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Tips from Carol Porter,Event Manager at Porter Events
07/06/2011 - By Carol Porter is an Event Manager at Porter Events Porter Events
Tips from Carol, Event Manager of Porter Events
Tips from Carol Porter,Event Manager at Porter Events
Sometimes it’s best to get thrown in the deep end.
Little did I know that deep end would not be in my country or even my continent. We all have unexpected twists and turns in our lives and for me the last 18 months have been full of all sorts of surprises. In the last 18 months I got engaged, moved to Australia, planned my wedding in the U.S., started my own company, executed two medium sized conferences and various special events in Asia including entertainment fit for a king for a 500 person billionaire’s birthday bash. My experience in delivering conferences and events in Asia, while living in Australia, has been challenging in many ways. This article acts a survival guide for planning events in Asia.Hire local help
The number one piece of advice I would give to anyone planning an event in Asia is to have a local on your team who is bilingual in the local language and English. I find a local through my suppliers who I hire for the week to run various errands and assist with translating. One time I had to find 300 luggage tags in Shanghai in 16 hours for under $100. Thankfully I had a local assistant who ran around Shanghai, calling her own contacts, and bargaining at the markets to find what I needed in time and under budget.Read about the city, country, culture
When planning an event it can be easy to forget to set aside time to research the city, the country’s history and the culture. For those without a natural love of history, I promise you it will be beneficial when communicating with local vendors, hotel/venue staff, and delegates. Learning about the city and country history will help you understand their culture, business practices and their preferred mode of communication.Find the right suppliers
Suppliers will determine the success, quality and experience of your event. Therefore, it is worth the extra time and energy to ensure you have reliable trustworthy suppliers.Finding suppliers in Asia is a bit daunting as it seems that everyone knows someone who owns an AV company or set construction company. Here are some tips I have found helpful when selecting suppliers.Do your shopping and research the companies. Ask colleagues if they have worked with any suppliers in the area and if they have recommendations and ask the suppliers for references for you to contact. Once you have a few companies that seem credible, take the time to visit them and their facilities and physically see their equipment. This is absolutely essential for set construction, trade show builders and AV companies. I have encountered a few suppliers in my travels that have informed me they have the equipment I requested but when I went to visit their studio/factory they didn’t have the equipment promised. Whether this was a communication problem or they were intentionally providing me with false information, I will always go to my suppliers’ businesses to physically see their inventory.Always provide an earlier deadline than needed. Most suppliers I’ve worked with would not show up on time for the build or tear down of an event; therefore, I adjusted to this more “relaxed” schedule by giving them earlier than needed start times and tear down times.Don’t always go the cheaper route as you get what you pay for in Asia. In the US there are many credible suppliers that offer competitive rates and deliver to your expectations. I did not always find this to be the case in Asia. If cost is a top priority, be sure you have visited with them, seen their facilities and have faith that they will do a good job.
Never say no to a dinner invite
Once you have selected your suppliers you will find yourself swamped with lunch or dinner invitations. The Asian culture likes to do business face to face, over a meal, to build rapport and trust. It is considered rude to decline an invitation and some suppliers I’ve worked with find it rude to offer to split the bill. They like to treat you as in return you are giving them business. Eat all your food and enjoy experiencing the Asian cuisine! I couldn’t name half of the food I tried but I always finished it as to not be perceived as rude.Foreign customs
When organizing trade shows and conferences in a foreign country you must become familiar with the customs clearance procedures and visa requirements. Now, you don’t have to go overboard and study every little detail but do go online or speak with someone regarding shipping requirements for items getting sent to the venue for a trade show. Ensure you have the correct information to send to trade attendees to prevent their items from getting stuck in customs, which may require ‘under the table’ negotiation to release.For visas, ensure you have the correct information to send to delegates who may need certain visa documentation for travelling to other countries. It is best to get this information to delegates as soon as possible as visa processing times vary by country. This is pivotal information that must be communicated to event attendees as you want to make sure everyone gets to the event safe and happy!Designate smoking areasIn the US, smoking has been banned in many venues, hotels, restaurants and convention centers. However, in Asia, this is not the case and people may smoke just about anywhere. Therefore, if you are planning an event for an international crowd, work with the hotel staff to create designated smoking areas as to not disturb guests who are uncomfortable with smoking.English doesn’t always translate
There are always contracts and agreements that arise when planning an event. All of the suppliers I worked with translated their contracts to English but the wording did not always translate properly. If you have a question in correspondence or contracts don’t be afraid to ask for clarification as this will prevent confusion in the future should an issue arise in the agreement.These are just a few tips to consider when planning an event in Asia. I’ve enjoyed my time in the deep end here in Australia and I look forward to all the little surprises that arise in my future events in the Asia Pacific Region.Carol Porter is an Event Manager at Porter Events and can be reached at carol@porterevents.com.au
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