When it comes to the subject of organising events, two buzz words get the headlines; content and creativity. Existing hand in hand, and more and more becoming the central strategies to event organiser thinking. However, there is a third ‘C’ which we at Make Venues are keen to advocate; consistency.
Sure, it’s not as sexy as creativity; let’s face it, we work in a creative industry and what goes on stage or on screen is the central tenant of any event. Creativity is a much sought-after skill in business, and the more dynamic we are with our thinking, the better the outcome for the delegate. We’re also living in a world where our agency partners are selling themselves as much on the strategy and creativity of their events, as they are on their organisational prowess.
Equally, we’re continually told that ‘content is King’, and again who could deny that. When a delegate enters the room, they are looking for education, inspiration or information, in any forms, the room can be as spectacular or as plain as you like, but it is what the delegate leaves the room with, that is most important.
At Make Venues we have the privilege to work with some amazing companies, and we see this being done outstandingly on a daily basis, we see trainee’s leaving delighted by an enriching course, conference delegates excited by a well put together event, and award winners leaving in high spirits at the end of the night; this is why they came.
So, having given the right level of respect to the two ‘c’s’, it’s time to give the third one its due. While we’re constantly hearing about the importance of content and creativity, the level of consistency is rarely talked about. We think it should be though, maybe not ahead of the other two, but when it comes to the event organiser, the importance of consistency is hugely important.
A good organiser / venue partnership is built on trust, and an expectation that they will be looked after, and that standards will be continually high. If they are to execute a truly creative event, with amazing content, it needs to be built on a platform of consistency, that allows them the freedom to look forward, safe in the knowledge that the basics are looked after. A trainee will have a great experience because the trainer has informed them, but this can be better achieved with a well laid-out room, with all the facilities a trainer needs to do their job. A purpose-built training room is designed to make this process slicker, and this has to be right every time.
Equally, the conference delegate may have been inspired, but when a company’s vision is presented, AV has to work, staging needs to be quality, and the service from waiting staff should be excellent, every time. When it comes to the awards night, again a guest could leave with a gleaming trophy, but what they will also remember is great service and great food. This can only happen if the event organiser has a trusted relationship with the venue, built on trust and of course consistency.
At Make Venues we’re incredibly proud of our levels of consistency; we receive regular plaudits from everyone from VisitBritain to TripAdvisor, and on a day to day level, we’re constantly delighted by feedback from delegates and customers to our venues.
But what gives us most pleasure is our place at the top of the BVA BDRC rankings; earlier this year we were named both Best Small & Medium Sized Group and Best Value for Money Group in the rankings, for a sixth consecutive year.
This is consistency on a massive scale and allows us to build long-term business with our clients that they can really rely on. Ask any event organiser and they will tell you just how important this is, it takes worry and stress away from their lives, and allows them to focus on bigger thinking … like creativity and content!
The fact of the matter is that most venues can get it right once, the very best get it right every time. So, here’s an argument for the importance of consistency, that special quality that makes a subtle but crucial contribution to events.
By: John Turpin, Make Venues