News

The latest news and events from The Conference People and our clients

The Conference People launch Room Capacity Calculator

On-line calculator that shows the maximum number of people or exhibition stands for different room configurations

“Tell me, how many will that room seat school-room style?”

It’s the perpetual question….. now The Conference People have the answer – on their own website!

With the increasing need to maximise space for conferences, meetings and events The Conference People have launched an on-line calculator that shows the potential capacities for six different event needs, including ‘theatre-style’, exhibitions and functions.

MD Robert Enefer says “It used to be so difficult to work out room capacities really quickly and now we’ve come up with the answer. It’s invaluable already and we’ve only been trialling it for the past few weeks!”

The Conference People offer a free venue finding service – anywhere any time. As well as comprehensive Delegate and Event Management and Logistical Planning.

See www.confpeople.co.uk for Room Calculator and all information.

The Conference People beat the recession with Small Business 2.0

London event for British small businesses promotes the internet as marketing and selling channel to boost the bottom line.

With the credit crunch deepening and speculation suggesting that a full-blown recession is on the way, every small business is right to be worried. And yet the majority of firms are failing to take advantage of online marketing and selling opportunities: only half have a website and even fewer spend time or money promoting themselves online.

The Conference People have gained a unique insight into web marketing and for the first time organising their own conference! “This is a really exciting and unique development for us” says Managing Director, Robert Enefer.

Small Business 2.0 is an event tailored to small businesses: no technical knowledge is require, just a desire to use the net to generate profits. Sponsored by Royal Mail, who will be showcasing their new online products for small firms, the day will give attendees a chance to listen to knowledgeable presenters and join lively discussions with industry experts. 

Small Business 2.0 will look at getting the most from Google, Amazon and eBay, optimising your website for search engines, email marketing, advertising online and taking internet payments.

Matt Wilson of The Conference People says:  “Lots of small companies know that they can get more from the web but they may be scared or not know where to start. The Small Business 2.0 event will be an ideal opportunity for everyone to get to grips with what the web can do for their business. “

“Customers are changing their habits,” Wilson says, “and frequently turn to the net before the Yellow Pages. Small businesses can get almost instant exposure on search engines such as Google, generate sales and leads via their website and stay in touch with regular customers using email marketing. Most people will be surprised how cheap it is to start making the web a central part of their business.

Small Business 2.0 will being held at the New Connaught Rooms, 61-65 Great Queens Street, Covent Garden, London,WC2B 5DA on Saturday 11th October.

Details of the event and how to book can be found at www.sb20.co.uk

New Business Development Manager for The Conference People

Samantha Cresswell has joined venue-finding and event support agency The Conference People as Business Development Manager.

Sam has extensive experience in the Events Industry and has previously worked at First Network, presentation and audio visual, and Ian Allan Event Management where, as Events Executive, she managed events for blue chips across all business sectors.

The Conference People offer a free Global Venue Finding Service as well as comprehensive Event Management. MD, Robert Enefer, says; “Sam’s appointment is a really exciting development for us and with her skills and experience we will continue to progress our client offering. Business is challenging but since forming the company in 1986 we have a strong reputation for delivering the highest service and ethical standards.”

Samantha says “It’s great to have this opportunity to further my career in the sales field after five years of operational experience. The Conference People offer really special People based services to the Conference and Events business and it’s an exciting time for our industry”

The Conference People appointed to manage the 1st World Social Marketing Conference.

(Eastbourne based) The Conference People will be supporting this high profile conference to be held at the Hilton Brighton Metropole in September 2008 where up to 800 delegates are expected to attend.

Social Marketing is the use of marketing and social sciences to achieve behavioural goals for the social or public good. The World Social Marketing Conference is being organised by The National Social Marketing Centre which is a partnership between the Department of Health and the National Consumer Council.

Patrick Ladbury Communications Manager at the NSMC says “We are delighted to be working with The Conference People.  Their experience of major conferences and knowledge of Brighton will, I am sure, provide a winning combination for the World Social Marketing Conference.

Managing Director Robert Enefer says; “We are thrilled to be involved with this unique conference; especially as it is a world first. We have considerable experience with varied events in venues around the world and we will use all our expertise with this event.” 

