Blog
April 29th, 2013
Event Protocol present their corporate event staff
After the launch of our site, we went hard to work trying to source some of the best and most experienced event staff in London and across the UK. It was no easy task and after reviewing approximately 300 applications we whittled it down to the most experienced, professional and personable candidates.
Head of the team, Jugita who has an abundance of corporate event management experience pulled in a few of her ex colleagues and she now has an enviable team of corporate event staff on her books.
The corporate event staff team combined has over 100 years of experience working on corporate events, conferences, exhibitions and trade shows in London and across the UK. Between them they have experience of working with some of the biggest corporate clients such as Credit Suisse, Merril Lynch, Sony, Barclays, FT.. not that we are name dropping!
Many of the corporate event staff are actresses, models and entertainers who have registered with Event Protocol to work as temporary staff on some of the best events across London and the UK.
Contact us if you’d like to request event staff to work on your next corporate events.
Tags: corporate event staff, event staff
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March 28th, 2013
So, you’ve followed our tips on hiring trade show and exhibition staff, but have you ever considered what you can do to keep exhibition staff motivated, fresh and alert throughout the event?
Keeping your team motivated can often be a real challenge, especially at the end of a day or during the final hours of the show when traffic is slow, here’s some guidance on how to get the most from your exhibition staff:
KEEP THEM ENTHUSED
Our exhibition staff are naturally very enthusiast but everyone needs some motivation – it’s human nature! We’ve had some clients who pay our exhibition staff a base rate and then a commission for every lead they capture or every subscription they get. Although be careful, if you do incentivize your exhibition staff, do so in a way to encourage teamwork, rather than aggressive, competing sales people.
KEEP THEM BUSY
At the quieter times, towards the end of the day there’s nothing worse than having too many exhibition staff with nothing to do at your exhibition stand. Keep them busy and consider the following:
Competitor research: It’s worth keeping an eye on what your competitors are up to. Assign your exhibition staff to walk around the exhibition hall to takes notes what how other exhibitors are promoting their services or products. Obviously this requires discretion! This information can be great for post event evaluation.
Preparation: Keep the stand tidy, stocked up on samples, gift bags, giveaways during the day and have everything in place for the following day. Ask your exhibition staff to do this the evening before and not the morning of.
Data collation: If they’ve collated a considerable amount of data from business cards or lead cards, it’s worth collating this information. Ask your exhibition staff to enter this information on database or even on a excel sheet that you can upload to your systems once back in the office. It helps to have a laptop on site.
KEEP THINGS INTERESTING
Have your staff generate a buzz at your stand by hiring staff who are trained in presenting to large crowds. When contacting your event staffing agency ask them for staff who are skilled in presenting and crowd gathering. We’ve seen this done very effectively at large trade shows where competition amongst exhibitors is rife. Many of the events staff on our books are actors and actresses’, so they’ll have no problem working the crowd and exhibition floor! You may be interested in reading Hiring live presenters and demonstrators at exhibitions and trade shows.
KEEP THEM FED AND WATERED
Sounds obvious but working at fast based exhibitions can be hard work, on your feet all day for long hours can take its toll one anyone. Prepare a stand rota in advance for breaks and lunch times for your exhibition staff. Keep refreshments, especially water behind your reception desk for your events staff.
I hope the above helps and if you haven’t done so already read our tips on hiring exhibition staff / trade show hostesses.
Tags: event staff, event staffing, exhibition staff, trade show hostess
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March 22nd, 2013
We’ve had an extraordinarily busy time with the launch of the Event Protocol website this week! What makes the effort so worthwhile is the recognition we’ve received from the media for the hard work over the past few months following our launch. So much so, over the past few weeks we’ve had quite a few articles published in the media promoting our launch and recognising Event Protocol as a valuable service for the Events Industry.
It’s clear following the launch, the media has recognised our business as a valuable event staffing service. The Event Industry News perceive us as “a new type of event staff provider”.
