Interview with Sabine Künz, the office manager at Convention Partner Vorarlberg
Kongresskultur Bregenz is a member of a strong network and works with expert partners. One of them is Convention Partner Vorarlberg. Office manager Sabine Künz explains in an interview what customer-friendly participant management at events is all about.
Sabine, what does hospitality mean to you personally?
Hospitality means welcoming a guest. He or she should feel good during the stay and leave with positive feelings.
How does Convention Partner Vorarlberg make the concept of hospitality come alive?
Clients dealing with us are well looked after right from the start. We respond to their wishes and give them advice, so we can make suitable suggestions and provide them with the right information. On top of that we work closely with our partner organisations and set a lot of store by a good culture of communication. Only then can we reach shared goals.
What does participant management contribute to the smooth running of events?
It’s an important aspect of events. Before the event, it includes communicating with the participants in good time, registration, and the event website. During the event there is the counter, where participants register and find information, receive notifications about the conference, find out about changes, etc. After the event it’s a matter of writing thank-you letters, eliciting feedback and making presentations available.
What does participant management entail for you? And how do clients profit from the services?
We support them. Convention Partner Vorarlberg takes over registration for the event, which these days is done almost without exception using an online form that we design in accordance with the customer’s needs and put up on the event website. Aside from that, we provide a payment system for the participation fee, from the invoicing to the final settlement. We arrange the blocking of rooms at a number of hotels specially for the event – the participants book the rooms themselves via a link. In addition, in the run-up to the event, we deal with any questions the participants may have about the event, and with onsite registration of participants during the event. If the client so wishes, we print out name tags and provide confirmation of attendance.
What needs to be borne in mind when it comes to participant registration?
The registration form has to be simple and easily understandable for participants and at the same time contain all the information the client needs. We make it possible to pay the participation fee conveniently by credit card or bank transfer. We make the registration process transparent for clients by creating a link for them. That way they can always have the latest figures to hand, as regards registrations, receipts of payment, etc.
Do you offer any special apps for events?
Yes, the Convention App Vorarlberg has been available for clients since 2018. This year it broke all records with 21,000 downloads and 2.1 million page views for the World Gymnaestrada. Not only does the app provide information about the programme, the speakers, hotels, restaurants, places to visit and timetables of the public transport network, but it also contributes in a big way to successful communication and networking among the participants. Users can make contact, arrange meetings, communicate changes to the programme, elicit feedback and gather statistical data. The app allows us to improve the quality of events.
(tb – pzwei) 4.12.2019
