AI 2018 Business Excellence Awards

Acquisition International - 2018 Business Excellence Awards 41 BE180082 Wedding Entertainment Company of the Year 2018 - South England Andy Collins Drawing on over three decades worth of experience in the entertainment industry, Andy Collins is a consummate professional and exceptional entertainer who understands what his clients are looking for. Through his company Andy Collins Events Limited, Andy and his team offer a full package of wedding entertainment, from lighting through to DJ services and hosting, as he is proud to highlight. “Personally, I began my career in the market as a sole trader providing mobile disco entertainment over 30 years ago. Many changes have taken place since then and clients perceptions have also changed. A few years ago, I saw a gap in the market that there were very few mobile entertainment providers that were solely wedding specialists. “To capitalise on this, I changed the way I did things and offered a personal touch to meet my prospective clients before they booked, undertook specific master of ceremonies training so that I could offer my clients so much more than just a disco. Now I spend the entire day with my clients, offering music throughout their day, and acting as their master of ceremonies which is a less formal toastmaster roll but more in-depth than what the venues provide. Ensuring that my clients weddings are fun, structured and more importantly remembered for being unique, is my goal, and as such I now offer a whole events service offering DJs to dance floors, photo booths, LED letters and much more.” This vast service offering is constantly changing as Andy is deeply passionate about innovation and driving change so that his clients receive a truly unique experience, as he is keen to emphasise. “Being innovative and finding new ideas and developing old ideas and reshaping them is essential to keeping ahead of the competition and keeping our clients weddings fresh. Clients who are getting married now expect so much more and quite rightly so what their wedding to be the best wedding ever. So, developing new ideas, techniques and being innovative is essential to maintaining client confidence in what we do, as the ideas we develop are quickly copied by the competition, so what was unique a few months ago is mainstream now at every wedding throughout the UK. “As a company we work to avoid this, and as such Andy Collins Events Limited works hard to adapt around emerging market trends. Complacency leads directly to failure, and as such we always remain focused by trying something new and being different. Sometimes it does not work, but sometimes it does and you realise there is a better way of doing things. If you do the same things you’re going to get the same results, eventually someone will overtake you. However, if you are at the forefront of emerging market developments, then always look at new innovative ways to stay in front. You only have to look at the high street too see complacency in action, by the time you realise your clients are looking elsewhere.” Innovation is key for firm’s such as Andy’s particularly in such a competitive industry. One key change Andy is keen to see is greater regulation, so that clients are not disappointed by poor quality services. “As an unregulated industry its easier today than ever before to set up a mobile DJ business. Many set themselves up with very little outlay as music can now be downloaded illegally, no insurances or tax paid. They are often only operating only to fund a new holiday; therefore they charge unrealistic fees that are driving the industry down to well below the national wage when you take into account everyday expenses that legitimate business have to pay. “As a result, it is commonplace to hear it is better to earn £100 than to stay at home. I would love to see regulation in this industry so that everyone is on a level playing field. That said, the service that the majority of these people provide does not even come close to what a dedicated wedding professional company would and can do for the client. Sadly, it is all too late after the wedding day to change your mind and realise the costly mistake. There is a saying that if you think it is expensive to hire a professional, wait till you hire an amateur, and this is something I firmly believe in; anyone who has ever worked with Andy Collins Events Limited will know that they receive an exceptional service from consummate professionals. Looking ahead, Andy’s focus on innovation and continuous development will be vital as he and his teamwork to remain visionaries within this increasingly popular market, as he excitedly concludes. “Ultimately, at Andy Collins Events Limited we are always moving forward and enhancing our service offering. In today’s society where more focus in placed on entertainment there are many great opportunities for firms such as ours, and we have just started new projects that we are about to showcase to our clients which they and we are really excited about.” Andy Collins is an award-winning DJ and event host specialising in wedding entertainment. We invited Andy to tell us more about the work he undertakes and how he creates unforgettable experiences for his clients. Company: Andy Collins Events Limited Contact: Andy Collins Address: 33 Cunningham Road, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN2 1PR, UK Phone: 0800 644 1986 Website: www.andycollinsdj.com / www.sw1events.com