HIC's Events Services team overcome many challenges when supporting organisers, delegates and exhibitors at events, and it's always satisfying to receive client feedback in recognition of the high standard the HIC team attain, here is just a sample of those:
Glenda Smart
IATEFL Executive Officer
(International Assn for Teachers of English as a Foreign Language)
March 2010
Using the latest technologies available, Harrogate Online provided a combination of live and on-demand video highlights for this year’s IATEFL Conference. Around 2,000 delegates attended the physical conference while the online coverage attracted over 50,000 teachers and remote participants worldwide.
IATEFL Executive Officer, Glenda Smart comments, “The four day conference and exhibition attracted delegates from around 120 countries and almost every continent. The venue provided wonderful facilities for networking areas and meeting points, as well as housing a large exhibition and rooms for over 400 presentations and workshops. The feedback from delegates has been very positive and Harrogate is a very popular destination for our members.”
Robert Anslow
Event Organiser
Harrogate Nursery Fair
March 2010
Demonstrating the strong attraction of Harrogate as a major national venue, the Harrogate Nursery Fair saw an estimated 40% increase in visits to this year’s show. To satisfy the demand from companies for exhibition space, the show also took in an additional hall.
Robert Anslow, the event organiser since 1982 comments, “This year we have increased the show to take in six exhibition halls to showcase product innovations across a record 200 exhibitors. Birth rates are on the increase and clearly retailers need to acknowledge this and be prepared for the increased demand from today’s discerning shoppers.”
Ian Edmunds
Toymaster Ltd
May 2010
Just a quick note to thank you and all the team (including Kudos) who helped turn the disastrous event at the Majestic into the resounding success that was last week’s Toymaster May Show.
I fully understand and appreciate the difficulties/challenges our event must have presented you all with having booked it on the Monday and needing the carpet laid on the Friday. To day you were all a pleasure to deal with is a total understatement.
Alex Guinane
Jenny Wilde Associates
ISBA (Independent School Bursars Assn)
May 2010
Thank you to all the team for all your hard work – we had a very successful conference and the feedback received from the delegates so far is all very positive.
We didn’t have a need to talk to you that much (no offence!) but I realise completely that this is because you plan and organise everything so thoroughly beforehand and that without that careful planning things would not have run so smoothly. Your work on our behalf was very much appreciated.
David Wildman
Event Organiser
Harrogate Flooring Show
September 2010
David Wildman believes that quality of visitor is the factor that counts, rather than visitor numbers, saying, “The setting for the Harrogate Show within the town centre is, for many exhibitors, more conducive to business than inner or outer city sites. The friendly atmosphere and quality in the many bars, restaurants and hotel venues, all within walking distance of the exhibition halls, makes it easy for exhibitors to meet their buyers informally and do business.”
Linda Williams
Managing Director
UK Weddings Show
September 2010
Thank you again for everything, you guys at HIC are great to work with, shame the other venues are not as helpful as you lot are!
Wendy Adams
Event Organiser
British Bridal Exhibition
September 2010
My life is made much easier thanks to the support of my personal Event Planner, for whom nothing is ever too much trouble, even out of standard office hours.
Our last event in September utilised seven interconnecting halls, the Queen's Suite for seminars, and the Royal Hall for our popular catwalk shows. We held a fabulous awards dinner attended by 515 guests, and there were several catering points in the halls including a champagne bar. HIC's in-house technical team provided complex IT and telephony solutions and were on hand to support us throughout the event.
Visitors to our show enjoy the Harrogate experience where everything is accessible on foot - from hotels, to restaurants, bars, and chic places to network.
Joanna Ripley
Head of Events
Association for Perioperatives Practitioners
October 2010
HIC has an amazing team that I had the privilege to work with last year and I am looking forward to working with this year. In particular, they work very closely with me to ensure that we meet our budgets and look at cost saving options that do not affect the quality of what we deliver. I have been in events for 20 years and have never worked with such a cohesive in-house team, including the regular suppliers that we engage. Everyone’s efforts are seamless.”
John Matthews
Director
Fitwise
British Association of Neurological Nurses
November 2010
“I have organised a large number of events at Harrogate International Centre and I would recommend the team at HIC to anyone. They are very knowledgeable in all aspects of conference and exhibition management, go beyond expectation and are always a pleasure to work with. The flexible venue has enabled us to adapt its use to meet the needs of my clients, all with the same result – a great event. Many thanks as always for making our events run so smoothly”.
Tim Etchells
Managing Director
Single Market Events (Love Cooking Roadshow)
December 2010
'It was my first ever event at the Harrogate International Centre and it was a fantastic venue to work in, with great staff and we were delighted with the numbers of people that came through.'