Helpful insights on procurement at 'Meet the Commissioners'

Continuing the success of last year’s ‘Meet the Commissioners’ seminar, the IVCA and innovative music supplier Audio Network co-hosted a second ‘Meet the Commissioners’ event at the Soho Hotel in London on 21st January 2010. The IVCA and Audio Network were proud to invite four commissioners, representing the private, public and charity sectors, to speak about their procurement processes and give helpful hints as to what they look for when selecting production companies to work with.

The first speaker was Simon Devine, Head of Moving Image at COI.  He told the audience that the COI, which uses a preferred suppliers list, will be renewing its list and establishing a new framework in the coming months.  He admitted that in the light of the current economic situation, commissioning will probably see a decrease of about 25%, but stressed the importance that agencies should still pitch their ideas – the emphasis now on being ultimately resourceful as well as creative.

Speaking next was Melissa Stevenson, Senior Producer for RBS TV, Creative Services. Melissa said that the in-house TV Production team were confident and excited about working together with production companies in the year ahead. She said it is vitally important, as always, to keep the audience at the forefront of their minds, particularly during these turbulent economic times. The RBS TV team count great service as well as fresh and innovation thinking as a priority when it comes to choosing the right team to work with.

Adeela Warley, Head of Communications at Friends of the Earth was representing the charity sector and stressed the importance of communications for an organisation campaigning on environmental issues. Adeela said that measuring the effectiveness and success of communications campaigns was vital, because of FOE’s limited budgets and donor accountability. She too felt a cautious optimism for the future.

The final speaker was Simon Hughes, Director of Live Events at COI, who was recently voted the most influential person in the UK event industry in the annual Event Magazine Top 100 poll. Simon entertained the audience with a witty ‘bedtime story’ about his team’s recent selection process for the new preferred suppliers list in Live Events, highlighting some of the “Do’s and Don’ts” for applicants.  He explained that yes, limits on commissions were inevitable, but that this was an opportunity for truly innovative agencies to make their mark.   

After the presentations, the audience members were able to quiz the speakers, during a Q&A session chaired by IVCA Chief Executive Marco Forgione. Following the panel’s discussion of industry topics and trends, such as the rise of User-Generated Content, the evening was concluded with drinks, nibbles and networking in the bar.

Many thanks to Audio Network and the IVCA for organising and hosting the evening, to the speakers for generously giving their time and tips on tendering, and to all those who attended.