MARCH | NOEA COLUMN
Why the industry
should come
together
NOEA’s CEO Susan Tanner says uniting the industry is
vital in 2019
A
s I write, we’re making final preparations for the
Event Production Show, and once again we’re
looking forward to inviting existing and potential
NOEA members to our very own pavilion. We’re also
involved in a number of educational sessions, we have a
very exciting announcement to make at the show, and
naturally there will be a lot of conversations to have with
friends new and old.
It’s very easy to degrade the importance of these
shows, two days out of the office can often seem seismic
when we’re looking to bring together a major event (or
series of events) over the summer, and the cost can often
feel too much. But it’s always the case with me, and many
other NOEA members, that once you’re there, seeing
familiar faces, catching up with people that can add value
to your business, soaking up some quality education, and
taking the chance to take on some of your own personal
development, it starts to feel like a much better use of
time.
That’s how it usually feels on a normal exhibition, but
this is 2019 ‘the year of not knowing’ and it’s my thinking
that these conversations gain additional importance
when we’re in particularly uncertain times. The reality
is that 2019 is so incredibly unpredictable, and what
goes one day, could do a complete U-turn the next.
Up to date information, and people’s interpretation of
that information, is going to be really important. And
this isn’t just expert insight on stages, this is small
conversations over coffee with suppliers or contractors, a
chance to ask an opinion or put forward a theory.
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Having spent a long time in this industry, I’ve
seen it really on its knee’s, but also flying high, and I
always think that no matter what the circumstance
is, it does better when its people come together. Event
professionals have a habit, built over many years’
experience sorting out such an amorphous thing as an
event, of finding solutions whenever they collaborate.
This could be at a pre-event planning meeting, an
emergency meeting on-site, or even a chat in the aisle
of an exhibition. When we come together we’re quite
brilliant.
Again, it’s a fool’s game to predict the future, but what
we can predict is; at some point we’re going to face some
challenges, and the better prepared we are, be it plans
or relationships, we’ll have a better chance of riding the
storm.
So, we’d encourage all member of NOEA, and everyone
else in the industry, to try and take time if they can
to come to the Event Production Show, and more
specifically to take some time on the NOEA stand. We’ll
have tea and coffee, and maybe something stronger
later in the day, and we positively welcome open chats,
speculation, theorising, gossiping, and anyone who
wishes to put the world to rights.
Our members are characterised by their ability to
think first, talk second, and we encourage consideration
wherever possible. So regardless of your concerns,
challenges or opportunities, you’ll have a ready crowd
willing to chat it through at NOEA. Now how can you
ever put a value on that!
“What we can
predict is; at
some point we’re
going to face
some challenges”