Whether accommodation is provided as part of your conference registration, or whether it is the attendee’s individual responsibility, accommodation and the reservations process requires meticulous attention to detail. Negotiating the best accommodation rates and creating an easy reservations process is key to a smooth running event. Experienced management of the accommodation needs of your group can result in the easy upgrade of VIPs, cancellation penalties being minimized for your guests, room blocks being managed effectively and attrition penalties being negated. Thinking ahead and securing optional allocations of rooms in overflow hotels is good standard practice.

The same meticulous approach is required when making travel plans for your guests if travel is also included in the registration. Whether it is group transportation from the airport, or individual travel itineraries for an executive team, working closely with airlines and travel agencies ensures very competitive rates and VIP service for your attendees.

Whether your event is generating revenue for your business, or represents a significant line item in your marketing budget, rigorous budgeting and cost management is always essential. We have extensive experience in negotiation with all event suppliers before finalising the budget, to ensure that no surprises in the event expenses occur. We can provide regular forecasts in the build up to the event in any format your Accounts team requires. All supplier invoices are pre-approved by us before being passed to the host organisation for payment and us operates with full financial transparency in terms of supplier arrangements. We provide detailed quotes from all suppliers during the budgeting process.

Project meetings, or status reports are typically scheduled at 2 weekly intervals from project launch till 8 weeks out from the event, when project meetings and reports move to a weekly, or as needed schedule. Meetings and reporting can be in the form of conference call, in person, or by email to meet the needs of the client. We believe that the most effective reporting lies in agreeing the key metrics you need at the beginning of the project, reporting on those metrics, raising issues that may impact those metrics and offering solutions at the same time as raising red flags so that meetings are focused and productive.

Sponsors and exhibitors often represent the largest revenue stream for conference organisers. The content or programme of the conference or training event attracts an audience with a common interest area or buying responsibility. 

Selling exhibit stands and sponsorship to suppliers who have an interest in networking with that audience can generate a profitable income stream to the event organiser. At EMS we specialise in managing conferences with exhibit elements, supporting the exhibitor’s multitude of needs.  Our experience includes:

• Creation of sponsorship and exhibit offer and sales tools
• Supporting sponsorship sales, confirmation of contracts, invoicing and collections
• Creation of exhibit floor plan and sponsorship kit
• Services provision: furniture and decor, stand set up, electrical and entertainment
• Management of sponsor set up and tear down, shipping and logistics
• Supporting exhibitor contacts pre-event, on site and post event

Exhibiting at a conference or trade show can represent a high risk for marketing teams that may lack the necessary experience to ensure their company is represented to maximum effect, achieving the best return on their exhibit investment. We can take on all the background work needed to make your trade show participation a success.We can assume all exhibitor benefits are leveraged to maximum effect; your stand looks its best; your corporate materials are created and shipped in ample time; your shipping arrives unhindered by Customs; your staff travel and hotel is booked well in advance and your onsite team have everything they need when they arrive.

The choice of venue is a critical success factor for any event and it is one of the foremost topic in discussion as it is the place where the event has to take life actually. Availability, suitability, convenience, cost and wow factor all contribute to the venue selection process. The ‘perfect venue’ can be illusive, outside budget, or requires programme trade-offs. We apply a robust process to venue sourcing to ensure we present only the best options to you. We have a wealth of experience in negotiating the most favourable contracts and will manage the full process, from RFPs, enquiries, site inspections and negotiation. The same robust selection process is applied to all suppliers needed for your event.

• Key success factors – the “must-haves” vs the “nice-to-haves”
• Audience – their expectations and priorities
• Destination profile – business hub vs. resort; functional vs. high end; accessibility
• Date options – days of the week pattern to drive maximum attendance
• Flexibility – meeting room set ups, building within a space, adding to venue facilities
• Contract negotiation – daily delegate rates and minimum numbers; accommodation rates, allocations, rooming lists, upgrades and attrition; meeting room hire, set up / break down, AV and additional suppliers; deposit and payment terms

We have detailed knowledge of hundreds of venues across the UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa to suit all budgets. When presenting venue options, we provide date availability, option status, floor plans, room set ups, menu samples and (often) personal experience of the venue we are recommending to you.