As part of the launch of its dedicated Meetings & Events (M&E) division, FCM is introducing a range of tools that will enable corporate clients to curate their own MICE proposals and book venues, flights and event services.
“Coming out of COVID, we really saw the need for people to connect. In this new digital age of Zoom and Teams, the need for corporations to bring their people together was even greater than it was prior to COVID,” said Frits de Kok, FCM M&E Regional Leader for EMEA, during a launch event in Johannesburg on October 31.
“Our value proposition is to really understand and sit between various stakeholders, from the budget managers and the marketing departments, to the attendees and the CEO that walks on stage, so that everyone receives a slick service.”
De Kok went on to explain that the new technology, which offers end-to-end processes for all meeting and event management, includes tools for transport, air travel or charter hire, event management, venue hire, quoting and proposals and on-site management and production, via online portals and booking platforms that automate the process.
“Looking at businesses in South Africa, many of them have started allocating part of their budget to MICE, but they are currently working with various suppliers for different aspects of each meeting or event,” said Mummy Mafojane, GM of FCM South Africa.
“M&E offers a one-stop shop to give clients clear visibility of where their spend is going when it comes to MICE. M&E offers clients the tools, the technology and experts in the specific fields.”
The South African FCM M&E division will roll out a series of tools as individual products for all clients and businesses, as well as plug-ins on its existing FCM platform.
Brittany Burbridge, FCM M&E Head of Operations for EMEA, said the first tool would be an online platform for venue sourcing. Venue Finder enables businesses to search for venues that meet their specific requirements, and to book them, either online or through a live RFP bidding process.
A new quoting and proposal tool offers clients an interactive proposal experience, allowing them to take control of their options for pricing, hotels or activities to create an event that meets budget, procurement requirements, duty of care, sustainability measures and expectations of attendees.
FCM will also introduce an on-site event management tool that can create interactive applications for event registration, self-check-in, event programmes, agendas and travel itineraries, so that the client can deliver the on-site experience themselves.
