Expertise

What is a FSQS Certification?

The Helios Financial Supplier Qualification System, FSQS, is an accreditation system for the financial sector that recognizes the highest standards in security, quality, and innovation.  The FSQS provides a standardized, validated mechanism for collecting and managing supplier compliance assurance. Essentially, the FSQS introduces responsible business practices through due diligence.

Are you preparing to pitch for a client’s new product launch or high-profile corporate hospitality event? Have you thought about how you can help your clients bring the X-Factor, or that once-in-a-lifetime experience, that really makes their event stand out?

Imagine an event or conference where you are seamlessly satisfying guest requests in multiple rooms or areas simultaneously with a tap of a button, providing an extremely high level of service.

In working with Financial Institutions, Concise has been helping clients evidence their commitment to Environmental Stewardship. Indeed, hundreds of firms have already taken advantage of our Chime Complete bespoke platform to reduce the need for printing and producing binders and brochures.

Pharmaceutical companies and Medcomms agencies face numerous challenges in promoting new drugs, medical devices and procedures.  Planners must find ways to deliver the right information, to the right audience, in the right way; while following strict regulatory and compliance guidelines.

Furthermore, finding authorities who can lend credibility and subject matter expertise is important.  These experts must be engaging presenters, however sometimes your ambassadors may not be comfortable with public speaking or may have no formal presentation training. 

We held a series of Workshops with representatives from various Health and Medcomms agencies where we discussed ‘Measuring success with event analytics’. The meeting proved invaluable to participants, as well as to our Director of Product Development, Kevin McFarlane, and Director of Sales, Jim Hughes, who both work to continually incorporate client feedback in to our work practices worldwide. These are the Top Line Conclusions with a more detailed report below:

Using an app at your next pharmaceutical or healthcare meeting is a given. It’s 2019, smartphones are ubiquitous, and by now your attendees are experienced event app users who have come to expect having agendas, bios and abstracts at their fingertips.  With hundreds of providers, new apps and new features coming online each year, you’re spoilt for choice. Even as an experienced and organised event professional, you probably feel a bit overwhelmed by all the options, so we’d like to help streamline the process for you.

How do you welcome new recruits, help them settle in, provide support, and ensure they have the knowledge they need to perform their role?

Graduates are stepping into the world of work with their own ideas about what makes a good employer.  And their first impression can have a significant impact on their integration with the team, their level of job satisfaction and their length of stay.  

A Graduate Induction Programme is all about bridging the gap and easing candidates into the world of work. Companies spend thousands of pounds training graduates to become part of their organisation, so planning how you can measure the effectiveness of your programme when you start planning can be invaluable.

Did you know the most wanted app feature at pharmaceutical and healthcare conferences is the ability to submit Questions to the speaker?  The second most desired feature is Speakers Biographies.

Demand for businesses to demonstrate strong (ESG) Environmental, Social and Governance standards is growing. Accordingly, many Financial Institutions now have an ESG strategy in place with environmental stewardship and social responsibility as core principles. 

Technology has revolutionised every aspect of our lives, so it makes sense that it would impact the way  graduates experience their first week in a new job too. For new starters, the latest tech can enhance their overall experience; it can drive engagement and change what could be a humdrum induction week into a memorable and worthwhile experience. For the programme organisers, technology improves every stage of the process, be it in planning, execution or in post-event analysis. Here’s how:

The festive season will be upon us shortly – venue, drinks and canapes all arranged, guest lists collated and printed off.  Seems like you've covered everything...or have you?

How many guests are you expecting? If you have invited more than 100 guests, with VIPs included, then you might want to consider using an app instead of paper lists or spreadsheets for your guest check-in.

Launch events come in all shapes and sizes, from in-depth briefings, to hands-on demonstrations, to buzz-worthy parties. What they all have in common is that launches are cornerstone events...and you only get one shot at getting it right. That’s a lot of pressure and stress!

Events are the ideal platform for international networking. Yet often audience participation can be hindered by one simple fact: not everyone has the same mother tongue. Out of the 1,500 million English speakers in the world, just 375 million speak the language as their mother tongue.

Of the many steps you take from pre-event planning to post-event follow up, which are the most frustrating and challenging tasks you face? How many details are you juggling at one time?

Some of the most stressful aspects in event management are dealing with multiple suppliers, handling last minute changes to guest lists, keeping attendees updated on logistics and helping speaker presentations to be more engaging and impactful. 

When was the last time you planned an event and had numerous attendees calling for last minute logistical details or agenda information pre-conference? Have you thought about how efficient you could be if there was a hub of event information available to attendees ahead of time?

You can now build up audience anticipation and streamline information through a Pre-Event Welcome App, which your attendees can access at their convenience (on their way to work, last thing at night?) via their mobile devices. Now attendees can get ready for your event before they arrive on site. This is a great companion to an onsite event app. 

The three biggest audience turn-offs, and how presenters can avoid them

There’s a moment that every presenter dreads. You’re just getting to the crux of the matter, ready to present your killer slide, when you look out at your audience. That guy in the front row is checking his watch, again. The woman over there is stifling a yawn.

There’s no nice way to put it: the audience is b-o-r-e-d.

We hope you find our favourite four areas to consider in event planning useful:

Networking can be defined as:  ‘the act of making contact and exchanging information with other people, groups and institutions to develop mutually beneficial relationships.’

Another definition states:  ‘networking is the process of trying to meet new people who might be useful to you in your job, often through social activities.’

From our experience providing event technology solutions for clients across four continents, it’s clear a ‘one size fits all’ approach doesn’t work.  In this article we’d like to share some tried and true tips to avoid the common pitfalls in planning, communication, translations, culture and logistics.