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Rendezvous Puts On A Top Performance At ASB Showgrounds
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John ("JR") Robertson is
enthusiasm personified when it comes to ASB
Showgrounds, New Zealand's premier exhibition
center. His passion for driving business
efficiencies and improving the customer experience
have seen the Showgrounds move from a strongly
entrenched manual booking system to a fully
automated booking system - with great results all
round.
Auckland's ASB Showgrounds employ 26 staff across
the workshop, accounts and administration, marketing
and management teams. The Showgrounds itself is an
exhibition center but has in recent years also
hosted functions, events and large-scale sales. With
on-site catering and their newest 5,500 sqm
pillar-less pavilion able to seat 3,500 at a black
tie dinner, the Showgrounds have substantially
expanded the opportunities available to clients.
This, coupled with 1,200 parking spaces and
competitive pricing, gives the Showgrounds an edge
over many potential competitors. Some of the best
known events hosted at ASB Showgrounds include Big
Boys Toys, Auckland Home Show, Christmas Gift Fair,
and the Royal Easter Show. Showgrounds clients range
from events companies to retailers to music
promoters. With the high level of activity the venue
experiences, the need for an effective booking
system was critical to the organization. |
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The Paper Chase |
| When Robertson started at the ASB
Showgrounds in 2001 as Sales, Marketing and
Entertainment Manager, the booking system was entirely
paper based and run by one person. With a single book to
record pencil bookings and confirmations, and a
spreadsheet summary manually produced on a daily basis,
there was little transparency and no access to data
outside the office. Often insufficient information was
captured, presenting considerable margin for error and
of course, its efficacy was highly dependent on just one
person. |
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The Move to Automation |
Robertson's background had been
with large, Japanese-run corporations, so for him the
use of low-risk software solutions to automate and
improve business processes was a logical step for the
company. After looking at several available options, he
elected to present Rendezvous, a booking solution
exclusively sold and implemented in New Zealand by Savio
Solutions, to the Board of Directors.
Commenting on the selection process, Robertson says:
"What I liked about Rendezvous was that Savio gave us a
lot more information than the other vendors, and were
quite willing to spend as much time with us as needed.
With Rendezvous, I think probably the most attractive
feature was the fact that we could build things within
the system for ourselves. Savio were so committed to
their belief that Rendezvous was the right product for
us that the sales consultant even came to the
presentation to the Board." |
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A Fast Rendezvous |
| The implementation time for
Rendezvous was quick, and the users at all levels
quickly adapted to the intuitive but structured nature
of the solution. Nicola Harris, Marketing and Operations
Coordinator, is the acknowledged Rendezvous super-user
for the ASB Showgrounds. With only a half-day's
training, and no prior experience on a comparable
solution, she achieved a rapid grasp of the system and
its capabilities, and now trains other users within the
organization. Savio are always available for additional
support if needed, and Robertson and Harris are both in
agreement that the ongoing relationship with Savio is a
strong one. |
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Benefits Abound |
A number of the Showgrounds staff
access Rendezvous remotely at will and can provide
clients with up-to-the-minute, on-the-spot information.
Clients appreciate being able to make instant decisions
based on that information, or to check up on, confirm or
alter catering or other requirements. "If someone
makes an enquiry," says Robertson, "even on a
Saturday or a Sunday, I can still go on to the server
and click in and say 'Yes, we can do that date for you'.
Now that's efficient, and clients are just delighted."
Another issue not effectively managed by the paper-based
system was ensuring customer contracts were always
signed off within a set timeframe, so the space and date
could be firmly allocated or released for other
potential bookings. With Rendezvous, contract-signing
deadlines are automatically flagged in the system, and
alerts are sent out reminding administration staff to
make sure these are signed and deposits paid, or
cancelled within the agreed dates.
All client emails are generated directly though and
stored in Rendezvous, as is all other contact
information. With requisite fields needing to be filled,
requesting or entering crucial information is always
covered.
Visibility of information has been another benefit for
the Showgrounds, with reports being generated in
moments, as opposed to hours. The benefits of
transparent and readily accessible data have been
substantial. "Our reports are telling us about our
occupancy to a dollar," says Robertson, "and
that's what we wanted. It's letting everyone in their
respective areas know what they need to do."
He continues: “We do add-ons and it’s all put on the invoice, or
a quote can be done through the system. It makes your
job easy, and double bookings are a thing of the past. I
believe our investment in Rendezvous will pay itself
off. We’ve become efficient, we get more bookings, and
most importantly, we’re not losing bookings.” |
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The Perfect Solution
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Peace of mind has been a major
benefit for the team at the Showgrounds, with each team
now having full visibility of their own commitments and
being able to plan and deploy resources well in advance.
Rendezvous requires best practice to be applied, so ASB
Showgrounds' internal processes were realigned to ensure
the benefits of this were maximized. A consistently high
level of service and client satisfaction is now possible
with vastly increased efficiency in terms of follow-up,
closure of bookings and the ultimate delivery of the
event.
With Rendezvous in place at ASB Showgrounds, Robertson
can truly say he's a happy man. "It's the best
decision I've ever made. Rendezvous is perfect for us,
and we'll keep on using it."
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