Whatever

Stand Up For Events! Mike Kershaw, chairman, The Concerto Group

• 06-18-2009 4:06 PM

  Chantelle Thorley Joined on 08-21-2008 London Posts 706

  Stand Up For Events! Mike Kershaw, chairman, The Concerto Group Reply Contact We are all too well aware that things have been tough in the events market for the past six months; we all know how hard every sale has been and how tight clients are getting on budgets etc. We have also heard clients talk about how nervous they are about being ‘seen' doing events, as if it is something for them to be ashamed of. For me, this is what is particularly disappointing. Clients trying to hide their events from the media, scared at the negative publicity that it may attract and none of them, it appears to me anyway, actually standing up to the media criticism and defending events as an important part of everyday commercial life. Meetings, hospitality events, conferences, incentive trips - these are all the very stuff of business communication and marketing and as such are incredibly important to a company's success. I was very sorry to hear one of our clients from the financial services industry indicate that they were rethinking sales incentives after the media heard they were running an event in Antigua for their top sales people and published a story saying it was inappropriate. Why did no-one stand up and defend the incentive scheme, the like of which have been at the heart of the sales strategy of countless Life Insurance and IT businesses for years and which will have played its part in their huge success over the past ten or fifteen years? Sales people are driven by rewards and they are not always financial, incentive schemes work - why not stand up and say it? I am aware that Concerto got a bit of stick in the press recently for our Concerto  Clearwinners trip, implying that it was wrong for us to do this trip when we were also making redundancies. I responded strongly that this was rubbish, the two things are not connected, one is about continuing to grow our business through a scheme that has had very clear and measurable benefits to our group (an increase in agency sales of £4 million over the past 5 years), the other is about prudent reduction in overhead in line with a downturn in the economy. Evidence from past recessions have shown quite clearly that those companies that continue to spend on marketing and sales promotions come out of downturns far stronger that those that cut back. Providing you agree for example, that hospitality events are a part of the marketing mix, then it is absolutely justifiable to continue spend on hospitality. Likewise, all the evidence suggests that sales incentive schemes help sales (if they didn't companies would have stopped them years ago), so why should clients be so ashamed of them? We all need to stand up for events as valuable, worthwhile, cost effective and commercially important to an organisations success and we need our clients to do the same. Maybe then the media will lay off and let us get on with our business!

• 08-13-2009 4:57 PM

  In reply to

  2124708 Joined on 08-13-2009 Posts 3

  Re: Stand Up For Events! Mike Kershaw, chairman, The Concerto Group Reply Contact Totally agree with Mike on this. Its all about having the right mindset - Yes at Sound By Design, we've experienced some markets contracting by around 30% (which seems an average guestimate talking to many of our peers at ISES events), but at the same time as taking prudent measures, as the Concerto Group have done, we've doubled our marketing budget effort, and its paying off. Time will tell, but there's no doubt that fighting the media negativity is a much needed stimulation both for staff & clients. Andy Callin - MD Sound By Design

• 08-17-2009 4:48 PM

  In reply to

  Charlie Vaughan-Griffith Joined on 07-22-2009 London Posts 6

  Re: Stand Up For Events! Mike Kershaw, chairman, The Concerto Group Reply Contact Completely agree with you both on this. I've lost count of the number of times clients have bowed to pressure and just admitted defeat when their clients claim they can't be seen to be entertaining in the current climate, so cancel everything. Surely, with most companies affected by the downturn to some extent, it is reasonable for companies to want to ensure that their remaining employees' moral is kept as high as possible? I'm not advocating unnecessary extravagance but cancelling events or even worse, making them go ahead on a skeleton budget surely runs the risk of sending further shivers of uncertainty down the backs of employees and clients? Charlie Vaughan-Griffith, Sales Manager, Incognito Artists, www.incognitoartists.com

• 09-16-2009 5:32 PM

  In reply to

  Andrew Herkes Joined on 09-16-2009 Posts 10

  Re: Stand Up For Events! Mike Kershaw, chairman, The Concerto Group Reply Contact Hi   It is difficult. I would say that if the client feels guilty about the event recognise that and answer his concerns. A guilty feeling client is like a lead brick , will ruin the fun side, get little out of the event and moan about how they should have stopped it etc. etc. If a client is genuinelyt concerned about whether their organisation can afford to spend the money - recognise that fact and address it. Clients do not make it to the top of significant organisations without a certain something either bravery, risk taking or political antenae. Recognise it and acta ccordingly.   No-one likes to see potential business disappear especially when there is a dearth of other business to replace it but if you are prepared to truly support your client you will almost always be rewarded in time. Good advice? I don't know. I believe it but then I am not the owner of a mega business rolling in huge salary and benefits!! Come on guys lets support the client through their difficult times keeping a clear vision of what we really do for a living, drop the smoke and mirrors and make the client feel we are not trying to wrest his money away on something they are worried about, won't enjoy and may get grief about. Be creative and find them something sitable for today.   Keep smiling!   Andrew

• 09-16-2009 5:33 PM

  In reply to

  Andrew Herkes Joined on 09-16-2009 Posts 10	Re: Stand Up For Events! Mike Kershaw, chairman, The Concerto Group Reply Contact Be creative think of something the client regards as more suitable for the times Keep smiling