Customer success story

Step Exhibitions Case Study



Structured, systematic approach delivers year on year increase in paid delegates and footfall for Step Exhibitions

Founded in 1993, Step Exhibitions is a specialist event organising company with a proven record of delivering conferences, congresses, exhibitions and scientific meetings to a world class standard. Based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, Step organises twenty three annual events across a number of different sectors including healthcare, biomedical, food technology, data centres, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, buildings and property.

Healthcare _Estates

The company’s overall approach when working with organisations is to combine their skills in the planning, organising, selling, marketing and delivery of conferences and exhibitions together with the specialist knowledge and expertise of partner organisations to create well balanced, progressive and integrated events.

Project background

Step Exhibitions engaged The Telemarketing Company to help promote a range of conferences, dinners and awards in the healthcare, personal care and construction sectors. Step had worked previously with another telemarketing provider but had made a decision to look for a new agency because results had fallen short both in terms of quality and quantity. In addition, Step wanted an agency that could work consultatively with their clients to nurture opportunities through an open, solution-based approach rather than a ‘hard-sell’. In addition to a solution sales methodology, The Telemarketing Company stood out because of their deep and broad experience within events promotion. Following an initial event, the agency was engaged the following year to promote four events and then this was extended to encompass the full programme in London and Manchester: Healthcare Estates, Education Estates, Design in Mental Health, Hospital Innovations, Construction Industry Summit, and CIBSE (The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers) Conference.

Project execution

A structured plan was devised to manage the size and complexity of the events programme, which needed to integrate telemarketing with other channels including email, direct mail and print advertising in industry specific journals. With target attendance averaging 400 delegates per event and attendance fees ranging up to £500 per individual, a systematic approach was adopted in order to drive the required attendance. Campaigns began six months before each event, with calling continuing right up to the week before each event took place.

Callers were required to sign up individuals and groups via an online registration form taking credit card details or invoice information to facilitate payment processing. The process needed to accommodate a complex pricing structure, which varied depending on industry type (For example, NHS delegates received preferential rates), registration date (Early Bird rates applied at the start of the campaign) and length of attendance (delegates could book for one or two days attendance).

Data was supplied by Step Exhibitions, and was prioritised and grouped according to previous conference attendees, previous exhibition attendees who might wish to attend the conference, attendees of similar events, as well as cold contacts in relevant industry sectors. The Telemarketing Company was responsible for data management and created segments for each event’s target audience and sector focus. The agency was also tasked with maintaining and updating the contact database for each event, which was essential given the high staff turnover in target sectors such as NHS/healthcare. Incorporating the data refresh and email capture into the campaign was fundamental to the success of future events, providing a solid foundation for multi-channel marketing going forward.

Call recordings and regular reporting shared with Step Exhibitions enabled both parties to work together to refine the campaign and improve campaign performance. The team at Step was encouraged to communicate directly with the calling team at The Telemarketing Company, allowing them to give open feedback and provide coaching around the calls, and to respond quickly to any queries raised. This collaborative approach helped integrate the teams and build a strong partnership, which in turn drove productivity and results.

Results

The structured and systematic approach and the continuous refresh of contact data have yielded strong results – there has been a year on year increase in paid delegate bookings across all events and footfall has also increased to each of the free exhibitions which take place throughout the events. For the Health Estates event, 273 visitors were signed up by The Telemarketing Company generating £50,389 in attendance fees, against an investment of around £11,000. In addition, there are an increased number of clients signing up for both days of the event and an increased percentage of registrations from the private sector in line with the client’s strategy. Based on campaign results, Step Exhibitions has now engaged The Telemarketing Company to support subsequent annual programmes.

“The flexible, consultative approach of The Telemarketing Company fits our internal strategy perfectly; the longer the relationship has gone on, the better results have been. We run a large complex programme of sector specific events and they have been able to adapt and tailor our proposition to the relevant target audience for each individual event. What is more, the team’s ability to nurture and clean our data on an ongoing basis, alongside promoting the programme, has been instrumental in ensuring they can target the right contacts for each event. Results continue to improve year on year as their knowledge grows and they build deeper rapport with our clients.”

Director, Step Place Ltd &
Step Exhibitions Ltd

Our full range of telephone services

Data Services

Flexible Data Services

Data Cleansing
Data Cleansing
Clean, up-to-date data delivers better quality leads and boosts sales
Read more
Data Enrichment
Data Enrichment
Data enrichment helps you better connect with your target audience and delivers actionable insights, improved conversion
Read more
Email Opt-ins: GDPR
Email Opt-ins: GDPR
Do you have a clean, compliant, opted-in database?
Read more

Pre Sales Research

Drive your sales strategy with telephone interviewing

Pre Sales Research
Pre Sales Research
Arm your sales and marketing teams with clear customer intelligence and actionable insight.
Read more

Telemarketing

Telemarketing that’s personal, agile, smart and insightful.

Lead Generation
Lead Generation
A steady stream of qualified buyers
Read more
Call Handling
Call Handling
We can provide your customers with an expert, personalised service - making every interaction count
Read more
Appointment Setting
Appointment Setting
Successful appointment setting requires meaningful human interaction with senior decision makers
Read more
Lead Management
Lead Management
Improve lead flow and quality - turn inbound leads into sales
Read more
Event Marketing
Event Marketing
Engage high value attendees and drive registrations
Read more
Lead Qualification / Nurture
Lead Qualification / Nurture
Move leads through the funnel more strategically with our expert lead qualification and lead nurturing services
Read more

Sales

High-performance Telesales

Telesales / Inside Sales
Telesales / Inside Sales
Flexible, high performance transactional telesales and complex inside sales services.
Read more
Account Based Marketing
Account Based Marketing
Increase profitability, reverse churn and increase customer lifetime value.
Read more

Post Sales Research

Strengthen customer relationships

Welcome Calls
Welcome Calls
A welcome call is an opportunity to reach out to new customers and reduce customer churn, as part of an effective customer management strategy.
Read more
Customer Satisfaction
Customer Satisfaction
Gain a more nuanced view of your customers’ experiences through phone-based surveys.
Read more
Treating Customers Fairly / Compliance
Treating Customers Fairly / Compliance
An FCA authorised and regulated business, our expert team can help you meet your TCF compliance needs.
Read more

Related success stories

Awards and Accreditations

Financial Conduct Authority
ISO 27001
ISO 9001
Investors in People
Brighton Living Wage
Disability Confident Committed
ISM
ISM Recognised Centre
MRS Evidence Matters - Company Partner
IQCS
MRS Evidence Matters - Accredited Training Provider
ESOMAR
DMA member
B2B Marketing - Top B2B Telemarketing Agency
Level 4 PCI Compliance
TPS
The Business Marketing Club

Make an enquiry

The Telemarketing Company can help with all of your sales and market research needs. We look forward to hearing from you.

Call us on 01273 765 000
or email us at info@ttmc.co.uk

Visit us at:
The Telemarketing Company
26-27 Regency Square
Brighton
East Sussex