Interview
New model army assembling internationally
PAUL COLSTON MEETS THE DRIVING FORCE OF ONE OF THE UK’ S FASTEST GROWING EVENT MANAGEMENT COMPANIES, ASEMBL. GROUP’ S CEO GAVIN FARLEY, WHO EXPLAINS THEIR UNIQUE AGENCY WORKING MODEL
So, how does the asembl. group partnership model work? asembl. group was created to solve a challenge we saw repeatedly in our industry. Clients increasingly need specialist expertise across multiple disciplines, but they don’ t necessarily want to manage multiple suppliers.
Our model brings together a selected group of specialist agencies and businesses under one collective umbrella. Each member retains its own identity, leadership and entrepreneurial spirit, but gains access to the wider group’ s capabilities, client opportunities and shared knowledge.
Unlike a traditional holding company, we are deliberately collaborative rather than centralised. Some businesses are wholly owned; others are member companies. The common thread is a shared commitment to quality, culture and client experience.
We operate through a leadership forum called The Asembly, where members come together regularly to share opportunities, best practice, innovation and strategic direction. The focus is on collaboration rather than control. By doing that, we’ ve created an environment where independently businesses can remain agile while collectively offering clients a much broader solution.
What prompted this approach and tell us about some of the milestones along a journey that has seen the group turnover hit £ 40m? The model was born from frustration. For years, I watched clients needing multiple event services but being forced to brief several agencies, manage numerous contracts and coordinate different suppliers. It created complexity at exactly the point they were looking for simplicity.
We started asking a simple question: what if clients could access the very best specialists in every discipline through one trusted relationship?
Above: Gavin Farley
That idea became asembl. group.
We started with our own agency business, then gradually brought together complementary specialists in logistics, exhibitions, venue sourcing, production, creative and marketing. Several milestones stand out:
• Creating the group structure and proposition.
• Launching Venufindr, which rapidly became a global venue sourcing business.
• Creating LogisKIT and growing that from an idea to a 30,000 sq. ft warehouse and operating globally
• Bringing exceptional agencies into the collective who shared our values.
• Winning larger multinational projects that would previously have required multiple suppliers.
• Establishing operations and representation across key international markets.
Today the group works in 35 countries and has grown into a business generating around £ 40m in turnover. The most rewarding part is seeing businesses that were already successful become even stronger together.
What is it about this set up that can outperform the traditional agency model for international client work? International clients increasingly need flexibility rather than scale for scale ' s sake.
Traditional agency networks often rely on large central structures, multiple layers of management and significant overhead. That can slow decision making and dilute specialist expertise. Our model allows us to build the right team for each project regardless of geography. Clients gain access to specialist experts who are leaders in their field rather than a generalist resource allocated from a regional office.
We combine global reach with local expertise.
The result is often faster decision making, better local insight and greater value for clients.
56 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 144