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CVM is free and circulated to around 5000 marketing staff at UK conference venues and 5000 overseas, mostly Europe. It is published by the Society of Event Organisers (SEO) and includes a listing of products and services offered for use in the marketing of conference venues.
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To the re-vamped National Venue Show at the NEC, now called Event UK by its organisers CMPi, who also organise the well-established Confex event in London.
The NEC wasn’t doing its image much good in terms of impressing the event organisers visiting.
Visitors arriving by car around 11.00 am and following the signs for the Event UK car park found these soon ran out and were turning around thinking they had taken a wrong turn. Apparently, according to NEC traffic staff, not all the signs that should have been in place had been positioned. When visitors finally reached the car park, one of the furthest from the NEC, there was a long exposed walk to the shuttle bus stop (good thing it wasn’t raining) and the cheerful news that the NEC was charging them £8 for the privilege of being treated badly.
Visitors arriving by train could at least stay under cover for the long walk across to Hall 12 although the Skywalk travelator into the Hall 12 area broke down as visitors were on it and the one out of the area taking visitors back to the rail station was broken down for the day we visited.
The show itself was busy for some of the time, and “quiet” and “lacking the buzz of Confex” for most of it, according to visitors and exhibitors. Some visitors praised the free seminars, though not the acoustics while others complained about the expensive and badly organised catering (One caterer ran out of food).
Certainly those visitors who came expecting to see the 350 exhibitors that they had been told in the event trade press would be there only found 250 listed in the show catalogue. In fairness to the trade press however they were reportedly told by CMPi that “over 350 exhibitors had signed up by July 1”. Some, like Haymarket’s Event magazine reported this to its readers as fact, showing that Haymarket’s editorial team need to realise that press releases, especially from exhibition organisers are often more aspirational than truthful. Better was the more circumspect report filed by Mash Media’s Conference News which advised that CMPi had “claimed” the figure, sensibly leaving readers to make up their own minds whether or not the claim was to be taken seriously.
If so it means that somewhere between July 1 and September 17 more than one hundred of the booked exhibitors at the show pulled out, forfeiting all the payments made, which seems, even in these increasingly difficult recessional times highly unlikely. So, given show director Duncan Reid’s stated enthusiasm for “talking up” the event industry is this an example of what he means?
We really should be told.
Actor Neil Morrissey has lost millions after investing heavily in a luxury hotel group that went into administration last month.
Hurst House on the Marsh Ltd was the company behind the luxury hotel of the same name at East Marsh, Carmarthenshire, Wales, a favourite with celebrities, and was set up on 10th November 2005. According to Companies House it never filed a set of accounts and was nearly a year late for the submission of these by the time it appointed administrators PWC on 6 August this year.
Morrissey resigned as a director of the company on 1 February this year, along with another 14 related companies. On the 18 June this year Morrissey’s business partner Matthew Roberts, who has 44 business appointments set up one called Followset Ltd, without Morrissey as a director, which reportedly bought the assets of Hurst House on the Marsh Ltd from the administrators PWC on the day they were appointed, a controversial arrangement known, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph as a “pre-pack”.
Naturally there is no suggestion that Roberts and his new co-directors knew that Hurst House on the Marsh would be going into administration, with its assets up for grabs when they set up Followset Ltd seven weeks before,
One aspect of telemarketing that gives this sector of direct marketing a bad name is that of silent calls.
These occur when companies use customer-unfriendly automated dialling equipment which dials up multiple numbers and then hangs up on them if the telemarketing person is not ready to speak to them. In this way, say the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), companies can maximise their profits, although the DMA has been concerned enough about the customer backlash against silent calls to recommend that there are kept to a low percentage, one however that still inconveniences and annoys millions.
The regulator Ofcom, it seems takes a slightly less tolerant view than that of the DMA towards its paying members with two of them, Abbey and Barclays currently in trouble for their telemarketing. In fact a group of telemarketers, including Abbey, Space Kitchens, Carphone Warehouse and Toucon (telecoms) were fined from £30,000 to £45,000 each in January 2007 for deliberately making silent calls to more millions than Ofcom are prepared to allow (No more than 3% in a 24 hour period).
The DMA maintains that many of its members run a recorded message for those who are silent called and that this enables the victims to sign up for a preference service that blocks all UK telemarketing calls. This seems a non-answer to the problem. Firstly it means that those who want to go on silent calling are damaging the market for those who have more manners and customer courtesy. And secondly it prevents customers, who may otherwise be happy to talk to courteous companies who phone them, for so doing.
For our money Ofcom, with or without the support of the DMA, should ban all silent calls, and get some credibility back into a rather shabby industry that needs to raise its ethical game, and hasn’t yet found the courage to do it.
One interesting way diners are displaying their green credentials, or greenwash and saving themselves a packet, is by drinking tap water – usually safe in the UK – instead of the expensive bottled stuff when they eat out.
A few short months ago most diners said they were embarrassed at asking for tap water. Not any more in London where a campaign to promote the consumption of the capital’s tap water is gathering momentum and has staged a competition to find the best design for a carafe to hold the stuff, to be used in London’s restaurants and hotel restaurants from next February.
The campaign will also highlight the negative impact of bottled water on the environment and on climate change and will doubtless accelerate the dropping of sales revenues on bottled water, said to be 5% in the 12 months to mid August, according to research group Nielsen. (Caterer and Hotelkeeper).
Naturally, for anyone marketing catering its make-up-mind time. Does one carry on grabbing the high profits on promoting the bottled stuff, or grab some possibly positive PR by supporting the tap-water trend, and easing up the price of the food, and other drink to cover it.
Now there’s a choice ….
The SEO publishes six e-mail newsletters aimed at event organisers in six different sectors of the events market and these are also available free to marketing staff at venues who want to keep up with what’s happening in the events sector.
