Case Study
8
The collaborative
approach
Martin Fullard was a fly on the wall at the ABPCO
roundtable in Edinburgh on the importance of collaboration
ollaboration is key for the success
of events, as one would expect.
But where exactly should PCOs
be collaborating? Jane Ali-Knight,
professor in Festival and Event Management
at Edinburgh Napier University, got the debate
going with the subject of academia and how
to develop the event stars of the future. The
roundtable discussion saw most delegates agree
that event courses at university are not teaching
the practical skills required for conference
management.
A large gap exists between students’
expectations and the reality of the events
industry (i.e. Festival Management vs
Association Management). Courses, the
delegation agreed, should be more tailored and
teach practical skills rather than be academically
led. It was suggested that there is a need for
more creative pathways to get students into the
events industry, for example:
• Offer volunteer opportunities at conferences
(while capturing student data for future
recruitment drives)
• Offer junior roles and give key objectives/
reporting structures and practical training
onsite
• Give access to senior staff within organisation
• Invite event professionals to give guest
lectures on their roles
• Venues can invite students to a student
'Open Day'
• Hotel training schemes could be more
widely advertised.
Events are all about the client, so how can
PCOs and venues collaborate to ensure the
client needs are not only met, but exceeded?
The general consensus was that PCOs could
be better at helping the venue understand
what the client’s needs are and the commercial
requirements of the event. Delegates placed
emphasis on ensuring it is a two-way
relationship from the beginning to build trust
and respect between stakeholders.
It was said that all parties could utilise the
longevity of most association contracts and
build the relationship with onsite events teams
for future potential leads.
However, concern was expressed that venue
contracts and payment deposits are not always
practical to sign as a lot of conferences are
booked years in advance.
Delegates noted that problems have arisen
in the past when a client signs a venue contract
without realising the full implications. There
should be clear guidelines as to what is being
signed and who is responsible for what.
The overwhelming view of the delegates
was that, where possible, PCOs should involve
venues, tech teams, and caterers in the first
instance and win the business together.
Marshall Dallas, chief executive, EICC
(pictuerd opposite, bottom right), said: “We
believe collaboration between the PCO and
the venue is vital in ensuring the successful
outcome of all conferences.
“In our experience, building a partnership
where each party works within their own areas
of expertise, while playing on each other’s
strengths results in an event which exceeds
expectations and enhances delegate experiences.
“This partnership is most effective when the
venue and the PCO set out clear guidelines of
responsibility and build trust by maintaining
open and honest lines of communication.”
December 2018