Venue, Exhibitor & Supplier Management

Venues, exhibitors (for tradeshows) and suppliers are the cornerstones of the infrastructure for a successful event.  Ensure they fit in with your overall plans and work the way they should.

Venue Negotiation and Liaison

The location(s) of your event are one of the memories participants will carry home with them.  A poor venue, or one with poor service, can negatively colour those memories.  Yet, starting off on the right foot with your venue can usually eliminate problems.  Selection of an appropriate site reflects your Association well.

We have been working with leading venues across Canada and in the United States since 1967 to ensure our clients have a positive site experience.  Let us help you by:

  • Identifying and issuing tenders for suitable venues
  • Compiling the responses to the tenders and making a recommendation to you for the most appropriate site
  • Arrange site visits with you and/or members of your organizing committee to allow you to screen potential sites the best way – by being there
  • Negotiate with the chosen site for rates, services, upgrades and amenities
  • Arrange separate hotel accommodation if necessary
  • Work with a housing bureau to simplify your participants experience – one of our strategic partners is expert in this field, and provides a single source contact for participants to ensure they receive the correct rooms and rates
  • Arrange catering, either with the venue directly, or through a third-party, as necessary

Logistics of venue management, when managed the Association Concepts Way from the outset, eliminate problems down the road.  Our extensive experience with leading venues, and the “clout” we have acquired through the many events we stage, permit us to arrange the best deal for you, at the most appropriate location, so your participants have a positive, memorable experience and your volunteers have a much easier time working with venue staff.

Supplier Management

Suppliers are as important as your venue of choice.  They are the other major variable in providing a seamless, flawless experience for your guests.  We have been working with leading companies in a variety of fields since 1967, so we can ensure supplier arrangements for your tradeshow, conference, seminar or other event is successful.  Our relationships extend across Canada and into the United States, and include:

  • Audio-visual firms
  • Show services
  • Drayage
  • Customs brokers/freight forwarders
  • Caterers
  • Security companies
  • Printers
  • Sign companies

Bring our network to your event by having us:

  • Work with your venue to ensure sufficient space is available, both for core activities and “extras” – luncheons, buffets, meeting rooms, etc.
  • Negotiate pricing and services with all suppliers, either using preferred suppliers or issuing, collating and recommending suppliers based on tenders
  • Work with show services to develop an exhibitor package, should you choose to have a tradeshow as part of your event
  • Arrange for cross-border and international import of materials and supplies if necessary
  • Work with a customs broker/freight forwarder to ensure proper government documentation is provided and customs clearance happens quickly and within timelines
  • Coordinate the activities of all suppliers as per the plan developed in the Event Consulting stage of your project
  • Ensure necessary signage is attractively designed and available as needed

There are many threads to managing supplier logistics.  Our total service approach to our business and yours means all those threads are in competent hands. Let us put our contacts and expertise at your service.

Exhibitor and Tradeshow Management

A tradeshow offers your association some important opportunities:

  • Build linkages with firms related to your core business
  • Set the stage for partnerships or sponsorship arrangements with those firms in future
  • Provide your participants with another opportunity to learn, make new contacts, and cement existing relationships
  • Generate a surplus for the Association by adding another revenue source to your event

A successful trade show can be as simple as a tabletop show, or as complex as one requiring multiple booth spaces and elaborate exhibits.  The experience your exhibitors have is every bit as important to your success as is the experience of your guests.  Let us help you navigate the complexities of a tradeshow by:

  • Developing and distributing attractive promotional materials to potential exhibitors
  • Creating and maintaining an exhibitor database to track the myriad of details implicit in a successful show
  • Provide contracted exposure to exhibitors through the website, preliminary and on-site programs and other promotional materials
  • Develop a set of protocols for exhibitors dealing with everything from move-in and set-up through to tear-down and move-out
  • Troubleshoot any problems that arise with exhibitors on-site
  • Liaise with exhibitors during the show to ensure their needs are met
  • Arrange for a photographer, conference insurance rider and/or security services for the duration of the tradeshow

There are significant headaches in arranging for a successful tradeshow.  Consider Association Concepts as your “aspirin” in making them go away, so you can concentrate on your core events.