By Billie Moore, Director, McCullough Moore
There are many benefits to using an event management company to manage your event – stress reduction being just one of them, my clients tell me! Running an event is a complex and costly exercise so the preparation and management of every detail counts. Here are our top 6 key reasons to use a professional event management company:
1) Saves you time and money
By outsourcing your event management to a company that runs events day in day out, you will save time and money. An event management company has established relationships with hotels, venues and suppliers and can negotiate excellent rates on your behalf. They also know all the added value you can get – getting you more for your money and adding to the experience. All these insider relationships and tips mean you save money on everything you need.
An event management partner saves you time because all you have to do is agree the date and location with the event company and the rest will be taken care of. Additional things you make overlook like insurance get covered as part of the service and it is great to hire a company who you can trust to look after everything from the original concept to the delivery on the day.
An event management company will save you and your team late nights, headaches and the hassles of organising the event yourself.
2) Gives you creative ideas and proven event formats that will work for you
Event organisers will give you new and exciting ideas for your events – formats that are tried and tested and solutions they know will work well and are tailored specifically for you. Depending on your requirements, they will recommend an event format to suit you, your audience and your budget. Wow factor doesn’t have to break the budget! Event managers bring a lot of experience into play which means you can be confident that your event will be a success.
3) Expert planning and budget management to ensure overall event success
The initial brief and planning is critical to a flawlessly executed event. A successful event requires a detailed master plan and a timeline and budget that is adhered to. An event management company will create these for you and agree from the outset the key objectives, responsibilities and targets. This plan details every logistical and sales element that needs to take place and is the working bible of any event manager. It will be a working document and continually updated, and will give you the flexibility and peace of mind to make sure all elements of your event are taken care of. The budget will be created by an experienced event planner who understands ALL the costs involved and the variances that can occur. This will be managed and any variances to plan highlighted and appropriate actions taken. There is no re-inventing the wheel and learning by your mistakes as an event management company will ensure you success from the get-go. After all event management is a minefield and no-one can afford to make mistakes.
4) Technology that gives your attendees a professional and slick journey
Event management companies use an array of tools and software that allows them to communicate with attendees slickly and professionally. This can be anything from creating an event specific website that showcases all your event details such as the conference programme, map, attendee list, the exhibitor list, speaker photos and biographies – to online registration. The tools will take the attendee right through to the delivery of joining instructions and finally a text message reminder of the venue postcode the day before. These systems ensure your event is professional and slick for all attendees.
Another key area of technology is the AV requirements of your event and to select and work with an AV team that deliver the best solution with the best pricing. Event management companies will have trusted suppliers that they work with and know will deliver every time – and if you’re on a tight budget it’s essential to know what you can and can’t do without.
5) Professional delivery on the day
The two most vital ingredients to a slick event delivery onsite is firstly preparing a detailed event plan for all to use. This would list day by day, hour by hour what rooms would be used, how they should be set, what deliveries are expected, what time refreshment, lunch and dinners should be ready, which staff are responsible for what and so on. And secondly having a well briefed and experienced team managed by an event director with responsibility for the overall event. An event management company would ensure both of these allowing you to network and focus on enjoying the event with your guests. In particular business clients appreciate full attention from their hosts and are open to building relationships and planning future business endeavours during an event.
6) Managing your risk and keeping you and your attendees safe
An event is full of uncertainties that might be encountered like power failure, a medical emergency or even a fire. This is where using an event management company pays dividends as you’ll have experienced staff onsite that would know what to do should an incident arise. Prior to the event a good health & safety management plan would have been devised and submitted to the venue. This would determine all the risks and implementation of the strategies to help remove the risk.
Choosing to hire an event management company just makes good sense if you want to have a successful event that you and your guests can enjoy. All the planning and management of your event will be so much simpler when handled by an event management company!
