March 2002

TMG's Top Tips For Organising an Event 

The second city needs to brand itself "funky and modern" if it's going to carve itself a place in the competitive world of conferences and incentive travel, says Michel Scholefield. " It's all about perception. Decision makers are getting younger and they want fun. Birmingham needs to position itself as a fun city".

TMG is one of the top 20 business travel companies in the UK and takes blue chip clients all over the world and 95% of its clients want overseas destination for their conferences. 

Mr Scholefield said "Birmingham needs to know what it wants to be, how to get there and what role models to follow. Take Barcelona for example, also a second city. It has worked hard at becoming a conference centre and has so much to offer: quality hotels, plenty of dining options, culture, music, art, safe and clean streets - and that's what our clients want.
The perception of Birmingham is relatively poor - only a handful of quality restaurants able to cope with 100+ diners, only one five star hotel, bad parking, poor infrastructure, outdated licensing laws and so on - but this perception can be changed. The city centre is very cosmopolitan and the hotels are getting better"

"Birmingham also needs to be mindful of its pricing. We organised an annual dealer conference in Birmingham for a major automotive client and the following year they decided to fly the whole conference to Prague because it was cheaper overall. You only need to mention the word corporate in this country and the prices shoot up. Out prices do not compare with the euro zone."
"The competition is not just in Europe. Venues like Cape Town are becoming increasingly popular as they offer exceptional value for money, good climate, superior accommodation, wonderful service and so on. Service is very important to corporate clients. Too many hotels, venues and restaurants employ students and ill-trained staff and pay them derisory wages."                

Ask anyone involved in the meetings industry and they will probably tell you that, when it comes to organising an event, you should never be tempted to do it yourself. Use the professionals.
Wise words, according to Michael Scholefield, director of the Leamington Spa based Travel Management Group, and his views are clearly shared by other directors in the same field.

Here are TMG's 'Top Tips for organising an event'.

• Don't be tempted to do it yourself. Use the professionals.
• Have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve.
• Work only with quality suppliers - caterers, hotels, transport.
• Brand the event - make sure the delegates realise it is you giving them a good time, not the hotel.
• Plan meticulously and have contingency plans. After planning everything down to the last detail, ask the "what if" question - risk assessment.
• Remember you will be judged on the smallest of things; done let minor mistakes ruin the overall effect.
• Make your budget work for you.
• Avoid boring them. What the managing directors wife likes might not suit everyone. Be creative, change the pace and don't over-organise. Leave them time for themselves

END