia have an advantage in that they are a fairly new country since their independence from the Soviet Union and as a result they can implement new technologies that impact infrastructure, etc much easier.  However this sort of example, along with the fact that wireless is available free of charge in US hotels, just demonstrates that UK based hotels (and similar) continuing to charge is­­­­, to put it bluntly, mad!  The common argument, especially with hotels, is that they need to cover capital charges, in other words the costs of installing and running the routers, etc, but if that were really the case wouldn’t they need to charge every time you flushed the toilet or took a shower, as I am sure the plumbing and so on was not free?!  The reason hotels and other venues charge is simply that they can – they know organisers, sponsors, delegates need (rather than simply want) access to the Internet and therefore see it as an easy way of making additional revenue; basically the Ryanair ‘charge because we can’ approach.  To add insult to injury the quality of wireless connection is often inadequate, especially when compared to the cost incurred. 

Personally, I don’t have an issue with venues charging for a supported service, i.e. a WiFi connection that has technical support included on site if something should go wrong, and I am sure I’m not the only one.  Perhaps a compromise is the best and most viable solution.  Basic WiFi could be free to all – including large exhibitions in the venues that offer this space – but advanced WiFi, i.e. those that support VPN services and therefore may require technical help, can be charged at a fair rate to those who need it.  Currently, at the majority of venues, any WiFi connection is charged for and it is this that we need to move away from.  If high street vendors such as Starbucks can provide it for free I see no reason why hotels, conference centres and exhibition halls can’t do the same.  Given the continued high room rates, accommodation costs and DDR figures across the event market it would provide a welcome break for all concerned.

www.connectevents.co.uk

Essential tips for Event Success

If prepared and planned for properly, being involved in events (exhibitions, conferences, networking meetings, etc) can provide an ideal platform to meet with and impress your target audience.  However, it is often difficult to know where to start in planning for an event, which can often result in a poor event and resulting low return on investment (ROI).

Here at Connect Events we have compiled a list of top tips to help you and your team prepare effectively for any event you are involved in.

Pre-Event: Planning & Preparation

1.       As with advertising, events should be treated as part of an overall marketing strategy rather than a last minute choice as a way of utilising left over budget.  This ensures that the events you sponsor and participate in will be the ones most suited to meeting the goals and objectives of your organisation.

2.       To maximise ROI we’d always recommend the setting of measurable objectives.  Doing this ensures that your staff attend the event knowing what it is they and the organisation want to achieve from the event.  It creates focus and can help make the difference between a good event and an exceptional one.

3.       Request to see a copy of the event marketing plan from the organisers.  This provides you with the opportunity to double check that a) the right people are being targeted and b) they are actively promoting the event to the market.

4.       Produce a detailed budget, which is circulated to the key members of the event team.  Ensures a clear understanding of the finances available to help meet the event objectives.

5.       For efficiency, appoint one person to be responsible for the planning and budgeting of the event – often known as an Event Coordinator.   This can be either and internal or external appointment.  One of their responsibilities is to read the event manual.

6.       Whilst it is the responsibility of the organisers to attract the right quantity and quality of delegate to the event it is always advisable to invite your own customers and prospects.  Meeting your customers / prospects at an event provides guaranteed face-to-face networking time and is probably the single most effective way of generating business.  Recent research by the ‘Centre for Exhibition Industry Research’ has shown that 83% of the most successful exhibitors had emailed their customers pre-event.

On Site: At the Event

1.       Ensure you select the right (and best) staff for your on-site team.  Whether you have a large exhibition stand or just a small spot in the networking area the quality of your staff’s performance is central to your event success.  Often it can be useful to provide training for your staff pre-event to ensure they are aware of ideal event behaviour.

2.       It’s easy to spend a lot of money on the most visual aspect of an event – your stand – without actually getting the stand to have the right impact.  It is important your stand is designed to meet your objectives rather than simply to be eye-catching in an exhibition.  A bold and flashy stand is no use if customers and prospects can not see or find the messages you want them to.

3.       Research and make the most of additional on-site sponsorship and networking opportunities.  A lot of events have on site activities such as drinks receptions, breakfast briefings, seated lunches, etc that sponsors are encouraged to attend.  Utilise these free / low-cost elements to maximise your event presence and experience.

4.       Avoid asking questions such as ‘can we help you...’ almost everyone will say no.  Ask open questions that encourage answers and discussion.

5.       Produce an easy to use and understand lead-recording system.  This will ensure that when busy on-site at an event your staff will be able to complete them quickly.  Some events will have a barcode on their badges, which contains the FULL contact details of the delegate – at these events hire a scanner – this ensures that you will be able to record the details of those delegates that have taken the time to visit your stand.

6.       As mentioned in point 1 the right staff on site is vital to your event success.  Of similar importance is to ensure your staff are motivated and looked after on site.  For example provide achieveable targets for your stand staff to help concentrate the mind but also book them into a hotel close to the event to ensure they do not have a long and tiring journey in the morning.

Post-Event Site: ROI

1.       A common error is to think about following up leads once the event has finished; you need to plan your follow-up before the event.  This can include, for example, setting a deadline for making contact with all leads, not just the hottest ones.

2.       If organisers have promised data post event make sure someone in your team is allocated to chase the event data up.  It should not take an organiser more than 3 days to get the data to you.

3.       Don’t overload your sales team post event.  If they are too busy they will not be able to follow up the event leads so try, where possible, to clear their diaries for a week after the event.