Feel free to read articles about our launch:
EVENT MAGAZINE:
Former RBS events planner launches staffing agency:
http://m.eventmagazine.co.uk/article/1174877/Former-RBS-events-planner-launches-staffing-agency
EVENT INDUSTRY NEWS:
Event Planners Rejoice as a New Type of Event Staff Provider Launches in London:
http://www.eventindustrynews.co.uk/2013/03/20/event-planners-rejoice-as-a-new-type-of-event-staff-provider-launches-in-london/
CONFERENCE NEWS:
Staff Provider company Event Protocol launches in London
http://www.conference-news.co.uk/news/2013/03/15/Staff-provider-company-Event-Protocol-launches-in-London/5488
RECRUITMENT INTERNATIONAL:
New Event Staff Recruitment Company Launched
http://www.recruitment-international.co.uk/news/new-recruitment-company-launched-18640.htm
Come back soon for more news!
Tags: event staff, event staffing agency
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March 20th, 2013
Every event manager has moments like this!
Experience teaches us that no matter how well you plan something, always expect the unexpected. No one knows this more than an experienced events planner. The saying “the best laid plans” comes to mind!
For example when organising a conference, often the events manager is distracted at the start of an event with last minute demands from speakers, clients or staff and cannot give attention to welcoming guests at the registration desk. With this in mind, even the most experienced event manager is likely to lose nerve as hundreds of guests start to pour through the doors at the start of the conference and understandably so.
This is why hiring events staff is crucial. In order for your speakers and clients to feel welcome and appreciated, it is essential that someone meets and greets them at the registration desk. Event staff can assist in a myriad of ways, from escorting speakers to the speaker ready room to ushering guests into the conference auditorium to making a conference badge for someone who hasn’t registered and not forgetting looking for a speaker a few minutes before he is due to speak! The list goes on and you’ll come to realise hiring event staff is fundamental for ensuring successful onsite management.
Our corporate event staff are experienced in running business to business events such as conferences, annual general meetings, summits, workshops, seminars and roundtable events. Our corporate event staff have worked at major conferences held in the city for clients such as Investment Banks and Law Firms. Our staff will deal with your event requirements and your guests and clients in a professional and articulate manner. For larger conferences where you require a large team of event staff we will allocate a team leader to manage all event staff onsite and will act as a central point of contact for you.
If you would like to hire our corporate event staff for your upcoming conference, congress, symposium or seminar, feel free to contact us.
Found this interesting, read another one of our blogs – There’s never a second time to make a first impression – think carefully before hiring your event staff!
Tags: corporate events staff, event staff, event staffing, promotional staff
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March 20th, 2013
Engage exhibition staff / trade show hostesses in lead generation.
One of the key elements of exhibition and trade show success depends on the “lead management process”. However, the best lead generation continues to be face to face and person to person. Visitors at an exhibition still want to be treated as the valued person that they are and not reduced to a target of a sterile marketing campaign. Event and trade show exhibitors continue to see higher results using professional exhibition staff / trade show hostesses to build awareness, engage visitors, distribute and gather information and expedite the sales process.
Engage and involve your exhibition staff or trade show hostesses in lead generation to ensure tradeshow and exhibition success:
- Prepare a lead card in advance for your exhibition staff to use. Your lead card needs to be easy to complete allowing space for attaching a business card and include space for notes. Insist that your exhibition staff fill the lead cards with as much information as possible. If you have the budget, consider a badge scanner for faster recording of leads.
- Leave the booth babes and wallflowers at home. Hire exhibition staff who understand your product and service and in turn can solve your clients’ problems. It’s important to have staff who are positive, upbeat, have a great smile and have experience in a customer facing role.
- Instead of giving away literature encourage your staff to offer to mail it to attendees. Collecting contact data will allow for further leads.
- Encourage your exhibition staff or trade show hostesses to take proper notes at the show so that the information visitors are interested in is properly communicated to the representative following up the lead post event.
- Encourage your exhibition staff to generate more leads by paying them commission on every lead generated. Hold a contest to reward the staffers who take the highest quantity of qualified leads. Although be careful, if you incentivize your exhibition staff, do so in a way to encourage teamwork, rather than aggressive, competing sales people.
