Sponsors and Exhibitors
Frequently asked questions
Events basics
What events are there to get involved in?
Socitm President's Dinner
Stationers' Hall London, September 2010
(Sole sponsorship only available). Sponsored by Serco
Socitm National Conference 2010
One-day event, 22 April 2010 at
the NEC Birmingham Hilton Metropole - Sponsor packages available with
display space and possibility of presentation or round-table host
opportunity - contact the exhibition manager for latest info and pricing.
Building Perfect Council Websites:
Wednesday 14 July 2010, Olympia 2, London - contact the exhibition manager to make a provisional booking.
Socitm 2010: 10th to 12th October 2010 Brighton Hilton Metropole. Now open for exhibition and sponsorship bookings - contact the exhibition manager.
Regional events (Exhibition and sponsorship opportunities vary by location). See the Calendar page for links to more information.
Where can I find out about the programme/theme of each event?
As soon as they are confirmed, the programme details will be available from the Socitm website.
Where can I find out about exhibition and sponsorship opportunities for these events?
More information is available from our Exhibitors and Sponsors page. For regional events, See the Calendar page.
Who attends?
The delegates are drawn from the membership of Socitm (The Society of Information Technology Management).
Socitm is the professional organisation for IT and related professionals working in and for the public and third sectors. It has 1700 individual members across 550 organisations, including police and fire services, housing associations, regional bodies, the third sector, and 95% of local authorities. Around this core membership, Socitm is building large communities of practitioners in specialist areas like information security and management, communications and networks, and web development. Socitm's reach, however, goes far beyond individual practitioners: more than 500 local authorities and other public and private sector organisations subscribe to its research and best practice arm, Socitm Insight, while Socitm Consulting is one of the leading providers of e-government and ICT consultancy services to local authorities, central government, other public sector bodies. Socitm collaborates closely with the Cabinet Office, LGA and other central and local government bodies working on the transformation and modernisation of public services. Senior Socitm members sit on the Cabinet Office's CIO Council, and the Local Delivery Council, and Socitm chairs and runs the Local CIO Council.
Conference attendees are likely to be Directors or Heads of ICT and/or Senior ICT Managers. Non-members are also very welcome. Elected members and heads of corporate functions like e-government, transformation, corporate resources and finance may also attend. It is not a public event, so only delegates to the conference attend the exhibition. Past exhibitors say Socitm events offer unrivalled value for money in terms of reaching this quality audience, since all the delegates are key decision-makers and budget-holders.
How many delegates do you anticipate?
The last
two years' annual conferences attracted 350+ delegates. Likely
attendances for other events can be found in the information pack for
each.
Who exhibits?
See the following pages for exhibitor and sponsor listings for the Annual Conference:
Socitm2009 exhibitors and sponsors.
Are the events always in the same place?
No,
they tend to move around the Socitm regions. Past venues have
included Belfast (Waterfont Hall), Birmingham (Hilton Birmingham
Metropole (NEC)), Blackpool (Imperial Hotel), Bolton (Reebok Stadium),
Brighton (Grand and Metropole Hotels), Bristol (Webbington Hotel),
Edinburgh (EICC and partner hotels), Egham (Savill Court), Glasgow
(Moat House Hotel), Harrogate (Harrogate International Centre &
Majestic Hotel), London (The British Library), Maldon, Essex (Five
Lakes Hotel and Country Club), Newport (Celtic Manor Resort), Coventry
(Stoneleigh Park) and Torquay (Palace Hotel).
Can we provide a speaker/presentation?
For many
years now, we haven't offered sessions in the main programme to
suppliers, because on the few occasions we've tried it, it has been
pretty unpopular with the delegates. But starting in 2009, the six
Major Sponsors for the National and Annual Conferences will each
have the chance to run a workshop-style session, which will be offered
alongside the other parallel sessions running at the event. If you are
interested in sponsorship or in securing one of these presentation
opportunities, please contact the exhibition manager.
Can we run a workshop or reception of our own?
Usually,
no, exhibitors and sponsors are not permitted to run events that
potentially clash with, or distract from, the conference programme.
Instead, to reach the delegates and get exposure for your organisation,
why not consider one of the sponsorship opportunities? For more
information contact the exhibition manager.
If you want to go on our emailing list for Socitm events, send an email to the exhibition manager.
How many stands are there?
Typically around 80
for the Annual Conference, 25 to 30 for the Spring National
Conference. Other events vary depending on the venue and the target
audience. See the information pack for each, for further details.
What does exhibition space cost?
