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Yuletide Blog

Celebrate, Collaborate, Change!

Welcome to Christmas 2009, I’m sure some of us were not sure we would make it this far so the fact that we are still here is cause for celebration.  Unfortunately we have lost a significant number of businesses from the industry over the recession.  However, the media have dwelt enough on the losses, I would prefer to highlight the fact that in amongst the doom and gloom there are a number of good stories to celebrate and we must not lose sight of this as we head into the New Year.  Even the small successes are worth celebrating: a client win, getting on a roster it all adds up…in order to feel motivated and perform better, people need to feel happy and positive for the future. 

Talking with the 150+ members who attended our Christmas party on Monday night – yes we did have one and yes we are calling it a party….there was an overwhelming sense of camaraderie as people shared their stories and updates with each other over the delicious Christmas fare supplied by Searcy’s in the Garden room and Conservatory at the Barbican centre. 

Collaboration is the way forward and as our colleagues from the MPI board led by Anthony Hyde and Zanine Adams team from ISES joined us that night there was a definite intention to pull together as an industry and work with each other as association leaders for the benefit of our members.

There are clear reasons and benefits to working together, whether it’s suppliers collaborating to bring a solution to a client, various members uniting over a cause that affects them all, like the TOMS issue for example and on the wider scale the entire industry coming together with one voice to campaign for the use of events as an effective form of communication. 

We have just produced a white paper entitled ‘Getting the Message Across’ you may wish to download a copy to use and quote from when talking with clients.  We have included all significant pieces of research that have been published over the past year to support the use of events as a form of communication.  The white paper is part of our ongoing campaign to raise awareness of the effectiveness of events amongst the various stakeholders in the broader business community.  As well as circulating amongst industry press we are utilizing PR tools such as letters to editors and opinion pieces in the national & regional media to get this white paper and message circulated amongst our audience. 

If any members have an idea or opportunity to help spread this message then please let us know, Tracy is heading up the communication from our office and Jill Hawkins from Aniseed PR is assisting us on this campaign so please feel free to contact either of them if you’d like to get involved. 

And finally Change, yes, the industry, and in fact the world as we know it, is changing before our very eyes, and the key to surviving these times is adaptability and getting back to basics.  A strong cash flow is always essential in any business, and now more than ever it could be the difference for many companies.  Proactive business development skills, getting and staying close to clients, keep building those relationships, even if budgets are cut and there doesn’t seem to be much coming through, if you keep those contacts close and well taken care of, when budgets are released you will be well placed to respond quickly and win the business.  Whether you are an agency or further along the chain as a supplier, response times and knowledge are essential, as budgets are being released, often at the last minute, those who know their stuff and respond quickly will definitely have an advantage over other more slow moving suppliers. 

This time next year the events industry will look a very different place indeed, as the saying goes ‘the only certainty in life is change’ so don’t stand still, don’t resist, just go with it, adapt and be creative and who knows, maybe the outcome will turn out to be better than you expect.  Some say life is the reality we create for ourselves, well there’s a challenge to get us all thinking in to the New Year. 

However you spend it, whoever you spend it with, I wish you a very happy Christmas and a great year ahead in 2010,

Yours

Izania