- Encourage more leads by motivating people to visit your exhibition stand. You could perhaps ask your exhibition staff to promote a competition or prize draw. However if it doesn’t fit with your brand values and target market think if there’s a better way of achieving the same thing, the next tip may be worth considering.&
- Hire exhibition staff or trade show hostesses who can present live demonstrations on a stage if your booth is particularly large. This can help draw visitors to your stand, create a crowd and generate buzz at your stand, which in turn can increase lead generation. Read our blog on Hiring Live Presenters for exhibitions & trade shows is helpful.
- Record leads in a contact management database, your exhibition staff can do this onsite at the exhibition stand in the quieter times.
Hiring events staff for exhibitions & trade shows can be expensive but it’s money well spent and if their skills are utilised effectively they could well help you generate your business objectives and help you manage your lead generation effectively.
If this blog has been helpful, please also read our Tips on hiring Exhibition Staff and Exhibition staff motivation.
Tags: exhibition staff, trade show hostess, trade show hostesses
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March 5th, 2013
If you’re an exhibitor considering hiring trade show hostesses or exhibition staff, firstly you must read our tips on hiring exhibition staff. However, if you’re looking to stand out amidst a crowded exhibition floor and if your exhibition or trade show is on the large size, you should perhaps hire exhibition staff and trade show hostesses who are skilled in presenting live demonstrations to a large crowd from a stage on your booth.
At Event Protocol, we have a lot of actors and actresses on our books who work at exhibitions and trade shows as presenters and demonstrators. Their acting skills mean they are well prepared and their personalities are suited to drawing in the crowds, creating theatre, getting attention, generated visitor enthusiasm and ultimately creating a buzz that will draw visitors to your exhibition booth.
For this type of work, our trade show hostesses and exhibition staff are expected and encouraged to learn about exhibitors’ products and services quickly. However, to be a great actress one must be prepared! Our exhibition staff will play the part of a live presenter and they’ll endeavor to learn and follow a script to make a live presentation a success. They’ll research about the company and the product or service in advance to ensure a polished and professional presentation or demonstration at your booth. More crowds at your booth, means more lead generation and opportunities to engage with visitors.
If you need trade show hostesses or exhibition staff with personality plus who know a thing or two about how to present and create a buzz, please contact us at Event Protocol.
Tags: event staff, event staffing, exhibition staff, trade show hostess
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February 28th, 2013
If you think you have what it takes to work for a promotional or event staffing agency, consider the tips below which we hope will help you in the right direction.
– Photos:
Firstly you’ll need a selection of good photos. Although it’s beneficial to have professional photos, it’s not completely necessary. Photos must be clear. A head shot and full body photo is enough.
– Specifics:
Some of our clients request promotional staff of a particular height, shape or size. Ensure you give the correct specifics – height, weight, build, eye colour, hair colour etc.
– Experience:
Experience is key when applying for a position with us. We want to know why we should hire you, why our clients want you to represent their company at an event, marketing or promotional campaign. This is important so be sure to list promotional agencies or event staffing agencies and brands you have experience working for. Also mention the roles you’ve worked in for example event hostesses, promotional model, conference staff, costumed characters..etc.
– Skills:
We often get very specific requests from clients who are looking for event staff with a particular skills or abilities – such as multilingual staff, fitness models for sports events/exhibitions, people who can present well (for example live presenters at exhibition stands), modelling experience, actors/actresses..etc. Ensure you highlight these skills when applying.
– References:
List references, one is good but two referees are better!
– Case Studies:
This really will help you land a job! Give an example of a case study. For example if you’ve worked at an exhibition, how many leads did you generate? Or if you’ve worked for a particular client, were they so impressed that they requested you to work for them again?
Remember the more information you provide the agency the easier it is for us to promote you to our client and the more chances you have of getting work. The promotional and events staffing industry can be competitive so be sure to promote your skills and experience.
If you’re interested in working at Event Protocol visit our job application page.
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Tags: corporate events staff, event staff, event staffing, exhibition staff, promotional staff, trade show hostess
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February 21st, 2013
Whoever said event management was a glamorous job obviously hasn’t worked as an events manager. The few days running up to an event are by far the most stressful time for anyone planning an event. Long hours at your desk, never ending lists of things to do as well as meeting last minute demands and requests from your clients. All this eat into your time and there never seem enough hours in the day.
