Martin Richardson: Time to make a promise
Have you made any New Year’s resolutions? Martin Richardson, director of meetings and events at MCI, asks what should event organisers and clients be promising their agencies in 2013?
As we welcome 2013, it’s that time of year when as individuals we start to navel gaze and think about our New Year’s Resolution. A resolution can be a promise, a declaration or a simple pledge, and whatever your resolution is, it is always made with the anticipation of a new beginning.
This made me wonder what resolutions would we put in place if we were to apply this principle to the industry we all work in? What New Year’s resolutions should all agencies put in place for clients in 2013, and the reverse of this, what resolutions should clients make to agencies?
As an industry, we are all seeing a reduction in spend and a need for smarter practices and innovative solutions. Lead-in times are becoming shorter and the term “wow factor” seems to have crept into the industry dictionary. It has never been more important to provide each client brief with a bespoke solution that adds value and exceeds the key objectives of the experience.
I would imagine the last line of the previous paragraph would form a pretty good resolution for all agencies to aim for in 2013. However, in order to achieve this, maybe we need those issuing the brief, whether this is a procurement department, corporate event manager or stakeholder, to make a resolution for 2013 too?
If there was one thing I could ask for from potential clients issuing briefs it would be to allow for a commitment of time, in the briefing process, for face-to-face meetings to further clarify the objectives set in the briefing document. Allowing for the time to meet, or at least talk on the phone, will in turn give every agency the opportunity to provide a proposal that meets with the objectives first time.
So what resolutions as an industry could we put in place for 2013? As agencies, we commit to providing bespoke innovative solutions to every client brief. As clients, please commit to allowing the time to for agencies to clarify the brief.
If both parties can keep their promises then I see no reason why 2013 cannot be a prosperous and profitable year for everyone involved.
