Meetings Management. Expert Insight.

Transcription

1 Meetings Management Meetings and events represent a significant spend for your organisation, so make sure you re set up to run them efficiently - by ATPI s Katie Skitterall Expert Insight

2 2 Making your budget go further Whether you re planning a small meeting at a local hotel, or a major conference with hundreds of delegates, you ll want to make your budget go as far as possible. Centralise your spending Are your events booked through one central source, or do departments or regional offices spend time and resources organising each meeting individually? Having everything in one place can cut your costs and save you time. And when you place your event management in the hands of the experts, you get added peace of mind too. Meetings and events represent a significant spend for your organisation, so make sure you re set up to run them efficiently. Katie Skitterall Katie is Head of Operations UK, responsible for ATPI Corporate Events; A team of event management and corporate hospitality specialists within ATPI.

3 3 Track and monitor By using one central source to track what you re spending and where, you ll be able to monitor events and meeting expenditure company-wide. And you ll see where you might be able to make savings. Having Management Information (MI) at your fingertips can also help you optimise your negotiations with suppliers and drive your costs down even further.

4 4 Negotiate terms Rates aren t the only area you can negotiate on with your suppliers. Negotiating on terms and conditions can lead to benefits like reduced cancellation fees or more flexible cancellation policies. If your meeting can t go ahead, you may be able to roll the spend over to the next date in your events calendar or to another part of your business, avoiding a cancellation fee altogether.

5 5 A standard approach to meetings and events Strategic meetings management is best practice among UK businesses. Using a standardised approach across your company brings benefits that have long been recognised by organisations around the world.

6 6 Proven in the USA The strategic approach was widely adopted in the 1990s by the USA pharmaceutical and technology industries, where large organisations with multiple locations made centralised meetings and events management the obvious choice. Cultural and language differences mean strategic meetings have grown more slowly in Europe, but technological advances have helped us meet these challenges. ATPI is now rolling out strategic meetings throughout the UK and across our global network of offices.

7 7 Bringing everything in line If you already use a travel management provider, joining up meetings and events with your company s travel spend is the final piece of the jigsaw. Adding meetings and events to your travel management gives you greater control and efficiency, and you ll be able to see events spend that might otherwise be overlooked. Bulk rates mean buyer power By centralising meetings and events management, you can clearly see the volume of business you re placing with your suppliers. This puts you in a strong position when it comes to negotiating rates with one or two suppliers. You could drive down costs and save a significant amount of your budget.

8 8 Your needs met, wherever you re meeting By working through one central source, you can manage the end results more effectively, and your company s requirements and preferences can be delivered in the same way. So whether you re meeting a client in Aberdeen or organising a conference in Birmingham, the terms and conditions are the same, and you get the same high quality results every time.

9 9 Real benefits for your business The ATPI process Our approach isn t a quick fix, but a thorough strategic overhaul of your meetings and events. 1. First we carry out a thorough audit to give us a clear understanding of what is being spent and where. Working closely with you Your staff are the people who know your business best, and we work in consultation with them as we develop our recommendations. Our process is procurement-driven, and we work closely with the relevant buyers to make things as smooth as possible right from the outset. 2. Once we understand your situation comprehensively, we report back to you and make recommendations towards a strategic meetings and events plan that you can include in your company s wider travel policy. The whole process can take 6-12 months from initial consultation to completion of the audit. Ongoing support When recommendations have been made and systems are in place to capture all the data, we can offer you ongoing support in a consultancy role to make sure your strategy is performing as well as possible, and continues to deliver value to your business. Want to get started? Contact hello@atpi.com please get in touch today.

10 10 About the experts Want to know more? Katie leads a team who have worked globally for leading agencies in a variety of industries, servicing blue chip companies for over 20 years. For examples of case studies and more how-to guides, visit the ATPI Knowledge Hub. The team have senior level experience in strategic meetings management, operational efficiency and team effectiveness. Katie won the first ever Rising Star Award at the People Awards in 2011, and is a true leader in the industry

11 ATPI is among the world s leading travel management companies. Our dynamic and innovative approach to savings and service has earned us one of the highest client retention rates in the industry. With over 100 offices worldwide, the company has successful operations in corporate travel, corporate event management, online travel technology and specialist travel management for a number of key industries. Published: