GL events had an outstanding 2017 for securing long-term business partnerships with customers and clients. From golf to tennis, global athletics to horse racing, the company worked hard to create stable business relationships based on quality and trust.
Alongside this, we also shared our approach to quality relationships with the wider events industry. GL events was the first Futures Sponsor of the National Outdoor Events Association (NOEA), a move that underlined not only our commitment to the association and its members, but also to the growth and professionalisation of the UK’s wider events community.
Through this partnership, GL events was, in 2017, involved in many live events and closed-door seminars, that encouraged event professionals, on both sides of the supply chain, to have ‘better conversations’, leading to clearer briefs, better-defined expectations, more transparent pricing, and ultimately, long-term, mutually beneficial business relationships.
Throughout 2017, we worked proactively with industry associates who shared our commitment to quality, innovation and growth. Once again, GL events took centre stage at the Event Production Show, the Showman’s Show, Event Buyers Live, and the newly launched Festival & Outdoor Events Show. Through these partnerships, and our establishment of the Futures Leadership Forum, we encouraged our industry to also take a closer look at its own future, and to try and predict the patterns and outcomes of an increasingly complex outlook for event organisers. Our conversations and research led to an industry survey project in partnership with Stand Out magazine, tackling the topic of Globalisation.
Listening to the thoughts of event professionals, production companies, and other suppliers from across the industry continues to be an immensely rewarding experience. By examining buyer/supplier attitudes and activity throughout the supply chain, we learned about the challenges and opportunities present in building commercially successful relationships; from caution and a lack of immediate trust from event professionals, to the need for closer consultation from event suppliers. We learned that there are occasions where the relationship can be too good – leading to complacency and a lack of innovation.
GL events, in association with our industry media, colleagues and associates, also discussed and examined the future trends that are coming towards our industry: from changes in consumer behaviour; the rise and evolution of event technology, and the need for city infrastructure development, to the effects on the UK events industry of an increasingly globalised world. With support from our partners, GL events was behind the publication of two white papers on the future of the industry, as well as our major globalisation survey (follow the links to download your copies), and launched a ‘How-to Guide’ for event professionals taking their first steps in the industry.
GL events spent the last 18 months committed to fostering these important conversations, partnering with our events industry media and associations to share the findings with the wider industry.
“What we learned is that relationships matter, within our business, and also within the wider events industry, now and in the future,” commented David Tunnicliffe, Commercial Director at GL events. “As a premium brand in our market place, we have a responsibility to help the industry to grow. We believe that this happens most when there are better business relationships in place. It’s also nurtured by the availability of information, by more conversation and more sharing. It’s something that continues to benefit our organisation, and we hope we’re doing our bit for other events, other event suppliers, and for the industry as a whole.”
