PREDSEDOVANJE EU 2008 EU Presidency 2008 PREDSTAVITEV ...

Planning Corporate Events
Choose your Location
in Due Time!
We meet two segments of
target groups in the area
of event organisation.
The first, consisting of
larger and often longterm
planned events
includes congresses or
conferences designed for
experts, while the second
segment covers corporate
events directed at
company presentations,
training and promotions.
It is characteristic that corporate
events are only rarely planned
more than six months in advance.
Of course, there are exceptions,
when a company is launching a
certain product, and thus has also
foreseen the date of its presentation
to the public. Or perhaps
there may be a conference held
on an ongoing basis, held on the
same dates several years in a
row.
Most often, companies plan
events two or three months in
advance. Thus, they encounter
problems with reservations of
halls, spaces or accommodation
as they frequently require quite
some time to find the right venue.
If they are planning an event for a
larger number of participants with
specific requirements regarding
halls, overnight stays and perhaps
even activities for participants
(team building programmes,
sports activities, etc.) the number
of suitable facilities suddenly goes
down. Some have already been
reserved and companies are
forced to change the dates of their
events or hold the event at a loca-
tion which was not initially included in their preferred lists. Often it is
exactly the location which influences the overal remaining part of an
event (size of spaces, cuisine, overnight capacities, parking for
participants, sports activities at the event location, etc.).
Often, the contents of the event also influence the choice of location,
making it much more difficult to find a location on the desired date as
the company organising the event must weigh the advantages and
disadvantages of each location. Thus the agencies, which are familliar
with the majority of locations, halls and other facilities on
the market, can better advise and negotiate with conference providers
who possess adequate venues for a planned event. Many
times an on-site check is required to reserve a location since the
company organising an event for itself is not familiar with all the
locations. Besides, photographs on the internet are not the convincing
factor. This means that company stuff (frequently several employees)
must set off to a number of locations to check them and afterwards
decide on their suitability. This requires quite some time which the
company could utilise more efficiently. Facility providers very often
change their offers (increase centres, improve their offers, etc.)
something, which agencies monitor on an ongoing basis. We are capable
of offering perhaps a more attractive location and venue at any moment,
which would be more suitable for a company organising an event.
If more time is available for the reservation, we have a better selection
at our disposal. Thus the company – event organiser will receive what it
actually desires. The company knows its participants and invited guests
who will, having a more suitable location, be more satisfied with the
event.
Not only the location affects the succesful execution of a corporate
event, but also a number of other factors, about which we will write in
the future. This is precisely why planning is so very important.
Maša Pentek, Auditoria
Bled • Lake Bled (Foto/Photo: M. Pentek)
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