Conference News February / March | Page 13

always been an organisation that welcomes members who wish to play active roles , and , through various focuses and activities , this will continue within this new structure .
Our vision is now : “ Driven by leaders , united by collaboration and a significant contributor to an industry which delivers £ 70bn spend into the UK economy .” HBAA will be all about spearheading representation to the Government and policymakers , elevating a sector voice , and championing change and sustainable economic health .
Taking this forward , as the new board settled into our respective roles at the end of last year , we established a future strategy framework , based on four pillars : resilience , innovation , ethics , and quality . These underpin all we do .
With resilience , for example , we are committed to ensuring our members are best placed to adapt and grow . We need to manage the impact of Covid-19 , Brexit , trade overseas and any other major business issues on the horizon . It ’ s about supporting our members to build and bounce back better and balanced .
People have been hugely
impacted by Covid-19 and this will be a significant focus for the HBAA in 2021 . And when we talk about people , there are several strands to this . Firstly , mental health and how we support people will be very important to the future success of our businesses . HBAA has been championing the importance of mental health for several years and we will expand our training courses to offer more support on mental health and wellbeing in the coming months . This has also been elevated by our recent announcement of a new partnership with Eventwell and also continuing to support Buses4Homeless .
The second strand to people is the huge talent shortage we now face as a sector . Sadly , many talented people in the industry have been lost to redundancies and this must be tackled . Thirdly , the digital disruption of our industry , with the emergence of virtual and hybrid events , means there are skills and knowledge gaps , so training and education will be crucial to move forward .
Confidence needs to be restored , too , particularly among our corporate customers . It is our duty to show how venues and events can
“ The collaboration between associations in 2020 was very much unprecedented . Agendas were put aside , as they should be , and we welcome the continuation of this approach across the industry .”
Above : Callum McLean
be made Association comment Covid-safe for when restrictions are lifted . For instance , to help members be ready for the return of live events and build confidence among their customers we are now offering training for Covid Secure meetings and events .
In our research , one of the main things our members really needed was a voice – a strong and collaborative voice . What will continue in 2021 , and will be welcomed , are associations working together in collaboration to join forces to put weight behind campaigns and key initiatives and ensuring the roadmap of recovery is united and clear for all members , regardless of which association they are a member of . After all , we are one family . The collaboration between associations in 2020 was very much unprecedented . Agendas were put aside , as they should be , and we welcome the continuation of this approach across the industry .
It ’ s about coming back stronger , it ’ s about coming back better , and that means we need to work smarter – not necessarily harder . This is about the survival of an industry and we need to stand tall together .
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