If you read the article we published last week, How to choose the right supplier for your event, you may have picked up on the fact that with each one of the four tactics we shared, there was a clear link to the fact that your reputation, as the event planner or even the host, is on the line whenever your chosen supplier stuffs up.
Now as mentioned, that is why it is important to ensure that you go through that bit of extra effort to ensure you hire someone with the capabilities to handle problems with ease and skill and who will go the extra mile for you, as their client, to ensure everything runs smoothly.
As a well-established supplier in the industry, Nigel Walker, Managing Director of Compex, had this to say after reading last week’s article:
I agree with all the points made, but it boils down to the ‘fact’ that the organiser is placing their reputation, and the reputation of the client, into the hands of a service provider. Reputation and a brand takes a long time to build, but can be destroyed in ‘minutes’. Thus, although the financial aspects are important and should meet the budget, cost reduction is not necessarily the most important factor – you need to trust your supplier in regard to what has been promised, or the client’s / organiser’s expectations.
Another comment is that any supplier that indicates that ‘nothing ever goes wrong’ has had limited experience or is ignoring the dynamics of the sector. Things will go wrong – it is not a question of if, but when. Thus point 3 is critical – although perhaps is rarely discussed.
The last point I would make would be that perhaps not sufficient emphasis is placed upon the financial aspects of the contract. When is a deposit required, how much is the deposit, when is full payment etc. required. Who is contractually liable (the client or the Organiser [it may be a case of jointly or severable]). What happens if the client does not pay as per the agreed scheduled – you could have a conference with no AV!
Nigel makes very good points and is certainly worth considering along with the points in last week’s article. After all, a cheaper supplier may make many promises, but if they can’t deliver, your reputation is the thing that takes the biggest hit and as Nigel stated, it takes time to build a reputation and it’s one of those “priceless” things Master Card would base their classic advertisements on.
In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that this opinion was from a supplier, the exact people who would be asked a million questions if you were to follow our tactics. This tells me one thing, Compex is truly proud of the service they provide and your reputation is their priority, so if you’re in need of exhibition stands, event infrastructure, furniture hire, AV, lighting, staging, signage, branding, container conversions or even project management, do not hesitate to contact them.
Although their head office is based in Johannesburg, they operate throughout the whole of South Africa and other African countries too.