Annual
Conference space typically costs £310 - £325 plus VAT per sq m
depending on your stand location. National Conference (one-day,
spring) exhibition space costs £220 per square metre. All exhibition
bookings for these two events include a 'shell scheme' with fascia/name
board, basic lighting and electrics. For more details see 'What do I
get as part of the package?' and 'About the shell scheme'. Exhibition
space for 'Building Perfect Council Websites) starts at £1950 for a 3m
x 2m display space for a pop-up stand or a table and graphics display
(no shell scheme).
Where can I see a floor plan?
Any plans that are available will be with the booking instructions for the event - see our Exhibitors and Sponsors page.
How is space allocated?
Space at events is
allocated on a first-come, first -served basis with the exception of
Major Sponsors and other high-spending sponsors, e.g. Host sponsor,
Gala Evening Sponsor. Because Socitm events typically sell out before
the event, you need to bookmark our Exhibitors and Sponsors page, or send an email to the exhibition manager
to go on our e-mailing list. You will then receive an email when
bookings are about to open.
I book more than one space?
Yes, subject to availability.
What do I get as part of the package?
All exhibitors at the Annual Conference and National Conference (spring) get:
Shell scheme with basic power, lighting and fascia board
Complimentary set of furniture (subject to availability - 40 sets provided on a first-come, first-served basis)
Company listing in the delegate pack and on Socitm's website, with a hyperlink to your website
Exhibitor
passes/lunch/refreshments - these do not include access to conference
sessions. Your complimentary allocation is based in your stand size
(usually two passes per stand) but additional passes may be purchased
(£35 plus VAT per day per person).
Delegate list (printed list supplied at the event)
Delegate pack/bag
What if I don't want to use the shell scheme?
At
events where a shell scheme is included, you can usually opt to have
the shell scheme partly or wholly left out, provided you notify the
approved contractor well in advance. No discount will be given if you
don't use the shell scheme, though and custom builds are not allowed at
one-day events.
What do I need to bring with me?
You can either
bring graphics to put up on the shell scheme, or you can bring a
modular or 'pop-up' type of display that will fit within the shell.
Purpose-built stands are allowed at the Annual Conference as long as
the approved contractor considers the build-up schedule allows enough
time and provided you get agreement well in advance. Unfortunately we
cannot usually offer a porter service so please make sure you can cope
with whatever you bring yourself. Some exhibitors find folding
trolleys useful. Remember to bring along a toolkit of extra
hook-and-loop dots or tape, scissors, etc. Also don't forget to bring
along literature, promotional giveaways, name badges, enquiry forms,
hole punch, business cards etc. At the Annual Conference, if you are
going to the Gala Dinner, it's optional black tie, so don't forget your
glad rags...
Can I send my stand in advance and have it collected later?
Usually, yes. Further details will be in the exhibitor information for each event.
Can we run a competition or prize draw on our stand?
Yes.
There's no problem with you running a prize draw but bear in mind that
public sector employees are governed by strict guidelines regarding
items and hospitality they may/may not accept . For more information
on these guidelines, contact the exhibition manager.
Can I offer drinks on my stand?
Yes, soft
drinks will be provided with lunch but should you wish to offer
delegates an alternative, you can. Contact the venue for further
details - venue contact details will be given in the exhibitor
information.
Are there any restrictions on what I can have on my stand?
Yes,
for example, pyrotechnics are forbidden at most venues and helium
balloons may require special permission from some venues. Apart from
specifics like that, provided everyone uses common sense, there are
usually no problems. You are expected to show common courtesy to your
neighbours by restricting noise levels so that any presentations on
your stand are not a distraction to visitors to theirs. You must make
sure that literature dispensers etc stay within the boundary of your
stand, not in the gangways. If you have something specific in mind,
and you are not sure whether it would be allowed, please contact the
organiser in advance - agreement can often be reached provided you
allow enough time. As a last resort, the organisers reserve the right
to remove any material from your stand that is causing a potential
nuisance or hazard.
Insurance and Health and Safety
Socitm
recommends that you make your own insurance arrangements. Socitm and
the venue accept no responsibility for your staff, property or any
consequential losses arising in connection with the event. Exhibitors
at the Annual Conference will be required to complete a Health &
Safety form for the approved contractor. This will be issued to
exhibitors nearer the event.
Why doesn't Socitm make the exhibition area bigger?
The
wish of the membership is that the conference programme is, and will
remain, the main thrust of the event, and the exhibition is intended to
be complementary. We try to strike a balance between a relevant and
interesting exhibition for the delegates, with a good turnout and high
quality of delegates for the exhibitors. If the exhibition were to be
enlarged, the delegates may be too thinly spread and the value for
money for exhibitors and sponsors would decline.
If I book exhibition space, do I need to pay for entry level sponsorship?
No,
if you book exhibition space, you automatically get the benefits that
are included in the entry level sponsorship package, so you don't need
to buy into that as well. Many of our current exhibitors begin as entry
level sponsors.