4.       To maximise ROI ensure that leads are prioritised according to importance – in other words those that are most likely to result in business are contacted first.  Ideally leads should be categorised on site

5.       Linked to closely to point 3 is the importance of following up leads immediately.  The longer you leave a lead before contacting them the less likely they are to purchase your product / service (or even worse they may use one of your competitors instead).

6.       Very rarely will you see a result from a lead sooner than 3 months post event.  Be patient but persistent both with the leads but also your sales team.  In the current economic climate the procurement process of many organisations is much longer so take this into account when analysising your ROI.

The above are just a selection of the points we at Connect Events feel are key to ensuring you have a productive and rewarding event experience each­­ and every time you are involved in one.  There are of course more.

Further hints and tips can be found on our homepage - http://www.connectevents.co.uk/

A great weekend of sport ahead

As my bio states I am a bit of a sports mad person so I’m sure it is unsurprising to see I am just a little excited about the weekend’s sport, which admittedly is making it hard to concentrate on the daily job!

The Masters (golf), Grand National (horse racing), Malaysian Grand Prix (F1), Heineken Cup Quarter-Finals (Rugby Union) not to mention the weekly tension of the business end of the football season – just 7 games to go now in the Premiership!

The Masters is an amazing sporting event and I think one of the few golf tournaments that even those who do not like the game (or sport in general) can at least appreciate and possibly even enjoy.  Historically it is one of the oldest tournaments but it is in the prestige factor where it really shines through.  When past greats such as Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Arnold Palmer still have nerves when teeing off and current greats such as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson describe it as “one of the most exciting tournaments” then you know it is something special.  Thankfully the weather in Augusta, Georgia (USA) is proving to be as nice as it is here currently, which just adds to the impressive aura of the tournament.  The appearance of the Masters course – Augusta – is simply breathtaking and I can’t wait to watch the excitement over the next 3 days – hopefully McIlroy will repeat his first days form and bring home the green jacket.

A lot of us don’t understand horse racing as a sport and, whilst I am an armchair fan, I do fall into that category.  Despite that I do love the big race meetings – Cheltenham Festival, Royal Ascot and of course Aintree with its Grand National!  For some reason, ever since I was young, the Grand National has always been the race everyone knows about.  Now I’m not sure why exactly – perhaps it is because there are 40 horses, lots of betting opportunities, amazing level of build up and coverage or indeed a combination of all those reasons and more – but the bottomline is that even those not interested in horse racing appear to look forward to it.  This is proven by some of my colleagues at Connect Events who usually show no interest in sport yet this week have been asking me for my tips and suggestions!  It’s been fun being able to talk about sport in the office and no one yawning!  My tips (for those of you who are interested) by the way are Don’t Push It, Majestic Concorde and Calgary Bay – all each way of course.

Out of the sports listed at the start F1 is the one that least excites me, however with three British drivers now in the field there is definitely a lot more interest than in previous years.  I think it is a British thing...we don’t really care about a sport unless there is someone who is British and good involved.  Given the close battle last year I am looking forward to the Red Bull / Ferrari / McLaren three-way battle again, especially with Hamilton and Button both driving for the same team.  Practice went well this morning and I am hoping for a British winner come Sunday morning – fingers crossed if there is, that it precedes a British Masters winner too!

Club rugby doesn’t really get the coverage it deserves.  Over the last decade or so, especially since it became a professional sport in 1995, attendances at rugby union club (top flight) matches have steadily been increasing but yet there is still an over-riding theory that it is not a hugely popular sport, especially when compared with football.  The quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup take place this weekend and the success of this tournament is a true testament to the improvement both on and off the field of rugby union in the Northern Hemisphere.  With four French, two English and two Irish sides competing for the semi-final spots their is a great deal of excitement surround this round, especially in my family given one of the teams is the ultra-successful Leicester Tigers.  Coverage of these matches is fantastic but sadly, owing to the amount of great sport this weekend, I may have to watch these matches as-live later in the evening – not sure the other half will be too impressed!

Finally onto the football, that is now entering the vital ‘business-end’ of the season.  As a Newcastle there is usually something still riding on matches at this stage and unfortunately over the past 5 years (last seasons promotion season excluded) it has rarely been on the positive side.  This year is no different – 7 points from safety with 7 games left; sounds fairly safe but with the Magpies you never know.  There are of course teams in a much worse position and I don’t envy them.  The Toon Army are live this weekend against one of them (Aston Villa) so a win is a must to guarantee another top flight season...this means we will lose 4-0, just to keep the season ‘interesting.’  Championship, League 1...in fact all leagues have crunch games this weekend (at both ends of the table) and I imagine I’ll be glued to Jeff Stelling’s addictive ‘Soccer Saturday,’ whilst sat in the garden with a cold cider watching it all happen.  Sounds like a good day, thankfully Newcastle won’t ruin it until the Sunday!!!

So all in all a sport-laden weekend (and I haven’t even mentioned Rugby League, European Gymnastics or the start of the domestic cricket season), that is sure to be full of drama, skill and, sadly, plenty of mistakes.  The addition of The Masters and The Grand National really makes this sporting weekend for me personally and I can’t wait for the action to unfold over the next 3 days.  Unfortunately all this sport may mean I am in need of a new girlfriend by Monday morning...a small price to pay for the joy of sport* (only the mad will agree)!

* Don’t worry I don’t actually believe this...

www.connectevents.co.uk