Imperial Tobacco held their annual UK Sales Conference in Manchester with 550 delegates. Browns Venues and Events planned and managed the 2-day conference, including arranging travel, hotels, staging, audiovisuals and on-site logistics. Despite some late changes, the conference was a success with delegates feeling engaged and interactive. Feedback praised Browns for their professionalism and for establishing themselves as Imperial Tobacco's best event supplier.

1. Imperial Tobacco UK Sales Conference – Manchester 2012
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Imperial Tobacco are the UK’s leading tobacco company and
the 4th largest tobacco company in the world, employing
over 30,000 staff in over 200 countries and are committed to
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delivering excellence to its internal and external customers
Event: Annual UK Sales Conference
Location: Manchester
T Venue: The Palace Hotel
No. of Delegates: 550
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Date: 17th – 19th October 2012

2. Imperial Tobacco UK Sales Conference – Manchester 2012
case
Y Brief:
To share creative ideas and inspire the team to lead Imperial into the next 50
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years of business.
Browns Venues and Events were tasked with developing a 2 day program
that incorporated the conference heading of “Seed to Customer” and the
stages the product takes from beginning to end, this involved a production
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video being produced during a 3 day trip to Malawi where the tobacco leaf is
cultivated.
Guest speakers were also invited for a 3 hour session on day one, during
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which time a hugely inspiring open team discussion was developed.
Browns role included full stage, production and audio visual, alongside
design, print and artwork. On-site event management, delegate registration
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and travel logistics were also part of the role
A James Bond theme was chosen for dinner, with a 1 and a half hour turn
around to what was a magnificent looking ballroom

3. Imperial Tobacco UK Sales Conference – Manchester 2012
case
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D The Hotel:
Manchester was chosen as the location, due to its very good
central location and transport links. Following a detailed
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search, The Palace Hotel was decided as the venue that the
conference would take place. Its huge ballroom and ability to
case study events of a similar size were key reasons for the
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choice. Due to the numbers however, 2 further hotels in the
form of the Radisson Edwardian and Midland Hotel were
required for overnight accommodation and logistics were
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planned and delivered in relation to shipping guests between
hotels at key times

4. Imperial Tobacco UK Sales Conference – Manchester 2012
case
Y Travel:
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Airport Transfers and Coaches were booked for those travelling from various
locations across the UK.
Onsite Event Management:
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Browns Venues and Events project team arrived on site 2 days before the
conference to prepare and plan and oversee a set up involving very detailed
video and production elements and very important logistical planning
considering the size of the group and the different hotels involved .
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Detailed hour by hour schedules were in place, ensuring key delivery points
were met. The planning involved ensuring 3 10 ton trucks and crew were
catered for and access points and set up times were delivered.
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Over the 3 days, Browns were the main point of contact for all elements,
including luggage drops, registration, hotel liaison, delegate liaison, program
scheduling, production delivery with the senior management team.

5. Imperial Tobacco UK Sales Conference – Manchester 2012
case
Y Challenges:
Last minute changes to the senior managements presentations, meant a late
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night for the production team in ensuring the running schedule was delivered
perfectly. As the conference on day one was a late finish, the turnaround
time to dinner was critical and we must give thanks to the Palace for their
contribution in making this happen.
U Solution / Execution:
A project team was put in place 3 months leading up to the event, with
project meetings with the client taking place every 2 weeks. Having Browns
Venues and Events handle all aspects of the event, meant that we were able
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to control and manage the delivery of everyone involved and ensure time
deadlines were met. The experience of our event management team was
paramount in the smooth execution of the event and planning
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6. Imperial Tobacco UK Sales Conference – Manchester 2012
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Verdict – Feedback from the client
100% of the delegates said this was the best sales conference they had
ever attended, with the main reasons being that less power point was
used and more interaction based communication and involvement
U meaning all delegates felt engaged
“Thank you to everyone involved, but especially to Browns Venues
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and Events, who are quickly establishing themselves as the best
supplier Imperial Tobacco have in all areas. Always there, always
with a smile on their face and becoming a part of the Imperial
family”
S Kieron Penrose – Coaching & Development Manager