Event organisation and management is big business. It is estimated that the UK events industry was worth over £60bn to the UK economy in 2023. Like most sectors, the events industry encompasses large companies operating on an international basis – such as Eventurous, Giant Leap, Future Media, Firebird Events and DRPG – and smaller niche companies like Derbyshire Business Events and Buxton International Festival which organise exhibitions and events at the regional and local level.
Whether they are large or small, whether they operate nationally or locally, event organisers benefit from the call answering, live chat and admin support services provided by Paperclip.
This article explains why Paperclip’s services are so valuable to event organisers.
More than virtually any other industry, businesses in the events sector experience significant fluctuations in call volumes and the need for admin capacity. With exhibitions for example, there may be peaks in interest from exhibitors and visitors when the event is launched, as well as in the weeks leading up to the event itself.
Using Paperclip enables event organisers to scale their call answering, live chat and admin support resources at short notice in line with demand. Paperclip enables event organisers to operate with a small core team of experienced and skilled staff who can focus on value-adding activities such as selling stand space.
Part of the team
It is Paperclip’s mantra that when we are answering calls for a client we become an integral part of their team; the service is invisible to callers.
We also provide registration services, integrating with the client’s event management and ticketing software systems. In many cases, the Paperclip team member updates the system whilst they are on the call. Consequently, the event organiser has a ‘real time’ view of bookings and activity levels.
Inbound and outbound calls
Whilst Paperclip’s reputation has been built on our professional, tailored, and affordable call answering services (inbound calls), we also provide event organisers with the ability to make volume outbound calls.
There are many reasons why an event organiser may want to make outbound calls. For example, it may be part of a planned event strategy. If an event is free to visitors, the number of no-shows can be incredibly frustrating for organisers. A simple phone call in the days leading up to the event has been shown to reduce no-shows significantly.
Alternatively, as often happens in the event space, there may be last minute changes that exhibitors and visitors need to be made aware of, including venue changes. Emails communications have their place, but outbound calls have the advantage of confirming that the exhibitor or visitor has definitely received the message. It also gives the exhibitor or visitor the opportunity to ask questions and, in some cases, let of steam!
Filling the information gap
Despite the best efforts of event organisers to cover every angle on their website, human nature is such that potential exhibitors or visitors will often pick up the phone to ask questions or seek clarification.
Paperclip works with their event organiser clients to build FAQ briefing packs for each event to ensure the Paperclip team is able to handle questions from callers. In our experience, a comprehensive briefing pack enables 90-95% of questions to be managed directly by the Paperclip team without referral back to the event organiser.
The briefing packs are reinforced by daily briefings. These briefings are videoed to ensure all team members are kept informed of any changes.
Every event organiser client is unique
Every Paperclip client is unique in the way it operates. For some event organiser clients we provide a bespoke event phone number for them to promote on their website, social media, and event communications. For others, we make follow-up calls to exhibitors to gain feedback and then submit an analysis of our findings to the event organiser so they can implement any changes they feel are necessary. Other admin support services we provide include the despatch and monitoring of promotional emails using the MailChimp platform, and mail fulfilment services.
Find out how Paperclip can help your business
If you are an event organiser and would like to know more about how we could support event activities, simply call me on 01246 418 181. I look forward to hearing from you.
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Hi, I’m Louise Bellwood, Director at Paperclip. I am responsible for delivering Paperclip’s customer service and growth strategies for 2024 and beyond, I am a crusader for the benefits call answering can deliver for organisations of all kinds; customer service, sales generation, customer retention and more. If you have a question about call answering – pricing, set-up, benefits – I would love to hear from you at louise@paperclip.co.uk or 01246 418 181.