Supplier and demand

How do you become a preferred supplier? CN speaks to both sides
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It is no secret that venues aspire to offer a consistently high service, and the key to consistency is familiarity. As such, the majority of venues only work with preferred suppliers – but how does one make the list?

Pav Shergill, MD at Monsoon Venue Group, tells CN about what NAEC Stoneleigh were looking for: “NAEC Stoneleigh were after a range of preferred suppliers to help them grow their Asian events business. They were looking for support with the management of Asian events as this is a field the venue staff are not familiar with.”  

How did Shergill prepare the bid? She says: “We first researched the demographic in and around the area to determine whether there was a demand for South Asian events. We sent a copy of our presentation ahead of the meeting – it offers time to prepare any questions.”

Are there differences in the size of requirements lists between venues? If there are too many hoops to jump through, does it become too much work?

Shergill says: “There is a difference in the process when you are dealing with an independently owned venue or one that is operated by a Trust or charity, in comparison to larger co-operation. The bigger the organisation the more red tape you have to cut through, and while the people on the ground dealing with the events can see the value in your services, it can be difficult to get the buy in from the top.”

Which preferred supplier model does Shergill find works best? 

She concludes: “When bidding for a new tender I prefer the opportunity to go in and present to the venue, as our business model and proposition is so unique it is difficult to fully comprehend what we do on paper.  It is also important to build up a rapport with the team whom you will be working with to make sure there is a working synergy.”

 

Venue view

Lorraine Thorne, venue sales manager, Royal Horticultural Halls, says: “We retender our supplier list at the Royal Horticultural halls every three years. 

“Suppliers are asked to give us quotes for various kinds of events and the other venues and clients they have worked with recently. Sustainability is high on our agenda. We need to take care of our planet and ask the same of our suppliers. 

“After receiving all the documentation, we will then invite the short list to a meeting and ask them to embellish how they will work with us, how they will deal with various scenarios and the kind of clients that they might bring to us, among other things. It’s vital we understand how they work and that it works with us to enable us to deliver first class events.”

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