Exhibition News Supplements EN 30 Under Thirty 2017 | Page 12

Partner’s comment
The future
is bright
Richard Sands, head
of delivery, ASP
12
A
s a founding partner of the ever-popular EN 30 Under
Thirty initiative, now in its third year, it was an honour to
be involved in this years’ judging panel on behalf of ASP.
After receiving a record number of entrants, all being of an
extremely high standard, it made it a very tough task to whittle
them down to just 30 this year.
All are excelling in their roles and have worked hard to build
their knowledge and passion for the events industry. The future
really is bright!
One of the main priorities for our industry today is
developing our youngest and most promising members, and
specifically our leadership, for tomorrow. The 30 Under Thirty
initiative gives us the ability to do just that.
It has been exciting to watch the enthusiasm of these young
professionals as they form a network they can rely on and I
look forward to crossing paths with the selected members over
the coming months.
At ASP, we mirror everything the EN 30 Under Thirty
initiative promotes – supporting young talent, developing
individuals and showing passion and ambition for the industry
we work in.
As a global supplier of websites for the events industry,
building over 250 websites per year and celebrating our 20th
birthday this year, we are always on the lookout for these
passionate people, whether that is internally, working on our
product Showoff™ or working closely with our clients to deliver
the best experience for their visitors and exhibitors.
2017 | exhibitionnews.co.uk
It was also great to see a real mix of winners this year from
organisers, suppliers and venues, consisting of marketeers,
ops and event directors. Having such a range of applicants
and eventual winners really does show what great hands
our industry is in. Many entrants were nominated by senior
colleagues within their companies for their achievements, and
shows an immediate respect they have from their internal teams
to build upon in the future.
The event itself this year, hosted at Good Hotel London (just
a stone’s throw from ExCeL London) was a great night out too.
Not only was it an opportunity to catch up with some familiar
faces, but a great chance to meet some of the select individuals
I have not had the pleasure of working with on a personal level
in recent months, but who’s reputations precede them.
The enthusiasm and passion from all attendees really was
there to be seen and fills me with confidence for the future of
our industry.
The drinks were flowing too (as you’d expect for an industry
event!) which helped really set the mood and atmosphere for a
fun evening of celebrations and networking.
I’d like to pass on my sincere congratulations to everyone
who made the cut this year from everyone at ASP. I look
forward to working closely with you all and to see you at any
upcoming events for the remainder of 2017 and into 2018.
I really hope that this will give the finalists support the
initiative offers, was well as offering the platform to build their
already impressive careers in events.