A quick thank you to Nadia for answering these questions! With our “UK Venues” themed 20/20 Club event coming up, wouldn’t it be fitting to know about the service EventConnect provide? As well as get to know a little more about their UK Manager!
When was Event Connect established and how have you grown to create the transport service you are now renowned for?
With very few transport operators specialising specifically in events, Event Connect was established in 2016 as part of the Abellio Group; a multimillion-pound, multinational company responsible for moving more than a million people every single day. Since then, Event Connect have fast become one of the UK’s leading event transport providers with a UK wide network of road transport partners and vehicles ranging from; coaches, luxury minibuses and executive cars, to support and deliver transport solutions for all types of events across the UK from; stadium events, conferences, excursions, tours and festivals.
Subsequently, Event Connect have worked with a plethora of global brands, Tour Operators such as Kuoni, DMO’s and Event Managers across the country delivering transport solutions for national and global events, such as IAAF and Solheim Cup 2019 to name but a few.
What makes Event Connect different from other transport providers:
Apart from our service provision, which differs enormously from that of a traditional transport provider, it would have to be our team.
Our team have extensive experience in both transport and events and I myself have worked in the events industry for more years than I care to mention, having worked in conferencing, events venues and campuses as well as major sporting events throughout the UK.
We’re innovative, forward thinking and above all else have a real customer centric approach and dedication to the events industry. The dedication of our team is ultimately the key driver behind the successful growth of Event Connect.
With Event Connect we don’t go with a one size fits approach. We tailor our services bespoke to our client requirements. First off, we do all the hard work when it comes to getting the best price. As part of the Abellio Group, we are one of the biggest transport providers within the UK giving us buying power, which enables us to get rates which smaller (and larger) companies can’t always get. We have access to fleets across the UK allowing us to tap into local transport operators who have regional knowledge, contacts and experience. We have a 24 hour event control centre providing you with on the ground information to ensure your event transport operates as seamlessly as possible.
With Event Connect you get; security, reliability, expert knowledge, time and resource savings, plus a whole lot more added value.
What’s your three top tips for Event Managers who are organising their transport?
1.Don’t try to be an expert at everything
More often than not the person who has been left in charge of the transport for your event doesn’t have the experience, expertise, operational or regional knowledge required to do the job. You wouldn’t expect someone in the team to cook the food for the event catering, you’d hire caterers, right? So why is it when it comes to event transport there is an expectation that someone in-house can manage it all? Our team have years of experience in transport management and have worked and managed events across the country. Logistically we manage staffing, route planning, and all the local connections. We work out the best and most efficient routes, manage any health and safety and liaise with venues so you don’t have to. You also have the added benefit of our on the ground transport coordinators as well as our 24 hour control room, meaning we are available when you need us most, so, if something goes wrong at 3am, they’ll have a solution.
2. Don’t leave organising your transport until the last minute!
Event transport is usually the last piece of the jigsaw in event management and it’s also seen as the least attractive part of event planning! We always encourage Event Managers and potential clients to involve us as early as possible in the event planning process. There are huge benefits to this for everyone involved from time resource to budget savings.
Every Event Manager want’s their budget to stretch as far as it possibly can. Early planning with Event Connect can help with this as we work to get the best deals so you don’t have to, with our buying power we ensure that not only will you make cost savings, but you’ll also benefit from time savings as this is one less resource you’ll need in-house as we take care of this for you.
A huge time saver is vehicle selection, you might think you know what you need or want, however the reality can be very different and often Event Managers don’t find this out until too far down the line in the planning process. Involving us at the early stages means we can guide you in selecting the vehicles that are most suitable for your client and your budget. What’s more with access to a range of vehicles from operational to elite, we’ll work with you to provide the best solution regardless if you need transport for 50 or 50,000.
3. Don’t become complacent with your existing provider
Time and again Event teams continue to stay with the same suppliers and fail to retender for annual events even when they are unhappy with their service provision. We’ve all done it, sticking with the status quo that is, as the thought of having to change suppliers is daunting and feels like a hugely time-consuming task to add to the “to do list”. But the reality is that changing supplier can significantly improve efficiencies in the long run. Not only can you save on cost, but you can save on time.
Money is usually a key motivator for change and if you’ve been using the same transport supplier for years you may not have taken the time to realise how much money you could be saving by going elsewhere! When was the last time you competitively quoted for the transport services for your event? It might be as long as a year or two, or it may even only have been a few months ago, but it’s always a good idea to keep things competitive. With frequent changes in the market place you could be saving hundreds if not thousands on each event.
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