Mediation
Alignment is not accidental: Behind the scenes of business events
ANGELA HERBERHOLZ, FOUNDER OF HERBERHOLZ MEDIATION SERVICES, DESCRIBES SOME OF THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES CHALLENGES AND CONFLICT SITUATIONS THAT EMERGE IN THE FAST-PACED WORLD OF BUSINESS EVENTS AND OFFERS ADVICE ON HOW TO USE MEDIATION
B usiness events do not
become successful overnight. From concept to delivery, much of the industry works through long planning cycles, bringing each event to life through preparation, coordination, and strong professional relationships.
At the same time, business events bring together a global ecosystem. Event professionals, organisations, destinations and partners collaborate to deliver gatherings that drive economic activity, accelerate innovation and strengthen connections across industries and borders.
Angela Herberholz
“ In each case, something needed to be addressed, clarified or decided, yet a suitable space to do so had not been created”
Left: IELA Congress Keynote 2025
This is also why so many of us value working in this industry. Success is collective, not individual. As the event date moves closer, different realities begin to meet. Timelines narrow, decisions become immediate, and priorities that may have developed separately now need to come together.
These situations take different forms, across regions and across organisations.
In one executive team, two senior leaders had been working together under increasing strain. Differences had built over time without being addressed directly. The situation became visible when a disagreement escalated into a public argument in the office, in front of colleagues. From that point on, it was no longer just a difference in perspective, but something that began to affect the wider team.
In another case, a project team delivering an international congress found themselves misaligned on how they worked together. Expectations around availability, ways of communicating, and how to collaborate had never been made explicit. Over time, tension grew. During the delivery phase, communication broke down, meetings became strained, and there was even consideration of restructuring the team.
In a different situation, a formal complaint about inappropriate behaviour led to an internal investigation. Once the process concluded, both individuals returned to work, but the situation remained unresolved. Trust was affected, communication became cautious and limited, and uncertainty remained around how to interact while continuing to work together. In each case, something needed to be addressed, clarified or decided, yet a suitable space to do so had not been created.
These situations are often handled in an unstructured way, under time pressure, or not at all. Conversations happen in passing, in short exchanges between meetings, or are postponed to
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