Conference & Meetings World Issue 104 | Page 3

Leader Get to the heart of the event matter with deeper connections New Year’s real resolution Managing editor, Paul Colston ow many articles or blogposts have you read over the festive season that begin with the premise of offering the 5 or 10 key ‘trends’, ‘top tips’ or ‘secrets’ for success in realising your 2020 Vision? I realise we live in a fast-paced world where attention spans are ever shorter, but so many of these fast-brainfood, bite-sized attempts at insight tend to add up to exalting form over any content of significance. The very idea that our supremely creative events industry can be reduced to some accountant’s five-step formula for success is absurd and vastly undervalues our sector’s professionals and their inter-personal skills. It is time to take a leaf out of the face-to-face industry we serve and champion and share proper engagement and risk as MANAGING EDITOR PAUL COLSTON [email protected] GLOBAL ACCOUNT DIRECTOR IAIN STIRLING [email protected] JOURNALIST STUART WOOD [email protected] CONTRIBUTING WRITERS SIMON GEORGE RAMY SALAMEH PRODUCTION MANAGER ELIZABETH NIXON GRAPHIC DESIGNER KATERYNA SMIRNOVA [email protected] well as success. We should be interested in truths and getting to the heart of the company or person you might wish to work and interact with. Regardless of technology, lists or process, what, in my view, makes for a successful business relationship is something at a deeper level of connection: empathy, listening and ultimately delivering for your clients’ successes in their business projects. At the end of the day, operations, venue hardware and event technology are all commodities. And, while commodities and tools may get shinier, faster and smarter in terms of what they can deliver, the real differentiator that will set you apart from your (human) competitor is the level to which your client believes you understand and keep their best interests at heart CIRCULATION MATTHEW WILLIAMS PRINTED BY PENSORD MASH MEDIA GROUP LTD 2ND FLOOR APPLEMARKET HOUSE, 17 UNION STREET, KINGSTON-UPON-THAMES KT1 1RP TEL: [phone] FAX: [phone] EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: WWW.C-MW.NET @CM_WORLD throughout the event lifecycle and beyond. Do you have their back? So, keep your lists handy, but when it comes to the real deal, remember that deep down we are all grown up about our expectations and aspirations, and will trust the realisation of our treasured business project to those with more to give... of themselves. Time, perhaps, to resolve to invest in personal development. And, to our international colleagues struggling in Hong Kong and Australia to keep planners advised in difficult circumstances, we offer you extra special New Year wishes. © COPYRIGHT CONFERENCE + MEETINGS WORLD ALL MATERIAL PUBLISHED IN CONFERENCE + MEETINGS WORLD IS COPYRIGHT AND REMAINS THE PROPERTY OF THE PUBLISHERS. NO MATERIAL MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHERS. THE PUBLISHERS DO NOT NECESSARILY AGREE WITH THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY CONTRIBUTORS, NOR DO THEY ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR INTERPRETATION IN THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS PUBLICATION. NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE COPIED OR REPRODUCED, STORED IN A RETRIEVAL SYSTEM, OR BE TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM BY ANY MEANS ELECTRONIC, MECHANICAL, PHOTOCOPYING, RECORDING OR OTHERWISE WITHOUT THE PRIOR PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHERS. ISSUE 104 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 3