Event Conference Production for big events

CHALLENGE

IMCA’s Annual Event Conference

Each year there are countless trade shows and event conferences held in and around Boston, Massachusetts. The Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA), headquartered outside of Denver, Colorado, held two of its largest and most important events in Boston. One event was for the IMCA 2014 Annual Conference and the second was for the Advanced Investment Strategist Certificate in Portfolio Risk Management Program.

To ensure the success of both events, IMCA needed to find a local vendor to help coordinate the production and delivery of printed materials. As with many trade events, this required the creation of complex, multi-faceted pieces.

Boston’s conference was important to IMCA

IMCA knew that by using a Boston-based vendor, all of the show materials could be produced close to the event sites. This would reduce shipping costs and ensure that items would arrive in a timely fashion, a huge benefit since trade events typically have very tight deadlines. IMCA also wanted an experienced vendor with an excellent customer service and track record.

The search was on to find such a vendor

IMCA enlisted the aid of contacts in the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Hynes Convention Center. Not wanting to leave any stones unturned, IMCA also did an Internet search utilizing Yelp and other review sites. Once a short list of five candidates had been put together, IMCA sent out RFPs to each respondent.

SOLUTION

Ferrante & Associates rose to the top

Of all five contenders, Ferrante & Associates was the only applicant that really seemed to want the business by following through and asking all the right questions during the selection process. A high comfort level developed as IMCA spoke with the staff at Ferrante & Associates, bringing confidence that things would be completed correctly.

Ferrante & Associates was well-organized, with a system in place to get things done that was lacking in other vendors IMCA contacted. Ferrante & Associates is also 24/7, large and experienced enough to take on simultaneous events, for the IMCA 2014 Annual Event Conference at the Hynes Convention Center and for the Advanced Investment Strategist Certificate in Portfolio Risk Management Program at the Sheraton Boston hotel.

RESULTS

Ferrante & Associates was the right choice

IMCA was thrilled to have Ferrante & Associates as its trade event vendor in Boston. Quotes were always received on time and the numbers were in line with what IMCA had paid for similar projects in the past. Ferrante & Associates also went above and beyond by performing a three-step proofing process to make certain that everything would turn out as planned. Even when some of IMCA’s information was delayed, all materials were still delivered on time and on budget. And Ferrante & Associates worked within IMCA’s own organizational system to make keeping track of materials very easy.

Equally important, the quality of the materials produced by Ferrante & Associates matched the quality, look and feel of ICMA’s print standards. And the way in which items were delivered to the events allowed IMCA to quickly sort through collateral, making on-site management efficient.

IMCA would recommend Ferrante & Associates in a heartbeat

IMCA loved the fact that Ferrante & Associates made it feel like a customer, instead of like a member of its staff as other vendors have done. Ferrante & Associates was there for IMCA at each and every step of the process, monitoring all items for quality assurance. And best, they could be reached day or night, even on weekends if something came up. In addition to high-quality materials produced efficiently and cost-effectively, Ferrante & Associates also provided IMCA with something CMPs can’t put a price on: peace of mind.