February 2013
Welcome to theSOURCE, a newsletter from Outsourced Events, the event management experts specialising in creating, developing and managing outstanding conferences, roadshows, exhibitions and seminars.

In each issue, we’ll bring you short, bite-sized articles about the issues that matter to you most when organising an event, and we’ll recommend venues, locations and restaurants which have been tried and tested by us.

If you have an enquiry about your next event or if there is any news you’d like to see featured, please click here.

Would you appoint an external agency to manage your presence at industry events?

Events are great for brand building as well as generating sales leads, but they can be time-consuming, complicated and stressful to organise. Many businesses are already outsourcing event management to specialist agencies, enabling them to spend time focusing on their core business. So what are the benefits?

•An agency will organise and manage every aspect of the event including designing your stand and marketing materials, liaising with organisers, negotiating best deals with suppliers, managing your budget and working with your staff on-site, enabling you to carry on with your day job.

•An external team adds extra capacity to your existing team, enabling your company to be seen at more events throughout the year.

•The onsite manager will focus on data capture and lead qualifying on site, helping you build that all-important sales pipeline.

Any agency will need a comprehensive briefing to ensure they truly represent your company and your products so remember:

•The agency may not know enough about your products and services to talk about them in depth but should have a good overview to take enquiries knowledgeably.

•Your brand and company are in the hands of the agency so an immersion in both ensures you are being represented in a way that reflects your values.

At Outsourced Events, we manage and represent a number of our clients at events. To find out more about our services, review the case study.

Event technology. What’s new?

Event technology solutions such as point-and-click, PowerPoint presentation add-ons and data capture aids, not only brings corporate events into the next generation of information gathering and presenting, but it can make life easier (and more interesting) for both audience and supplier, too.

IML provide interactive technology solutions for use at events and exhibitions.

Of course, we’d never recommend a product or service without testing it first, so we tried the IML Connector at a recent event. It’s designed to aid communication and data capture and includes various multi-media functionality such as texting, audio channels, wireless microphone and a portable PA.

The result? “We loved the fact that it had the built-in microphone which meant that we didn’t have to run up and down the aisles keeping delegates waiting to ask their questions,” said Denise Sharpe, MD of Outsourced Events. “The interactive voting was really well received too and made the delegates feel their opinion was valued. It was also great to see the results instantly.”

To find out more about IML’s solutions take a look at IML case studies.

Restaurnt of the month: Gondolen, Stadsgården 610465, Stockholm
In November, we were in Stockholm and our Swedish team member, Sofie, took us to her favourite restaurant, Gondolen, where the team sampled some great local cuisine.

The verdict: great food, amazing views – definitely one to re- visit.

Venue of the month: The Louvre, 99 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris

Next door to one of the world’s most famous museums Le Musee du Louvre, Le Carrousel du Louvre is a popular and glamorous venue which we have used for events. With over 7000m2 of room space, we like it best for conferences and
exhibitions.

Be warned though, there are very strict health and safety policies. You
will be expected to complete paperwork covering everything from
signage/stand build materials, to stage design and room set-ups.

Location of the month: Zagreb

The Capital city of the Republic of Croatia has some big tick boxes for
us. As a conference and events destination, it’s relatively undiscovered, but we specifically like the fact that it offers:

Walking and bicycle tours – it’s a beautiful and historical city to explore

A cosmopolitan feel – despite the fact it’s quite small

Some great hotels – including the Westin (15 minutes’ walk from the city centre)