What, Why & How... a "no brainer" for everyone in the Events Industry!

I am lucky enough to have spent over 15 or so years working with fantastic teams running events in many different countries. A few years ago, knowing that we were spending tens of millions across many suppliers, I asked a few of our senior event operations and production managers how they reviewed the market to source suppliers for specific items of equipment and services that we used on a regular basis. The answer was pretty much the same across the board.

1. Hours of desk top research to identify companies who could potentially supply in the region. Ideal to have a short list of 4-6 different suppliers to vet.
2. Track down the right contact to discuss specifications, dates, availability, costs etc. Very time consuming, having the same conversation over and over again.
3. Collate the responses to whittle down a short list.
4. Follow up with each potential supplier for insurance details, health and safety certification and sustainability policies. This apparently is very time consuming.
5. Eventually appoint the supplier.

In reality, most didn’t have the time to do this thoroughly and more often than not ended up appointing their previous supplier with a bit of an arm wrestle on both sides. This I realised cost us significant amount of time and money, plus we weren’t seeing what else was out there. So, I went for a beer with a couple of our senior ops guys.

“What if there was a website or app where you input the detail what you’re looking for and the dates you need it and click send. That request is then sent to a comprehensive directory of vetted suppliers. Those that are interested in your request respond back, so you have a short list of interested suppliers with their profiles in a really easy to compare format, where you can see what they’ve done before along with other customer reviews, and you’ve only had to input the enquiry once?” “Well of course, that would be a no brainer!”

Reverse engineering of the buying process isn’t revolutionary tech, however we realised this service would need a very comprehensive directory of event suppliers to be able to work. For decades The White Book has been the industry’s bible as the event supplier directory. However, as an annually published book, it was also desperately in need of a digital overhaul. For those that know Julian and Mash Media, you will know they are passionate about the industry and are hugely supportive of the event eco system of both organisers and suppliers. So, we joined forces to launch The Event Site with the largest database of event suppliers across a vast array of sectors built up over almost 30 years.

The Event Site was built with lots of input from both suppliers and organisers to launch in early 2019 and then the pandemic hit just as we were launching. Now the last couple of years haven’t exactly been easy for the event industry. The supply chain has been massively shaken up, so the landscape for both event suppliers and organisers will continue to be exceptionally challenging. However, we are an industry that finds solutions and makes things happen.

The events industry supply chain is going through a major recalibration; however, the great news is that it is definitely getting back on its feet, and it has been fantastic to witness so many events over the last few months. As a service reliant on up-to-date information, especially during this period, we recommend all our listed suppliers to check their profiles are up to date and looking as good as can be.

Whether its major festivals, exhibitions, corporate events or weddings and parties, the events industry has been around for centuries and has weathered many storms. Live events will always exist. So, if you are an event supplier, organiser or both, then I hope The Event Site becomes a valuable service for you.

James Cooke-Priest, Founder of The Event Site