When we first contacted your organisation, we were looking for a PCO that could work with us using a team based approach, who would understand our needs and who had the capability to deliver a high quality conference.
You have worked closely with us to do this repeatedly over the past 5 years, drawing on your team's diverse expertise to help create a conference that continues to attract large numbers of delegats, presenters and sponsors. Thus, the GOVIS conference has grown to be a well recognised high quality conference product, attractive to delegates and sought after by sponsors and trade.
Your attention to detail, innovative ideas, commitment, and the relationships you have developed with our committee and the conference sponsors have been important in developing and maintaining this success. We have found your team to be responsive, available, professional, and easy to work with.
For a voluntary conference committee such as ours, it has been a tremendous help to have a PCO willing to go the extra mile when needed and for creating an environment where we can just relax and host the conference.
Mike Pearson, President, GOVIS Inc.
Thank-you for organising once again a superb conference, and ensuring this excellent financial outcome. This I'm sure is a reflection of your efforts to attract and satisfy the needs of our sponsors, along with more than capable management of costs. GOVIS is grateful for your team's professionalism and flair. I personally am very grateful for the excellent financial management and documentation. We look forward to working with you towards the 2005 event.
David Fitzgerald-Irons, Treasurer, GOVIS Inc.
I am delighted to provide a reference for a company that I have dealt with for the last three years. Paardekoopers have been involved in organising three successful events for our association.
My first dealing with Paardekoopers was when we appointed them in 2003 as event organiser for the 2004 International Garden Center Ass. Annual Congress. This event (which we had to bid for in 2001 to secure hosting rights) involved 250 delegates from around the world descending on NZ for a week of touring, business visits, and formal and social functions.
It was an intense week which involved the organisers in managing and planning wide ranging activities - from Fish and Chips on Waiheke Island, to two chartered 737's to airlift delegates from Auckland to Wellington.
Paardekoopers were required to work constructively with the organising committee, a wide range of suppliers (including 42 seperate catering contracts), international delegates and international and local sponsors. At all times Luke and his team acted professionally and delivered an outstanding result for all involved. As with any major event there were unexpected hiccups but with Luke's resourcefulness these were quickly remedied by the Paardekooper Team.
Paardekooper's managed all apsects of the Congress including the income and expenditure to ensure that the budgeted targets were achieved. We were very happy with the final outcome the Paardekooper Team and our team of 'Industry Hosts' were able to deliver.
Lance Bills, President, Nursery and Garden Assn of New Zealand.
I'd liken Paardekooper and Associates as an "event management asset" that I've capitalised on over 12 years of my career and in three very different managerial roles. From "wildly unique" motivational conferences; to "stunningly professional" international diplomatic meetings; Kaye and Luke's eye for detail and ability to target the venue, catering and social functions to match your purpose and aspiration for a particular event is unrivalled. If you want happy, inspired guests, employees and/or customers following your next event, I couldn't recommend Paardekooper and Associates more highly.
Katharine Moody, Director, Aria Mai Ltd
ACC has enjoyed its working relationship with Paardekooper and Associates. We have used their services on a number of occasions and value their support and assistance to us. At all times, Paardekooper and Associates work hard to understand our business needs and then 'tailor' a solution to meet our needs. Paardekooper and Associates bring a professional perspective to everything they do and we are pleased with their involvement in our business.
Michael Nobelen, Human Resources Manager, ACC
Feltex wanted to progressively change the culture within its manufacturing operations for the benefit of its workers and the company. To do this we wanted to form a long-term relationship with an appropriate provider, a company that could work with us to produce long-term sustainable results. We selected Paardekooper and Associates from a long list in 1998 and this has resulted in a very satisfactory outcome. We now have a long-term relationship of trust and progress and have found that working in partnership with a team that can deliver time after time has substantial advantages.
Paardekooper's have organised our annual management development conferences and they deliver short development courses in areas such as leadership, team coaching, train the trainer and absenteeism.
They have also assisted us to undertake substantial cultural change programmes at two of our major sites with very good results. Paardekooper's are highly skilled but down to earth and relate well to all levels in our organisation, and especially to shop floor employees.
Ian Barbour, General Manager New Zealand Operations, Feltex Carpets Limited
We engaged Paardekooper and Associates to work alongside our leadership team to initiate and embed a change programme designed to turn around our existing culture. Over the next 12 months, Paardekooper's helped us to see ourselves and our culture more clearly and more objectively. We valued their directness without fear or favour. They managed our expectations well, over delivered and connected well with our people at all levels of the business.
