How the Marcus Evans approach is unique and powerful

“The Summit provided exposure to a range of services that we were not previously aware of. We are now using a product from one of the sponsor companies and it has revolutionised how we manage part of the HR function,” said Vivian Botsford, HR Director, St Vincent’s Care Services, a delegate at the Marcus Evans HR Summit.

What business opportunities did the Summit bring to your organisation?

In just a few days, we had exposure to new services, provided networking opportunities, and a benchmark for us to compare with as to what is happening elsewhere within the rest of the HR world.

At the moment, we have commenced working with one sponsor company, and will start working with two more later this year. In addition, there are several other organisations that we plan to engage as and when funding is available to do so.

We had no prior knowledge of many of the organisations at the HR Summit. It is difficult to keep up to date with what is available in the marketplace. At the Summit, it was possible to meet a wide range of suppliers which was an efficient method of catching up with potential new products and services.

If they had called or emailed you, is there a chance that you would have still ended up working together?

This may have occurred, but being able to meet and to discuss the benefits of the service offerings, as well as to see the products demonstrated, made the process much easier.

Many organisations solicit business via email and unsolicited calls but having the opportunity to meet many suppliers over two days is an efficient way to keep up to date.

The Marcus Evans approach is unique and very powerful. In the one-to-one meetings, you get a good understanding of what companies are offering and whether they are a good fit for your organisation to work with.

How much are you investing in their services?

Around AUD 20,000 a year. Introductions have also been made to our parent organisation, which is a very large group.

The other two suppliers of interest offer more niche services and will be utilised as requirements arise.
The product purchased has made a significant improvement to the time taken to process a large number of Visa applications. It used to take 19 hours per month and this has been reduced to less than two hours per month. This is a significant return on investment. More importantly, it is possible to keep up to date with Immigration Department legislation and regulations. The product has revolutionised this part of our function.

How would you compare the Summit to other industry events?

It was my first Marcus Evans Summit and I was very impressed. I have attended many events during my working life and for me to be impressed requires something different. I found the Summit format and the quality of the presentations to be very professional. I look forward to attending again. It was the one-to-one meetings that stood out for me as a point of difference, and provided the opportunity to ask questions and really understand whether the solutions could be applied to our environment.

Find out more about the next HR Summit