The Big Resignation – an opportunity ?
AIPC CEO SVEN BOSSU SAYS THE INDUSTRY CAN HARNESS PASSION AND SENSE OF PURPOSE TO COMPETE IN THE JOBS MARKET
Above : Sven Bossu ,
T he Big Resignation in the US continues in 2022 – it is expected that 23 % of the workforce will seek a new job this year , according to research done by ResumeBuilder . The same is happening in Western Europe , with especially young Europeans re-examining their jobs according to research by YPulse . While the figures in Asia are lower , employers recognise it is hard to attract and retain talent , as discussed during a roundtable organised by PRovokeAP . The common factor : it is no longer about the salary – employees are rethinking not just how they work but why they work . We can make this an opportunity for the event industry .
When talking to CEOs of convention centres worldwide who have re-opened for business or are planning to do so shortly , there is one common topic : the shortage of labour . It is not uncommon to hear statements like : “ It is a good thing we can ’ t work at full capacity yet , because we don ’ t have the staff to make it happen ”. There are several causes for this situation . The two-year standstill resulted in qualified staff leaving the event industry – in some cases , the term ‘ brain drain ’ has been used
Stageco , one of the world ’ s biggest stage builders , already sounded the alarm bell : stating there are not enough qualified staff for the upcoming concerts and festivals . In addition , the quarantine rules still in place in many countries can have a considerable and unpredictable impact on staff availability . Thirdly : there is of course the impact of ‘ The Big Resignation ’, whereby people question their relationship to work – thereby providing an opportunity for the event industry to attract talent .
When asked why they want to change jobs , salary and benefits of course still play a big role , but less than one would imagine . The research by YPulse showed that salary was the key driver in only 20 % of the cases . Other drivers are : no passion for the current job , no sense of purpose , negative impact on mental health or the lack of advancement opportunities .
Talking to the participants of the AIPC talent programme , Future Shapers , on why they like working in the event industry , the exact opposite can be heard – it is all about values like passion , purpose and personal growth . The sense of purpose for example : when you play a role in making COP26 happen , it may be challenging to
CEO , AIPC
deliver , but the sense of purpose is definitely there . How is that for a mental boost ? There are many examples like COP26 , where bringing communities together results in innovation , collaboration or breakthroughs which impact people across the globe .
The second big advantage of the event industry is the wide range of opportunities for personal growth on all types of levels . For me personally , the human side of events – meeting people from different cultures , discovering communities and industries previously unknown , seeing the variety in interactions – has helped me grow enormously as an individual . But there are also the various ‘ classic ’ growth opportunities , both vertical and horizontal . Moving from catering to sales , to operations to finance ? Perfectly possible in a convention centre .
The third key value is , of course , passion . Event professionals have a passion for people and in delivering success , and it is a passion which is shared by all the parties involved in creating those unique moments which are the hallmark of great events . When the magic of organised events happens , the emotions of the people involved can be best compared to those of the people in the NASA-control room when a rocket is successfully launched – joy , pride , and a sense of belonging to something very special .
As an industry , we should consider the Big Resignation as a unique opportunity to attract talent looking for purpose , personal growth and passion and we should showcase all the opportunities we can offer . The participants to the AIPC talent programme , Future Shapers , will be part of that effort , as ambassadors and role models . As the global association of convention centres , AIPC will continue make sure their stories are heard .
8 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 117