ISO Quality Award for The Conference People

Following an assessment by an independent organisation, The Conference People has been successful in achieving ISO 9001 Certification. This Internationally recognised prestigious award for quality is an International Standard in use worldwide as the benchmark for quality.
The award recognises The Conference People’s commitment to an exceptional quality of service. With only around three per cent of UK business holding this Certificate, The Conference People are now at the forefront of quality service and customer care.
Said a delighted Robert Enefer, “We have always been proud of the service we offer our clients. Now with the award of ISO 9000, this has been confirmed by outside experts who are used to judging service on a daily basis in a wide variety of trades and industries.”
The Assessor, who undertook the assessment for CQS Certified Quality Systems, paid particular tribute to the “the investment in people and training that enables The Conference People to provide an efficient service to their customers.”
For further information please contact Robert Enefer or Estelle Specht.

Exciting new appointment at The Conference People

Now in their 20th year The Conference People continue to develop and further expand their team.
Philip Coates joins The Conference People from the Institute of Auditors, where he was one of their Event Managers.
Philip says, “It is really exciting to be a part of the Event Management team at The Conference People. I’m already working on several varied high level events including the Sussex Enterprise Annual Conference.”
Robert Enefer, Managing Director, said that he was delighted with Philip’s appointment. “Philip has some great experience and skills that will be beneficial to us and add further depth to our roster of support services”.

On-line event registration maximises conference goodwill

The Conference People bespoke Delegate Management System (DMS) provides a seamless interface with clients’ own websites to ensure that delegate registration and management processes are consistent and as error free as possible.
Typically risks such as inaccurate conference details, wrong seminar choices and misspelled name badges can have a negative impact on delegate satisfaction. The Conference People DMS minimises these risks and allows clients to strongly brand conferences and events online, ahead of the event.
Errors can often originate during the registration process because delegates themselves fail to complete forms, or increase the chance of error by using a hard-to-read handwriting style – or even a faulty ballpoint.
The system can link with any website and is totally secure. Because each delegate enters their own details the likelihood of errors due to bulk data entry is negligible. Conference owners maintain overall control and can still amend this information where needed.
In addition secure online credit card payments can be managed by the reputable payment system PayPal. Automated responses complete the booking form submission process.

System features mean that booking forms can be tailored to any specification, including -

• alternative address fields for invoicing/joining instructions
• compulsory terms and conditions
• badge name on day
• mailing codes
• dietary or special requirements
• links to location maps or conference programmes
The Conference People DMS can also be pre-set to accept a maximum number of delegates for each event preventing potential over subscription – a risk with a postal-based process. The system even includes an automated waiting list feature.
Communication with delegates is also made easier with personalised emails sent to all registered delegates from the database. This includes timely event reminders and programme changes and updates. Reports, which can be designed to suit any requirement, can easily be produced via Access and Excel - compatible with most office systems.

Call us now on 01323 644644 for our DMS demonstration

The Conference People support eBay conference & event programme

The Conference People are managing all the conferences and events for the eBay university learning programme, now running in the UK. The work includes venue finding, web-based booking and delegate management as well as all venue arrangements.
Robert Enefer, Managing Director and founder of The Conference People, says: “We are thrilled to have won this exciting business. eBay has a high profile and is committed to developing its eBay University in the UK.’

For more information contact Robert Enefer on +44 1323 644644
or robert@confpeople.co.uk

Appointments

New Events Director
Matt Wilson now heads up the Event Management department at The Conference People. Having joined The Conference People from his own events company in St Albans, he brings extensive experience in the conference industry and further strengthens the management team.
Matt is responsible for running the Event Management department, handling some of The Conference People’s biggest clients, and developing new business.

Busy start to The Conference People’s year

The Conference People have secured venues for a record number of conferences, product launches, training programmes and functions in the first two months of 2005.
‘Lead-times for events is unpredictable and has typically been very short so far this year,’ says Robert Enefer, Managing Director and founder of The Conference People. ‘This may reflect the fact that some organisations are facing a harder task securing their budget allocations. However, we have always been able to source the most appropriate location in all cases and with significant cost savings.
‘One interesting trend is that a number of our clients are looking for exotic and unusual conference locations. For example we managed a sales conference for Novo Nordisk in Jamaica for the second time.’

For more information contact Robert Enefer on +44 1323 644644
or robert@confpeople.co.uk