We’ve worked with this national association on their annual Birmingham conference for several years. Delegates attend from all corners of the UK, so a central, easily accessible venue is a must.
Our initial venue finding for this event identified available Birmingham conference venues with capacity to accommodate this large-scale residential event. Details were sent to the client in a comprehensive proposal document with accompanying floor plans and images.
Having shortlisted venues from our proposal, we accompanied the client on site visits to Birmingham. One venue fit the bill particularly well; so much so that the client decided that they’d like to secure it for their annual conference for the following 3 years, to give them continuity and to allow them to budget for their annual conferences effectively.
Conference delegate package rates were negotiated by us, including added-value items such as complimentary access for rigging install by the client’s production company, reduced rates for wi-fi connections, complimentary conference organiser’s office, reduced parking rates for delegates and complimentary green room for evening entertainers. Reduced rates for breakout rooms and the exhibition/catering area were also arranged.
We liaised with the hotel and agreed an exceptional 3-year deal on behalf of the client which brought significant savings.
The venue was confirmed on behalf of the client, and we analysed the venue’s contract documents for accuracy before they were sent to the client for signing. Once the venue contract was signed, we continued to support the client throughout the planning stages of their conference.
We designed a dedicated branded website so that exhibitors and additional guests attending the gala dinner could book rooms from the allocation and guarantee them by credit card. This tied in with us also managing the rooming list of contracted conference delegates, to give a full analysis of guests staying each night.
For the gala awards dinner, we brought in one of our trusted event suppliers to provide a package for ‘black and white’ themed room décor which included chair covers and sashes, table linen, menu and place cards and LED dancefloor, as well as colour-changing chandelier-style table centrepieces, a live band and an ‘MC’ to do voiceovers during the awards ceremony.
As the client’s single point of contact for the event, we liaised with the hotel on their behalf to pull together all the finer details of the conference which included delegate and exhibitor numbers, conference and breakout room set-ups, lunch and dinner menu choices, special diets and AV crew catering. Once all details were in place we reviewed the finalised function sheet from the hotel to ensure it was accurate, before it was sent to the client.
Following the event, the final invoice was also reviewed by us before it was sent to the client, so they received the correct copy for processing without having to query any charges.
A very successful Birmingham conference fully supported by Meetings and Events, whereby we also secured an exceptional venue deal for future events.
