Event Buyers Live delivers business and networking to events professionals

The very first Event Buyers Live has been praised by events professionals for bringing together likeminded people for a series of productive, one-on-one meetings and great networking opportunities.

The buyer meets supplier event took place from January 30-31 and welcomed more than 120 events professionals to the Crowne Plaza, Marlow.

Event Buyers Live, organised by Insight Events, is designed to meet the needs of busy organisers, looking to source suppliers for future events. Organisers, and suppliers, chose whom they wished to meet for a series of pre-arranged one-to-one meetings.

“The experience has been extremely different to an exhibition,” commented Liz Haynes, head of operations at the CLA Game Fair. “It’s a very effective way of meeting new suppliers.”

Added Jenny Griggs, events manager at Nova International, organiser of the BUPA Great North Run: “I’ve been to many exhibitions but Event Buyers Live is very different. I’ve met people that I would normally walk past at an exhibition, and so it’s been a great way to discuss things with suppliers. It’s certainly opened doors.”

Event Buyers Live provided many opportunities for attendees to network. Such measures made the Event Buyers Live experience more worthwhile, particularly as time spent out of the office had to be of value to those in attendance.

Explained David Wilson, director of Insight Events, the event’s organiser: “Changing the way that people normally do business by putting suppliers and buyers in a series of pre-arranged meetings can be somewhat daunting.

“Unlike an exhibition, the key objective is to create an environment where two parties can share insights about their business goals. As one event organiser summed it up: ‘I wanted to thank you for a fantastic couple of days – I have met with more suppliers in productive meetings throughout the event, which saved me time and would have normally taken me six months to arrange’.”

Added Neil Fagg, publisher of Stand Out magazine, the event’s media partner: “It was always our goal to see the best of the events industry networking with each other to explore business opportunities and so I feel that’s been achieved,” he continued. “As always, with any event, improvements can be made and lessons have been learned as to how we can improve the event going forward. We advise our readers not to rest on their laurels so it’s imperative that we also strive to make improvements for Event Buyers Live 2015.

“I’ve been encouraged by feedback from both delegates and suppliers that have recorded positive meetings and quality conversations. More importantly, I was notified on day two that a number of orders for equipment and services had already been placed and suppliers were arranging future site visits. The fact that people are now doing business is testament to the event.”