CASE STUDY: Conference rescue
CLIENT: National Apprentice Employment Network – full service conference
The Challenge
Conlog was invited to tender for the National Apprentive Employment Network (NAEN) National Conference which hadnt been run for quite a few years. We were unsuccessful in our bid and the client decided on a supplier that had a cheaper option.
Two months out from the Conference we got a call from the client saying that their current supplier had dropped the ball and it was clear that they couldnt deliver what they promised. The cry for help went out to us – can you rescue our conference!
The Solution
We made the decision to help and immediately got the ball rolling. It was a stressful situation for our client and we assured them we could work together to deliver a positive outcome.
It was difficult picking up what someone else had started, and it quickly became clear that there was a lot of work to do. We undertook an audit of work done to date and work yet to be completed and merged the work over to fit into our internal processes. But the reality was it was a complete mess!
Time was of the essence, so as a team, we got together and worked on the essential items such as getting the budget into shape, increasing registrations, working through accommodation options, theming, venue logistics and speaker management amongst other things.
The Outcome
The conference went ahead as smoothly as possible. There were many things that we would have changed but couldnt because of contracts that had been entered into by the previous PCO.
However, delegates, sponsors and other key stakeholders were none the wiser and provided positive feedback to their experiences at the conference.
We achieved a moderate profit for our client, who were very grateful for our professionalism and hard work in assisting them in what was a very difficult situation.
We were subsequently awarded with a three year contract as the PCO for their future conferences. Since then we have achieved increased profits each year for the client and the conference is going from strength to strength. Conlog has now secured another three year contract and look forward to the challenge of continuing the success of the NAEN National Conference into the future.
The Lesson
Its difficult to educate potential clients that value for money does not always mean the cheapest option.
Time an again we prove that we provide excellent value for money and the financial results we achieve for our clients more than compensates for the fees we charge. We are not the cheapest, but also not the most expensive. We value long term relationships with our clients and are often able to secure multiple year contracts as they recognise the importance of engaging with a PCO that has the level of experience and exceptional service delivery that Conlog has.
