Absolute Corporate Events Secures 400% Growth in Just Five Years

Absolute Corporate Events (ACE), a leading full-service events agency that believes in bringing destinations to life and providing personalised services for UK corporates globally, has generated 400% growth in just five years.

Shaking up the events scene, ACE is activating 1,000 events per calendar year, ranging from international incentive schemes to corporate parties. Having developed its team from 4 members of staff to 20; now equipped with over 35 years of industry experience, ACE doubled its turnover from 2015 to 2016 to £6.3 million, achieving £8 million in 2017 and predicting £9 million in 2018.

ACE’s largest growth has been seen in International Conferences, with more events, more delegates, more destinations and 500% more turnover than five years ago.[3]

This growth is a direct result of ACE’s new business strategy, uniting a team of industry experts and pointing them towards businesses who need help with their global communications strategy, ACE has been able to propel its growth these past five years. Having strategically headhunted some of the industry’s most well-known players, ACE has developed a unique pitch. Attracting businesses to the innovative and high-quality service that is delivered throughout ACE’s breadth of events.

Aiming to be recognised as one of the best companies to work for in the events sector, ACE provides personalised rewards, flexible benefits, coaching and mentoring and a culture of ownership and excellence. Rewarding employees has proved a valuable tool of intrinsic motivation for Managing Director & Owner, Chris Parnham, whose industry experience spans a range of top service sector businesses; enabling him to get the most out of his team and ensure his team get the most out of their jobs.

Led by Chris Parnham, inspirational leader, entrepreneur, and communications specialist who acquired ACE in 2013 and has helped propel the brand forward; strengthening its proposition. Chris previously held the position as the Chairman of the HBAA, the trade association for the hotel booking agency, apartment and venue community, which he held for over two years. Voted among the top five in the C&IT Power 50 & Director of the Year (IoD), Chris previously worked at Barclays Bank Plc, as Head of Global Events. For added impact to the sector, ACE Non-Exec Chairman, Angie Mason, takes over as HBAA Chairman for 2019.

Chris Parnham says: “Truly impactful and memorable events are surprisingly scarce in a packed international events calendar. Most of them are simply meetings with no real outcome and no real change. For an event to mean something, it has to change something. Events delivered by ACE for its clients are measured and admired by the changes they make. They inform, educate, reward, motivate, and inspire, as well as triggering an upturn in business, profits and efficiency. Motivating, rewarding and keeping your best people is becoming increasingly important to all employers. With greater demand for skilled labour to fill skilled jobs, companies must now go that extra mile to get the best out of their workforce; whether this be outcome-based rewards or company-wide events. The growing demand to satisfy and motivate employees in this way has been integral to our growth these past five years; and we only see it increasing. There is certainly an element of employees knowing they can get more out of their work than a pay cheque at the end of the month; and we’re loving it.”