In May Business Events Geelong launched it’s first session in our Industry Development Series ‘Meeting Client Expectations’. The agenda for the evening was primarily focused on hosting a site inspection and advice from experts within the field on how to create the perfect site inspection.
We welcomed Business Event Geelong members to Higher Mark, where guest speakers; BKA Events Gemma Willocks, Melbourne Convention Bureau’s (MCB) Joanna Garrie and Higher Mark GMHBA Stadium’s Kylie Nicol discussed & demonstrated how to best meet the needs of clients.
The evening began with the Business Events Geelong team providing guests with a Tourism and Business Events update, including exclusive details on future prospects resulting from recent trade show activity and a run down of incentive group activity within the region.
Garrie (MCB), then presented an update on the latest news coming out of MCB within the business events industry. Garrie presented recent business event trends they were seeing in the market and also which international markets MCB were focusing on and where they are seeing success; two such markets were India and Singapore. Within these markets Garrie spoke about the challenges that are often presented and must be overcome when welcoming and hosting delegates from different cultures, a conversation that was both interesting and informative.
We then moved to a panel discussion where guest speakers provided a list of the most important considerations when planning and conducting a site inspection with potential clients.
Provided below is a summary of some of those items:
- Showcase your point of difference – what sets you apart from your competitors.
- Understand the cleints objectives for the event.
- Be prompt with your communication and response times. Provide a response within under 48 hours of a proposal request.
- On site inspection rooms should be on display – set up based on the clients expectation.
- If there is the opportunity to showcase a wow factor, include this in site inspection.
- Consider culture and nationality prior to site inspection and include potential inclusions and cultural options within proposal.
- Make it easy for clients to access the venue i.e. provide clear instructions, provide easy and free parking if applicable, meet them at the main entrance, don’t keep them waiting.
- Offer a refreshment.
After questions, it was time to experience first hand, how to host a site inspection which is guaranteed to leave a lasting impression at GMHBA Stadium’s Higher Mark.
Here is a short video which features the evening and a sneak peak of the mock site inspection.
@meetgeelong An evening focused on ‘Meeting Client Expectations’, where guest speakers shared their advice how to successfully secure an event. We ended the night with GMHBA Stadium’s Higher Mark showcasing how to host an impressive site inspection. #businessevent #conferenceplanning #siteinspections ♬ Two Summers
We would like to say thank you to everyone involved and also everyone who attended.
