Most Craft CMS enquiries from Harrogate involve an install in one of two states: fine but neglected, or genuinely broken with the previous developer unreachable.
Karl deals with it personally. Craft CMS and ExpressionEngine are the only platforms Expression 37's ever worked in, since 2007. No wider team, no account manager.
He reviews what's actually in the install before quoting anything. That leads to a fix, a version upgrade, or an ongoing retainer.
Where we typically come in:
- Conference and exhibition organisers running registration and delegate booking through Craft.
- Venues and hospitality providers with bookings that spike sharply around major events on the calendar.
- Sites where a fixed date matters more than average traffic, needing proper testing well ahead of a known busy period.
- Businesses managing delegate or exhibitor contact through HubSpot, an integration that needs as much attention as the CMS itself.
- Owners who need a fast response in the run-up to a known event, not a standard queue with a standard turnaround.
How a typical engagement starts:
A date is usually attached to the enquiry, a major conference a few months away and real doubt about whether the registration system will hold up. Karl reviews and load-tests the site ahead of that date, and event-driven clients tend to keep a retainer running year round rather than only around the busy period itself.
Common questions Harrogate clients ask:
Do you need to be based in Harrogate to support an event-heavy site well?
No, it's all handled remotely, testing, fixes, deployments. Harrogate's reachable enough for the rare occasion a visit genuinely adds value.
We've got a major conference coming and I'm not confident the site will cope, what's the right move?
Get it reviewed properly with time to spare. Load testing the registration flow ahead of the date, then fixing whatever it turns up, needs lead time rather than a last-minute fix.
Should support intensify specifically around our event dates?
Yes, that's standard for event-driven sites, more active testing and monitoring in the run-up, settling back to normal ongoing cover once the date's passed.
How far behind on Craft is genuinely risky for us?
Security matters most regardless of version. Beyond that, older installs run into plugins that have stopped being maintained, and that's the real issue come upgrade time.
Would you support our exhibitor communication tools as well as the core site?
Yes, they're usually built directly into the Craft templates, so proper support covers that integration alongside the CMS itself.
How does pricing work when our busy season is so concentrated?
A year-round monthly retainer suits event-driven businesses well, keeping cost predictable even though the actual workload spikes sharply around specific dates.
What's the best way to start?
A call about your event calendar, the site's Craft version, and how confident you currently are it'll hold up under load.
Ready to get started?
If your website is business-critical and needs a specialist who will take proper long-term ownership of it, get in touch. Karl will respond personally and give you an honest view of how we can help.
