On the Road Again
Producing Events Outside Your Own Turf
by Carolyn Luscombe, CSEM, CSEP, CMP
Business practices and business climate varies location to location, but the core methodology behind planning an event, does not.
Producing events outside your own turf can be nerve-wracking, overwhelming and intimidating to the best of us. Utilizing the practices and principles of event management is the base from which to work. Essentially, you are using your skills to plan an event – be it here or in another location, those core fundamentals do not change. Needless to say, business practices and business climate varies location to location, but the core methodology behind planning an event, does not.
So you have to plan an event in another province, or perhaps even another country – where do you start? What do you do? When selecting event partners, it is important to remember that it’s not just the quote on paper that counts. You need to look at the level and quality of service present during the RFP stage as well as continuity in timely responses to questions and the desire for creating a business relationship.
The first step is getting to know the location. If you have been there before, it’s a great benefit to you. If you don’t have that luxury, research is your primary getting-started tool. Sometimes the client of the independent planner chooses the location however; the planner still needs to be completely familiar with it. The planner needs to conduct a site visit or complete a site inspection questionnaire dealing with all rules, regulations and items specific to the event or conference. These should be detailed and developed to be specific to the event itself.
When selecting a property or event partner, develop an RFP (request for proposal) that compares key criteria in an “apples to apples” format. The RFP should be formatted to fit your event, not a generic document. The more specific the RFP is to your needs and event, the better quality response you will garner from those bidding. It also provides a fair playing ground for everyone invited to bid, which is essential. For properties, key areas such as attrition, room rates, space rates and other applicable costs and policies need to be carefully examined, weighed and compared against the other RFP responses received.
Now that you have your site and location nailed down, how do you find event partners? Every location varies province to province and state to state. Never assume anything and ask every question you can think of. I believe that no question is a dumb question and not asking can be more of a hindrance than you could imagine.
Obtain promo packages, review online documents/websites and discuss with other colleagues to gain their insight and expertise. Colleagues in your specific destination city can also be a valuable resource as they can make specific referrals based on their direct experience in working with particular local event partners. There are some great resources for members through organizations such as ISES, MPI and so forth. Other options include: location specific resource directories (such as CEP Supplier’s Guide, TSE (Toronto Special Events); web searches with reference checks and direct referrals from planner colleagues, location specific associations and referrals through property catering and sales contacts. In addition to reviewing the written reference letters, always verbally check references for all properties and potential event partners.
Producing events outside your turf requires extra attention, due diligence, care and caution. Once you have selected and secured your event partners, continue the event process as you normally would with floor plans, timing documents and regular communications. Plan to be at the site 1-2 days prior to the start to have an onsite tie-down meeting and cover off all outstanding items. This will give you a comfort level and ensure everyone is operating from the same page.
Ensure that when you are preparing to travel that you have all necessary travel documents (passport, Visa, birth certificate), health insurance, credit cards and cash in country-specific currency, immunizations if required (check that yours are up to date), and check all travel document expiration dates. Many people are obtaining Hepatitis A & B Twinrex shots for additional protection. Make sure you have obtained all necessary permits and travel documents. Consulting an immigration lawyer, Canada Customs & Immigration and the Immigration Office in the host country are recommended.
Often a show in another location means that resources are stretched when you are out of the office for an extended period of time. Always travel with your laptop, cell phone and onsite bag. Ensure there is someone in the office that is briefed and updated on all your current projects, who can manage things for you while you are away by taking calls and answering project-related questions. Stress can be a major factor while offsite producing your event if you stretch yourself too thin.
Key areas you need to be aware of:
- Currency – exchange rates, values
- Costs / Budget Development – the cost of items can vary greatly from location to location. In Canada, Toronto is truly a hub for all event-related services and pricing is very competitive as a result and there is usually a deal that can be had. However, when working in a non-hub location such as Vancouver, chair covers that cost $3.75 in Toronto cost $7.75 there. The demand warrants a higher cost in Vancouver than it does in Toronto as there are far less suppliers of this service. The budget needs to be determined, based on the area in which the event is taking place. A budget prepared for Toronto will likely not work in Vancouver and so on. In Montreal/Ottawa, entertainment costs are slightly higher than in Toronto and there are not as many specialty acts therefore many clients bring acts in from Toronto.
- Terms and Conditions – all contracts will be written specific to the geographical area your event is taking place in. Review all contracts and their terms and conditions very carefully and ask all questions that arise from review.
- Taxes – what are the taxes applicable in that location?
- Permits – what permits do you need to obtain.
- Lingo – event lingo varies country to country. Be sure you are familiar with the terminology being used by event providers in that location. Not everyone thinks that the timeline you are referring to is what you think it is – it might mean something completely different to your event partner. Small miscommunications such as this can have a severe impact on your event and the planning process.
- Laws of that Province or State
- Event partner payment policies and contractual terms and conditions
- Payments – most companies will prefer money orders and drafts from an out of area planner so that bank clearing is not delayed.
Selecting the Event Location
When selecting a geographical location for your event or conference, consider the following:
- Demographics of your attendees
- Objectives of the conference or event
- Distance between the airport and the final destination
- Travel time in the air and on the ground
- Accessibility of the location to all attendees
- Amenities, conveniences and services provided onsite
- Cost of flight (especially if considering 2 or more different geographical locations)
If the site is too difficult or time consuming to get to, attendees will be reluctant to attend. The easier the process is for an attendee, the happier the attendee will be.
BIO
Carolyn Luscombe CSEM, CSEP, CMP
President, Eclectic Events International
Carolyn Luscombe, CSEM, CSEP, CMP is the President of the award-winning, Toronto-based event firm, Eclectic Events International. She is an instructor in Event & Meeting Management at George Brown College, industry speaker and an award-winning corporate event producer. She is a past president and current board member of ISES Toronto.
Contact: 416-413-7887, carolyn@eclecticeventsintl.com