For instance some large corporate conferences can host up to 800 meetings across a 2 day conference with a delegation of up to 1000 guests. On top of the logistics of arranging the conference, there are also the social events and gala dinners which take place the day before or the day of the conference. So, the days before a conference are extremely stressful for an event planner. There is always a long list of to do’s – printing the name badges, printing the guest lists, sending confirmations to attendees, preparing the dinner place cards, finalising the table plan, chasing for speaker presentations, arranging transfers for attendees, stuffing hundreds of welcome packs, couriering the boxes to the venue, completing the event running order, early arrival at the venue for set up… the list never ends.
Do yourself a favour and get some help. If you’re hiring event staff or conference hostesses for assistance at the event, consider paying a little extra for assistance the day before. At Event Protocol, our event staff can not only help on the day of the event but can also be hired to assist with set up at the venue the day before, as well as pre-event in the office a few days before the event.
Our event staff can help lighten the load and as they say, many hands make light work…
Tags: conference hostesses, corporate event staff, event staff
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February 19th, 2013
Looking at some of the pictures on our promotional staff page, you’d be forgiven for thinking being a promotional model is a glamorous affair. You’re probably thinking “I could do that”. Well you’d be mistaken. Being a promotional model is about being more than just a pretty face!
Whilst some promotional staffing agencies promote their services as a modelling agency, we believe promotional staff should offer more than just their good looks.
Promotional staff are hired to drive consumer demand for a product, service, brand, or concept by directly interacting with potential consumers for example at a car trade show or a launch event. Whilst it’s true that the majority of promotional models and event staff tend to be attractive, they ultimately serve to provide information about the product or service and make it appealing to consumers. Promotional staff deliver a live experience that reflects on the product or service he or she is representing.
It’s demanding work, as promotional staff often interact with many people at once at an event. The responsibilities of the promotional staffer / model depend on the particular marketing campaign/event being carried out, and may include:
- increasing product awareness
- providing product information
- creating an association in the consumer’s mind between the product or brand and a particular idea (natural beauty, classic heritage, edgy sex appeal, reliability)
- handing items to consumers, such as a sample of the product itself, a small gift, or printed information
For instance trade show hostesses can be skilled at drawing attendees into the booth, engaging them in conversation, and at spurring interest in the product, service, or company. Trade show hostesses may be highly skilled at screening the mass of show attendees for target consumers or at obtaining attendee information so that they may be solicited after the show.
So think twice if you think a “booth babe” is all you require to draw visitors to your stand. Having an attractive team of promo girls or guys is not enough. Companies who hire models solely to attract visitors to their booths, without involving those workers in any other capacity of design or sales, are sending negative messages.
If you require promotional staff with beauty and brains, feel free to contact us. We have a database full of attractive and experienced promotional staff. Talk to us, we’ll be happy to help!
Tags: event staff, event staffing, promotional event staff, promotional models, promotional staff, trade show hostess
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February 18th, 2013
If your company is participating at exhibitions or trade shows, ensure you haven’t left hiring your exhibition staff to the 13th hour. We want you to get the most from your exhibition or tradeshow participation so we’ve put together a few tips on what to consider when hiring trade show hostesses / exhibition staff. After all, having invested time, money and effort in planning and promoting your exhibition stand, the last thing you need is for your stand staff to be being ill prepared.
Consider the tips below before committing to hiring exhibition staff:
- You should identify how busy the stand will be to ascertain the right level of staffing. Identify in advance what roles will be required by the exhibition staff, in other words what function will your exhibition staff provide at the show?
- Have you thought about distribution of company literature, freebie gifts or goodie bags. As these items are distributed think about how your exhibition staff can use that opportunity to start interaction with clients / guests.
- Are you planning on collecting data from your guests? For example, will you encourage guests to give their business cards, will guests be required to leave their details on a postcard or a “lead” card, will you encourage subscriptions to company newsletters or magazines? Encourage your exhibition staff to capture as much information as possible.
