Outsourcing creates efficiencies and leverages experience

Companies often outsource tasks that are not part of their core business activities. Yet, creating and managing a company event, which is just as crucial to brand building, product sales, loyalty building or fundraising, is often viewed as a simple task that can be added to existing staff duties. Nothing could be further from the truth. As in all outsourcing, the reason to retain an expert is to leverage expertise, cost savings and efficiencies that a specialist brings, and that non-specialized staff cannot. A Caspian Production is focused on helping companies outsource management of both their small and large events. We offer professional event services ala carte, or as an entire package. Regardless of which services are chosen, by outsourcing, companies can realize cost savings both directly and indirectly.

“But we just use our internal staff…”

Most companies would not dream of asking their internal staff to become real-estate agents when they need to lease a new office, or ask them to become accountants at tax time. It is too risky not to retain an expert. But companies often don’t blink when asking their staff to become a full-service event company several times a year. However, these employees are now compromised in completing their everyday duties, which could be furthering the organizations goals in other ways. In addition, these employees will not be actively monitoring the event industry year-round, researching changes in contract negotiation strategies, event best-practices, new methods and concepts, or the best technology to offer attendees.

“You can’t be a 2009 company and host a 2006 conference”

We are in a new age, where everyone expects instant information, high-quality polished productions, and perfectly smooth logistics from start to finish. If your company or organization prides itself on customer service, and a high-quality brand, then it cannot afford to place its logo on an event that lacks those qualities. Their existence or absence at your event, will reflect directly on your company.

“This sounds more expensive than what we’ve done before.”

While event management may be a “new” cost, like all other outsourced systems, it is often better to ‘buy than build’ to realize efficiencies, save money and provide a better product (in this case, event) to customers. The cost, then, while “new”, will most likely create new revenue sources by freeing your staff to focus on core business strengths, and on networking with attendees - not event logistics.

Examples of direct savings:

• Reducing food and beverage minimums or room rates
• Reducing chances for attrition payments (unused hotel rooms)
• Negotiating additional concessions (value-adds from a hotel or venue)
• Getting better prices from vendors when dealing with a professional
• Providing greater research into vendors to get the best product and best price
• Using on-site event staff, which is usually much less costly than taking a trained employee away from business-building activities for simple event tasks

Examples of indirect savings:

• Allows staff to focus on core business and event content
• Reduces staff stress and potentially aides in staff retention
• Assures your event upholds event best-practices that attendees expect, creating better brand impression
• Reduces stress for staff on-site who are able to network, focusing on customer or attendee relationships
• Benefits from up-to-date information on the latest in event technology without using internal staff to research it
• In the case of VIP handling services, makes the best possible impression on the most important attendees, whether they be corporate officers, board members, celebrity guests, or notable speakers