Redactive is delighted to have been shortlisted at the PPA Connect Awards 2016.
We have made the shortlist in the Conference of the Year (more than 300 delegates) category for the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) Annual Conference and Exhibition.
This two day event held annually has been managed by Redactive since 2010 and is the official conference for CIPFA members and professionals working in public finance, accountancy and governance.
Following a successful run of three London based CIPFA conferences (2013-15) the conference was relocated to Manchester. The theme: Powering Growth: Transforming Public Services was created to provide an upbeat response to the economic downturn. This became even more pertinent with Brexit announced a few weeks prior to the event and a new cabinet introduced throughout the conference.
Moving locations was a risk for the conference – three years in London had seen record numbers of exhibitors but delegate behaviour had started to change. With individuals preferring to attend for a single day to reduce costs.
Manchester was selected for its excellent venue; good transport links as well as having a back story with public sector devolution that provided a relevant landscape for the conference.
Jointly working with CIPFA to deliver a vibrant and informative conference the format was devised to maximise delegate engagement. The structure of plenary sessions across each day complimented by sponsored workshops allowed delegates to follow the main programme and self-select specialist strands.
The 2016 conference exceeded all commercial expectations. Delegate numbers and revenue achieved a four year high, sponsorship revenue was up 41% YOY and the exhibition was a sell out with 31% YOY growth.
One of the key insights in 2016 was that delegate behaviour changed from previous years, with an increase of bookings for the full conference and an increase in the number of people who attended from outside the local region.