This was a meeting of direct reports for the EMEA region, to be hosted by the company CEO. Attendees were flying in from a number of European hubs so it was essential that selected venue was in close proximity to Edinburgh airport, and the client also specified that they would like a venue with good leisure facilities and golf.
With previous experience of booking such venues in the Edinburgh area, our venue finders were able to recommend one venue in particular and using their contacts there, negotiated B&B and Day Delegate rates considerably lower than their usual published rates. For added value we were also able to secure free room upgrades for VIPs and an adjoining meeting room for breakouts and calls.
We presented our venue recommendation to the client with a full cost analysis and accompanying brochures, plans and images to show how the spaces would work for them. Having reviewed our information, they were happy to proceed and we confirmed the venue on their behalf and reviewed the contract before sending it to them for signing.
With the company CEO being Scottish, he was keen to give his European colleagues a typical Scottish experience, so we worked with the hotel to arrange a traditional oak panelled boardroom for their meeting (which overlooked the golf course), and catering which included traditional Scottish food items.
Using our existing supplier contacts, our venue finders also arranged dinner in an Edinburgh pub with traditional music and dancing, as well as a private guided tour of Edinburgh’s best sights in a luxury mini coach, including a tasting at a famous distillery with a whisky gift for each of the team.
In the run up to the meeting our venue finders continued to liaise with the hotel on the client’s behalf to arrange the finer details – delegate numbers, meeting and catering timings, menus, special diets, rooming list etc. It was agreed that the delegates would pay their own B&B and room accounts on departure, so we facilitated pre-payment of the meeting and dining costs, ensuring the accuracy of the pro-forma invoices and liaising with the client throughout.
A great example of how Meetings & Events can use their local venue and supplier knowledge to help organise a successful meeting.