How much time will the delegates spend in the exhibition area?
Refreshments
and lunches are always served in the exhibition area; this is how we
encourage delegates to visit your stand. We provide limited general
seating, to encourage people to circulate with their drinks/plates. The
Annual Conference (October) begins for delegates on Sunday evening.
Sometimes the exhibition also starts on Sunday evening and sometimes on
Monday morning, depending on the programme and venue. (Specific
information will be in the exhibitor instructions). We try and allow
enough time for delegates to get round all the stands - 40 minutes for
refreshments and at least 90 minutes for lunch. The lunch and
refreshment breaks are by far the busiest times, with most delegates
attending the conference sessions otherwise. (The exhibition can be
pretty quiet on the Tuesday morning following the Annual Conference
Gala Dinner....!). While this may not seem a lot, our regular
exhibitors seem to think the format works well, and is worth it, to
reach such a focused audience. Some exhibitors do also manage to keep
their stand busy throughout the day.
Booking and payment for space and sponsorship
Booking and payment for space and sponsorship - Socitm2009
You can make a provisional booking for Socitm09 now by emailing the exhibition manager. Exhibition space will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis, the exception being high-spending sponsors with free space included in their sponsorship package, who get first refusal.
See the contact details section of this document for Socitm's financial details.
Sharing and partnering - sponsors and exhibitors
Exhibitors
and sponsors can 'partner' or share exhibition space or sponsorship
opportunities, but there are some restrictions. Bookings must be made
in the name of a single organisation. All monies must be paid to Socitm
by this organisation and re-selling of exhibition space or sponsorship
opportunities is strictly forbidden. When referred to in delegate
material or on Socitm's website, only the name of the lead organisation
will be used. Partner organisations may be mentioned in organisations'
company listings, but not in the title. A partner organisation's name
or logo may appear on the lead organisation's exhibition stand provided
its prominence is secondary to the lead organisation. Equal
branding/prominence is not permitted. No more than two partner
organisations may be represented unless by special arrangement and
depending on the size of exhibition stand/sponsorship. A partner
organisation's literature may appear on the stand provided it also
makes reference to the lead organisation. Partner organisations'
personnel may use exhibition passes provided to the lead organisation,
but no separate exhibition passes will be issued in the name of the
partner organisation(s) and staff will be refused entry unless they are
registered in the name of the lead organisation. Staff from Partner
organisations may wear their own company name badges as long as they
also wear an exhibitor pass in the name of the lead organisation. Staff
from Partner organisations should not appear in different apparel from
the staff of the main organisation e.g. polo shirts of the partner
organisation, rather than the lead organisation. Only the lead
organisation has rights in respect of delegate lists, access to press,
running prize draws, complimentary invitations to dinners or other
benefits which may form part of any sponsorship package.
Attending conference sessions, accommodation, partners and visitors
Can exhibitors attend conference sessions?
At the Annual Conference, if you wish to attend conference sessions, you need to book as a delegate. A number of different delegate packages are usually available and more information can be found on Socitm's Events pages as and when the details are confirmed. At some other events, access to the conference sessions is complimentary - see the individual booking information for details or contact the exhibition manager. At the National Conference (spring) exhibitors' staff are allowed to join the main conference sessions subject to space being available in the auditorium.
Accommodation (Annual Conference)
Only
those people booking the full delegate package, through the Socitm
Office, will be allocated B&B accommodation. No special deals are
are available to exhibitors, sorry, but details of convenient hotels
will be in the exhibitor information for each event so you can make
your own arrangements.
Gala Evening (Monday evening of Annual Conference)
Tickets
for the Gala Dinner are available for purchase only by confirmed
exhibitors and sponsors. Tickets will be sold subject to availability
with online booking and credit card payment only. Price is £95 plus
VAT per person.
Can I attend the receptions and dinners at the Annual Conference?
Only
those people booking the full delegate package, through the Socitm
Office, will be automatically eligible to attend receptions and
dinners, unless you are a sponsor and your package includes a place or
places, but additional tickets may be purchased nearer the time.
Tickets will be sold subject to availability with online booking and
credit card payment only.
Is there a seating plan at the Gala Evening (Annual Conference)?
No,
there is no formal seating plan, apart from the President's and
Vice-Presidents' tables. If a group of you are booked as full delegates
and coming to the Gala Dinner, we suggest that if you want to sit
together, you hover near the door of the dining room just before
dinner, and go in as a group as soon as dinner is announced, that way
you should find enough seats together.
What do people wear at the Gala Evening (Annual Conference)?
The
dress code of the Gala Evening has been changed to encourage everyone
to feel welcome and comfortable, and is now 'Smart dress, black tie
optional'. Although there have been fluctuations over the years, about
half the men do tend to come in dinner suits and the majority of women
in 'party frocks'.
