To network or not?!

Networking is always a difficult decision for businesses, there are so many different networks and  types you have to choose from.  With this you need evaluate the time you would spend networking away from the office and the amount of work you have to do!

This week's blog looks at how useful networking can be for your business and how to get the most out of it heres some thoughts:

• Some networks promote joining and paying a membership fee but don' talk about the fact you could attend and just pay a higher price to attend events as you like. This may suit some people in terms of budget, however it is worth noting that joining as a member often entitles you to access free training and advice so it is always worth finding out the benefits of joining the network and paying the annual fee's.

• Networking is great as it provides you the opportunity to meet with others and to showcase the product or service you offer and also provides you the chance to find out about other businesses.  Most importantly however it provides you with the ability to build relationships with like minded people something which is much harder to do on-line and often is actually really useful in terms of learning from others also.

• At networking events maximise your time, ask for a delegate list in advance of the event so you can identify anybody you want to work with or companies that may have synergy with your business. 

• Then at the event ensure you get around everybody (don't stay talking to somebody you know and feel comfortable with the whole time!) you have indentified by also asking the organisers to introduce you.

• Always take plenty of business cards with you, even if you have to rush away at the end of the event and you noticed someone you really wanted to speak you can always find them before you go and introduce yourself ask them for a business card and say you will follow up with a call.

• Finally most importantly always ensure you follow up with people you promise to after the event.  In particular with those you feel you could develop a good referral relationship with or work together in future.  Follow up with a telephone call or e-mail asking them to meet for coffee another time.

Finally it is important to remember word of mouth can be a very good advert for your business, even if you are not instantly receiving business from a networking event you are getting your name and company name out there and you never know what may happen in future! 

Mosaic Events are members of York Professionals and York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce  and  in York but there are lots more around to choose from for a list of some other visit York Networking.

If you have any experiences you would like to share from your networking or if you would like to write a blog for Mosaic Events please email sarah@mosaicevents.co.uk

Event Exhibitions and Shows - making sure your day out of the office is productive!

There are a number of exhibitions and trade shows for event professionals that are held in the UK and also overseas this week’s blog focuses on some of the main shows and our experiences and tips of how to get the most out of the shows you visit and how to pick the best show that will work for you.

One of the main industry shows is International Confex and this takes place in London usually in late February/early March and is a large show with exhibitors including UK and overseas venues and event suppliers. 

The show includes seminars on current topics in the industry presented by industry professionals.  This show is particularly useful for gaining knowledge about current trends and new ideas for events.  It is also offers the chance to improve your database of venues available to book including making key contacts within these to make booking easier.

The Square Meals Venues and Events Show takes place in London in September each year.  Again this show showcases venues from across the UK but focuses more specialist London venues along with London based event industry suppliers and services.  The event has a special area dedicated to theming and decorating event spaces which is useful if you create themed events regularly.  This show also offers short seminars about trends in the industry and is really useful for getting tips from the experts also.

To keep up to date with the list of events visit Conference News Events Diary http://www.conference-news.co.uk/events-diary

With so many shows and trade exhibitions to choose from you most probably will not be able to attend them all, however here are some tips for how to make the most of your time at the shows you do get to attend:

• This may sound obvious but plan your day! Have a look at the exhibitor list and the seminar programme before you go and plot your time around which seminars you wish to attend

• Organise appointments with key contacts so you don’t miss anyone you really want to catch, book these in advance then you can use your time around this to attend seminars/source new suppliers

• Arrive to the show early, get to the show for when it starts to make the most of the day

•  Stay for the evening networking if you can this provides a great opportunity for you to meet  more contacts from the show and represent your company further

• Take lots of business cards! Many of the exhibitors now have the electronic swiping machines to capture your details but often business cards provide more information about you and your company giving new contacts the chance to find out more about you.

If you have any feedback from any industry shows you have attended please do let us know and if you would like to write a blog for Mosaic Events please email sarah@mosaicevents.co.uk
 

Francesca Pearson, Senior Event Account Manager

Getting the most out of your Audio Visual

Having heard about the recent stage set at the Take That concerts touring the UK you can see how an impressive stage set can make all the difference to an event and really bring it to life!

Audio Visual requirements can often be forgotten when putting together events but can play a vital part in making a successful event.

