ACC Liverpool is supporting the conference industry’s recovery by pledging to pay commission upfront to agencies placing new corporate business with them.
The waterfront venue will pay the rates as soon as the event deposit is received, bringing payment forward, in some cases, by several years.
This would mean for corporate conferences with long lead times, independent companies will no longer have to wait until after an event has taken place to receive their commission.
Adrian Evans, assistant director of conference and exhibition sales, said: “It has been difficult to witness the devastating effects of the pandemic on clients’ businesses, clients that have become friends over many years in the industry.
“We really appreciate the vital role that agencies play in helping us to secure corporate conferences but we feel that it is difficult that they have to wait until after the event has taken place to receive their commission.
“We are therefore pledging to pay venue finders and creative agencies commission rates upfront as soon as they secure a new corporate conference to help with their cash flow moving forward.
“We need to collaborate so that we can help to kickstart the industry as it recovers and provide some much-needed security for our booking partners.”
ACC Liverpool recently launched a Social Value Plan which includes an Event Industry pillar as it commits to creating positive social, economic and environmental impact, including supporting clients.
Jacqui Kavanagh, chief executive of EDGE Venues, said: “The process of agencies helping venues to secure business has always worked well as we are all here to support each other. However, given how much the industry has suffered since the pandemic, and the number of conferences taking place has drastically reduced, the current process of venues paying agencies after the event is not as viable as in the past.
“ACC Liverpool is taking the lead by committing to paying businesses such as mine upfront as soon as the event deposit is received. This will be vital as we move to a more flexible and positive events landscape and we hope that other organisations will follow.
“We are all here to assist each other and must do everything we can to help the industry recover or risk established independent businesses failing.”
ACC Liverpool welcomed a number of corporate conferences after reopening in 2021 including Iceland, B&M and Kia. Forthcoming events include Labour Party conference, Home Bargains and Speedy Hire.
See here for more details about ACC Liverpool’s Commission campaign: or email sales@accliverpool.com