Agencies

What Does Meet Cambridge Offer for Agents?

Meet Cambridge is here to help you find the perfect venue for your client. We offer you an extensive portfolio of academic venues, hotels and other unique event spaces in and around the city, so you really do get the whole picture when you place an enquiry with us!

Our one-stop service is easy to use, we’ll check availability at every venue that meets your requirements allowing you to build your proposal and report back to your client quickly. We’ve been working closely with our venues through a programme of consultation and training to ensure that our venues understand the exact business needs of agencies; our venues now work to an agreed Code of Conduct ensuring transparency between all parties, making contracting quicker and easier too.

Cambridge boasts a blend of history, scientific discovery, hi-tech innovation, culture and beauty. With the stunning architecture of the renowned University of Cambridge Colleges, green parks, wide open spaces and the River Cam that winds through its heart, Cambridge is a unique and inspiring destination.

With two universities and a progressive and diverse industry landscape covering everything from hi-tech companies to agriculture and food processing, and from aerospace to pharmaceuticals, Cambridge is an important centre of enterprise. Added to this, an excellent central location, world famous attractions and a wide range of events and festivals, Cambridge offers a rich and varied programme to its visitors – making it the ideal choice for your client whatever their needs may be.

We would welcome the opportunity to show you our venues, or meet with you at your office to discuss our portfolio, so please do contact us on + (0)1223 768740 and we’ll get a date in the diary!

The Meet Cambridge Agents' Promise

We welcome enquiries for events from agencies and we’re committed to working with you to help you deliver the best possible service to your clients. Our service is fully funded by our members and is offered at no extra cost to you. Meet Cambridge is a member of MIA and ICCA and has AIM accreditation; the venues who have signed to work with agents all work to an agreed Code of Conduct. The unique nature of our venues is such that a limited number of properties are unable to agree to our agency code of conduct and promise. Those venues are listed here.

When you place an enquiry with Meet Cambridge you can be assured that we will:

• Save you time and effort by sending your enquiry to all of the venues that meet your event criteria and commission requirements in one go
• Process your enquiry and send it to our venues without delay, we know that time is of the essence
• Offer you a personal service at all times
• Provide you with a complete list of all venues that can’t help and the reasons why
• Obtain any images or film footage of our venues on your behalf and provide them to you free of charge to help you build your proposal
• Co-ordinate and arrange site visits for you and your client and arrange free car parking for the duration of your visit to Cambridge
• In addition, Meet Cambridge can offer all agency staff a reduced rate for B&B when booked through Meet Cambridge whether for personal business use, or for personal pleasure, (subject to availability) at any Meet Cambridge member venue offering the B&B service

The venues listed promise to:

• Pay a minimum of 10% ex.VAT commission on ex. VAT rates* on all new agency enquiries**
• Always try to respond to your enquiry the same working day if the enquiry is placed with Meet Cambridge before 2pm on a working day, or before 11am the next working day if your enquiry is received after 2pm
• Respond with all of the information you require providing inclusive package rates or itemised rates depending on your client’s requirements
• Quote your reference (where provided) in their offers
• Assist with your client site visits and provide hospitality during the visit
• Hold your enquiry on a provisional basis for a period mutually agreed at the time of their offer
• Pay commission quickly and within 30 days of receipt of your invoice, where no disputes are pending and where payment has been received in full
• Consider flexible terms, conditions and payment routines
• Collaborate with you on your proposals, RFPs, tenders and any educational visits.

*Some Associate Member Venues have slight variations to this standard in their terms and conditions.

** Applicable to new enquiries received on or after 1 July 2013 and placed by agents only. To qualify for the above, an agent must identify themselves as such when submitting the enquiry to Meet Cambridge.

The Meet Cambridge Code of Conduct

The Meet Cambridge Code of Conduct ensures that you receive the best service at all times. We have worked closely with our venues to develop this standard and you can be assured that any of our Member Venues accepting an enquiry from an agency will conduct itself in accordance with our Code of Conduct.

We’re proud to say that all of our Member Venues accepting an enquiry from an agency will pay a minimum of 10% commission.

Member Venues abide by all terms and conditions of the Code of Conduct and are responsible for ensuring that all staff are aware of the Code of Conduct.

Meet Cambridge also has a number of Associate Member Venues that will abide where possible by the Meet Cambridge Code of Conduct, however due to the nature of these particular venues there may be some variances. You are advised to check all terms and conditions with the respective venue.

A ‘thank you’ to Agencies from Meet Cambridge

Here at Meet Cambridge we value your custom and your relationship with us, so we’d like to offer you a small thank you. We’d really love to share our beautiful city with you so we’ve negotiated a special agency discount on the Colleges B&B rates.

There really is no better way to experience the city than from the inside of one of its famous Colleges, so whether you’re visiting for business or for pleasure we can arrange a stay for you. Imagine the great minds that have gone before you while you take a leisurely breakfast in one of the great halls, discover quiet corners and beautiful gardens then sample the delights of this historic city for yourself.

To check availability and rates give us a call on +44(0)1223 768740 and we’ll take care of everything for you.

Please note that this offer is exclusive to agency staff and all reservations will be subject to qualification. The discounted rate is offered at Meet Cambridge's Member Venues offering the B&B service. B&B is subject to availability.

Meet Cambridge Agency Case Studies

Powwow Events/Robinson College

Annually since 2006, leading event management company, Powwow has created a ‘back to university’ learning experience across a number of Cambridge University’s venues for one of the world’s leading global management consultancies, involving over 700 senior delegates attending from over 80 worldwide locations.

Background

Powwow takes over seven University colleges and many of Cambridge’s landmark buildings which allows for a week-long business programme including a plenary session for 700 delegates and over 40 breakout groups. Alongside the business agenda there is an evening social programme using many venues including college dining halls, local pubs and punting.

Brief

For Powwow, the venues need to be large enough to accommodate one of the meeting groups with a range of breakout rooms, a large auditorium and residential accommodation. They also need to be easily accessible from the city centre. Mel Searle, Conference Office Manager at Robinson says: “As a complex multi-venue event, there is a huge amount of organisation and our team needs to understand the brief completely, react to changes rapidly and find solutions.”

Robinson College works well for this event because it is large enough to accommodate two different meeting groups and it offers a range of breakout rooms and plenty of residential accommodation. This is a complex event and the venue staff need to be experienced, flexible and enthusiastic – qualities that the team at Robinson College has.

Result

Robinson College is different from other venues because it can offer a large number of meetings spaces including two large auditoriums, a high number of bedrooms and a dedicated and flexible conference and banqueting team which ensure the smooth running of the event. Powwow said: “The 2012 event was a great success and we would like to thank Robinson’s dedicated team. “In addition to all the advantages Robinson brings as a venue, we also appreciate its understanding of working with agents and event managers like ourselves to ensure that the event is not only a success for our client but also for us.”

Read more about Powwow’s Cambridge event using Robinson College here