An interview by Jo Humphries with CCC Events
Managing Director, Martin Clark

Jo: Hello Martin, how are you?

Martin: Great thanks.

Jo: Let’s start at the beginning – how did CCC Events start?

Martin: I spent several years working in the outdoors and on expeditions and was lucky to be involved with some very inspiring event companies during this time. They were doing cutting edge work but needed specialist support. The next thing I knew my life savings had been transformed into the beginnings of CCC Events and we were working 7 days a week!

Jo: How would you say CCC has grown in the last 17 years?

Martin: In the early days virtually everything we did was created and built to order and we could only run a few events each week, now we can run several events on the same day each for hundreds, or sometimes thousands of guests. The resource we can draw on now is incredible compared to the early days which leads to different challenges. The market has matured since the early 90’s and we have always tried to look ahead and position our services to match current needs.

Jo: So where would you say CCC is now?

Martin: We are not a 'full service' agency where the answer is 'yes, now what was the question?' but have concentrated our efforts on participative & team building events and being at the top of this field. Although we still create many new events and offer a bespoke service the focus in recent years has been on flexible event packages that can easily be tailored and offer high value. We have a great team and 2006/7 has been our busiest year ever so we must be doing something right!

Jo: Where do you see CCC in the next 10 years?

Martin: I am still passionate as ever about running the very best events and see no reason for this to change, it is probably in the blood by now! Being an event manager is like an actor standing on stage, every event is a performance and a challenge. It is a fascinating industry with lots of variety and I can easily see CCC Events doing the same thing in 10 years time.

Jo: Companies need to be sure that their event will be a success. Why should they choose CCC Events?

Martin: We are only as good as our last (or next) event. We recently put together a ''Testimonials' page with comments from our clients and also send out feedback questionaires after each event asking clients to rate our service in 9 categories. For the last 250 events our average has been between Excellent and Good on all counts (the others options were Average, Below Average and Poor). We often walk through every aspect of an event with our clients and sometimes put them in contact directly with previous clients to get references.

Jo: What about costs? How do you ensure your prices are among the most competitive in the industry without sacrificing quality?

Martin: We manage to keep our overheads down by being a web based company without an expensive sales force. This doesn't mean that we compromise on service, over half of our proposals go out on the same day as the initial enquiry! Our operations are also extremely efficient with most popular events flight cased and ready to run, we have also taken a long term view and invested heavily in low maintenance equipment built from aluminium and plastics.

Jo: What is the most important factor on any event?

Martin: This has to be the staff. Most of our event staff have worked with us for years and are some of the most experienced in the business. Clients often comment on how friendly, professional and enthusiastic they are. Having such a great team is probably my number one reason for working in events.

Jo: What do you think your clients value most about CCC?

Martin: We supply solutions, confidence and very effective events!

Jo: Why are CCC events different?

Martin: I should not really be letting trade secrets out of the bag but we have invested a lot of time, energy and experience into finding out what makes a good event into a superb one. Great activities need to link together, give guests a focus and involve everyone.

Jo: You have a huge range of events, for a variety of groups, out of all them which are your favourites and why?

Martin:It is very difficult knowing where to start with so many exciting new events!! I like all our movie making events, especially Commercial Break. The guests are always so creative and the films hilarious and we really have to think on our feet to turn their inspiration into reality. My other favourite is the Rule The World giant monopoly as it is non-stop action and even the meekest of teams end up being totally competitive!

Jo: What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the industry at the moment?

Martin: There are several key challenges. Very late bookings are increasingly common and although we can normally pull the hat out of the bag, clients can end up with compromising particularly on venues with limited availability. More frustrating are procurement departments that buy on price rather than looking at creatvitity, outcomes and service. This is a general concern throughout the industry, and as we won't compromise on quality it can mean losing work in the short term although it is very pleasing to see many clients return once they have seen the difference that we make!!

Jo: Safety and insurance are in the news. What is CCC's policy?

Martin: Safety of guests and staff is my top priority especially as our activities can include 40ft abseiling towers through to dune buggy driving. We have an excellent safety record and undertake risk assessments for all activities. We also have £5million Public and Products liability insurance.

Jo: What can you tell me about CCC Events work with charities?

Martin: We have been helping charities for over 17 years mainly by supplying the safety cover for sponsored abseils. A few years ago we calculated that to date we’d helped to raise over £1 million, so I guess it’s much more now!

Jo: Thanks Martin.