DIRECTOROFTHEMONTH
The Perfect FIT
From Ab Fab to obsessing over the floor plan , FIT Show event director Nickie West gives Clearview an insight into what it takes to deliver the award-winning NEC show ...
NAME / JOB TITLE : Nickie West , Event Director FIT Show
WHEN DID YOU JOIN ( OR START ) THE COMPANY ? 2011
I was originally contracted by Matthew Glover and Paul Godwin in an operations capacity when the idea for FIT Show was conceived in 2011 . We worked together on the inaugural show , which took place at Telford ’ s International Exhibition Centre in 2013 . The glass and glazing industry was screaming out for a dedicated UK event , and FIT Show filled that gap in the market .
DESCRIBE YOUR WORKING DAY ( FROM THE TIME YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE , ETC .)
I work from home , in Walton-on-Thames , so my commute is easy . However , I ’ m out and about a lot meeting our exhibitors and suppliers across the country so my day often starts with setting the Sat Nav and hitting the road or waking up in a hotel and preparing for a day of meetings . I ’ ll be responding to emails in between appointments and then debriefing the wider FIT Show team on anything important from the meetings I ’ ve had that day .
WHAT IS YOUR WORKSPACE LIKE ? ( TIDY / ORGANISED ETC .)
My home work space moves from relatively tidy to extremely chaotic as we get closer to the show .
FIRST THING YOU DO WHEN YOU GET TO YOUR DESK ?
I arrive at my desk with a coffee to fuel the brain and then will most likely start off by opening my emails . When you ’ re on the road and in back-to-back meetings , the emails can often pile up so I like to keep an organised inbox which is then easy to sort through and action .
WHAT WEBSITES HELP YOU ? Key sites for me include the event industry trade body ; Association of Event Organisers - https :// www . aeo . org . uk /, BBC News , LiveBuzz who manage our online registration and the fIT Show website , howtostaycalmwhenpeopleareidiots . com and of course the FIT Show website which is updated weekly with fresh content from our exhibitors and that rapidly expanding exhibitor list / floor plan .
MOST USEFUL BUSINESS TOOL ? ( SAT NAV / APPS ETC .)
I absolutely rely on my car ’ s inbuilt Sat Nav , I don ’ t know what I ’ d do without it . I ’ m also an avid user of LinkedIn and Twitter which are both key channels for this industry . Finally , I ’ d have to say Salesforce . The whole FIT Show team is linked up with Salesforce and it ’ s vital for managing and nurturing leads throughout the campaign .
BEST BUSINESS DECISION IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE ?
I ’ d say that the decision to move FIT Show to the NEC , taking it from what many perceived to be its natural home in Telford , was a big and brave one . Not only did we have more stand space to sell and visitors to drive , people inherently don ’ t like change so we were also met with all the challenges that came with convincing some of our original supporters that this was the best move all-round . The move to Birmingham has made the show more accessible , which has been reflected in the floor plan with more exhibitors joining the show from oversees , and reflected in the visitor data which saw more footfall from the South East and North West . It ’ s also allowed us to expand our offering and appeal to new and wider audiences , such as the addition of Visit Glass for the flat glass sector .
‘ The whole FIT Show team is linked up with Salesforce and it ’ s vital for managing and nurturing leads throughout the campaign ’
FAVOURITE ROLE MODELS AND WHY ?
From a personality perspective , I love Joanna Lumley . She ’ s beautiful , clever and a great ambassador for good causes ( and I can certainly relate to her as Patsy in Ab Fab !) From the world of business , I respect any woman who is achieving success in their chosen career . I ’ ve raised twin girls and have always instilled in them that gender should not be a barrier to success in any profession .
HOW DO YOU UNWIND ?
I love spending time with my beautiful girlies . I also love holidays . I ’ ve made a conscious effort this year to try and find the balance between work and home life , taking time out to enjoy time with my family . I ’ ve spent many a holiday in front of the laptop or tied to my phone , but you just don ’ t come back to work refreshed and revitalised . And I ’ d be lying if I said that I didn ’ t find some satisfaction in sitting back and looking at the FIT Show floor plan filling up or the mounting registrations on the Livebuzz website .
34 » SEP 2018 » CLEARVIEW-UK . COM