Conferences of course do not require the same stage sets as a Take That concert but it is important to factor in your budget money for the AV kit.  Often venues have some AV equipment on site and usually an LCD Projector, screen and flipchart are included with your conference costs but you may also need to think about staging or lecterns to complete your event presentation.

Through our experience of using a wide range of different types of venues we have found Universities are really good options if you are looking to use lots of rooms and have lots of AV requirements within these.  Universities often have all the equipment built into their lecture rooms for teaching and often have an onsite technician included to help you set all the equipment up and be on hand in case of any technical issues on the day!

Always make sure your AV requirements match the room you are using and the needs of the delegates, for example can everyone see the front screen, or are additional screens needed (for example if there are pillars/obstructions in the room), and/or can all the delegates hear the presenter or do you need a PA system or lectern and microphone to reach delegates at the back of the room.

AV can also be used to promote your event branding or company logo, using lighting such as up lighters to promote your company colours at your event.

Here are some of our tips for booking AV and making the most of your event budget:

• Always check if your meeting room has a built in stage or if the hotel or venue have stage blocks you can use as this will save you the cost of hiring these from an external supplier
• Always check what equipment is included, if you have more than one room, you may usually only have one screen and projector included so you may need to factor in the costs for further screens and projectors and possibly laptops if using more than one room
• For large AV requirements with multiple rooms use University venues if possible they are often cheaper overall and include the equipment costs within the day rates as the equipment is often built in to the rooms and they may also include an onsite technician
• Always budget for AV usually about £2000 should be enough to cover a simple AV set for a conference for around 200 guests
• Don’t cut corners with your AV set, depending on what you are looking to achieve the set can change the look of your event and the impression for delegates
• Always find out how much an AV technician is to have on site for your event if not included in your package costs as they can also make the difference to the running of your event as it is one less thing for you to worry about!

If you have any tips regarding AV equipment for events or if you would like to write a blog for Mosaic Events please email sarah@mosaicevents.co.uk

Work Placement in Events

When my university lecturers mentioned the words ‘work placement’ to me, making endless cups of coffee and photocopying is what immediately sprung to my mind. Luckily these tasks couldn’t be further away from the projects I have been involved in at Mosaic Events, a placement which has offered me a diverse range of tasks, each of which I have thoroughly enjoyed. 

After working in an events company for a year before I started York St John University I knew the industry was something I really enjoyed. However, after a year of chair covers, children’s parties and stressed – out brides, it was the corporate side of the industry that I wanted to get involved in. 

As a student at York St John University studying Business Management and English Language we were encouraged as part of our course to undertake a placement to gain experience in the wide world of work so  this was an opportunity to gain some essential events works experience. 

The Benefits of my work placement

•  ‘Behind the scenes’: When researching different career paths it is hard to get an insight into the workings of the business, a work placement lets you do just this. Something which I have learnt from my placement is the amount of paper work which needs to be completed for each event taking place. I don’t think I have ever seen as many spreadsheets as I have in the past two weeks!
•  ‘Networking’: I got to the point last week where I had made so many phone calls I was starting to forget who was concerned with each event! Even if at first talking to strangers takes you out of your comfort zone, you can see how many people are involved in the organising of any one event and what their roles entail. You get a wider perspective of the industry and it never harms to get your name out there to different people. Plus you get to have a good chat with a wide variety of people, something I never turn down.
• ‘Strengths and Weaknesses:’ I have found events management will seriously test you!  Organisational and communication skills are essential so you will quickly realise what you excel in and what needs work! I definitely need to work on my short term memory to remember all these phone calls!
• Have fun! : Don’t be fooled, I have learnt events management takes some serious hard work. Despite the pretence of glamour and glitz planning, events take massive amounts of organisation. Despite this, I believe the industry is a fun one to be in. The satisfaction when an event plan comes together is brilliant and the buzz of trying to sort last- minute hitches and problems definitely keeps you on your toes.

Whilst working at Mosaic I can honestly say I have learnt so much about the business of ‘events’. It has confirmed that this profession is one that I would like to pursue and has given me an insight into the possible options open to me when I finish university. Most of all I have had fun and made some new friends along the way!

And even though I had to say goodbye to my student life of nights out, daytime TV and duvet days I have enjoyed my placement so much, I can honestly say three weeks just wasn’t enough!

Ruth Turner

If you would like to share your work experience in events or would like to write a blog for Mosaic Events please email: sarah@mosaicevents.co.uk