These are: EVENT ORGANISERS UPDATE, INTERNATIONAL EVENT ORGANISERS UPDATE, CORPORATE HOSPITALITY AND PARTY UPDATE, ASSOCIATION UPDATE, EXHIBITION UPDATE AND TRAINING EVENT UPDATE.
All are available free at www.eou.org.uk where archived copies can be viewed and free subscriptions taken out. A limited amount of classified advertising is available for conference venues to book under the Announcements section.
www.eou.org.uk
Prospecting for Leads is a half day in-house training session for stand staff on getting the most leads from an exhibition. It covers such aspects as attracting visitors, psychology and body language, opening conversations, asking the right questions, selling benefits, closing conversations and following up. It can be held anywhere in the UK for a cost of £250, plus £10 per delegate, plus travel, accommodation and VAT and is staged by the National Exhibitors Association (NEA). Call 01767 316255, Fax: 01767 316430 or e-mail to info@seoevent.co.uk for a no-commitment discussion.
The Society of Event Organisers (SEO) runs regular training courses for event organisers, usually at quiet times for events and is always interested in discussing hosting opportunities with venues in the UK and Europe.
Call the SEO on 01767 316255 for details and visit www.seoevent.co.uk for course details.
THE CERTIFICATE IN CONFERENCE VENUE MARKETING (CCVM) is a unique, four-day non-residential course, with a unique qualification for those who attend and pass the 1½ hour examination.
It is staged by the Society of Event Organisers (SEO) and sponsored by RGA UK Ltd, a specialist event industry direct marketing company, and the material is presented at all times from the event organisers (your customers) point of view with some eye-opening feedback from organisers on how they like, and definitely don’t like to be marketed to. In addition, and also uniquely, the material is all presented by marketing practitioners, sharing practical and proven tips for success, also incorporating what not to do.
THE CERTIFICATE IN CONFERENCE VENUE MARKETING is delivered to delegates as an instructive and enjoyable mix of presentation, interaction, discussion and exercises.
It will also feature significant time for the important delegate to delegate networking that invariably results in a mutually beneficial and invaluable exchange of tips, ideas and experiences in the specialised world of venue marketing.
The CCVM will be of most use and benefit to the following groups:
o Those already working in venue marketing, with one or two year’s experience, and wanting to share the experiences of others.
o Those working in senior general venue management needing a firm grasp of conference venue marketing.
o Those already working in venue sales looking for a move to marketing, or being moved to a marketing position.
o Sales and/or marketing staff at venue finding agencies, event management companies, and business travel agencies.
o Marketing and sales consultants working for conference venues, hotels and hotel groups.
o Marketing and sales staff at tourist boards and convention bureaux needing a firmer grasp of conference venue marketing.
The Certificate in Conference Venue Marketing for 2009 is being held at 16, Park Crescent, London W1B 1AH (nearest tube stations at Regents Park and Great Portland Street) on Tuesday 20 January 2009 to Friday 23 January 2009 and on Monday 24 August 2009 to Thursday 27 August 2009 to coincide with traditionally quiet times for most UK conference venues.
The fee, on a non-residential basis is £1,200 plus VAT per delegate with a reduction to £950 plus VAT per delegate if two or more delegates attend from the same organisation.
The Certificate in Conference Venue Marketing is a unique opportunity to acquire the valuable experiences of other practitioners. For many conference venues the profit on one extra booking in a year will more than pay for the fee.
The programme follows. To book places please complete the booking form (this can be downloaded) and fax or post a copy to the SEO.
PROGRAMME
DAY ONE
The big picture – nature of the market(s) – types of organiser – the big spenders – getting achievable marketing objectives for your particular venue – the best winning strategies – SWOT and what’s really important to organisers – what must go in the conference pack – where branding fits - pricing for maximum success – affinity marketing – networking with competitors – some zero-cost marketing – dirty tricks marketing (to avoid, not emulate) – the marketing bullseye, and the marketing plan.
Advertising – magazines and newspapers, some golden rules – directory advertising – TV advertising – internet advertising .
DAY TWO
The scope of PR – what impresses organisers and what just curls their toes – some possible partnerships – evaluating the press – selecting the press and building a press list – approaching the press – press events – conceiving press stories, to impress the press – using story hooks, real news, surveys, advice, controversy – writing a press release, ten good and bad things to do – use of quotes – use of photos – delivering to the media – other ways to work with the media – how to alienate the media – what to do if you get bad press.
DAY THREE
E-mail marketing, the lowest cost option – sourcing and evaluating lists – permission marketing – opt-in and opt-out, the law on marketing e-mails – spam filters and what trips them – an editorial option.
Direct mail, some basic truths – what the objective should always be – the offer, the creativity and the list – formulating the best offers – creativity, some good tricks and bad traps – printing for direct mail – copywriting – building a database – types of lists available and how to evaluate – testing, testing – mailing to individual or job title – use and abuse of personalisation – maximising and measuring return – law on lists – Telemarketing, now it gets personal – the phone/mail/phone strategy – getting through - the best and worst approaches – some winning ways – and yes, it can be fun.
DAY FOUR
Exhibitions, the face to face medium – working out best strategy – choosing good exhibitions, not just the obvious ones – some criteria for evaluating – picking a high-traffic site – designing a stand that pulls in the right visitors – promoting the stand – managing the stand – training stand staff to work the audience and capture leads – following up.
Special events at your venue – conceiving and organising open days, educational events and receptions – running show-rounds for interested potential customers - where all the above comes together.
Examination.
BOOKING FORM
To book delegate(s) on the SEO Certificate in Conference Venue Marketing (CCVM) course please download and complete the booking form: www.eou.org.uk
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