William Reed is a digital, data and events business which has served the food and drink sector for over 160 years. Their leading trade event the ‘UK Food & Drink Shows’ sees a complex set of exhibitions co-located under one roof at Birmingham’s NEC. They’ve worked with ESS since its inception in 2009.

William Reed’s Head of Operations, Gemma Eddens explains why they choose to work with ESS.

“We use ESS because, quite frankly, they are great at what they do. Both Lianne and Michaela are incredibly approachable and brilliant to work with. There is no question too small or too obscure! Their vast experience means they also give us counsel on areas outside their remit. They also know the venue regulations like the back of their hand. This makes life easier for our team and our exhibitors, as well as giving everyone reassurance that things will run smoothly on-site.

Also, from my team’s point of view, ESS’s on-site notes are so concise, our floor managers can easily find the relevant paperwork so they rarely have to call to ask for further information. Having said that, the team are always just a phone call away and have at times helped us out over a weekend when a query has come up during a show build. 

Communication is the key to ensuring exhibitions run smoothly and ESS have this skill in abundance. They also have an amazing ability to speak to all different types of people, tell them they can’t do something (due to a build restriction, or a health and safety regulation) and still manage to keep everyone happy by helping with pragmatic solutions.

Now that is a talent!