- Think about how you would like your exhibition staff to be dressed. We’ve found branded t-shirts to compliment your marketing campaign or stand design work well.
- Have you prepared a briefing document in advance for your exhibition staff? The briefing document should explain why you are exhibiting, your exhibiting objectives, what you expect of them and how you expect them to do it and sending this to your event staffing agency in advance will give staff enough time to read through before the event.
- When onsite, conducting a pre-show briefing with your exhibition staff will keep them well informed and it will remind them of their roles and responsibilities outlined in the briefing document.
- Also take time to prepare a staff rota and have allocated times for breaks and lunches to avoid any confusion on site.
- If your trade show or exhibition participation is on the large side and you have an extremely large booth have you ever thought of having a small stage whereby your exhibition staff can present a product or service from the stand. This will create theatre and increase your volume on a competitive exhibition floor. Having a live promotional presenter or demonstrator on a trade show floor is the smartest investment a company can make. This will deliver big crowds to your stand. We have exhibition staff who are experienced presenters and demonstrators, many of them are actors and actresses so they are not shy about presenting to mass audiences. Read our blog – hiring live presenters at exhibitions and trade shows.
- If the attendance at an exhibition is largely foreign visitors you absolutely must hire bilingual staff. This can help cement a deal with an exhibition visitor whose first language is not English.
- When selecting exhibition staff from event staffing agencies ensure they have a team located close to the exhibition venue to save you paying the agency travel costs for their staff. Event Protocol have local exhibition staff and trade show hostesses based around the major exhibition centres in the UK below, so we won’t charge the client expenses for our staff travelling to your show.
London: Earls Court, Olympia, Excel London, Business Design Centre
Midlands: NEC Birmingham, Telford International Centre, ICC Manchester: G-Mex
We hope the above tips help and when hiring any event staff, ask your event staffing agency for a portfolio of staff and their experience.
If you found this blog useful, you may want read the following:
Exhibition staff motivation!
Engage exhibition staff in lead generation
Tags: event staffing, exhibition staff, trade show hostesses
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February 15th, 2013
Imagine the scenario; everything is in place, the venue looks spectacular, the stage is ready, the music, lighting, production and flowers add to the atmosphere and your guests start to arrive at a steady pace. Then much to your dismay, it happens. One of your event staff start chewing gum behind the registration desk, while the other starts flirting with the guests.
In that instance, all your months of hard work are ruined by the people who are supposed to be a help not a hindrance. Take time to think about hiring the right staff. For that one day they are the face of your company, they promote and sell your brand. So before committing with your event staffing agency ask to see staff pictures and profiles and ask them about their previous experience to check their experience fits with what you require them to do for your event.
At Event Protocol, our event staff are hired based on their years on experience working in this industry and they take their job very seriously. In fact we only hire staff with a minimum of 2 years experience so you can rest assured our corporate event staff and promotional staff will provide the helping hand you require.
Shop around and don’t necessarily opt for the cheapest quote. Do your research, ask questions and request case studies. After all, there’s never a second chance to make a first impression!
Tags: corporate event staff, event staff, event staffing agency, promotional staff
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February 15th, 2013
We are looking for experienced and enthusiastic promotional and events staff based in London, Birmingham, Manchester and nationwide to work on a variety of events and marketing campaigns. If you have experience with any of the following areas, we want to hear from you!
Event Protocol – looking for events staff in London and Nationwide!
- Trade show hostess
- Exhibition staff
- Conference staff / hostess
- Conference team leader
- Corporate event staff
- Promotional staff
- Promotional models
- Product sampling
- Product demonstrators
- Field marketing
- Data capture
- Catering staff
Our recruitment process is structured to deliver only the very best events staff. We are currently receiving in excess of 20 applications per day from all over the UK and only a handful of applications are making it through our recruitment process. We’re serious about finding the best events staff.
We aim to create a loyal staff team who have the experience and talent required to work at Event Protocol. In turn we will aim to find you regular work and motivate our team by paying them what they are really worth.
