GL events UK will once again lead an industry-wide discussion on the way the outdoor events market approaches supplier/buyer relationships.
Better relationships, resulting from open and honest communication between event professionals, have been a concept explored and promoted by GL events for the last 12 months, with the aim of creating a more enabling and commercially viable events industry.
The company has instigated a number of debates; uniting diverse partners and representatives from across the events industry. These conversations took place within industry gatherings, including Event Production Show at the beginning of the year, the Festival & Outdoor Events Show in September, and October’s Showman’s Show. GL events will, later this month, lead the debate at the National Outdoor Events Association’s (NOEA) Annual Convention.
Through these discussions, GL events is looking to understand how the industry can create more creative and ambitious relationships. “It starts at a basic level when companies have done business for some time,” explains David Tunnicliffe, Commercial Director at GL events UK. “They can become so confident and even comfortable in a successful formula that they stop reviewing the brief, discussing new objectives, or sharing innovation on either side, and can lose their momentum.”
Equally, when it comes to new working relationships, GL events’ discussions have revealed a lack of transparency between buyers and suppliers. “Event organisers can be convinced they are about to create a phenomenal show. They’re expecting thousands, and brief the supply chain according to these ambitions,” explains David. “But the onus is on the supplier to delve deeper; to understand where the numbers and aspiration are coming from, and to interrogate the brief, together with the organiser. It’s not helpful to just push a quote out there, agree a scope, and then commit the organiser to this without proper discussion and support.”
The debates so far have included event organisers of all sizes, from new-starters to representatives of well-established, global events, as well as suppliers expert in everything from event technology to GL event’s own specialism in temporary event infrastructure and overlay.
“It’s a constantly moving conversation and it’s important for us to be having these discussions, as well as encouraging all event professionals, on either side of the supply chain, to do likewise,” concluded David. “Already we’re seeing a tremendous response, and that can only be a good thing.”
GL events UK will host the next chapter of the ongoing discussion at the NOEA Convention 2017, taking place on November 22, at The Guildhall and Pump Rooms, Bath.