Noel Stewart, Manufacturing Manager - Woven, Feltex Carpets Ltd
Paardekooper & Associates were professional, reliable and committed in providing my conference with quality event management and facilitation services. My week-long conference was logistically complex yet their expert planning and smooth organisation ensured the 200+ delegates had the time of their lives. Paardekooper & Associates - turning stress into success!
Liz McNeill, ITU Working Party 8F Coordinator
The Community Languages and English to Speakers of Other Languages (CLESOL) conference held at Te Papa in Wellington in July 2002 was a hugely successful event, thanks in no small part to the work of Paardekooper and Associates. As a co-convener of the conference, I had thought there would be many sleepless nights before, during and after the event. With Luke and Kaye and their team at Paardekooper on the job however, the budget, 700 attendees, 9 streams of speakers over 4 days, sponsorship, conference dinner, catering and organising committee were so well taken care of that I need not have stocked up on Chamomile Tea. Feedback from the conference, from international and local participants, was overwhelmingly positive and I note that CLESOL 2004 is to be organised by Paardekooper as well. This time I will be able to experience their exceptional organisation and helpful friendly presence without attending any planning meetings.
Would I recommend their services to another group or organisation? Absolutely.
Averil Coxhead, Co-convener, CLESOL 2002
Paardekooper and Associates were engaged by Quotable Value to help us stage our first National Conference. With their help we were able to make the Conference a tremendous success. Apart from handling the logistics of the event, Paardekooper added value by contributing creative ideas and activities which really supported our objectives for the Conference. Paardekooper and Associates friendly and personable people were a pleasure to work with. We'll be sure to use Paardekooper and Associates for our next Conference event.
Nick McKissack, General Manager Human Resources, Finance and Administration, Quotable Value
United Travel's relationship with Paardekoopers is one built on trust and their proven ability to deliver results. The team at Paardekooper have the gift of being able to deliver exactly what's required, in such a way that no request is too difficult, and no detail is too small. They also have passion and insight into people, which allows them to cater to both small teams and very large conferences, always making the participants feel very much a part of the event. Above all, Paardekooper's in depth knowledge and experience of all the facets of event management, combined with an easy-going and results-oriented attitude, ensures that your event will be a guaranteed success...
Wendy van Lieshout, Brand Manager, United Travel
I thought it went extremely well, and that you all did a brilliant job! I really enjoyed working with you and every bit of feedback we've had from participants has been extremely positive. Anyway, thanks again for an absolutely brilliant conference – I couldn't have done it without you!
Dr Stephen May, conference convenor LED
Congratulations on a fantastic Conference. There was a good mood (a great barometer of success); good chat and plenty of good information. And all of that does not come without a tremendous amount of hard work, usually by a small team. So from Stuart and I, WELL DONE! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and do thank you for making us so welcome.
Chief Executive Officer, NURSERY & GARDEN INDUSTRY AUSTRALIA (NGIA)
I also want to say a big Thank you to the Paardekooper's team foreverything you did to help make the conference successful. It was a pretty stressful time for us at NGIA as we were behind the 8 - ball even before our staff went down. We were very impressed with the help which was forthcoming from Luke and Hayley and we couldn't have achieved such a good result without you.
Bob Wynyard – conference committee convenor NGIA
I wish to add my congratulations to you all as well, especially the Justice and Paardekooper teams. I don't know that I did much steering but you guys were heading in the right direction anyway as the success of the conference showed.
Lance Rowe (Member of Youth Offending Conference Steering Committee)
I would like to add my congratulations. Being part of the steering committee was a breeze compared to the work that clearly had gone on behind the scenes. I was really impressed with the quality of the presentations and the organisation - Gold stars all round!
Basia Arnold, Director General's Office, Ministry of Health (Member of Youth Offending Conference Steering Committee)
Kia Ora Koutou. I really need to pass on my thanks for an awesome 3 days in Wellington for my YCD colleagues and I. The conference success was due to great leadership, amazing energy and a group of awesome people working together. We were impressed with so much, too many to mention. It is easy for me to blab on about good ideas but it created work for many of you. Congratulations,
Anni Watkin, Manager, YCD Youth Services (Member of Youth Offending Conference Steering Committee)
Congratulations everyone on a fantastic conference - it was really superb and ran like clockwork - my only regret is that I missed almost all of yesterday due to Select Committee (rats!) You did a great job. Everyone I spoke to was buzzing! Thanks for all your hard work. Please pass on my thanks to anyone I have missed (with apologies).
Jenni Nana, Policy Manager, Child Family and Community Policy (Member of Youth Offending Conference Programme Committee)