To be considered, you MUST meet the criteria below:
– Minimum of 2 years experience working for a promotional / event staff agency
– You must be registered as SELF EMPLOYED. We will require proof of this and you must be able to send your URT number.
– You must have at least 1 reference ideally from the event staffing agencies you are registered with.
If you are interested in applying please complete the application form.
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Tags: brand ambassador, corporate events staff, event staff, events staff, exhibition staff, promotional models, promotional staff, trade show hostess
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February 14th, 2013
Like busy bees we’re working around the clock on the launch of the Event Protocol website. Our website developer is fine tuning the look and feel of the website while we’re working hard on our online presence as well as getting hard at work recruiting our event staff …hmmm a man’s work is never done!
We plan to develop a website which is easy to navigate, creative and ultimately informative but without having to read through pages of content. In the busy world of event management, marketing & PR we understand event and account managers don’t have the time to spend hours trawling through websites, researching event staffing agencies. So with this in mind we’re beavering away behind the scenes to create a user friendly website for our clients.
We have a few weeks of hard graft ahead of us ahead for the launch in March … so please be patient…all good things take time!
In the meantime if you have take the time to read through our blogs to learn more about us. Our blog “Is there need for another event staffing agency” will give you an insight into our business and what we are looking to achieve within the event staffing industry.
Right enough chit chat already…back to work!
Tags: event staff, event staffing, exhibition staff, hospitality staff, promotional staff
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February 13th, 2013
Is there a need for another event staffing company? What differentiates us from the rest of the event & promotional staffing agencies out there?
Whilst some event staffing agencies promote their services as a modelling agency, we believe our event staff offer more than just their good looks. Aside from this, many event staffing agencies have thousands of staff on their books and allocate jobs based on staff availability rather than experience. We understand that experience is everything and with so many different types of events and promotional campaigns, hiring event staff with specific experience is crucial. We’ve realised that the “one face fits all” “jack of all trades” approach is not appropriate. You can’t be all things to all men! As such at Event Protocol we have three teams with very specific skills and experience:
We have corporate events staff who are specifically experienced in working at corporate events, conferences or B2B exhibitions for governmental organisations, investment banks, law firms and some of the biggest blue chips in the UK. Our corporate event staff are experienced in working in the business to business environment and can deal with your event requirements and ultimately your delegates in a proficient manner.
Our promotional staff are selected based on their ability to engage the audience and showcase your product or service in a friendly, upbeat but professional manner. They are in the industry what we call brand ambassadors and they serve as an extension to your marketing event campaign. Whether it be fashion shows, motor shows, product or store launches or experiential marketing campaigns we can provide promotional staff or models with specific skills and experience. We handpick our promotional staff who we feel fit not only your brief but also your brand and values.
We will be launching our catering and hospitality event staffing services soon. However, you can expect the same level of service and experience as with our corporate events and promotional events staff.
Our recruitment and selection criteria is tough so you can rest assured that we only hire event staff who have at least 2 years experience working within the promotional event staffing industry. By developing teams with specific experience we believe we add value to the service we provide to our clients.
So if you were to ask us if there’s a need for another event staffing agency we would most definitely say YES!
So watch out for us…we’ll be coming to an event near you soon!
Tags: corporate events staff, event staff, event staffing, events staffing, exhibition staff, hospitality staff, promotional staff
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February 13th, 2013
The word protocol is often used in the business world and it’s sometimes thrown around in the world of event management. The word itself sounds very official and formal but what does it actually mean? Simply put, protocol is “an expected code of conduct, etiquette and expectations in any situation or event”
As you read the above definition you see it relates very well to the event management and the event staffing industry. As event managers there is always protocol to follow especially when arranging high level events such as congresses where dignitaries and VIPs are in attendance. With this in mind an event manager needs to ensure that event or promotional staff onsite are well versed and experienced in following protocol – the right way of doing things.
We are in the business of providing event staff who are highly diligent and professional and so the name Event Protocol fits well with our business ethos.
We hope that gives you some insight into the business. Our home page & blog page are live whilst we work on the rest of the site which will be launched in March, please visit us again soon.
Tags: event staff, event staffing, exhibition staff, promotional staff, trade show hostess
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