The right partner will also go the extra mile for you, especially when times are tough. One such partner for Porter is Debut Communications Inc., a Toronto-based audiovisual/production company. Manulife has worked with the Debut team on its large incentive and education conferences for more than a decade. (In fact, in all hotel contracts for these programs, which range from 350 to 1,200 attendees, Manulife stipulates that it will be bringing in its own production and AV company.)

Symbolic of its deep commitment to Manulife, the Debut team often helps out beyond the realm of production. For a conference outside of Canada, for example, the company offered to add a large shipment of meeting materials, room gifts, and office supplies to its own container of production equipment, thereby saving Porter and her team from the costs and complications of an international shipment.

Debut staff also once pitched in to create makeshift name badges when the real ones failed to arrive at a conference in a remote location. “They'll even help us load buses if we need them to,” says Porter. “A partner is someone who does this gladly.”

From Sourcing to Messaging

Porter and her team begin working with Debut staff early in the initial sourcing process — drawing not only on Debut's technical expertise but also on its specialized knowledge of Manulife's needs. “The numbers coming back from the hotel in terms of how many people can be accommodated in a meeting room may not be accurate for our program and required staging needs,” says Porter. ”Debut provides a CAD drawing for us, based on the specs of the space, the staging we bring in, and our specific needs.” For example, Debut knows that Manulife needs a simultaneous translation setup for its French-speaking attendees, and they know Manulife's requirements for gala award evenings and other events. They meet these requirements “with a flexible stage which we can easily add to or take away from, with the least amount of setup and teardown time as possible. This also saves us money,” Porter notes.

About a year before the conference, members of the Debut and Manulife teams make an on-site visit to “walk the property and meet all of the hotel staff and the destination management company staff,” says Porter. It is during this visit that Debut begins discussing cost-effective ways to work together with the hotel's AV staff. They learn what on-site equipment is available and identify local vendors to retain, if needed. “They're part of our bigger planning team,” Porter says. “They sit in on our discussions with the hotel and the DMC, and together everyone makes sure we're getting the best savings.”

When the focus turns to program details, Porter says, “we work closely with Debut to help weave a consistent message through everything. We create a theme and a conference logo, always with a Manulife look and feel, that is reflected in every aspect of the program: the stage design, the awards presentations, even the music that accompanies the speaker walk-ons.”

The Debut team even visits Manulife headquarters for a rehearsal day, when senior management runs through the conference presentations. This relationship with management, says Porter, is a big plus: “Our senior execs know and trust everyone on the Debut team. There is a high level of comfort and everyone knows they will do a good job for us.”

Strategic Partnership = Economic Advantage

When a client is a strategic partner, says Ben Moorsom, president of Debut Communications Inc., Toronto, “we are willing to go beyond the budget and share our expertise as an extension of your team.” Here are his suggestions for getting the most value from your audiovisual partner and others:

Start Early

Including supplier partners in your initial planning process saves time and money down the road. We may have firsthand experience at a selected venue. We can offer insight into specifics such as space limitations, union costs, setup times, and equipment and power availability. We also have an established network of resources available to call on during the planning process that could help you with a variety of specialized needs.

Keep Talking

Ask for suggestions. As a strategic partner, we can offer cost-saving alternatives based on our experience with other clients (not to mention the wealth of knowledge that each individual in our company holds on his or her own). Call on us for ideas.

Share Your budget

Many clients are reluctant to share a budget because they feel a vendor may take advantage of that information. This is not the case. As strategic partners, we are inclined to actually give more value for your budget, based on our relationship. One thing we will never do is become complacent.

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