Roadshow success
We really enjoyed the UK roadshow over the last few weeks, honing the presentations and use of the technical equipment with each presentation. The event centred on Read More
A heavy month with Pre Production on events for the beginning of next month. Almost 3 and a half weeks of being on the road at events in 5 locations between London and Glasgow ahead for the Corporate Events Plus team.
Is it really necessary for people to have to copy in half a dozen people into a simple email communication? Talk about fill time in your day fielding emails that are relevant, does this show a lack of confidence in those that do splurge emails?
Buz words heard this month include someone wanting to ‘schedule an interface’ with one of our team. It used to be called ‘arrange a meeting’ not so long a go :)
We are working with some new equipment for video and data distribution, I am looking forward to seeing the quality of the multiple images. Right, better get packing for the next off……..
Come on AV Suppliers where is your pride?
This month I have been able to see how other companies work providing conference production, well, I have been shocked by some of the lack of Read More
2010 – 2011 was all in all a much better year than the past 2 years of trading during the recession, a variety of events covering Read More
A face to face event for 800+ staff in The Anvil Basingstoke saw a return to Read More
Keeping current and up to date means time needs to be given to visiting suppliers and live event partners when they have new products or development’s to demonstrate. Read More
It has to be said that May had more than it’s fair share of bank holiday’s, it is all very good having time off work but organising 76 exhibiting company’s with Health and Safety, power and furniture requirements made last minute changes preassured during the few work days we had as we chased up those who had taken advantage of adding a few days holiday to extend a break from their work coalface. The Budgens and Londis Read More
A rushed end to March saw us involved as part of an amazing team of professionals brought together by Feltech to manage the building of a central Media centre
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What an interesting March, events at both ends of the technical spectrum.
A good old style 2 man in a van 6 venue UK roadshow for a financial services client over a 6 week period saw us using a pipe and drape backdrop and straightforward LCD projection and audio visual support. It always amazes me how much ‘client’ bits and bobs you end up transporting, delegate badges, printouts of presentations, mints, pens and branded pads and in this case the give-away for delegates of laptop bags and leaflets placed within. The van soon looked busy!
At the other end of the spectrum for a week we were in London working on a strategy meeting event for an Italian Energy company to City Analysts and Traders, using ‘Watchout’ graphics with ‘PIP’ (Picture in picture) technology presented on a 4m LED video wall display. A bespoke stageset built in situ with hand painted elements in corporate colours and all lit for TV as we were using a 3 camera PPU mixing live images for viewing on a worldwide Webcast.
The camera images and PowerPoint presentation graphics were shown to 150 delegates on 2 separate 50’’ plasma screens in each of 3 overflow press rooms on the 4th floor of the client office building.
The weekend before the event we ran the cables under floors and within dry riser ducts, 2 kilometres of fibre optic vision cable and audio multicore. This was rigged outside of office hours to avoid business disruption to the trading floor, this took some 52 man hours.
The audio from the worldwide live telephone question and answer session saw the use of 2 way audio relay, a long week but enjoyable.
A ‘buonissimo’ February
What a change from last year, if the pace of business continues as it has done in the first quarter we will be seeing a remarkable turnaround in business.
We are seeing a return to quoting for new business, and for existing customers there are also two events revived that were postponed last year but re confirmed for this year. It is good to see clients understanding the value of face to face meetings for staff.
We are currently working in Financial Services, Energy and Retail sectors during February and March. Projects are on the horizon for foreign customers in London and an incentive trip to St Petersburg, I have realized how poor in general we can be at making an effort in languages with foreign customers, the danger is to assume that these customers understand how we do business, our specifications or event schedule reasoning because they speak English but sometimes the translation creates a gap. So finding my Russian daunting I am starting by making an effort with my Italian!!
Presentation slide deadlines though are still at short notice, I am finding now that it is important more so now than ever to schedule in rehearsals in advance of final on site deadlines. Rehearsals should be rehearsals, presentations should be polished during this set aside time but still what should be rehearsals are really no more than extended planning meetings. Or as event organisers, are we not being assertive enough to demand more involvement time in advance of the show?
A bit of inconvenience this month was the demise of my own faithful laptop. It is all very well backing up files and documents, and this can be easily and quickly copied across onto a new machine as indeed I managed to do, however, it is all the little programmes that you add during different projects, printer files, digital camera software, mobile phone connectivity, Skype, email address’ and passwords, all kept as information in various places but it is the time it takes to load it all back on that has surprised me, oh, and now windows 7 so learning of the new improvements are being done ‘on the hoof’ so to say.
A month of coalface ahead, although funny enough I am really looking forward to it.
Ciao for now.
