How we do it

Private awards ceremonies… major business conferences… product launches… festivals… business meetings… and socio-cultural activities... events, as they say, come in all shapes and sizes!

But there are key issues and tasks that seldom vary, despite these different outcomes!

And it is this core group of tasks, essential to making your event a total success, that we have been perfecting over the years.

The end result?

A truly refined, yet flexible formula, enabling us to provide you with the highest level of service, whether it is for a seminar, conference, gala dinner or Highland games extravaganza!

Step 1: Client Liaison We take the time to make sure your event’s objectives are clearly stated and agreed by all partners. We will ask you a lot of questions before and during the development phase to make sure that everything is covered as expected. Nobody likes surprises after all!! This gives you the peace–of-mind that we have a full understanding of: The client, their partners, sponsors and other stakeholders The event Key objectives Effective communication forums for key messages How to measure the effectiveness of the event Have a more in-depth look at our approach to client liaison.
Step 2: Establish Audience Profile Determining the audience your event must engage, from key decision makers and internal staff, right through to the general public and contacts you may not even have yet, helps to shape all aspects of future decision making. Who is the event aimed at? Key decision makers Clients / Users Partners Local, national, international General public Internal staff External stakeholders Existing / potential contacts Practitioners / managers Students
Step 3: Determine Date of Event Setting key dates and tasks enables progress towards pre-agreed milestones, cementing the basis for a smooth working relationship between all those parties that are to be involved in delivering your well organised event. The date of the event then determines when key tasks have to be met such as: Initial client engagement Venue sourcing Site visit Speaker engagement Delegate invitation release Confirm technical requirements Event evaluation
Step 4: Identify Key Partners Identifying the partners you want on board for your event provides you with additional support, networking opportunities, benefits by association, and expertise, all of which are absolutely essential if your event is to be a total success. Key partners may include: Stakeholders within the project Brand ambassadors Business partners Sponsors Supporters Associates
Step 5: Select Venue Sophisticated elegance? Or 21st century, state of the art conference auditorium? While these venues are at different ends of the spectrum, there are, quite literally, thousands to choose from - each with its own individual style. Your venue selection will depend on a number of factors: Event theme Event objectives Audience profile and size Budget Specified location Availability Organisational objectives Brand image
Step 6: Invite Audience Your event may be jam packed with inspiring speeches, exciting activities, challenging seminars and top entertainment - but if you have little or no audience, your efforts have all been in vain. Solution? Create and implement a carefully targeted marketing plan to ensure your target audience is not only aware of the event but actually arrive on the day. From private invitations, to advertising, to social media platforms, to PR stunts - the potential mediums available to get your event recognised are endless. We’ll help you determine the best approach for your own unique situation.
Step 7: Liaise With Stakeholders Keeping key players in the loop may be harder than you first think- especially when your stakeholders range from clients, to sponsors, to keynote speakers, to venue staff, to AV teams, to catering, to business partners, to steering groups. The solution? Place key channels and mechanisms amongst the network, to facilitate communication amongst all parties, from planning, to implementation, to feedback, and finally to evaluation.
Step 8: Host Event With all systems and resources in place, the date of your event arrives! But don't sit back and relax - implementing the event on the day is crucial. Are contingency plans in place should things go wrong? While tasks vary depending on the event's format and objectives, some of the key tasks you can expect to carry out on the day include: Meeting and greeting your audience Registering your delegates Ushering delegates/ press/ exhibitors/ speakers to appropriate rooms Monitoring AV, catering, venue and event staff Maintaining a presence throughout the event Support speakers Ensure timescales set by the programme are adhered to
Step 9: Obtain Feedback and Evaluate Having implemented the event, you may have a number of questions needing answered. How many people actually turned up? How many delegates were satisfied / inspired by the event? Was the venue the right choice? More importantly, did the event match your organisation's objectives? Obtaining and evaluating feedback is a vital way to get these questions answered as well as: Build on the event's success Plan for your next event Create invaluable feedback channels with the audience Build on relationships with partners Obtain feedback on logistical issues
Step 10: Begin Planning for Next Event With the experience and feedback fresh in your mind, as soon as you receive confirmation of the next event, start planning now! This will put less pressure on yourself throughout the planning stages, while enabling you to put previous feedback into practice in order to build on previous success. For an informal discussion about your requirements, contact Martin Jack on Tel: 0141 221 7423.