STRUCTURES
FEBRUARY | SECTOR FOCUS
One of the most important
decisions for organisers
remains the structure, but
what’s new?
JOHN COCHRANE, SALES
DIRECTOR, EVENTS,
LOSBERGER DE BOER
Is the demand for innovative
design increasing? What sort
of demands are organisers
requiring, and how can you
provide a bespoke solution that
fits the event theme?
Innovation is the key to
sustainability in the events
industry and is always on
the wish list from clients.
The Losberger De Boer team
is always happy to receive a
technically challenging request
and we love to work on projects
that are inventive and creative.
We work closely with our
clients and partner suppliers
to develop the best solution
for their event needs. In
a Losberger De Boer’s survey
conducted amongst 100 senior
event professionals, participants
valued their suppliers’ expertise
and top of the list was good
breadth of experience (86 per
cent); technical expertise (83
per cent); problem solving (78
per cent) and creativity and
innovation (63 per cent).
We are lucky to have very
creative clients, and because
of the extensive Losberger
De Boer inventory, we are
sometimes able to enhance the
already innovative designs by
making use of structures such
as the curved roof Anova, or the
unique circular Panorama. Our
dedicated project managers
work alongside clients to make
sure we offer the best solution
and incorporate any specific
needs.
How much do costs come
into the equation? Events are
constantly looking to grow
both in size and profit, but are
structures companies also
reaping the rewards of what
has been one of the most
buoyant event seasons to
date?
Despite what
anyone says – cost
is the always the
main point of
contention
in any
situation. We may have the best
design and the most innovative
ideas, but if we exceed the
budget expectations, then we
have to start again. Compromise
and honest discussion on both
sides of the table is the answer.
Trust and candour between
customers and suppliers is still
the essential component in any
negotiation.
Winning business – has this
process changed for you? Are
you more proactive or reactive
in this competitive market?
Winning business is more
challenging now than ever.
Business is more competitive
than ever, and we are having
to up our game accordingly. It’s
incredibly important to be both
proactive and reactive in the
current market. There’s clients
we’ve built relationships with
for a number of years and we’re
constantly looking at the ways
we work with them to ensure
the best possible experience, but
we also want to introduce new
clients to the benefits of working
with us. We have a great team
and some amazing projects
under our belt that we’re keen to
shout about, and are committed
more than ever to doing so.
The larger and more expansive
Losberger De Boer organisation,
however, has helped in terms
of having more inventory and
resources for our potential
customers to choose from.
What does the future of
temporary structures look like ?
The trend will be for bespoke,
shorter duration events
particularly in the business to
consumer sector.
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