Corporate Events Plus

Each department is just as important.

Why is the project successful? What makes a successful delivery of an Exhibition booth?

We are under pressure to deliver a project to time, to budget and to exceed customer expectation. Take for example in the world of sport it is not enough now to only have raw talent to win or achieve gold.

Incremental contributing factors all build together over time to succeed.

This has made me look in greater detail at some of the projects we get involved with. The really successful projects are where we have control of all the suppliers and there is a clear line of communication between departments.

When you look at the components of an exhibition build the most valuable component are the chosen staff for the project, however there are departments that are provided by the venue or customer that need to integrate.

The departments some people dismiss as if they are just part of the furniture.

The security guards who protect assets overnight are just as important as the technical crew, the cleaners are as important as the Designer, the Production Manger is just as important as the driver delivering the freight.

I guess what I am saying is everyone involved with a project is equally important and for the project to succeed fully you need to align with every department and make them feel engaged – the return to the project in effort from suppliers who are engaged with the project using this approach is immeasurable.

Here is a snap of our crew in Cologne this week, Security, helping hands, carpenters, transport managers and electricians. What a great group of people.

Be ready! Have the conference call phone number and participant access code (if any) ready so you don’t have to search for it at the last minute. Writing them down on your calendar is a good idea

Call timing: Call in just a couple of minutes before the beginning of the call. Don’t call in late because calls should begin promptly on time.

There must be an agenda – Not only must there be an agenda, but it needs to be in front of everyone.  The agenda keeps the meeting on track, and allows all on the call to know the purpose of the call.  It gives direction.

Making or reading agendas ahead of a meeting and writing notes during. You’ll get more out of a call if you put pen to paper .

A person’s voice is significantly less recognizable than their face. It’s a good idea for all participants to introduce themselves when the meeting starts.

The only thing people should be able to hear on your line is either silence or your voice – not a noisy office, barking dog or screaming child. It makes it difficult for everyone else to listen to the call.

Focus on the call: Be courteous to your conference call leader and your fellow participants, by giving your full attention to the call.

Video image option, show your commitment to the call and use the video camera option if available, your co-workers can then see you are fully committed to the content of the call and remind them that if you are not required on the call you may be able to leave the call early.

If using the video function try to stay still so you do not distract the meeting.

Remember to smile when you can and look interested – who wants a meeting with someone who is not engaged in the conversation?

Alie Tilley earlier this month lost her struggle with Motor Neurone Disease. We found out in February that Alie had been diagnosed and that although the outlook was bleak we were all hoping that there was enough time for her to prepare but sadly this was not to be the case. Today is Alie’s funeral.

Alie and her friends have been campaigning to raise money for a years worth of research funding towards finding a cure for those who are also affected by MND.

Personally I loved working with and for Alie, she was the most professional person to work alongside. The complete ability to sum up a clients request and to deliver the vision a customer wanted with assistance from a group of first class suppliers who she was fiercely loyal to was amazing. I never saw her once under deliver a project – she only ever exceeded expectations.

If you want to donate to Alie’s fundraising please click onto the website

http://www.aaa.uk.com

Really useful, I would recommend  you take this course, I have done this 4 times over the years, each time you go you are qualified for 3 years, there are changes to technique for CPR from the last course so I am glad I have kept up to date. The knowledge is there for all, one day out of your busy schedule and you could save the life of a colleague.

April Showers with work

Busy April,

Retail event at the Sofitel Hotel at Heathrow Production Managing an Exhibition build with an interesting use of IKEA furniture to enable us to have adjustable furniture within budget. It is possible to use off the shelf adjustable legs to create a breakfast bar height work station for presenting products.

Then onto another event for 900 delegates delivering a conference and breakout sessions for a Financial services company. The presenters using an iPad to demonstrate a live link to client websites via Apple TV onto the main screen.

We were fortunate to have a robust internet connection, however I would not use this method for presentation if the internet bandwidth was questionable.

We managed to take a snap of ourselves after work, what a jolly bunch.

We have also been attending production meetings for projects later in the year.

More training on the horizon for May so we will not be resting on our laurels!

What a busy March and farewell to another European crew after projects in Barcelona.

Projects small or large can follow the same path for successful delivery.

A key factor I believe is a tidy working environment, larger projects often involve more suppliers on site. All suppliers have their own agenda – working practice – contentment in their own mess, however, I look at the project overall and I believe productivity is improved by trying to create a clear working space so the next supplier to arrive can ‘hit the ground running’

This year in Barcelona, I have employed a cleaner for 2 hours at the end of the working day after the suppliers have gone home so that the site is additionally cleaned to be free from clutter. This extends to meeting tables – washing up cups and mugs – not leaving debris.

It is a much better environment to arrive at the following day for work especially at the beginning of a 12 hour day. If we were working in a conference room we would not dream of using a bench circular saw without a covering on the floor or a dust collector or cleaning up afterwards. By bringing the same tidy thought process into the exhibition environment I am hoping to keep a safer working environment too.

These are images of our current work site after the working day, we have 6 suppliers on site with up to 50 tradesmen on the booth during the day.

This month has been a tough month for me personally, unfortunately my mother after a short illness with Cancer slipped away in my arms just after Christmas. Not only have I had the benefit of a strong family and friends this tragedy has also brought to the fore the importance of having a strong, understanding and committed team at work.

Reflecting on the last few weeks where we have been busy with pre production and meetings for projects in February and later in the year, I have been able to take great comfort from knowing I could lean on my colleagues and valued suppliers for support to help carry me through what has been a very difficult time.

One man does not make a team – never truer words said

Moving equipment and scenery requires reliable transport, I know it has taken 17 years but after hiring vans and using transport company’s we have decided to invest in our own bespoke tailor made van, twin side loading doors for ease of kerbside loading a special order and a 13amp socket for keeping the laptop fully charged while on the move installed too

Customers will see us coming that is for sure with our choice of bright red livery for the van.

Trips to Barcelona and Berlin to progress projects for the new year with tests for backlighting brand colours confirmed. A good year this year – a variety of projects in many different sectors completed with customer satisfaction too. The shift of projects towards Exhibition services this year has continued – it appears to be a consistent market for us now.

Made of MDF, are you sure?

I love going to see suppliers to discuss project requirements face to face, in this busy world of the faceless email I do not think you can put a price on going and seeing for yourself how companies are continuing to trade.

Are the same staff in place, is the workshop tidy, has the supplier invested in new technology to benefit a saving of time or an ability to add additional value to the project.

Visiting a long-standing supplier in Barcelona I was pleased and amazed at the investment of a 3D CNC machine and the fact that they were reproducing a wooden replica tram for a European manufacture for exhibiting at future Transport Exhibitions. The compound curves were impressive and with each door being manufactured in 6 hours the machinery was giving a time saving of 4 man days per door.