Shaw Trust awards three-year contract to VEM

Leanne Bell , 05 February 2010

The Shaw Trust has awarded a three-year travel, venue and accommodation-finding contract to Venues Event Management (VEM).

The contract with the national employment charity, which helps disabled and disadvantaged people find work, is worth an estimated £1.5m annually.

Venues Event Management pitched against several other agencies for the business. The agency will provide accommodation and venue-finding services to the charity. It is partnering with Quorn Business Travel to provide the travel services for the contract.

Shaw Trust buying manager Mick Parry said: "As a charity supporting disabled people, we always ensure that our suppliers consider equality, and diversify and reflect the importance of them as part of their own culture.

"Venues Event Management and Quorn Business Travel reflect the values of the Shaw Trust and offered us a perfect solution to consolidate, control and measure our spend in this area, as well as providing a cost-effective and high-quality service."

Venues Event Management business development manager Mark Fry said its work would be mostly related to the Shaw Trust's training events and small meetings, most of which will be in the UK. "The client is extremely cost-conscious due to it being a charity, so we and Quorn are mindful of this in our work with it," he said.

Shaw Trust holds a number of fundraising events each year. In 2009, it held a charity cricket match at The Hurlingham Club in London.