Can I invite specific people to sit with me (Sunday and Gala Evening, Annual Conference)?
Unless
you are the evening's sponsor, we would prefer you not to do this, as
in the past we have had concerns expressed by delegates/members that it
puts them in a difficult position, particularly if they have several
offers.
Can I bring my partner to the Annual Conference?
If
you have booked to come as a full delegate, yes. The partner package
includes the same accommodation as the delegate package but not
lunches. See the delegate booking information for each event for
further details or contact the Socitm Office on 01604 497774.
Can I invite someone to the exhibition if they are not coming to the event as a delegate?
Normally,
no, they must register as a paying delegate. In special circumstances,
limited access can be agreed in advance at the discretion of the exhibition manager e.g. access for film crews etc.
Will there be an official photographer?
For the Annual Conference, yes. But they are contracted primarily to take photos of the conference and will need to fit in photos of stands around this. Consequently there will be limited availability and this will be allocated on a first come first served basis. To arrange this, contact the exhibition organiser during set-up or while the event is in progress, the photographer will then contact you to agree your requirements and provide prices etc.
What about any photographs of our stand the photographer takes in the course of photographing the event for Socitm?
You
may be lucky and a photograph of your stand appear in a Socitm
publication or on the website, but we do not have the resources to
review and distribute the photographs taken by the photographer in the
course of the event, so if you want some of your stand, or for your own
use, please make your own arrangements.
How can I get hold of a press list?
A list of
media representatives that have been invited to the event will be
available two weeks before the event. To receive a copy, please email
the press officer.
Where I can leave some press/media packs?
There will be a press area at each event, for details see the exhibitor instructions.
Can I use the Socitm logo?
No, but if you are a
Major Sponsor, Sponsor or Exhibitor, you will be provided with a
custom-designed logo for use in conjunction with each specific event
you book for.
Delegate list
A
full list of delegates will be available to exhibitors and sponsors at
the event(s) as a printed list (as part of the delegate pack), and
supplied to non-attending sponsors after the event. No other formats
are available, sorry. Delegate lists are not normally available in
advance of an event. Socitm does not make available or sell member
information. Copies of the previous year's delegate lists for some
events are available on request from the exhibition manager.
These should be used for information purposes only and not for
marketing. Delegate lists usually only include the person's name and
organisation, not job title.
Socitm's financial details
The Company name is Socitm Ltd. Bankers are Nat West, The Drapery Branch, 41 The Drapery, Northampton, NN1 2EY, Account Name Socitm Ltd, Account No 00150541, Sort Code 56 00 60. IBAN number: GB85NWBK56006000150541. SWIFT code: NWBKGB2L. VAT Registration No 799 6049 58. Address for postal payments, remittance advices and purchase orders is: F19 Moulton Park Business Centre, Redhouse Road, Northampton, NN3 6AQ, Tel: 01604 497774 Fax: 01604 497610, email finance@socitm.net.
Billing/payment queries
Contact the Socitm office quoting your Purchase Order number Tel & Fax 01604 497774, email enquiries@socitm.net
Cancellation policy
If exhibitors/sponsors
withdraw or cancel their booking for any reason, £500 (plus VAT) of any
fees paid will be retained by Socitm and the booking will be demoted to
a booking for Entry Level Sponsorship. The exhibitor or sponsor's
details will remain on the website as Entry Level Sponsors, and the
exhibitor/sponsor receive the benefits associated with Entry Level
Sponsorship, unless they request otherwise (but the £500 will still be
retained by Socitm). Every effort will then be made by the organiser
to re-sell the exhibition space/sponsorship opportunity. If this
proves successful, part or all of the fees paid (except the £500
mentioned above) will be refunded at Socitm's discretion. For
guidance, in the past, cancellations have been rare and almost always
the space/sponsorship has been re-sold, and all but £500 of the fees
refunded. Cancellations may impact your organisation's standing with
Socitm when it comes to being offered future promotional opportunities
at Socitm Events, and should therefore be treated as a last resort .
No monies will be refunded if cancellation takes place within 60 days
of the event.
Delegate bookings/partner bookings/programme
See the event pages of the website or contact the Socitm office - Tel & Fax 01604 497774 email enquiries@socitm.net
Press/media enquiries
Email the press officer
Exhibition and sponsorship organiser
Email the exhibition manager.
Approved Contractor
Warwick Corporate Events
Tel: 0845 351 0392
Fax: 0845 351 0396
Web: www.wce.co.uk
Socitm office
Tel & Fax 01604 497774 email enquiries@socitm.gov.uk
Contact the exhibition manager who will be pleased to help.
