Case Studies – Event Support

Over the last few months we’ve had a number of calls from existing clients requesting event support for upcoming events.  Interestingly, we’ve been venue finding for these clients for quite a while now but they had not requested our event support services previously.

As we all know, so much has changed over the last two years and it really is a new world!

Brief:  We received an email late on a Friday evening to ask if we knew of anyone who could assist our client to provide various aspects of event support.  Yes of course we said – us!!

We spoke to him on Monday morning and within a few days we had started work to pull the whole event together.

Detail: Our client and his existing team were involved in pulling together the conference programme, liaising with speakers and dealing with the on-line platform.  We provided various aspects of event support.

We had already sourced the venue for our client as part of our Venue Finding Service but as we were providing event support, we joined our client on a hotel site visit so that we could both discuss the event in detail with the on-site team and share with them our goals and vision in terms of how we wanted the event to run.  With our experience in organising events, were able to assist and advise on a number of areas such as room layout, number of chairs per cabaret table, positioning of exhibition stands, signage etc.

We made recommendations for the canapes for the Drinks Reception and completed the banqueting order, confirming all the final details to the hotel, on behalf of our client.  This included reiterating all the timings, food and beverage requirements including dietary requests etc.

On the subject of dietary requirements, we would like to share that we had an allergy highlighted to us by one of the speakers, which was flagged up a few days prior. This was an allergy to all citrus fruit, specifically the oil vapour which fills the air when citrus fruit is peeled.  We therefore worked closely with the hotel and placed a number of warning notices around the meeting room and catering areas to ask delegates NOT to peel any citrus fruit that they may have brought in themselves.

Working closely with our client and a designer, we created pull-up banners of different sizes which were used to brand the event.  A large banner was used as a backdrop on the stage.

Flexibility is key and when our client secured a last-minute ‘partner’ for the event, the banner design was tweaked to incorporate an additional logo.  All the banners and a branded tablecloth too were delivered in good time and enhanced the event.

We handled registration on the morning of the event and also organised the branded name badge cards and lanyards, differentiating speakers from delegates, using different colour lanyards. The badges were eco-friendly with no plastic to be seen!

A few days prior to the event, our client asked us to find two tables at restaurants for small group dinners; on the night prior and the night of the conference.  This was during a time when many restaurants were only opening on Thursdays/Fridays and Saturday evenings , due to a shortage of staff and other reasons as a hang-over from the pandemic so not one of the nights required!

We sourced them a lovely restaurant, just a few minutes’ walk from the conference venue, and both groups had an enjoyable  evening,  They were even able to choose from the A La Carte menu on the night, which was an added bonus.

Outcome: We had some great feedback from the client……

“Lida was excellent in her role managing the event operations for the  2022 Summit, Lida’s years of experience was evident right from the outset. She was clearly able to understand our goals and was able to share her experience on the best strategy to deliver this.

She displayed a confident, reassuring and calming presence in dealing with the hotel reservations, event logistics and catering leading up to the event which gave us peace of mind and critically allowed the business to focus on the editorial aspect of promoting the conference. On the day of the event she managed the relationship with the hotel staff and any issues we had in an exemplary fashion and needless to say the event went as planned. I can’t speak highly enough of working with Lida and the Desouza Associates team and I look forward to working with her on future events”

Brief:  We received an email from our client asking if we could provide some event support, due to a lack of internal resource.

Detail: We had already confirmed the venue for this Breakfast Meeting, as part of our Venue Finding Service.

Our client who is Head of Marketing at the company, supplied us with all the artwork for the banner that she required and liaising closely with her regarding the size options and lead times for printing of the banner, we set to work and arranged this.

We also handled producing the name badges, once again providing several badge/lanyard options and agreeing a template for the badges, which included a company logo.  When we received the delegate list we spotted a couple of errors on and got these changed before the badges were printed!

Outcome:  Unfortunately, our client decided to cancel this external event at the last minute, due to late cancellations due to COVID.  The client was very impressed with the event support service we provided and we will be helping her once again when the event is rebooked.

Brief: A known contact based in the UK, called to say that a colleague in another country is organising an event in London in  a few weeks’ time and asked if we could assist. Of course we were delighted to say yes of course we can!

We were connected up and off we went!

Detail: This project involved transfers, accommodation, a private dinner in a restaurant and an interpreter! ‘Meet and Greet’ on-site assistance was also provided in the end although this was not requested until the latter stage of the project.

Once again this involved a venue find and initially this was for bedrooms and meeting space, which we fulfilled, but it was subsequently changed to bedrooms only as the meeting space was offered by a UK sponsor.  As I mentioned before, flexibility is the order of the day!!

We worked with all our supplier contacts and provided the transfer services which were requested (including numerous changes as there always is),  an interpreter to be present for the day meeting and to provide English-French and French-English ongoing translations throughout the meeting.

We sourced a private room in a restaurant, which was within walking distance of the hotel where our client was staying.  We worked tirelessly between our client and the restaurant, juggling language issues too, to finally settle on a menu and the wine choices.  Last minute changes to the chosen white wine for the group had to be managed as the restaurant faced with some supplier issues.

Outcome: It was a very successful event, the only minor negative being that the interpreter was a little late in arriving as she went to the wrong building!  We were in touch with all parties during this time, keeping our stake holders informed throughout.