aka New York Extends a Welcome to Concept

Long-time Concept user aka, replicates its agency management system capabilities to the fast growing New York office

Chessington, UK – May 3rd , 2011 – Concept Integrated Systems, developers of the agency management system, Concept™, has today announced that West End and New York based full service and live entertainment agency, aka, has upgraded to the latest version of Concept and replicated the system in its rapidly expanding New York office.

aka first signed up to Concept over seven years ago to support the media booking, budget management, analysis and reporting demands of its London agency business. The system enjoyed positive take up and became a solid foundation for the business giving the aka team increased levels of financial visibility to make accountable, profitable decisions to support its unrivalled client service philosophy.

Now an agency of 125+ staff in London, aka has grown significantly and relies on Concept to underpin its financial management, job control and workflow and media bookings. The decision to upgrade the Concept system and expand its use to the New York office is testament to how vital it has become to the business as Adrian Allen, Operations Director at aka explains, "Concept is a key foundation to our business. All our briefs, job scheduling and task allocation are managed by Concept and it gives us great job visibility across our design and digital studios. Its workflow capability is hugely valuable and enables us to track and manage jobs across the business." Adrian continues, "Replicating that functionality in our New York office, which is already at 30+ staff, furthers our visibility and allows us to seamlessly manage jobs effectively, control costs and continue to deliver exceptional client service on both sides of the Atlantic."

aka is a dynamic full service agency, promoting smart thinking and strategic planning and has provided innovative media, marketing, digital and creative solutions to the live entertainment industry since 1995. With a genuine passion for arts, culture and entertainment, the team is committed to promoting live events to wider, younger and more diverse audiences. The principle of its service is to create awareness, engage consumers and drive ticket sales for live experiences. Located on bustling Shaftesbury Avenue, the company handles clients such as The National Theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Sadlers Wells, plus Billy Elliot the musical, Disney on Ice, Batman Live, Jersey Boys, Legally Blonde, Doctor Who Live UK tour, Walking with Dinosaurs and the Royal Academy of Art.

"This is a very typical and rewarding Concept story," says Ian Tomlins, Managing Director of Concept Integrated Systems. "We designed Concept for agencies of all sizes, small to large, and with the capability to underpin and grow as the agency grows. That is exactly what has happened at aka, a client for 7 years and now expanding and replicating the system to its New York office. We are delighted to be part of the aka success story and look forward to supporting their business for many years to come."

More information on aka can be found at www.akauk.com