The BIBA Conference

Transitioning to Eventflow: Streamlining Exhibitor Management at the UK's Largest Insurance Brokers Event

The British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) Conference is the UK’s largest insurance broking event, attracting thousands of delegates, exhibitors, and partners each year. Like many trade associations managing large-scale events, BIBA faced the challenge of efficiently delivering crucial operational information to exhibitors.

Previously, their approach relied on a static PDF exhibitor manual supported by a shared Google Drive and dozens of spreadsheets. While functional, this method was time-consuming to manage, difficult to keep updated, and cumbersome for exhibitors to navigate. Ahead of the 2024 conference, BIBA implemented Eventflow—the award winning online exhibitor manual solution—transforming their exhibitor communication process and setting a benchmark for other trade associations.

The Challenge for Trade Associations

Trade associations like BIBA often serve a diverse and demanding exhibitor base, with multiple stakeholders requiring timely, accurate information. Before Eventflow, the BIBA event team faced several challenges familiar to other associations:

• Manual updates: Distributing an updated PDF exhibitor manual was labour-intensive, with the risk that exhibitors referenced outdated versions.‍
• Fragmented communications: Email and phone enquiries consumed significant staff resources.‍
• Navigation issues: Key operational details were buried in PDFs or scattered across shared folders and spreadsheets, slowing exhibitors down.‍
• PDF-based forms: Manual processing of exhibitor submissions delayed workflows and diverted the team from higher-value tasks. Interpreting handwritten or scanned PDF forms also introduced room for error and inconsistency.‍
• Supplier coordination: Communicating form submissions to third-party suppliers required repetitive manual updates.
  

For a leading trade association, these inefficiencies impacted the exhibitor experience and increased operational pressure on staff.

The Solution: Eventflow

By adopting Eventflow’s online exhibitor manual platform, BIBA revolutionised its event operations. Eventflow acted as a fully branded, centralised event bible, accessible 24/7 to exhibitors, their agencies, and contractors. Key benefits included:

• Real-time updates: No more waiting to reissue PDFs—any team member could instantly update content, ensuring everyone accessed the latest information.‍
• Single source of truth: The online exhibitor manual and exhibitor instructions were consolidated into one easy-to-navigate online hub.‍
• Streamlined communication: Exhibitors could self-serve information, reducing email traffic and phone support needs.‍
• Integrated forms: Online submissions flowed directly to the BIBA team and suppliers, cutting out manual handling and delays.‍
• Smart web hooks: Automated web hooks seamlessly push exhibitor directory information to the BIBA Conference website. This eliminates the need for extra logins or manual data entry, ensuring a smooth, error-free data flow from the online exhibitor manual to the event website.‍
• Branded experience: The online exhibitor manual was styled to match the BIBA Conference brand, giving a seamless, professional look and feel.

Results for BIBA—and Lessons for Other Trade Associations

The transition to Eventflow delivered measurable improvements for BIBA’s event operations. By replacing static PDFs with a centralised online exhibitor manual, the team dramatically cut down on repetitive admin tasks, freeing up time to focus on strategic priorities.

Exhibitors noticed the difference immediately, praising the intuitive navigation, real-time updates, and the simplicity of online forms. Key suppliers also benefited from instant notifications of form submissions, ensuring logistics ran smoothly without manual follow-ups or delays.

This digital-first approach has transformed BIBA’s event management, creating an operational blueprint for other trade associations seeking to modernise their exhibitor manuals and deliver a more professional, seamless experience.

One major exhibitor at BIBA summed it up:

“We exhibit at a lot of shows, and your online exhibitor manual is on another level—it’s a game changer. Participation in The BIBA Conference has never been easier.”

Conclusion

BIBA’s successful implementation of Eventflow demonstrates how trade associations can modernise their exhibitor manual and event operations manual to achieve operational excellence. By moving away from static PDFs and fragmented communications, associations can deliver a fully digital, always-up-to-date event bible that improves exhibitor experience, saves valuable staff time, and sets a new industry standard.