MAY | FEATURE
Remote control
How do you run a business while working from home?
We speak to supplier Actavo Events to find out
W
orking from home presents its
own series of challenges, which
the world is currently getting to
grips with. How do you present yourself in
important video calls? How do you maintain
a healthy work/life balance? Is it worth
putting on proper trousers? (Hint: yes.)
Actavo Events, which supplies staging,
rigging, barriers and seating for outdoor
events, finds itself in the same position all of
us do. The company has had to adapt to this
new way of working the best it can, keeping
team spirit high and business on a simmer.
With all events in the pipeline cancelled
or postponed, the team has pared back
as much as possible. Emily Kenward, UK
Operations Manager, says: “Our site-based
team are limited as to what they can be
doing, so we are taking advantage of the
government scheme like many other
companies and furloughing these guys.
Our back of house team – office staff and
project managers - can do everything we’d
normally do from home, in terms of project
planning and administration. This allows
us to keep the team together for when the
industry does bounce back.”
Staff who are not able to work on site are
32
still keeping themselves busy. Kenward says
that Actavo is encouraging the team to use
downtime as an opportunity to complete
online training courses and pick up new
skills. “We are encouraging the team to take
the time to do some training that they may
have always been interested in, but haven’t
had the time for in the busy schedule we’re
used to in live events. This can be a topic for
work, or outside of work for their personal
development.”
Training courses and webinars have
exploded in popularity since the lockdown
was put in place. They are a good way for
eventprofs to keep themselves busy during
a period that often doesn’t allow much
time for reflection and self-improvement.
Access publishes a weekly list of the various
training courses and webinars from around
the industry on our website, so keep your
eyes peeled.
What about keeping sane, sociable and
motivated? Kenward says that company-
wide Zoom calls are keeping everyone in
contact, and providing a bit of comic relief:
“We are doing a team lunch on Zoom each
week, which is unrelated to work topics, but
allows the team to stay in touch – seeing
and talking to each other. [Office Manager]
Sol has livened things up by introducing
some simple team competitions – such as
finding a photo of our favourite views and
using it as our background!”
There is some solace to be taken from the
fact that the whole industry is in the same
boat, too. Project Manager Simon Holliman
says: “I’m finding calls to clients are not as
rushed, it’s an easier conversation as you can
talk about things that perhaps you wouldn’t
and people are glad of the call. I can see us
building some stronger relationships out of
this.”
Still, there are plenty of challenges.
Kenward says that the team’s Project
Manager in Scotland is finding it hard to
get pricing from Actavo’s supply chain.
The uncertainty in the economy, and when
things will return, makes costing up future
projects more difficult.
All of these unknowns are making life
difficult for companies across the industry,
not just Actavo. But this only makes it more
important than ever that eventprofs keep
learning, keep in contact, and keep one eye
on the future for when we can leap back into
action.